2007: Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers, 1st Pick
“Greg Oden over Kevin Durant” is going to end up being the millennial version of “Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.” While Oden the #1 player in the nation coming out of high school, and a gifted seven-footer who many people thought could become the next Patrick Ewing, the fact that he missed nearly all of his one season at Ohio State University should’ve been a huge red flag. Thanks to a myriad of injuries Oden continued to sustain as a pro, he played in less than 50% of his team’s games over his first three seasons in the league. Oden played in just 105 before retiring in 2014, at the age of 26.
Meanwhile, Durant has blossomed into one of the best players in NBA history. In the same 2007 draft, Al Horford and Mike Conley Jr were also taken among the top four picks, while Joakim Noah and Thaddeus Young were taken in the top 12.