5 NBA Players Who Are On the Downfall

This is your basic list of superstars who are washed up, or are no longer in their prime. Some of these names may surprise you, but most of them are pretty obvious and just need to be said.

There are, however, some players who are terribly old but still have some left in the tank, such as Steve Nash, Vince Carter, and Manu Ginobli.

Who’s running out of gas?

5. Richard Jefferson:

Feb 9, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Richard Jefferson (44) warms up before the game against Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 116-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

This one is a no brainer. Jefferson used to be an All-Star with the New Jersey Nets, and he used to fearlessly lead them into the playoffs, as well as hitting game winning shots that no one could really explain.

Jefferson’s intensity was built on fire and crave. He wanted it so badly. Since then, Jefferson has played with the Bucks and the Spurs. Unfortunately for him, he never really had the same type of success. He will always be maybe a contributor, occasionally for the Warriors, but that’s about it.

4. Andrew Bogut:

Another Warrior?

Bogut really peaked a few years ago when the he was able to lead the Bucks to the playoffs. Since then, however, he hasn’t played to the best of his ability. Greatness is always ruined by injury, and Bogut could have been one of the top-five centers of all time, especially if he focused on the goal.

He hasn’t been doing that lately, and injury has lead many Warrior fans to believe that they are better off without him. I don’t think that’s what he wants. He will be a solid contributor on the Warriors if healthy, but injury has put his prime behind him.

3. Jason Kidd:

Feb 22, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) looks on during their game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Knicks 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

A New York Knick, of course! Although most of them are washed up, many of them were never really amazing players: a lot are journeymen.

Jason Kidd is still a starter, but is washed up. Down the stretch, they could use him for his intelligence and basketball IQ, but he really struggles offensively, and he isn’t the best on defense either. At some point, that’s going to hurt the Knicks, and Kidd will no longer be of use to them. Still he had some great years, in the past!

2. Andris Biedrins:

The third Warrior on this list!

Luckily, the Warriors have enough young talent to show that they don’t care about all these washed up players, and it isn’t going to dampen their spirits.

Biedrins, while wise, has completely lost his offensive game, because he is afraid to shoot free throws. If he just became better at them, his career would be rejuvenated. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to practice them, and even if he does, they’re not getting any better.

Biedrins is a good defender, but is that worth $9 million per year?

1. Elton Brand:

Finally! The last player that is washed up. When the Mavericks were just deserted by Jason Terry, they panicked and signed a player who they thought would be good like Elton Brand.

Brand, however, has failed to show up and play good basketball: the kind they were looking for in the absence of Dirk Nowitzki. He is still a solid player, on some nights, but his best years were with the Clippers.

Right now he is averaging 7.8 points per game, and in the 2005-2006 season, he averaged 24.7 PPG. Enough said.