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Grizzlies Draft Card Earns An “A”

Published by MoonDog on June 26, 2009

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Contrary to what ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy believes, the Memphis Grizzlies didn’t need to blow up their roster in order to get better.

With two first-round picks and three overall in Thursday’s NBA Draft, all the Grizzlies needed to do was select the best players available that fit their needs, and Memphis did just that.

Memphis selected UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 overall pick, followed by Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll with the 27th overall selection.

The Grizzlies closed out their draft by nabbing Pittsburgh’s Sam Young, by some accounts a steal in the second round with the 36th overall pick.

With the selection of Thabeet, Memphis gets a 7-3 center they desperately needed to provide an interior defensive presence and compliment their youthful core of perimeter players.

Thabeet won’t provide much scoring help, but Memphis knew that when they drafted him. Thabeet will be asked to focus on rebounding and shot-blocking so the Grizzlies can play at a faster pace on offense and apply more defensive pressure.

The selection of Carroll with the 27th pick was criticized by some, suggesting he was taken too high in the draft, but he’s exactly the type of player Memphis needs.

Carroll, 6-8 and 207 pounds, is another high energy player who can operate at either forward position. His relentless style and adequate scoring ability will bring much needed help off the Grizzlies bench. Most importantly, Carroll is a strong defender and rebounder.

Many consider Young one of the steals in this draft. At 6-7 and 223 pounds, he was a model of consistency during his junior and senior seasons at Pitt. Young is strong, athletic and can run the floor.

As with Thabeet and Carroll, Young brings toughness to the Grizzlies interior. He also brings an ability to score off the bench and supplies a respectable threat from three-point range, shooting just over 37 percent from behind the arc in his last season at Pitt.

Memphis entered this draft intent on becoming tougher, more physical and stronger defensively while maintaining their athleticism. With a solid nucleus of Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley, Hakim Warrick, Mark Gasol and Darrell Arthur, the Grizzlies added three very good pieces to a puzzle that’s starting to take shape.

Other Memphis Grizzlies News

The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to send Darko Milicic to the New York Knicks for Quentin Richardson and cash considerations.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni believes he can turn Milicic back into the promising prospect the Detroit Pistons thought they were drafting with the No. 2 pick in 2002. Milicic has shown flashes of promise from time to time, but most of his career has been a huge disappointment.

In New York, they’ll ask Milicic to play more like a European center. He’ll run the floor, shoot jumpers and even handle the ball a bit. Milicic is capable of all of that but has rarely shown it on the court in the NBA.

For the Grizzlies, they get an athletic wing in Richardson, who can provide some shooting and scoring off the bench, and a little cash for their troubles.

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Grizzlies Draft Card Earns An “A”

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