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?