While some draft experts are stating that Ricky Rubio or Brandon Jennings carry the most question marks heading into Thursday’s draft, I think the biggest gamble will be UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet has been rumored to go somewhere between number 2(Memphis) and 5(Minnesota), and likely will land somewhere where he will be playing plenty early. I say you should not call someone a bust officially until there rookie contract runs out(generally three seasons), but when most experts are already saying Thabeet will be a too thin to guard a center like Dwight Howard or Yao Ming, and too weak to handle a bruising power forward like Kevin Garnett or Al Jefferson, there could room for concern.
I like what I know of Thabeet, and absolutely love the work ethic he has displayed since arriving to play college basketball at UConn. The fact remains though that this years draft is a overall weak class of prospects, and he will benefit from being one of only a small handful of skilled big men. Comparing Thabeet to last years rookie big men, he would land somewhere in the middle of the pack, but not quite the overall potential of a Brook Lopez, Michael Beasley, or Kevin Love. I do think Thabeet has the potential to become a defensive stopper similar to Dikembe Mutombo. He will have to adjust to the defensive schemes of the pro game, and will have to put on some weight, and time in the weight room.
Where Thabeet winds up going has just as much to do with his future as what he will control.
Memphis – The Grizzlies need to make a splash with this draft, and while it seems less likely now that the Wolves will be dealing their draft picks they have acquired, Memphis will have to make the big decision of Rubio or Thabeet. Most of the time the big man is taken ahead of the guard, and with Mike Conley already in place, Thabeet is likely to land there. Unfortunately for him, that would not be the best situation for him.
Oklahoma City – The Thunder would likely take the best guard available(Tyreke Evans or Rubio), then draft Thabeet. He would help their interior defense, but the uptempo system would test his endurance night in and night out.
Sacramento – The Kings aren’t good in many places, but young post players is something they do have, in Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson. They are in need of an explosive guard or wing man.
Minnesota – The Wolves have Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, so do they really NEED Thabeet?
Golden State – Coach Nellie doesn’t like to play defense. next…
New York – The Knicks need help everywhere, but I could not see Mike D’Antoni coached team taking a defense first big man over shoot first little guys.
I could go on and on down the lottery on teams that truly aren’t great fits for Thabeet. Sometimes though, you have to make it work. Thabeet will likely be a member of the Thunder, Wolves, or Grizzlies by this time tommorow, and will have to do his best to prove the critics, including myself, wrong.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 0 comments… add one now }
You must log in to post a comment.