Rob Thompson sums up the NBA draft
As NBA Draft 2009 neared the writing was on the wall. As Shaq was
having “mental conversations” with Lebron James, there was a sense of
unease and caution among General Managers around the league. They knew
this was the kind of draft that gets you fired. There was only one sure
thing in Blake Griffin and he’d already been anointed as the next
Clipper savior by General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy. The day
started with praise for the San Antonio Spurs. They traded three aging
players with expiring contracts for All Star Richard Jefferson. The
common thought was “They’re Back”! Not to be outdone, Steve Kerr and
the Phoenix Suns finally got rid of Shaq, sending him to Cleveland in a
placation move to keep King James in his kingdom for more than just
another year. Then the bomb went off. The one team that nobody expected
to hear from stepped up and made a ring winning move: The Orlando Magic
didn’t have a draft pick but they had redundant talent and expiring
contracts, the stage was set for a deal. Orlando knew they were about
to lose Hedo Turkoglu. The New Jersey Nets had been shopping Vince
Carter for six months. The Magic avoided the possible void by moving a
few bench players and promising rookie Courtney Lee for an All Star and
hometown hero Vince Carter.
The Clippers were still on the clock. Not a single player in a shiny
suit had donned a poorly fitting baseball cap and had the mob at
Madison Square Garden tell them how they were no Stephen Curry. Finally
the “Who’s that guy” draft began. Here’s my thought on the top ten
picks.
1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin PF 6’10 Oklahoma
He’s
a natural and the Clippers had to take him. He joins a team heavy with
front line players but moves will be made. Look for the Clippers to
shop Zach Randolph with no takers and Marcus Camby to end up elsewhere.
The Clippers got better but not by much. Griffin is a beast but the
Clipper legacy is well earned.
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C 7’3 Connecticut
The
first sign it was going to be strange night. Memphis made the logical
choice. He’ll never be a star but he’ll play defense and more
importantly it gave the Grizzlies reason enough move Darko Milicic to
the Knicks. The Grizzlies stayed true to their young team adding one
more piece to the improving trio of O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley, and Rudy
Gay. Memphis didn’t improve but probably more importantly they didn’t
screw anything up. Thabeet will be average but he’ll be in the league.
Sometimes it’s the little things that mean so much.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – James Harden SG 6’4 Arizona State.
The
best all around player in the draft, he’s not great at anything but
good enough at so many things that he will mesh well with Kevin Durant
and like Jeff Green can do what needs to be done to win games. Harden
brings the Thunder more scoring versatility. Sam Presti learned how to
build a team in San Antonio and it’s starting to show in Oklahoma. Look
for the Thunder to be much improved next year.
4. Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans PG 6’4 Memphis
The classic
one and done NCAA player. Would have been a lottery pick last year.
Instead he got a year of coaching under John Calipari. He arrived in
Memphis as a scoring guard and leaves a scoring guard that can pass.
Along with Harden, Evans is just a very good all around basketball
player. The Kings were horrible last year, now they’ll just be bad.
Look for Evans to have a quiet yet solid rookie year. The Kings helped
themselves but are still a long way from respectability.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio PG 6’4 Spain
Teams
like the T-Wolves are the reason Fantasy Sports are so popular. This is
a team without a Head Coach or a clue. Rubio the Spanish wunderkind, is
a great player. His hoops IQ is through the roof. He should have been
long gone but fell into Minnesota’s lap. I wonder if they considered
why Memphis or Sacramento passed on him. Did they know about the huge
buyout they will have to fork over just to sign him? Had they heard him
say his mother doesn’t like cold weather? I have an idea they did or at
least thought he might not arrive for a couple of years.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Johnny Flynn PG 6’0 Syracuse
If
you’re keeping score that’s two consecutive picks by the T-Wolves and
that’s two consecutive point guards taken. Flynn is a tough as nails
Big East point guard that while a little short is a giant on the court.
He was a logical pick for ANY team in the lottery except the Clippers.
It might have taken two of the top six picks to get it right but the
Timberwolves got it right with Flynn. I get the feeling I’ll never see
Flynn and Rubio play together. There’s either going to be a trade or
Rubio won’t get to the USA to play until Flynn’s first contract is up.
Flynn is a natural in the lane and will make Al Jefferson and Kevin
Love better. The two picks combined make Minnesota better, but this
experiment is not complete.
7. Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry G 6’3 Davidson
Warriors
Head Coach Don Nelson loves to run small ball. His “shoot it now”
system has won a lot of games, if not titles, and he got the best
shooter in the draft in Stephen Curry. The fact that the Warriors
already have a young stud scoring guard in Monta Ellis didn’t keep
Nelson from making an interesting if not odd pick until you consider
Nelson’s history. He’ll run Ellis, Curry, and Stephen Jackson score a
lot of points and win 45 games next year. The Warriors are better and
may be the most entertaining team in the NBA. Curry better keep that
right elbow loose because he’s going to shooting guard heaven.
8. New York Knicks – Jordan Hill PF 6’10 Arizona
The worst
thing about Jordan Hill is that he’s not Stephen Curry. Once Knicks
fans finally get over their Curry obsession they may notice that Donnie
Walsh and Mike D’Antoni are actually building a decent team. Hill is a
mobile active big that fits D’Antoni’s speed offense and need for
better defense perfectly. Don’t forget Hill played just down street
from D’Antoni when both were still in Arizona. This was not a lucky
pick, he was targeted from the beginning as gettable player that would
help the Knicks immediately. He won’t change the course of the
franchise but he fit’s the plan the Knicks have in place. New York did
well in getting Hill, they will be better next year.
9. Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozan SG 6’7 USC
Another one and
done player. DeMar is an AAU legend and the best athlete in the draft,
he can jump out of the gym and hit a feathery jump shot. One problem,
he doesn’t do it all the time. The Raptors are dealing with Free Agency
issues and DeRozen gives them some leverage. He’ll get every chance to
play and will surprise with his talent. The Raptors improved, now they
need to keep what they already have in Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion.
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Brandon Jennings PG 6’1 Compton
Not
even Brandon thought the Bucks were going to draft him. He didn’t even
go to the draft, opting to stay in a hotel with family until his name
was called. It just happened much earlier than expected. He’s now known
more for being the first prep star to forgo college altogether and play
in Europe to circumvent the NBA’s archaic one and done policy. He was
considered one of the top prep players in the country but didn’t have
the scores to get into Arizona so he decided to get paid and learn
while doing it. Looks like the gamble worked. He’s a lottery pick. The
Bucks gamble on him won’t. Talk about being miscast. He’s an
undisciplined youngster that barely played last year. Scott Skiles eats
young point guards for lunch. The chances of these two getting along
are nil. Jennings is a talented player but he’s in the wrong place at
the wrong time. The Bucks had a week where they traded their second
best player for a bag beans and shiny rocks and drafted an
undisciplined point guard with a haircut older than he is. Well played,
see you in the lottery next year.