Behind every disastrous NBA draft selection there’s usually some solid logic at work. Detroit already had Tayshaun Prince at small forward, and were such a good team that a long-term prospect made more sense than a guy who would provide an immediate impact. When Atlanta drafted Marvin Williams over Chris Paul, plenty of reputable experts thought that Marvin had more potential than CP3. Portland had Clyde Drexler at shooting guard when they passed on Michael Jordan.
The Grizzlies’ recent demotion of #2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet to the D-League has led many to declare the pick a bust already. I think it’s a little too early to completely give up on Thabeet’s career, because he does have some serious size and athletic ability. However, with how ineffective Thabeet has been and how good some of his fellow rookies have been, now might be a good time to examine what some of Memphis’ other options may have been.
James Harden:
This is a pick Memphis was almost certainly not going to make. Harden is a very talented young player. He’s been great off the bench for the upstart Thunder, and will only get better as he improves his ability to finish at the rim. However, two of Grizzlies’ best young players are O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. Mayo is a shooting guard and Gay is a small forward, which are Harden’s two natural positions. He’s perfect providing a rest for Kevin Durant and a change of pace from the offensively limited Thabo Sefolosha in Oklahoma City, but Memphis may have had trouble finding minutes for him.
Tyreke Evans:
In my opinion, this pick would have been a home run for the Grizzlies. They may have been concerned about Evans’ ability to be a true point guard and play next to O.J. Mayo. Evans’ passing skills have been better than advertised in the NBA, and I’m a big fan of putting two combo guards next to each other. Mayo’s assist ratio isn’t great, but he has the ability to make plays from the shooting guard spot and could’ve complimented Evans’ scoring ability nicely. Also, Evans going into the paint and setting Mayo up with open looks could’ve made for an absolutely punishing backcourt tandem.
Ricky Rubio:
Rubio is a pure point guard, a good defender, and would’ve had a Spanish teammate in Marc Gasol. However, there were some reports that Rubio would not have come to Memphis if the Grizzlies drafted him. Since he made good on his threats to the Timberwolves, it might be best to give the Grizzlies the benefit of the doubt for not drafting Rubio. Rubio could’ve been a good fit, but it may be a moot point.
Jonny Flynn:
Flynn has been solid for the Timberwolves, but the Syracuse product has yet to blow the doors off the NBA. Mike Conley Jr. hasn’t been great so far in his NBA career. However, Greg Oden’s former running mate is still only 22 years old, and isn’t that far removed from being a #4 overall pick himself. The Grizzlies may have been hesitant to give up on Conley for anyone they weren’t in love with, especially after they traded Kyle Lowry at last year’s trade deadline.
Stephen Curry:
Curry has show excellent playmaking and scoring skills in Golden State, and has been one of the few bright spots in Golden State’s miserable season. He has one of the NBA’s purest strokes, and shows an understanding of the game well beyond his years in the league. The Timberwolves may have been wary of pairing him with O.J. Mayo, another scoring guard who likes the ball in his hands. They apparently aren’t the only team with misgivings about pairing Mayo and Curry, as the Warriors apparently denied a trade that would have given them both O.J. Mayo and Thabeet for Monta Ellis. I’m not sure why teams think Curry couldn’t work next to Mayo (on a team, not a sandwich); if Curry can thrive next to the black hole that is Monta Ellis, he can play with anybody.
High draft picks have been known to surprise fans after slow starts to their NBA career. But with how well some of the rookie guards have been playing, Memphis has to be seriously questioning whether going big was the right move on draft night.
