2009 NBA Draft: A General Discussion

With the 2009 NBA Draft a mere 4 days away, I felt it was time to state some of my positions on players in the upcoming draft:

- Blake Griffin is easily the best player in this draft. Projections of Griffin as a young Antonio McDyess are spot on in terms of his offensive skill set and athleticism. I personally liken him right now as a hybrid of Nene and Amare Stoudamire - soft hands inside, good at working for inside position because he is so strong, always running down the floor, and always attacking the basket when he has the ball in his hands. That combination of size, physicality, athleticism, production, work ethic, and character are all that you want out of a young player and the Clippers would be foolish to deal their pick unless they get a superstar back. But then again, this is the Los Angeles Clippers, and if any team could screw up something so easy, it would be them.


- The most interesting spot in the draft with be the 2 spot and what the Memphis Grizzlies do with it. Most would like to believe that the pick should be between either Spanish-born point guard, Ricky Rubio, or UConn Center Hasheem Thabeet. However, I would like to argue that neither is a good fit for the Grizz and that they should instead choose the Arizona State product, James Harden.

First, why not Rubio? For starters, the Grizz already have a point guard to groom in Mike Conley, Jr. To draft Rubio essentially means that they have given up on Conley, who they drafted 2 years ago at the 4 spot and is still only 21 years old (will be 22 by the end of the year). Adding Rubio essentially casts Conley to the side and means a wasted pick was made.

Secondly, drafting Rubio will not result in any additional wins. He is a project if you draft him and it will take at least a year (I think maybe 2) for him to adjust to the NBA game and fill out physically (not to mention adjusting to the North American culture and English language). Add to the fact that he'll be playing the hardest position to learn in PG and you have yourself a player who will not yield immediate results. Harden is a polished scorer who, despite being a dud during the March tournament, was the 2nd best player in college basketball behind Griffin.

Third, and most importantly, if you want to upgrade your PG position, you do not have to look outside if youre the Memphis Grizzlies. Rather, you have a perfect solution to your point guard position if you believe that Mike Conley isnt the answer - that is OJ Mayo. Mayo, since high school, had played the PG position. At 6-5, he would have excellent size for the 1 spot. And offensively, he has great scoring ability to go with good vision on the court. Shift him to point guard, draft Harden as your shooting guard, couple those two with Rudy Gay at small/power forward with Marc Gasol at center and you have a young, exciting, athletic lineup to build for the future.

Now, why not Hasheem Thabeet? Its quite simple - hes too big. Now, being big in basketball isnt so much a problem than a blessing. However, playing the up and down style that Memphis plays, with their athletes in Gay and Mayo, one wonders how a 7-3 center will hold up for 82 games. Now, Thabeet did play a similar style for UConn, but 82 games is a big number and I'd be willing to bet dollars for doughnuts that he'd have trouble trying to sustain that pace. (NOTE: I do not think Thabeet will be a bust (Im actually quite high on the player), but on an up and down team, just beware that youre really going to hurt him in the long run.)

So really, my pick if Im the Grizz is Harden at the 2 (feel free to quote me on that).


- Put me on the Stephen Curry bandwagon, but place a little asterisk on my ticket since I think he needs to be placed in the right situation to succeed. If he finds himself on a team that is deliberate on offense/a team that is half-court oriented, Curry will encounter a number of growing pains. He'd be exposed more frequently on defense against stronger point guards in the league whether its off the dribble or in the post. Fans and coaches will become more frustrated with his performance and echoes of being a "bust" will slowly echo through NBA arenas.

HOWEVER, if Curry finds himself on a free flowing offense that gets up and down and creates transition opportunities, he will find his groove quickly in the NBA. Curry would be playing a similar style of basketball that he has played at Davidson, where as a PG, he was able to lead breaks and either take shots himself or find his teammates running down the floor.

Thats why, if Im a Knicks fan, the opportunity of drafting Curry has me salivating at the idea. Curry will need to develop into a point guard and (1) learn how to turn the ball over less while (2) develop the ability to know when to take shots and when to involve ones teammates - sorta like how Chauncey Billups developed as a point on offense - coming in as a shoot/score-first PG who has since become a great leader who knows when to get his teammates involved. Curry already has the clutch shooting ability and scoring sense that Billups has on offense, he just needs to learn the intricacies of playing point guard which comes with time. Under Mike D'Antoni, he'll get to learn under a coach who has been a point guard in the NBA and has coached good scoring PGs like Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa. In the end, I really believe if he goes to the Knicks, Curry could be the next Chauncey Billups or Mike Bibby on offense. Curry's basketball IQ, work ethic, and shot making ability make him one of the more intriguing picks in the draft and I see more boom than bust out of him.


- Just some general comments on players:

Players I like:

Tyreke Evans: Great Scorer, explosive, doesnt have a shot yet but that first step of his is NBA calibre

Earl Clark: Nice size for a small forward, good ball handling skills, and good production across the stat line

Jeff Teague: Another combo-guard whos trying to learn to play point like Curry, not as good a shooter but a much better player in terms of getting to the lane and scoring; the concern is how he develops his "drive and dish" point guard skill.

Jrue Holiday: Not a great scorer, but what he does on defense will make him a PG for a team
that wins at least a conference title. Sorta like a Derek Fisher-type of PG.

Dionte Christmas: Good spot shooter, knows how to defend his position, was a star in college and should carve out a spot as a fringe starter.

Dante Cunningham: Reminds a lot of Ryan Gomes but with a little more size. 13-8 career isnt bad for a 2nd rounder.

Jonny Flynn: I originally had him down as someone I was down on, but I have to rebut myself and say that if he finds himself on a team that will emphasize running and aggressive penetration (like the Kings who may take him at #4), then Im all for it. Despite his size, he's one of the stronger athletes in the draft and in that type of running system, he'll get to utilize his athleticism a lot on offense and in transition.

Players Im Down on:

Ty Lawson: More likely to become a career backup as a point guard than the starter he was in college at UNC....will be better on a team that plays a more open offense than a half court offense....fringe starter if anything.

Dajuan Blair: I actually like what Blair brings to the table (gritty, physical, defense, rebounding), the problem is with his arithmetic knees...may be out of the league within 10 years/never give you 82 games.

Darren Collison: Refer to Lawson...fringe starter but more of a defensive specialist ala Chris Duhon.

Austin Daye: 6-10, 190 pounds is just too frail. Definitely a project that youre looking to develop for a year or 2 physically (but he is an older sophomore at 21)...if he adds 20-25 pounds, he may be a Rashard Lewis clone but as it stands right now hes far from an NBA level player.

- The Happy Artist