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5 Of The Biggest NBA What-If Stories
Mar 2, 1996; Orlando, FL; USA; FILE PHOTO; Orlando Magic guard Penny Hardaway (1) in action against Portland Trail Blazers forward Harvey Grant (44) at the Orlando Arena. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

During NBA star Zion Williamson’s media day interview last month, one of the main topics was of course his health and conditioning. While Zion’s comments were encouraging, as he mentioned feeling the best he’s felt since college, fans are still skeptical, obviously. That is not the first time the New Orleans Pelicans power forward alluded to how great he’s feeling, only to go on to play less than half of the season.

Williamson has only played more than half the schedule twice in six years, including missing the entire 2021 season due to a Jones fracture. These misfortunes beg the question: will Zion ever be able to stay healthy, or will he join the unfortunate list of NBA what-if stories?

Whether it was injuries or simply not being able to handle the demands of the NBA, there have been numerous players who weren’t able to get their careers on track. Here’s a look at five of the biggest what-if stories in league history.

Point Guard: Anfernee Hardaway

Former Orlando Magic point guard Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway basically played like Ja Morant or MVP Derrick Rose, but at 6’7! With the speed and quickness of a small guard, along with the height of a small forward, Penny was a matchup nightmare. There wasn’t much that defenders could do to stop him in the open court, as he had the explosiveness to take it coast to coast for the jam, and the vision to hit the open man with a dime for an easy basket.

Unfortunately, after three straight All-NBA seasons, knee and foot injuries began to rob Penny of his prime years. He later admitted that his first serious knee injury was one that he played through during the 1996 playoffs, saying that it was the one that took away his explosiveness. Penny went on to play a total of 14 seasons, but never returned to being the star that averaged 20 points and seven assists per game during his first four seasons.

Shooting Guard: Brandon Roy


Feb. 25, 2011; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Brandon Roy (7) celebrates after hitting a shot in the fourth quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Rose Garden. The Trailblazers won the game 107-106 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Simply put, former Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy was an absolute bucket! In his first four seasons, Roy was Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star, and a two-time All-NBA selection. He averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists during that period, and the rest of the league took notice. At one point, the late great Kobe Bryant referred to Roy as “the hardest player to guard in the conference” and stated that “he had no weaknesses in his game.”

While Roy’s game had no weaknesses, his knees unfortunately did. He had dealt with knee issues since college, and it would only get worse in the NBA. Due to a combination of procedures, bruises, and tears in his knees, Roy would retire after just five seasons. He stated that his knees had degenerated so much that he lacked cartilage between the bones of both knees.

Roy would attempt a comeback after a full season off, signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After suffering an injury following a collision in training camp, however, he would only play five games for the Wolves before having season-ending knee surgery and retiring from the NBA again for good.

Small Forward: Grant Hill


Apr 26, 1996; Orlando, FL; USA; FILE PHOTO; Detroit Pistons head coach Doug Collins talks with forward Grant Hill (33) on the sidelines against the Orlando Magic during the first round of the 1996 NBA Playoffs at the Orlando Arena. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Although former Detroit Pistons small forward Grant Hill went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career, there is still a level of what-if that exists. After a six-year run in Detroit, where he averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and played nearly 95 percent of the games, Hill struggled to consistently stay on the court after joining the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2000 due to numerous ankle injuries.

During those seven years, he would only play in 60 or more games twice, and the NBA was never able to see what Hill and fellow Hall-of-Fame star Tracy McGrady could truly become as a tandem. McGrady himself stated that “we were robbed of seeing greatness.”

Hill miraculously had a stretch later in his career where he played 70 or more games for four straight years as a member of the Phoenix Suns. That included playing all 82 games, while playing 30 minutes per game, in the 2008-09 season. Hill credited the Suns’ training staff as being the best and stated that they allowed him to be an iron man for a few years. While Hill is still considered one of the greats, he would probably be in SF G.O.A.T. conversations if not for the injuries.

Power Forward: Michael Beasley


Apr 15, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley (30) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Heat won 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Former Miami Heat second overall pick Michael Beasley is widely known as “your favorite player’s favorite player.” He often drew comparisons to fellow Big 12 Player of the Year and DMV area native Kevin Durant, as a three-level scorer with a lethal isolation game. Sadly, with off-the-court and maturity issues, Beasley was never able to put it all together in the NBA. He recently spoke about his time in Miami on the All The Smoke podcast.

I was just too young. I came into Miami at 19. I wasn’t supposed to be outside in y’all clubs. I wasn’t 21. Every club in Miami was supposed to be turning me down.

Beasley got traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves after just two seasons with the Heat. He averaged a career high of 19.2 points in his third season, and it looked as though his career was getting back on track. That would be the peak for Beasley in the NBA, though, as he only averaged 10.3 points per game for the rest of his 11-year career in the association.

Center: Greg Oden


Dec 16, 2011; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trailblazers center Greg Oden (52) poses for a photo during media day at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

After being an absolute force in the middle during college, the Blazers took center Greg Oden with the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. With his size and physical tools, he drew comparisons to NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson. After selecting Roy sixth overall the year prior, Portland thought they had found their version of Shaq and Kobe.

Oden’s career, however, was essentially over before it even started. He missed what would’ve been his entire rookie season in 2007 after having microfracture surgery. The following year, he managed to play 61 games, averaging nine points and seven rebounds, while playing 21.5 minutes a night. That would basically be the end of it, as he only played 21 games in 2009, before missing three straight years of action with various knee injuries.

Oden returned in 2013 with the Heat, but only appeared in 23 games. That was the end of perhaps the biggest what-if story in NBA history.

End Of My NBA What-If Rant

That was an unfortunate trip down memory lane, and as someone who grew up a Pistons and Magic fan, it was a bit of a sad rant. Misfortunes are just the nature of the sport, and any sport for that matter, as some players will not pan out for various reasons. Hopefully, young stars like Williamson and Ja Morant (who has dealt with his own on and off the court issues) will be able to get and keep their NBA careers on track and not become another unfortunate member of a list such as this one.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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