When discussing the players with the “worst” Win Shares in NBA history, it’s important to approach the topic with a little bit more understanding.
Win Shares is an andvanced basketball metric attributes the number of wins a player contributed to their team.
Negative win shares are rare and typically occur when a player’s performance is below the level of a replacement player over a substantial amount of playing time.
On the other side, check out the players with the highest Win Shares in history.
Worst Players Win Shares In NBA History
Here are some players who have recorded notably low win shares, particularly in the context of having significant playing time, which often highlights how they struggled in particular seasons or over their careers.
1. Michael Olowokandi
- NBA Seasons: 1998–2007
- Career PPG: 8.3
- Career RPG: 6.8
- Career APG: 0.6
- Win Shares: -1.3
Over his career Michael Olowokandi, the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, had high expectations but struggled throughout his career.
His lack of development and inefficiency on both ends of the court resulted in our worst negative win shares, especially in seasons where his performance was below the replacement level.
2. Adam Morrison
- NBA Seasons: 2006–2010
- Career PPG: 7.5
- Career RPG: 2.1
- Career APG: 1.4
- Win Shares: 0.2
Over his career Drafted third overall in 2006, Adam Morrison’s NBA career was hindered by injuries and poor shooting efficiency.
His defensive limitations further impacted his ability to contribute positively to teams, resulting in extremely low win shares.
3. Anthony Bennett
- NBA Seasons: 2013–2017
- Career PPG: 4.4
- Career RPG: 3.1
- Career Assists Per Game: 0.5
- Win Shares: 0.5
As the number one pick in the 2013 Draft, Anthony Bennett is often cited among the biggest draft busts in NBA history.
He struggled with fitness, consistency, and confidence, contributing minimally to the teams he played for and accruing very low win shares.
4. Kwame Brown
- NBA Seasons: 2001–2013
- Career PPG: 6.6
- Career RPG: 5.5
- Career APG: 0.9
- Win Shares: 20.8 over his career
While Kwame Brown managed to have a lengthy career, his overall impact was minimal compared to expectations as a number one overall pick.
His career win shares are not as negative as others but are considered low for someone with such a long tenure in the league.
5. Greg Oden
- NBA Seasons: 2008–2014
- Career PPG 8.0
- Career RPG: 6.2
- Career APG: 0.5
- Win Shares: 7.3 over
His career Injuries plagued Greg Oden’s NBA career from the start, severely limiting his playing time and effectiveness.
When he did play, he showed flashes of potential, but his overall contribution remained minimal due to his limited appearances.
Win Shares – Some Of It Is Just Bad Luck
The concept of “worst” in terms of win shares needs careful interpretation.
In the case of Greg Oden, it really was just incredibly bad luck that contributed to his low Win Shares. Whereas a player like Anthony Bennett was just dead-set terrible.
Low or negative win shares often reflect not just a player’s lack of performance but also the circumstances such as injuries, misfit with team strategy, or personal issues that impacted their professional careers.
These cases are often more complex than merely poor performance and involve multiple factors including luck, timing, and environment.
Some of these guys were just cases of bad luck, check out our top 5 NBA dynasties or all-time and our best shooting guards in NBA history.
