THE WORST OF THE WORST | THE WORST 10 PLAYERS OF THE 2000 NBA DRAFT

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When people talk about the weakest NBA draft classes of all time, the 2000 NBA Draft is almost always the punchline. While every draft has its share of busts, this class was uniquely underwhelming from top to bottom. Kenyon Martin, the No. 1 overall pick, made exactly one All-Star team. Michael Redd—picked 43rd—was the lone gem, making an All-Star team, earning All-NBA honors, and even suiting up for the 2008 Redeem Team. Beyond that? The class was a collection of short-lived careers, unmet potential, and highlight reels that never quite developed into actual legacies.

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It’s not entirely the players’ fault—some were derailed by injuries, others were miscast by bad scouting or overinflated expectations. But history isn’t always kind. Playing 400 NBA games might seem like a lot, but that’s barely five full seasons. Averaging double figures in scoring sounds respectable—until you remember these were lottery picks meant to rescue franchises from mediocrity and become faces of the league.

People collected their rookie cards thinking they had a future All-Star in their hands—maybe even a future eBay payday. Instead, many ended up with dust collectors and dollar-bin reminders of a draft that simply didn’t deliver.

Today, we revisit the 10 worst players from that class—not just the biggest busts, but the ones whose names now prompt a collective, “Wait… who?”

Let’s count them down.

Game starts now!

10 | CHRIS MIHM

7TH OVERALL - CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

STATS | 7.5PPG - 5.3RPG - 1.0BPG | 436 GAMES

Chris Mihm wasn’t a total bust—he stuck around for eight seasons and even averaged double figures a couple of times with the Lakers. But for a 7th overall pick, he was the definition of mid. He never developed a consistent post game, lacked physicality, and faded fast once injuries hit. Mihm was serviceable at best, but when you’re picked ahead of guys like Jamal Crawford and Hedo Türkoğlu, serviceable just doesn’t cut it. He was a big man who played big minutes… and left a small impact.

9 | COURTNEY ALEXANDER

13TH OVERALL - ORLANDO MAGIC

STATS | 9.0PPG - 2.2RPG - 1.2APG | 187 GAMES

A prolific scorer in college, Courtney Alexander was expected to light it up in the NBA. Early on, he showed flashes, most notably with a 33-point game as a rookie in Washington. Unfortunately, injuries cut his career short before he could gain real momentum. He played just three seasons and never became the consistent offensive threat scouts hoped he’d be. His career remains a “what-if” from a class full of them.

8 | DARIUS MILES

3RD OVERALL - LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

STATS | 10.1PPG - 4.9RPG - 1.9APG | 446 GAMES

Darius Miles was supposed to be the future—a 6'9" high school phenom with guard skills, athleticism, and charisma to match. Early highlights and his partnership with Quentin Richardson gave the Clippers a cult following, but his development stalled quickly. He never averaged more than 14 points in a season and struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout his career. Off-court distractions and an eventual microfracture surgery ended any hopes of a long-term comeback. In the end, he became more remembered for what he could have been than what he actually accomplished.

7 | KEYON DOOLING

10TH OVERALL - ORLANDO MAGIC (TRADED TO LA CLIPPERS)

STATS | 7.0PPG - 1.3RPG - 2.2APG | 728 GAMES

Traded on draft night to the Clippers, Keyon Dooling carved out a respectable journeyman career as a backup guard. He played 728 games across 13 seasons, known more for his leadership and locker room presence than his production. While he was athletic and capable of scoring in bursts, he never developed into a reliable starting point guard. For a top 10 pick, his impact on the court was underwhelming, especially given the hype surrounding his speed and defensive potential. He ultimately became the kind of player teams liked having around, but not one they built around.

6 | ERICK BARKLEY

28TH OVERALL - PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

STATS | 2.9PPG - 0.8RPG - 1.5APG | 27 GAMES

A standout at St. John’s, Erick Barkley entered the league with hopes of becoming a reliable floor general. Instead, his NBA career barely got off the ground—he played just 27 games over two seasons and quickly disappeared from the league. Yes, he was only the 28th pick, but he still ranks among the bottom in games played from the entire 2000 class. Barkley struggled with turnovers, lacked polish, and never found a rhythm even in limited minutes. Whatever spark he had in college didn’t carry over, and he was gone almost as fast as he arrived.

5 | DERMARR JOHNSON

6TH OVERALL - ATLANTA HAWKS

STATS | 6.2PPG - 2.2RPG - 0.9APG | 344 GAMES

DerMarr Johnson had all the physical tools—length, athleticism, and a silky shooting stroke—but his NBA journey never lived up to the pre-draft hype. After a quiet rookie season, his career was nearly ended by a serious car accident in 2002 that sidelined him for an entire year. Though he eventually returned to the league, he was never more than a role player and struggled to consistently impact games. Johnson later played overseas and even had a stint in the PBA as an import, a far cry from the star trajectory expected of a top-six pick. He remains one of the bigger "what could have been" stories from this class.

4 | JEROME MOISO

11TH OVERALL - BOSTON CELTICS

STATS | 2.7PPG - 2.7RPG - 0.5BPG | 145 GAMES

With his 6'10" frame, mobility, and smooth jumper, Jerome Moiso had all the makings of a modern stretch big on paper. But once the games started, he looked completely overwhelmed by the NBA’s pace and physicality. He bounced around six teams in five years, rarely cracking the rotation and offering little outside of garbage time minutes. Despite the raw tools, Moiso never developed the instincts or toughness needed to stay in the league. He’s a prime example of scouting based on potential gone wrong.

3 | STROMILE SWIFT

2ND OVERALL - VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES

STATS | 8.4PPG - 4.6RPG - 1.3BPG | 547 GAMES

Explosive and electrifying, Stromile Swift had the athletic gifts to become a star. He was a highlight machine with jaw-dropping dunks and shot-blocking flashes that teased superstar potential. But despite a long career, Swift never developed the skills or consistency needed to anchor a team. He bounced around the league as a serviceable but underachieving big man, never averaging more than 10 points or 6 rebounds over a full season. For a No. 2 pick in a weak draft, the gap between hype and production was just too wide to ignore.

2 | MATEEN CLEAVES

14TH OVERALL - DETROIT PISTONS

STATS | 3.7PPG - 1.1RPG - 1.9APG | 167 GAMES

A beloved college star and the heart of Michigan State’s 2000 NCAA championship run, Mateen Cleaves entered the NBA with leadership credentials and a winning pedigree. So when the Michigan State star was drafted by the Pistons, it felt like the perfect homecoming for him. But once he hit the pros, his lack of size, shaky shooting, and limited quickness quickly stood out in all the wrong ways. He bounced around six teams in six seasons and never averaged more than 5.4 points or 2.7 assists per game. Cleaves stayed charismatic and likable off the court, but on it, he simply couldn’t hang at the NBA level. His pro career never came close to matching the glory of his college days.

1 | MARCUS FIZER

4TH OVERALL - CHICAGO BULLS

STATS | 9.6PPG - 4.6RPG - 1.2APG | 289 GAMES

Marcus Fizer was a dominant force at Iowa State and seemed poised to bring that same bully-ball game to the NBA. But Chicago drafting him never made much sense, especially with Elton Brand already in place, and the fit issues showed early. Fizer could score in isolation, but his lack of range, poor passing, and questionable shot selection made him a tough piece to build around. Injuries didn’t help either, as his career stalled out after just five seasons. For a fourth overall pick, he remains one of the most forgettable and frustrating swing-and-miss stories of his era.

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The 2000 NBA Draft has aged like unrefrigerated milk. For every serviceable role player, there seemed to be three who couldn’t stick, couldn’t develop, or just didn’t fit the modern game, even though it was still the early 2000s. Injuries, bad team fits, raw potential that never materialized… this class had all the ingredients for disappointment.

Of the 58 players drafted in 2000, six eventually found their way to the PBA. No. 6 pick DeMarr Johnson suited up for Barako Bull, while 22nd pick Donnell Harvey powered Talk ’N Text. Ernest Brown (52nd) and Chris Porter (55th) both had runs as Barangay Ginebra imports. And two draftees who never logged an NBA minute—Chris Carrawell with Alaska and Pete Mickeal with TNT—turned in memorable performances in the PBA.

To be fair, some of these players were victims of circumstances beyond their control, while others simply didn’t evolve. But when you're drafted into the NBA—especially in the lottery—the expectations are massive, and the window to prove yourself is small.

In a draft class that produced a limited number of all-stars, these ten names stand out for all the wrong reasons.