San Antonio Spurs all-time draft bust starting lineup

San Antonio Spurs Luka Samanic
San Antonio Spurs Luka Samanic / Alex Menendez/GettyImages
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Shooting Guard: James Anderson

Former Oklahoma State guard James Anderson was selected 20th by the Spurs in 2010 and was the team's highest pick since Tim Duncan. Of course, expectations were much lower for Anderson, yet he still failed to live up to them. He was expected to add some much-needed offense to the aging Spurs' rotation and initially played well.

Unfortunately, he suffered a Jones fracture during his rookie season, an injury that often has a long road to recovery. And it forced him to watch as undrafted rookie Gary Neal took his spot in the rotation. Danny Green also emerged the following season, virtually sealing Anderson's fate. To his credit, had he never gotten injured, he may have developed into a rotation player. However, bad luck derailed his career, and he never regained his footing.

The Spurs declined his third-year option, a rarity for first-round picks, especially in San Antonio. Anderson then bounced around the NBA and the G-League before returning to the Spurs briefly during the 2012-13 season. He finished his Spurs career averaging just 3.4 points per game in 87 appearances. Considering where he was selected and how quickly his Spurs career ended, Anderson is the obvious choice at shooting guard.

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