10 Worst Back To Back NBA Draft Picks Of The Last 10 Years

The 2009 Memphis Grizzlies had a great young core of players: Marc Gasol had a solid rookie year, just as shooting guard O.J. Mayo. And with Mike Conley and Rudy Gay, the team just lacked a power forward/center to stage probably the most promising starting line-up in the NBA at that time. Enter UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, the 2009 Big East Player of the Year, who averaged over four blocks a game in his last two years in Connecticut.

Still, Thabeet was raw. His offensive game was limited and he tended to rely too much on his athleticism alone. It turned out that leaving college early hurt his career - yes, Thabeet got paid, but he was relegated to the D-League in his rookie year. He struggled to find his game and returned to his native Tanzania when his professional career was over.

The player picked immediately after him was the third MVP candidate on this list for the season, James Harden. Chosen with the third pick by the Thunder, Harden proved to be a dependable scorer in his two years playing for Arizona State. The Thunder preferred to use him as a sixth-man, which allowed him to develop slowly and gradually. In his third year he won the award for the best reserve in the league. Next season he became the leader of the Houston Rockets.