[drk3351Participant]

 Top Five biggest draft bust ever? he’s done nothing in his career and looks like he’ll be out of the league in 1 or two years. he’s worse than kwame even because at least kwame has done servicable in his career. and to think the grizzlies could have added another young stud to their alrady up and coming roster like james harden. imagine conley, harden, gay, randolph when healthy, and gasol. 

[sheltwon3Participant]

Thabeet is a big and could wind up playing better for another team.  I have no idea why this guy can’t at least be a Mcgee lite for a least 15 to 20 min.  McGee can at least play for 35 minutes and look decent and almost good some games.

[Wavy BagelsParticipant]

Nobody has been giving this kid a chance. This is surely going to hurt him later on in his career as a big, considering bigs need more time to practice their game.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Thabeet is super soft for a 7’3 guy. I remember when he was at UConn and was pushed around and beasted on by a 6’7 guy by the name of Dejuan Blair. Thabeet just doesn’t have it to be an NBA player (skills wise and the necessary toughness).

[Wavy BagelsParticipant]

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Exact prime example. And that’s just one footage, Blair abused him during his career with PITT. If he can’t stop a 6’7 Center then you have no hope for the NBA.

[starpyParticipant]

I woud love to see him on a different team that actually wants him. Houston frustrates me by not playing him, flynn, and t-will at all.

I dont think he would be a fantastic center or anything, but surely he is better than some centers who actually get some burn, (ie. Desagana Diop). If his contract didnt suck im sure someone would give him a shot.

[bobbybParticipant]

Bust yes, but i think he would make a good 2nd string guy

[MJ FOR LIFE 23Participant]

This guy needs to show tenacity and ferocity on defense a la Mutombo or B.Wallace (2 of the Beastiest Defensive players ever). Unless he man up and take bumps and at the same time swat shots, he will never become a decent NBA player. Forget the offense, Thabeet just needs to focus on defense 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Memphis gave Thabeet several chances to prove he could be a productive player in the nba or a crave out a career in the rotation..But he has no offensive game and was constantly getting pushed around inside not only by big men,but strong shooting guards..He couldnt hold position inside at all…There were moments in a few games,when he showed great defense,blocking shots and had teams afraid to go into the lane..But then players would get physical with him and he would go back to being timid….

Hollins didnt want him,Hollins was upset becuz he wanted Rubio,the owner wanted Tyreke Evans and the GM wanted to trade down and select Curry..But they can to a conclusion that they needed a defender and shot blocker..So after debating back and forth they decided the team needed an enforcer inside and they decided to take Thabeet…They were hoping for Samuel Dalembert type numbers from him..

Thabeet became the joke of the local media,people would make fun of him in stores and in the mall,yelling out bust ,tower of no power,the african queen…..

 

[Harbinger]

They say a picture says a thousands words lol. But memphis drafted him when they could of had Harden which I was lobbying for but umm everyone knew he had to learn the game everyone knew there was alot of bust that fit his bill as of late EVERYBODY KNEW BLAIR DESTROYED HIM so why put him against taller stronger mature nba players.

If Hasheem would have been the player they expected him to be they just might have beat okc……I might be bias.

[omphalosParticipant]

Wouldn’t mind seeing him in Boston in the hopes that he can be developed into a defender like Perkins was. That said, the odds of him becoming even a starting centre are getting smaller every game he doesn’t play.

[NihochuParticipant]

I think he just got lost in the NBA like a lot of players do. I Seen an interview with him before the draft and he was talking about how he came to america to play in the nba to make money for his family …. not play and improve like most people want to but just to support his family which shows that he never really had a love for the game or any type of hunger .. only for the money. I still hope he turns it around to become some sort of a contributor for a team for his sake. 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

He can be productive if he gets about 10 to 15 minutes a night..I wouldnt count on him being successful,if he plays more then 15 minutes….He runs the floor well,blocks shots and rebounds well,when he’s not roughed up…

[RafterParticipant]

Highest ever draft pick to be sent to the D-league, if anyone thinks the Grizzlies mistreated him, the Rockets did the same thing, once can be forgiven but twice by two different teams? At the age of 24, you’d expect him to be really making an impact on the league, he has length, but it’s wasted, he’s too complacent with what he currently has, he blocks shots simply due to his height, he’s not aggressive enough to ever be a great defender.

For Memphis, as a starter, these were his averages in thirteen games in his maiden season:

5.3PPG 6.3RPG 2BPG 22.2MPG

I hate to bring Biyombo into the discussion but he’s so much more hungry on the defensive end, i accept Thabeet isn’t ever going to be active but at least show some intensity and send a message to the opposition, he doesn’t need to block shots to do that, he can alter shots or hard foul players. Wallace, Mutombo and Russell would kill somebody rather then letting in two points, Thabeet doesn’t have that mentality and he never will, it’s not something you learn, it should be inside you.

I still think he’ll stay in the NBA, but as a role player or even a garbage man at best, he could find a starting role for a very desparate losing team. Now, after all that’s happened, his confidence is expected to be low, if he could get into a "kill mode" in practice, the Rockets will notice, the Rockets will play him, the rest of the league will start to pay attention. *CLICHE ALERT* If you don’t have confidence in yourself, nobody else will.

It’s up to Thabeet to pick himself up, everyone else is going through their own issues, if Thabeet isn’t going to take charge, then he’ll continue to feel bad and continue to be mocked.

 

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

Career averages of 2 points 2 rebounds in 3 years says it all.

[JoeWolf1]

 He is a bust, no doubt, I don’t think he’ll even be a starter at any point in his career, but I think he’ll stick around longer than his rookie contract.  Houston is stockpiling big men right now, and I hear they are interested in Chris Kaman.  I don’t understand this philosophy, but I think Thabeet needs to find his way on a team that, like RUDEBOY said can get him 10-15 mpg. 

I think he would produce enough to cement his spot in the league as a 3rd center who will play in the league for a decade.  Do I think he’ll be continually viewed as a bust throughout his career?  Yes, but I don’t think he’ll be in Europe next year either.  DeSagana Diop took a few years to find his nitch, but when he did he played some meaningful basketball for Dallas, a playoff team.

[aamir543Participant]

Razor Sharpe, I remember that play, I remember think to myself that Blair is a frickin beast rahter than that Thabeet is really soft.

It’s strange how there is no room in a rotation for a 7-3 shot blocking giant. That to me shows that he is lightyears behind the cruve offensively and physicality wise.

[Harbinger]

 Anybody can get playing time on the bobcats..

[M-DYMESParticipant]

Too bad BJ Mullens took that opportunity first.  Maybe Charlotte is the ideal destination though.  They’ve brought out the best in BJ and made Kwame look halfway decent.  Hell if anyone can help Thabeet its prolly MJ n Co.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

He’s a bust but he’ll stay in the league.  7’3 with long arms keeps him in the league, although he’s a terrible defender and player all-around, his size will keep him in for another 5-6 years.  You don’t think a team like the Lakers would like to have him right now to fill in a minute here or there?

[HitsterParticipant]

I can remember the game where Blair really dominated Thabeet and I thought it showed Blair’s potential as much as Thabeet’s possible limitations. I never considered Thabeet a likely offensive force, his role was to be a shot changing player in the paint and a defensive anchor. The scouts had a full 3 years to make their judgement on Thabeet before he declared and he was top 10 or higher in mocks going back to 2007, so they should have known what they were getting. It was not like someone having an insane wingspan or a great game at one of the Jordan skills showcases, Thabeet had spent 3 years on the Huskies roster under HOF Coach Jim Caulhoun and so had been watched and had chance to develop.

 

A number of teams were looking at him in the 2009 draft and trying to get into a position to draft him including the Knicks but Memphis eventually took him perhaps with the intention to try and pair him with Marc Gasol when Z-Bo’s contract expired but Z-Bo became a reformed character and made the All Star game and so was renewed. Playing behind Gasol and Z-Bo in 2009-10, Thabeet was one of the leading blocks per 48 minutes players but showed little else and the next year fell out of rotation and was traded to Houston. At Houston he is again out of rotation and his 4^th year option which as a 2^nd pick is a weighty contract was not picked up so he is a free agent this summer.

Will he disappear from the NBA like other big men busts like Sene or will he carve out a long if not particularly distinguished career aka Darko, Diop and Kwarme Brown, the sort of guys who people joke about but all who have had or will have NBA careers spanning over a decade. I think we can forget Thabeet being the next Mount Mutombo but perhaps he could become a serviceable big man in the right surroundings.

I would suggest that a contender would maybe not be the best spot for him unless he had someone who could help him work on his game there as with a contender they want experience and consistency or else you only get garbage minutes. The couple of exceptions could be Orlando where Patrick Ewing might be able to do something with him and maybe Miami where Alonzo Mourning could perhaps help to try and get some value from him. Personally I’d like Detroit to have a look at him as they are in rebuild and even if they draft a big man to go alongside Monroe then Thabeet could be a nice option for them to have when faced with certain match ups and Big Ben is there to try and mentor him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Harbinger]

 If Dj Mbenga can make a team so can Hasheem.

[Author]

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