NBA Draft: Ranking the last 25 first overall picks

After three seasons in Europe, Andrea Bargnani had earned a strong reputation and became the first pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Unlike Joe Smith, Bargnani only played for three teams in his decade long NBA career, never leaving the Atlantic Division. He spent seven seasons as a stretch four for the Toronto Raptors before spending time with the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.

Bargnani’s best season came as a result of Chris Bosh’s departure to the Miami Heat, during which the Italian big man averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2010-11. However, like many big men on this list, injuries would soon begin to limit his playtime and prevent him from developing into a star. He was unable to play a full season in his last six years in the association.

One of Bargnani’s biggest flaws was his inability to get the most out of his height. At 7-feet tall and 250 pounds, one could reasonably expect him to be a force in the paint, attacking the board and erasing shots.

However, as a more perimeter focused power forward, Bargnani averaged less than five rebounds and a block per game for his career. His mobility and ability to handle to ball made up a little bit for his lack of post play, but his injuries ultimately ended his career.

Bargnani will ultimately be looked at as a bust, with Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge, J.J. Redick, Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Paul Millsap all having better NBA careers in the same draft class. However, his early career production supported the reason for his early hype coming over from Italy.

Career averages: 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game