Being the #2 overall pick in the NBA Draft is to becoming a bust what being a child star is to going batshizz crazy. (See Lindsay Lohan, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Amanda Bynes, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Todd Bridges, the Olsen twins etc.)
With this status, life has decided that you will likely have a very rough road ahead of you. Here are a few #2 overall NBA Draft pick busts: Stromile Swift, Shawn Bradley, Darko Milicic, Len Bias, Evan Turner, Michael Beasley, San Bowie and Hasheem Thabeet. So the question remains will the Indiana Hoosiers Victor Oladipo break from this pattern?
Yes, I had to use ALL CAPS!!! IN THE HEADLINE of this Oladipo article because that’s how bad the #2 overall picks have been.
Maybe it’s not quite fair to throw the Philadelphia 76ers Evan Turner into that group as he could still be a decent role player. However, he’ll never be a NBA franchise player. Ever.
And Sam Bowie had a a decent NBA career. It’s just he’ll always be known as the guy who was taken #2 in 1984 ahead of Michael Jordan who went #3. So can Victor Oladipo end this curse with the Orlando Magic?
Look at the strides Oladipo made this season. He was not highly recruited before coming to Bloomington. And he wasn’t thought of as a focal point or Big Ten superstar entering this season. Yet here is. His literal and figurative star turn (the 360 dunk) in the Big Ten Tournament solidified his place in the NBA Draft lottery.
Oladipo is long and lean. He’s 6-6 which is small for a three, but his wingspan and vertical jump should help compensate for that. Oladipo is NBA ready as a defender. Offensively, Oladipo needs some work. But look at his upside. He made huge strides in one year, what could he do in two-three years? The Orlando Magic need star power. They need talent now; quite badly. Oladipo could be that talent. He could be that star. Probably just not this year.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net. (“Quasi-endorsed” by Philadelphia Eagles Coach Chip Kelly) He’s also an author who also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker
Banks has appeared on the History Channel, as well as ESPN and CBS radio all over the world. The Chicago Bears expert does a weekly spot for 95.7 The Fan. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@PaulMBanks), like him on Facebook