If a casual NBA fan asked a die-hard Sixers supporter about players whose tenure in Philly never matched expectations, the response would be simple – “How much time do you have?”
The Philadelphia 76ers have had a fair share of busts over the years. Going back to the 1990s, the team has drafted and traded for players that came with massive hype. Coming to this historic franchise, built brick-by-brick by all-time greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, the following list of players could not quite land their role with Philly. No matter how much or little they committed themselves to the Sixers, the bust players never really proved themselves to the fans and franchise.
There are several reasons why these players did not fill the shoes they were expected to fill. Whether it was immaturity, injuries, bad chemistry, or being on the tail end of their career, the busts on this list are merely a reflection of their basketball ineptitude while they were in Philly. Some went on to play for other teams, meandering through the league on paths to nowhere. One went on to win a championship.
No matter what happened when they left the 76ers, one thing they have in common is the forgettable experience they had for themselves while they were here and the unremarkable performances they left on the floor. Several busts actually had a decent run in Philly, but as fate would have it, they did things to impede their progress and wrote their ticket out of town.
Craig Claxton: Top 10 Sixers busts since 2000
Speedy Claxton (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Craig Claxton in the summer of 2000. If you did not grow up watching the Sixers during this time, you might be wondering, who is Craig Claxton? You might’ve heard of him before with his unique nickname.
Coming out of Hofstra University, better known as Speedy Claxton, this number one pick for the Sixers arrived with the hope of backing up Allen Iverson and possibly even blossoming into something more significant. Unfortunately, he had a rough start to his career.
Going into his rookie year, where Philly went on their historic NBA Finals run against the Lakers, Claxton wound up with an injury that put him on the bench for the entire season. While the 76ers took the East by storm that year, Claxton had to rehab his knee and watch his new team’s success from afar.
When he finally was able to play in 2001-2002, he did what most rookies do the first year. He struggled. He averaged a modest seven points and three assists as a role player. He did have excellent speed to match his name, but his shooting was subpar, and he never quite solidified his role enough for the Sixers to want to keep him on the roster.
He ended up being traded to the San Antonio Spurs before the next season, and luckily for him, he won a championship ring that same season with Hall of Fame players like Tim Duncan, Tony, Parker, and Manu Ginóbili. Claxton went on to earn $37 million as an NBA player. However, the promise that he presented to the Sixers never came to fruition.