MVN - Most Valuable Network

Grizzlies Pick 5th, Again Cursed By Lottery

It appears lady luck was again not with the Grizzlies this draft lottery, as they fell a spot to 5th in the draft order, passed by the Chicago Bulls, who moved up from the number 9 spot to the number 1 spot.  The Bulls had a 1.7% chance of getting the number 1 pick for those of you who are counting.

But the better question is whether lady luck has even been with this Grizzlies franchise, as they have never won the draft lottery, while only making the playoffs three times in their franchise’s existence.  Thats a lot of bad seasons and not a lot of good luck.

I suppose it could be good luck though, as it takes the decision of Beasley or Rose out of their hands.  Of course that also means that they are left with ‘the rest’ of a number of players who are considered to be clearly below the level of Beasley and Rose.  That’s not to say they won’t contribute (or even start) next season on this depleted Grizzlies team, so let’s take a look at the prospects:

O.J. Mayo/Jerryd Bayless/Eric Gordon(PG/SG):  I’m putting these players into the same mold, as they’re really sort of combo guards who could play the point or 2-spot.  Either way they both can all be explosive offensively.  Mayo is the real question mark among the bunch, as he brings questions both on and off the court.  These questions, such as the allegations of the money given to him by agents for four years to go along with questionable defense are things this struggling Grizzlies franchise doesn’t need right now.  Also, I just don’t think Mayo has lived up the hype, and while he would bring a certain sort of buzz to Memphis it would most likely be for all the wrong reasons and with these three players being so similar, that very well could be the difference.

Bayless and Gordon are more similar, I see Bayless as a very quick explosive player, but more of a truer PG than Gordon.  I see Gordon as more of a truer SG who has a little bit more height and is better defensively.  I think among these three I would prefer Gordon for his defense and the fact that I see him as more of a truer SG.

But the truth is that these three players fit into that kind of tweener status: not quite SG, not quite PG.  The Grizzlies have absolutely enough PGs and bordering on too many combo guards as well with Navarro and Crittenton.  So that could very well mean that either we’ll see some trades, not resigning Navarro, or a combination of both if any of these players is chosen.

Brook Lopez(C): Lopez is a true 7-footer who from what I can tell is this high because he is the most NBA ready big man.  He can score and run the floor, but his lack of athleticism and lack-luster rebounding concern me.  It also asks the question about what would you do with Darko Milicic if you pick Lopez?  It could give the Grizzlies a ‘twin towers’ option but I don’t think either is quick enough to cover most PFs in the league today.  Also, that’s way too much money invested in the center position in a league where the traditional center is kind of going away, as we’re seeing more athletic big men in today’s game.

Kevin Love(PF): Love would be considered a reach at this point, but he is really the truest PF in the draft behind Beasley.  Also, this draft is PG-heavy, as in the top few prospects in this draft are Rose, Beasley, Lopez, and the above combo guards.  Since there really are no true SG, SF, or PF at this point I think Love is the best among the rest.  He really was one of the leaders of an experienced UCLA team as a freshmen and has all the tools to succeed as a PF in this league- as he is tough, knows how to score, and can really handle himself around the paint.  Again, like Lopez, the biggest concerns with Love are his lack of athleticism and speed, which are a couple of problems that I’m very concerned with, especially with our emphasis on the fast break.  But his defensive ability, to go along with his hard working, physical play could make him a fan favorite in Memphis, sort of an every man.  I definitely think this would be a reach at the five spot, but it really fills a need.  I think a possible move down with a team, such as the Clippers, that have a more pressing need for a PG could be possible to make this pick make more sense.

These are really the main players the Grizzlies have to choose from and it’s a really tough choice, as they’ll either have to take another combo guard or choose between a couple of questionably athletic big men.  Honestly, the best scenario would be for the Grizzlies to trade down with a team looking for a PG, but I don’t see any of the teams below then getting enamored enough with one of these players that they will want to move up.

Honestly, they’re kind of in a lose/lose situation as they kind of have to choose between a trio of combo guards, investing more money into the center position, or making a big reach with a player like Love, who is projected to go much lower.

But, this Memphis franchise has dug itself into this deep hole and really put itself into a bad position, with it’s depth at the PG position in this PG-heavy draft.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 7:12 pm and is filed under Grizzlies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.