NBA Draft: Ranking the last 25 first overall picks

Being picked with the first pick in the NBA Draft is a huge honor with financial implication. Where do the last 25 No. 1 draft picks rank against each other?

Every draft year has its own set of busts, steals and surprises. However, no player is more heavily scrutinized than the No. 1 overall pick.

While it is easy to decide the best picks in each draft, it is difficult to rank these players between different drafts. Balancing career accolades, average production and overall success, let’s take a look at how the last 25 top picks rank against each other.

There is no arguing against that the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels’ Anthony Bennett is one of the most surprising first overall picks in the history of the NBA.

Although some No. 1 overall picks don’t work out because of injuries, Bennett was simply a bust. His inability to adjust to the NBA game led to a short four-year career, with a 4.4 points per game average on 39 percent shooting from the field.

It isn’t like Bennett’s lack of success was a surprise either. As soon as the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick, analysts were quick to question the move.

In the Cavaliers’ defense, the 2013 NBA Draft was not the most talented in recent memory, with Victor Oladipo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert representing the only players to be named NBA All-Stars or to an All-NBA team. These analysts were later vindicated by Bennett’s inability to stay on an NBA roster, playing for four teams over four seasons.

Since 2017, Bennett has bounced around the NBA G-League, averaging 13 points and six rebounds per game. Despite his success at the NBA’s developmental league, he has not earned another opportunity to play at basketball’s highest level. He is only 26 years old, but Bennett’s NBA window may be closed permanently.

When all is said and done, Bennett is the only player in the last 25 years who couldn’t succeed in the NBA, despite being drafted with the first overall pick. Even with lower expectations than most top picks, Bennett has the unfortunate legacy of being one the worst, if not the worst, draft busts in NBA history.

Career averages: 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds per game