A look at recent No. 4 draft picks

Following an overwhelming cry of exasperation, boos rained down at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, when his named was called. One fan in a New York Knicks jersey covered his face, another gripped the back of his head in disbelief, and a kid broke down in tears.

The Knicks had taken a spindly 7foot-3 forward from Latvia with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and their fans were distraught. He smiled in response, walking across the stage and shaking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand.

“For those people who don’t know me, they may think that I’m a soft European,” Kristaps Porzingis said in the interview that followed. “There have been busts before (but) I’m different.”

Three years later, he’s proven that to be true. Porzingis burst into superstardom in 2018. The ‘Unicorn’ averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4

blocks, is beloved by fans and ranks among the top jersey sellers in the league.

In recent years, the No. 4 slot in the NBA Draft has been hit or miss. There have been home runs that turn into allstars and MVPs, but there have also been huge whiffs. On Thursday, the Memphis Grizzlies will pick fourth in the 2018 NBA Draft, and they'll attempt to avoid the latter.

2008 Russell Westbrook, UCLA — Seattle Supersonics

Westbrook was seen as a raw project when he was taken, but he quickly proved his doubters wrong with his alltime explosiveness and relentless will to win.

Paired with Kevin Durant, he helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals.

Since Durant’s departure, Westbrook’s game has reached new heights. He won the 2017 NBA MVP Award and became the first player in NBA history to average a triple double in back-to-back seasons in 2018.

2009 Tyreke Evans, Memphis — Sacramento Kings

After one standout season at the University of Memphis, Evans’ strong play carried over to the pros. He averaged a career-high 20.1 points and won the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award.

Evans was traded to New Orleans in 2013 and made a second stop in Sacramento before eventually making his way back to Memphis in 2017. After two injury-plagued seasons, the 28-yearold guard posted a line of 19.4 points, 5.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds.

2010 Wesley Johnson, Syracuse — Minnesota Timberwolves

Boasting elite athleticism, a pure stroke and three years of college experience, the Timberwolves expected Johnson to have an immediate impact as a two-way wing. He never lived up to those hopes and was traded after failing to shoot 40-percent or average double digits in consecutive seasons.

Johnson has stuck around in the league as a role player and has played for four teams in his eight-year career. He’s spent his last five years in Los Angeles and currently plays for the Clippers.

2011 Tristan Thompson, Texas — Cleveland Cavaliers

Thompson made history as being the highest-drafted Canadian-born player at the time when he was taken and has rewarded the Cavs with his superb rebounding ability. He gained notoriety after a strong 2015 playoff run earned him a five-year, $82 million deal.

Both his point and rebound totals dropped in every postseason since then, and 2018 was the least productive year of his career. His lack of offensive polish and rim protection have severely limited his effectiveness as a starting center.

2012 Dion Waiters, Syracuse — Cleveland Cavaliers

Waiters didn’t start a single game at Syracuse, so him being selected fourth overall by the Cavs was shocking to say the least. After a couple strong seasons, he reportedly became upset with his role alongside Kyrie Irving and was traded to the Thunder.

Following a down year in 2016, Oklahoma City allowed Waiters to become an unrestricted free agent and he signed with the Miami Heat. Pectineus and ankle injuries have limited him to just 76 games in two years.

2013 Cody Zeller, Indiana — Charlotte Bobcats

Zeller was already a consensus top-10 pick after his freshman year at Indiana, and he improved in year two. He led the Hoosiers to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances, was wildly efficient and flashed a polished post game.

The five-year center hasn’t been able to match the potential he showed in college and has battled injuries throughout his career. He’s only played in more than 70 games twice and has averaged 10 points or more just once.

2014 Aaron Gordon, Arizona — Orlando Magic

Gordon relied almost primarily on his athleticism and physical tools in his lone year at Arizona. His lack of an offensive skill set held him back early in his professional career.

He gained prominence after putting on a show at the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest, and the momentum translated to his game. Gordon averaged 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 2018, developing a 3-pointer and becoming a much better defender.

2015 Kristaps Porzingis, Baloncesta Sevilla – New York Knicks

The likes of Darko Milicic and Andrea Bargnani lasting stigma that followed European bigs. They were labeled as finesse players who were too fragile to make in the league and not worth risking a high pick.

Porzingis received much of the same treatment. Few casual fans knew who he was, and even fewer expected him to pan out. While he’s dispelled much of his criticism, he had his 2018 season cut short by a torn ACL. Continued injuries could derail a promising career.

2016 Dragan Bender, Israel – Phoenix Suns

Right after Porzingis skyrocketed the stock of European bigs, Bender sent it spiraling back down. Bender flashed shooting prowess and athleticism when he played professionally in Croatia and Israel, but has stumbled in the NBA.

The 7-1 forward averaged just 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds on 35 percent shooting in his rookie year and shot only 38.6 percent in 2018. Bender’s body is still filling out, so he may improve, but the Suns likely whiffed here.

2017

Josh Jackson, Kansas – Phoenix Suns

Jackson was considered the top recruit coming out of high school, and he delivered at Kansas, averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3 assists. Naturally, he declared for the draft, and the Suns took him as they drafted at No. 4 for the second straight year.

Jackson had a rocky start to the season but hit his stride as the season waned, averaging 18.7 points after the all-star break. He’s huge for a guard at 6-8 and has the ability to defend multiple positions.