The 30 most painful NBA Draft pass-ups since 2000

NBA Draft Mistake #5: Portland drafting Greg Oden over Kevin Durant.

For those who weren’t around during the lead-up to the 2006 NBA draft, you missed out on a heated debate over who should be the number one pick. The two candidates were Ohio State center Greg Oden and Texas small forward Kevin Durant. Obviously, Durant would go on to have a better career, but at the time, it was far less certain. People hadn’t seen a player like Durant before—a 6’10 small forward who could score like he could despite being rail thin.

As a result, quite a few people, including the Portland Trailblazers, believed that Oden, a more traditional back-to-the-basket center, would be better in the NBA. Had it not been for injuries, they might have been right about Oden. When he did play, he was highly productive, but that seldom happened.

Although Portland shouldn’t be blamed for Oden failing to stay healthy in the NBA, they should have probably weighed his risk of injury more. They may have also opted not to draft Durant because they already had LaMarcus Aldridge, another mistake. There was also a lack of foresight.

Durant would eventually add muscle and even height, allowing him to play power forward, making him the perfect fit for the changing NBA. Had they not made those mistakes, Durant might have been a Blazer instead of heading to the Seattle Supersonics.