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Washington Wizards Bust Jan Vesely Could Return To NBA

By Ben Mehic

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Washington Wizards bust Jan Vesely never lived up to expectations, but the NBA Draft failure might return to the league very soon

The Washington Wizards have drafted plenty of players that went on to become NBA busts, but none have been more memorable than Jan Vesely.

The former sixth overall pick was selected over the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Ernie Grunfeld wanted to surround John Wall with players that could run and finish in transition. The speedy guard was supposed to be a solid fit next to Vesely, who was considered the Czech Blake Griffin.

Vesely wasn’t the Czech Griffin. He was Vesely – the often lovable, super clumsy, Airwolf.

He didn’t live up to expectations and never really looked like an NBA player. His athleticism was negated by his lack of actual basketball talent. His confidence was shaken early and he never recovered. His jump shot never developed and airballed free throws were routine.

A few years ago, the Wizards traded Vesely to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Andre Miller, who was roughly 93-years-old. Essentially, the Wizards wasted a top draft pick for one season of ancient Prof. Dre.

Still, we try to keep up with players like Vesely because they had a long-lasting impact on our hearts.

We all knew that Vesely was going to be a bust as soon as he put the Washington Wizards’ draft hat on his head. It’s not his fault that Ernie Grunfeld is one of the worst general managers at evaluating talent in league history.

Vesely tried really hard when he was on the court. He ran the floor, fouled (a lot) and became somewhat known for his slap-back offensive rebounds. His inability to do anything positive on a consistent basis ultimately caused him to fall out of the league in just a few seasons though.

After his short stint in Denver came to an end, Vesely opted to go back overseas. He joined Fenerbahce Ulker – a super team out of Turkey.

Today, Vesely’s club lost in the Euroleague Finals in heartbreaking fashion. Vesely reportedly had an offer to go back to the NBA, and will think about potentially coming back to the league now that the season is over for him.

Vesely had another season of high-level basketball under his belt and will have this entire summer to improve his game. While he’ll never develop into a consistent offensive threat, it’s not crazy to think he’ll one day return to the NBA.

Vesely did not leave the Washington Wizards on bad terms and his Czech teammate, Tomas Satoranksy, could join the team this off-season too.

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Now, I’m not saying the Wizards should sign Vesely, but he has the tools to be on a roster in today’s game.

At 6’11”, Vesely is long enough to play both the forward and center position.

He’s always done a solid job at keeping up with the guards in transition and catching lobs in the half-court.

Vesely is also capable of defending stretch fours, which is definitely important in the NBA nowadays.

The problem is, he’s a complete liability in virtually every other area of the game. He still cannot shoot and he’s horrible from the free throw line. He hasn’t put on much weight, making him a weak defender inside.

Next: Complete History of Grunfeld's Draft Failures

An up-tempo team might end up taking a chance on Vesely and he could end up being worth it. I’m not convinced he’ll get more money in the NBA than he could get in the Euroleague, though. Regardless, if Vesely does end up coming back to the NBA, it will be another reason to purchase NBA League Pass. Vesely is the gift that keeps on giving – even if the gifts aren’t very good.

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