Houston Rockets all-time NBA Draft bust starting 5

The Houston Rockets have missed the playoffs four straight years, but hope to turn things around quickly. They were an annual contender during the James Harden era, but have not found their footing since The Beard requested a trade. Houston’s drafting is partially to blame.

The draft is an inexact science. The best players are not always selected at the top. Teams are judging 19 to 23-year-olds on their mix of current play and potential. Any pick can become a bust, which is what teams desperately attempt to avoid.

The Rockets have had several draft misses over the years, but their track record is far from the worst in the league. These players are not the only ones who failed to pan out, but they are the worst selections in franchise history at each position.

PG: Bryce Drew

Drew is more known for his coaching career. His father is in the college basketball Hall of Fame, and Bryce has been a head coach in the NCAA since 2011. He has led Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, and Grand Canyon during that stretch.

Bryce Drew made a memorable 3-pointer in the 1998 NCAA Tournament to help his alma mater advance. They fell to Rhode Island in the Sweet 16, but it did little to hurt Drew’s draft stock.

The 6’2 guard was selected 16th overall by the Rockets, but things never quite worked. He averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game during his two seasons in Houston. Drew shot under 39 percent from the field each year and wound up playing just six seasons in the NBA.

Drew struggled throughout his NBA career. His best year saw him average 6.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game as a starter for the Bulls. He opened just 46 games in his career and 41 of them came in 2001 with Chicago.

Bryce Drew was a first-round pick who played his final NBA game before his 30th birthday. He was a bust, but far from the biggest one on this list.