Two's a Crowd

As the NBA Draft nears (10 days left from today) and Blake Griffin is almost already in a Clippers uniform (unfortunately for him), the question remains who will Memphis take with the second pick? It has to be either Ricky Rubio or Hasheem Thabeet, right? Rubio seems like the obvious choice for Memphis (though Thabeet would certainly lock things down defensively in the paint) but with his off-court contractual and potential NBA destination issues, he may not be available to suit up for the Grizz, whether by choice or by force. Thabeet, on the other hand, by all accounts has no qualms about either ending up in Memphis or Oklahoma City (where he will presumably go if Memphis do not pick him).

Ricky Rubio, at eighteen years of age, is the youngest player to enter this years draft and is potentially the most experienced. He has been playing professionally since he was fourteen and has been obliterating opponents since he was sixteen ( and I mean obliterating, check the line; 51, 24, 12 and 7). He has drawn many comparisons to "Pistol" Pete Maravich for his almost unthinkable knack for delivering the ball to the right person in the right place at exactly the right time. As Tommy Craggs writes "the mopheaded Spaniard who reminds everyone of Pistol Pete if Pistol Pete had discovered the defensive crouch". Rubio certainly has the potential to be a star (and even superstar) in the NBA. The so-called critics are quick to criticize Ricky's "sub-par" jump shot and high turnover rate, but that is mostly because they need something negative to say about him so people don't think they are all over his Spanish nuts. With some time and some work I'm sure Ricky will fix those deficiencies and then the critics will move on to questioning his lack of bulk or his mop hair-do.

The more pressing issue surrounding Ricky's draft status is the fact that he may not even be available to play in the NBA in the 2009-10 season. According to reports (see above links) Ricky earned 70,000 Euros ($97,000 US approx) last season and will earn 125,000 Euros ($175,000 US approx.) next season if he decides to return to Spain (and DKV Joventut) for his final contractually obliged season. If he chooses to leave DKV he will have to pay a $6.6 million (US) buyout for breaking his contract. The fact the buyout amount (which will increase if not paid by June 30) is so disproportionate to his actual earnings has caused much controversy in the Rubio camp and a lawsuit has been lodged to try and decrease the amount of his buyout. Rubio's father stated: "We want to know, if he really left, whether or not he'd have to pay these amounts. It's fair for DKV Joventut to get paid a certain amount of money, but what they want to collect is out of proportion with what Ricky earns."

On top of all the contractual issues, is the fact that Ricky allegedly does not want to play in Memphis or Oklahoma City. These comments came from Ricky's agent, Dan Fegan, who had already failed at attempt to get an international player a better draft slot (we see you, Yi). Ricky supposedly does not want to play in Memphis due to some of his Spanish Olympic teammates (Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro) not enjoying their time spent with the Grizzlies and he presumably does not want to go anywhere near Oklahoma City because the Thunder suck. Ricky (again I stress allegedly) has stated that he would rather play in Los Angeles or Sacramento (I can understand LA, but why Sac-town?), presumably due to bigger market potential and a climate close to that of his hometown Barcelona.

With all the intrigue surrounding Ricky it's easy to forget the other guy Memphis could choose, Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet has kept a relatively low profile during the pre-draft preparations and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The 7-3 Tanzanian has drawn comparisons to Dikembo Mutombo due to his incredible defensive prowess, shot-blocking abilities and size (much like Deke). Hasheem played well during his time in Connecticut improving his game very year and leading the Huskies to the Final Four in his Junior and final collegiate season. Hasheem would be a great pick for Memphis as he provides them with the defensive presence they sorely lack (I'm sorry Marc, but defense just isn't your thing).

Memphis has an important and potentially franchise changing decision on their hands. Take a young stud who may not be able to play for you for a few season's if at all, or take a solid big man who gets the job done defensively. It's a close call, but I think I would take Hasheem simply because it seems as though he has no issue with playing for the Grizz and his size and defensive abilities will be a factor even if his offense is not. In saying that, I would not mind taking Rubio as long as I knew he wanted to play for my team and is granted a release from his current contract. If the decision were up to you, who would you choose?

Need for 'Sheed

Everyone has an opinion on Rasheed Wallace, some good and some bad. That is probably the most accurate assumption of Rasheed Wallace you're ever likely to come across. Rasheed can be seen as a pioneer of the I-don't-give-a-f*ck-what-you-or-your-friends-think attitude or as a enigmatic ball of potential all wrapped up in North Philly packaging that was never fully realised. But no matter what anyone thinks or doesn't think that Rasheed is, they know that when he is on his game you and your friends are in trouble. 'Sheed is a free agent this coming off-season and at 34 may have to consider hanging the trademark Air Force One's up.

After a decorated two years at North Carolina, Rasheed began his pro career with the Washington Bullets he was the 4th overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. He had a solid rookie campaign and was selected to the All-Rookie first team. He had averages of 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing in 27.5 minutes per game in 65 games. After his rookie season he was traded to Portland Trailblazers (for Rod Strickland) where he spent the next 8 years of his career. 'Sheed earned an extended contract due to his play in his first years in Portland and seemed to be thriving. The Rasheed we have all become accustomed to emerged in the 1999-2000 season where he received an NBA record 38 technical fouls and the following season topped that mark with 40. Rasheed and the Blazers made it to two consecutive Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000 losing both to the Spurs and the Lakers respectively.

Wallace was named an All-Star in 2000 and 2001 after setting then career-highs in points and rebounds in both seasons. Rasheed was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February of 2004 and played only one game before being involved in a three-way deal which sent him to the Detroit Pistons. Rasheed was an instrumental part of the Piston's dominance during the late 2000's and the NBA championship the Piston's won in 2005 after defeating the heavily favoured Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games. Rasheed and his Pistons were seen as one of the toughest teams in League every season as they made to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Both Rasheed and the team have taken criticism for being complacent during games and not always "showing-up" to play, this is evidenced through the Pistons only being able to win one Championship during their years of dominance.

Throughout his career Rasheed has often been labelled as "potentially" the best player in the NBA, due to his size and incredible skill set. Rasheed has also been accused of not always playing with maximum effort and intensity and these accusations have only increased as 'Sheed's career has went on, due to his appeared lack of discipline and the increasing amount of games in which it seems as though he is not interested in being on the floor. The people who believe Rasheed's potential was wasted have only multiplied as his career winds down in a wash of technical fouls and sub-par performances.

There will certainly be teams that are interested in Rasheed's services and will be willing to pay an amount above the mid-level exception to get him. But will Rasheed be willing to play above the level he has seemed to have plateaued at these last several seasons and provide a decent level of help to a team who needs a boost at the Power Forward position. Will he put in a satisfactory level of effort and enthusiasm every game? That is something I'm not sure even Rasheed can truthfully answer. Rasheed still has the ability and the tools to be an effective players for seasons to come, but with all the history and baggage associated with Rasheed Wallace the question remains. Does any NBA team really have a need for 'Sheed?

Life Draft

As the NBA season winds down and all signs point to a Los Angeles-bound Championship many an NBA heads attention will turn (if not turned already) to the upcoming NBA Draft. The draft has the potential to cement a team as a contender (see 2007-08 Celtics and their draft-day trade for Ray Allen) or remind us all that we'll being seeing the same teams at this time again next year (see Los Angeles Clippers). The draft has always had the power to greatly influence a team's fortunes and that's why such a large amount of care is taken when a team is analyzing potential picks. The NBA Draft throughout history has shown us that the margin of error between selecting a good pick a bad pick or even a bust is minuscule.


The Portland Trailblazers in recent years have made a habit of making excellent draft-day decisions. Portland has had success through their cunning draft-day trades (Randy Foye for Brandon Roy and Tyrus Thomas for LaMarcus Aldridge) and getting lucky when the ping-pong balls fell their way when they were gifted Greg Oden and his lumbering, injury-prone frame. The Blazers showed their draft skills by acquiring three serviceable rookies from last years draft (Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum). Portland also has the benefit of having Kevin Pritchard as their GM, which means that at almost every draft they leave with at least one solid player on which they can build for the future. Portland is a prime example of when the NBA draft is used correctly that it can transform your team from a bunch of rogue stars to one of the the most exciting young franchises in the League.


The Oklahoma City Thunder are also an excellent draft-day team, though their record may beg to differ. Over the past several season's the Thunder (then the Seattle SuperSonics) have been stockpiling draft picks via trades and many seasons of lottery pick status. When they lost out to the Blazers in '07 draft and had to settle for Kevin Durant the rebuilding process began, they traded away Ray Allen for the 5th pick (now known as Jeff Green) and some role players. After another lottery year and a change of location they found a gem in choosing Russell Westbrook with the 4th pick in the 2008 draft. This year they have the 3rd pick and whoever they end up taking will certainly bolster their roster and their fan base. The stockpiling of picks and the shedding of inflated contracts is an effective technique for a rebuilding team looking to strike it big in the draft.


A team who over the years has drafted extremely well but rarely got to taste the fruits of their draft-day labour is the Phoenix Suns. Over the past decade(s) they have made some excellent picks and have subsequently traded them away. They picked Steve Nash back in 1996 and got him back just before he blew up, they saved themselves from another blunder there. They chose Stephen Jackson in '97 he didn't do too much for them and they let him go so I'll let that one slide. But, every year since 2003 they have drafted a good player and traded him for almost (in some cases you can scratch the almost) nothing. In 2004 they picked up Luol Deng and traded him for Jackson Vroman (Who!?), in '05 they picked (Krypto)Nate Robinson and Marcin Gortat and traded them for Q-Rich and Kurt Freaking Thomas! In 2006 they drafted Rajon Rondo and Sergio Rodriguez and continued the trend of trading away solid picks. In 2007 they shipped their newly acquired Rudy Fernandez off to the Blazers. To top it all off the pick they decide to hold on to is Robin Lopez! The moral of the Phoenix Suns draft story is that sometimes its alright to be satisfied with the guy you end up with on that one night in June.


Drafting in the NBA is easy, say a guy's name, shake hands with him and hope he helps your team in the near future. Drafting well in the NBA is hard, it requires cunning, skill, luck and some big cojones as evidenced by the Blazers and the Thunder/Sonics and further highlighted by the plight of the Phoenix Suns.

(Here's a funny picture of Peja Stojakovic on draft night)

Back by (Un)Popular Demand

Yes, the most underwhelming moment of the year has finally arrived, I have decided to start blogging again. "Why?" I don't hear you ask. The answer is: I wanted something to kill the time when I'm not playing basketball or watching basketball or eating or sleeping and I wanted somewhere to express my opinions on what's going on in the basketball world. A lot hasn't changed since I took my barely noticed hiatus, the only things that have are the blog's layout and URL and the fact that my shoe collection has expanded. Hopefully people actually find out that this blog exists and give it a chance, or its back to petty theft for me.

Since I so rudely left without informing the one commenter I had (thanks Moose), I have discovered and learnt A LOT more about the NCAA and US High School hoops. I still can't stand the NBL, and quite frankly who can? I took particular interest in College ball and in turn learned a lot about the intricacies of the amateur game. So I guess you could call my leave of absence an "Educational Holiday"