[GreenLanternParticipant]

The biggest lie of the draft so far is Thabeet to the Grizz at pick 2. Forget the ridiculous notion floated out there apparently by Memphis’ front offfice/owner that M. Gasol can play 82 games at PF. The number 2 pick in the draft WILL be Rubio for 2 reasons: trade value and ticket sales. Even Memphis can’t be stupid enough to pass on a selection that would land them good assets through a trade because there are only 2 players this year that are able to and will increase ticket sales from DAY 1: Griffin and Rubio. I don’t believe that Thabeet to Memphis crap for a second especially since everyone knows full well Thabeet is not likely by a long shot to produce like a #2 selection!

[llperez]

Rubio has more upside and will sell more tickets.

[auberParticipant]

The Thabeet parts true. I just see a 2-4 swap really happening.

[GreenLanternParticipant]

And just to clarify I think Thabeet is a solid prospect, but #2 is WAY too high for a player whose ceiling is going to comparable to Nene’s 08-09 season (which is good but not great), and besides Hill is a perfect fit for Memphis with the height and length of a center but the speed and quickness of a PF.

[j1232eParticipant]

Wont give any O all he will do is be a BIG defensive presence, that every team most despritlly needs. Either pick has tremendous trade value present or in the future. I hope rubio is more like the pistol than white chocolate!

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

thabeet will never be nene…nene is only really good offensively. thabeet is just not offensively gifted.

[JPParticipant]

Keep in mind where Thabeet was a couple years ago. The guy has played the game for 6 years and already he was one of the most influential players in college defensively. His offensive game has come around very nicely. He has nice touch, and is one of the best screeners in the draft. No doubt he has a long way to go, but his progression thus far has to have any one who drafts him excited.

http://www.nbadraftdaycountdown.com – podcasting live tonight…

[auberParticipant]

Badger how can you say that. Nene’s injuries have hindered his progress, but I’ll take 15-8-2-2-2 from a guy who just came back from an ACL tear. Dude’s going to be a monster next season. I’ve owned him for so many years and got nothing and now he’s producing. Kills me at where hes at.

[rvirsalParticipant]

if not for the lack of bigs in this year’s draft, i think thabeet would only be in the top 10. i like the 2-4 swap. i think hill is really what the griz need. he’s a good post defender and he averaged almost 2 blocks in his junior year in college. he averaged more rebounds than the 7’2 (he’s listed at 7’2 now) thabeet, he’s a better post defender, he’s the got lateral quickness to match up against quick power forwards (3’s pretending to be 4’s). he’s also got post moves, range in his jumper. perfect fit for the griz.

thabeet’s weakness from draftexpress:

– Lacks significant offensive polish
– Footwork/Post-moves
– Questionable hands
– Activity level
– Gets backed down in post
– Lateral quickness
– Man to man defense
– Basketball IQ
– Doesn’t always play hard
– Question marks about true age
– Track record of African players
– Passing out of post
– Passing skills
– Core strength
– Poor rebounder

[Drew1986Participant]

If it is a smokescreen, then who they are actually picking? If they pick Rubio he might not come over. He has control over that because his destination team can’t pay his buyout. He’s already said he won’t go to a team with little hope for the future.

[j1232eParticipant]

with mayo i see future, i dont see rudy gay , mike conley in the overeall plan. actually the more i think about memphis they dont have a chance! What do you think about the Las Vegas Grizzlies

[tkd720manParticipant]

If it were all about talent, then yeah – Thabeet would be a silly choice for Memphis.

But there’s the little matter of Rubio’s buy-out to take into consideration, as someone else mentioned. Even if Memphis could pay it, that’s a lot of money for a struggling team to shell out. But that’s just it – they CAN’T pay it. So if Rubio doesn’t want to play in Memphis, and he has all but said he doesn’t, then he doesn’t have to.

So what good does it do Memphis to waste the #2 pick in the draft on a guy who won’t play for them? If they were smart they’d trade that pick to somebody who can make the Rubio situation work. The next best thing is to use that pick on somebody else that they can both use and arguably justifies a #2 pick.

Is that a wise decision for them? Probably not. But hey, you don’t get to be in the Grizzlies’ position by making wise decisions.

If the Thabeet pick is a smokescreen, it’s designed to disguise a trade – not to mask their intention to actually draft Rubio (unless they draft him as a condition of a trade, like Charlotte did with the Brandon Wright – Jason Richardson trade).

[auberParticipant]

I just see it as being too obvious. Thabeets intriguing, but it makes little to no sense for the grizzlies

[rvirsalParticipant]

hey, a 7’2 guy who was a monster defensively in college could be special in the NBA. i guess him being only 22 means that he still has enough time to develop his inside game. but what if he was already 25? draftexpress is questioning his real age, (i think this happened before, i’m not sure who though, was it yi?). so at 22, thabeet can still develop his offense but at 25, he may never be able to develop it.

[vobrovParticipant]

Hasheem Thabbet will be same player like Roy Hibbert from Indiana. They both got same size and both are limited ofensively.

[RoxthemallParticipant]

They won’t draft Rubio. If he doesn’t come over, they will just lose a very nice first round pick. No team will make a great trade for him after, if he stays in Europe.

[HueBoND 2001Participant]

They also have hakim warrick, they need to trade mike conley he is a back up put Mayo at the PG and get a fake Wizards line up going. Pick up one of the free agents and trade down this pick for role players. Again I’ve gotten flack for this but I like a mayo, gay, and GERALD GREEN line up I think it would be match up hell for all teams

[blackflash234Participant]

If they are smart, they draft Rubio and trade Conley to Sacramento for either Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson or Jordan Hill. That’s what I’d do and it makes sense.

[Author]

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