| 28 June 2009
With the 2009 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to look and the good and the bad that transpired on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden:
- Blake Griffin was a big winner in Thursday night's NBA Draft. Who else was?
The Good: Minnesota Timberwolves and Their Point Guard Run
Probably the biggest post draft story not involving traded superstars was the T-Wolves absolutely getting panned for using back-to-back selections top six selections on point guards Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn.
First of all people, look in the mirror, these are the Minnesota Timberwolves, not the Los Angeles Lakers. Whether it’s by going to Europe, breaking someone out of jail or drafting two players that play the same position, they need a talent infusion, and in a hurry.
Seriously, look at this roster. Who besides Al Jefferson and Kevin Love jump out at you under the headline “Major NBA Contributor.”
Ryan Gomes? He shouldn’t be anything more than the seventh best player on an NBA roster.
Sebastian Telfair? There hasn’t been a bigger disappointment to come out of New York since the understudy had to take over for Bette Midler in “Rochelle, Rochelle.”
Bobby Brown? Isn’t he in jail?
And with James Harden getting scooped up by Oklahoma City at No. 3, Minnesota did the smart thing, refusing to reach on a wing like Terrence Williams or DeMar DeRozan and instead taking the two best players available. Since when is stockpiling talent a bad thing?
On one hand, Minnesota probably wanted Rubio all along, but never dreamed in a million years he would fall to them at No. 5. They got a guy that many (including myself) considered to be the second best player in the draft, and someone that experts seem to agree is the best passer to enter the NBA since Jason Kidd over 15 years ago. And of course they’ve given the Twin Cities its biggest European heartthrob since Marko Jaric left town. Sounds like an all-around win to me.
On the other hand, they got Flynn an undersized, yet slightly underrated point guard, with a heart that belies his 6’0 frame. Flynn is an absolute warrior, a guy who made his name playing 67 of a possible 70 minutes in a 6 overtime win against UConn, and is going to play hard for you every night whether the final outcome has been dictated or not. He’s affable and has no history of any of criminal wrongdoing. On a roster where Telfair has done everything short of bringing a concealed weapon on the court with him, again I don’t see the harm.
And maybe one of the most underrated aspects of the Flynn pick that no one is talking about is this: In an era where good players flee cold weather cities like people run from a movie theater that’s on fire, Flynn is a born and bred cold weather guy. He grew up in Niagara Falls, and went to school in Syracuse, getting through Minnesota winters are going to be a breeze. Now how is this relevant to the situation you ask? If Flynn works out, you don’t have to worry about him fleeing for a bigger market or warmer city. And if he doesn’t work out, well you’ve got Rubio.
Which brings me to my most important point: Simply put, these guys are an insurance policy on each other, which is nice since they both come with big time questions. For Rubio, we still aren’t sure if he can negotiate a buyout with his Spanish club, and even if he does, will he want to play in Minnesota?
There has already been talk from Rubio’s father that the Spanish point guard may stay in Spain for another year or two.
For Flynn the question is much simpler, is he an elite level starting NBA point guard, or a guy best served coming off the bench? Even if he proves to be starter quality, can his body hold up over a long 82 game season?
So now the question becomes, what’re the best and worst case scenarios for this situation?
In my eyes easy, they figure out a way to get these guys to co-exist if Rubio ever ends up in a Minnesota uniform. Rubio then embraces Minnesota’s culture, gets an Elmer Fudd camouflaged parka and makes killer snowmen with Flynn. Flynn in turn takes Rubio under his wing and is content to hand over the keys to the Timberwolves in a year or two.
Even if they can’t co-exist (and of course in this case it is much more Rubio and his camp that seem to be unwilling to share the spotlight), you can always move one of them. Since when have teams shied away from getting elite level 18-year-old point guards?
As for the worst case? Well I don’t really see one. This was a draft where everyone wanted point guards and Minnesota got probably the two best in the draft. In this case, one really may be the loneliest number.
The Bad: Oklahoma City and James Harden
Of every executive in the NBA, Sam Presti might be one of the last one’s I should be questioning, as his draft record over the past two years is pretty much impeccable.
In 2007, Presti lucked into a future NBA MVP when Kevin Durant fell to him at No. 2, before smartly snatching up Jeff Green with the No. 6 pick. Just last year he added Russell Westbrook, who by the end of the season may have been the second best rookie in this league.
But I just can’t talk myself into James Harden at No. 3, I just can’t
For starters I’ve seen Harden in person, and while I liked what I saw of him in March, at no point did I jump out of my seat and scream, “This guy can’t miss.”
There were a lot of features that I saw that night, one’s that would have made him a nice value pick later in the draft. He has the ability to score in a variety of ways, and has deceptive athleticism. It’s safe to say that neither is a bad thing in the NBA.
Maybe my favorite quality about Harden is one you can’t find on a stat sheet or in a box score.
Despite playing with teammates at Arizona State that would just as easily been overwhelmed by a good intramural team as any of their Pac-10 opponents, Harden continued to keep everyone involved, refusing to take the role of the selfish superstar. While it might have been best for the team, it showed that Harden does in fact have his teams interests at heart.
Despite that, I can’t get over the initial gut reaction I had seeing him at Wells Fargo Arena in March: He’s a good player that will simply never be better than a fourth scorer on a good NBA team.
And this is where Oklahoma City fans will yell and scream, “But Aaron that’s all we need him to be!!” I know OKC fans, but hear me out. Just hear me out.
As I mentioned, this was the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft. The third pick!
Why use it on a guy that by all accounts was freefalling down everyone’s draft boards, and could have been gotten a few picks later? Especially when everyone’s Latin dream boy Ricky Rubio was still on the board.
Was there any attempt to convince Minnesota that “X team,” was hot for Rubio and they’d better trade up or they’d lose the Spanish point guards services?
The Knicks appeared (and still appear to be) interested in Rubio, did the Thunder talk to them about moving up to the No. 3 pick and grabbing Rubio there?
In either scenario Oklahoma City could have moved down, still gotten the guy they wanted (Harden) and picked up an extra asset or two in the process. It’s win-win for everyone, especially the Thunder.
And what about all the other teams that were itching to move up and get a point guard? We heard all week that various teams were hot for various guys, none more so than the three point guard amigos, Rubio, Flynn and Tyreke Evans.
Did OKC get Indiana on the phone? How about Charlotte or Philly? Were these teams all of a sudden content to pick from the second tier of guards (Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Jeff Teague), when the first tier were all available at the right price?
In the end there are still a lot of questions, but one answer that can be clearly checked off is that Oklahoma City got their guy. Harden is gregarious, unselfish and already sports the second coolest beard in the league behind Pau Gasol. In other words, he’s exactly what this team was looking for.
But I just can’t get by the image I had of Harden that March day in Tempe. Could he be a key role player on a team that goes deep into the playoffs? Sure. But would I be surprised if he played an unceremonious eight year career and bounced from team to team either? Not really.
For the sake of Oklahoma City fans, I certainly hope Harden ends up much more the former than the latter.
The Good: The Stephen Curry era in Golden State
Coming into the draft, the Warriors were one of the most confusing teams to gauge.
First they wanted a point guard, and the names I kept heard floating around were Jennings, Flynn and Jrue Holiday.
Then they promised Monta Ellis they’d stay away from the point and get an athletic big. Hello Jordan Hill.
But through it all, I couldn’t get out of my mind what a perfect fit Curry would be for this system.
Think about it, Curry playing the point in this offense? He’d average 40 points and 12 assists a game, and we’d get whiplash watching this team go back and forth up and down the court. No opponents lead would be safe, no final score surprising. A 176-168 double overtime loss to Phoenix? Why not? An 87-84 halftime lead over the Clippers, sign me up.
Sure Ellis would be moved off the ball, but what better player to compliment his open court and slashing skills than the uber talented Curry, whose innate passing ability and long range shooting would be a perfect fit in the backcourt.
However, as the draft approached Curry’s name was never mentioned in the same breath as the Warriors, the Davidson sharpshooter always linked to the Knicks and as of late Minnesota.
So when David Stern stepped to the podium and announced Curry to Golden State at No. 8, I had about the same reaction as a 15-year-old girl seeing the Jonas Brothers at Dairy Queen, I practically fainted. Honestly. The people I was watching with me nearly had to break out a First Aid kit and smelling salts to revive me.
For a team that seems to have embraced small ball over the past few seasons, this is a perfect fit. Almost like Jennifer Aniston and John Maye… Nevermind.
The point is, yes the pint sized Curry and Ellis may struggle defensively, but so what, what backcourt in the NBA is going to be able to match up with them? There’s no shooting guard in the league now that keep up with Ellis’ quickness, and now he’s going to be running wild with Curry.
And with the trade of Jamal Crawford to Atlanta prior to the draft, things make even more sense. Slide Stephen Jackson to the three, make Corey Maggette an undersized four and let Andres Biedrens man the post. There won’t be a team that can, or will want to keep up with them.
Things of course could get more or less juicy as Golden State continues to be in discussions with the Phoenix Suns about possibly bringing Amare Stoudemire to the Bay Area.
There is of course a strong possibility of Curry going to Phoenix in that trade, but for one day can’t a guy dream? Put Stoudemire in the lineup for Biedrens and let the two young guards go crazy.
Sign me up, and maybe even move me to Oakland. With Stephen Curry in town, I’m officially on the Golden State Warriors bandwagon.
Good: San Antonio’s Second Round
Every time we count out the Spurs, say they’re too old, too worn down and too boring, they always find a way to retool and throw their cowboy hat right back into the championship discussion. The days leading up to and following the draft gave us examples 3456 and 3457 of this phenomenon.
It all started on Wednesday when the Spurs made the move that no one was talking about, adding Richard Jefferson, a limited wing, but still a still a top flight athlete and good perimeter defender in the process. Sure leading up to the draft we heard that Shaq, Amare and a few other big names might get moved, but only the Spurs would get a high quality guy like Jefferson without anyone sniffing out their scent first.
DeJuan Blair and the Spurs were big winners Thursday night
And then draft night came and the Spurs did their Spurs thing. Seriously, could anyone but San Antonio get one of the top dozen players talent wise in this draft (trust me I’ve seen every one of these college guys numerous times and I stand by DeJuan Blair, bad knees or not) in the second round, and nobody even be surprised? It’s like your best friend who gets every girl he wants, nodding nonchalantly and giving a half smile after adding another notch under his belt. It’s kind of cool, but you’re definitely jealous at the same time.
Just for laughs the Spurs added instant offense off the bench in Miami guard Jack McClinton, once again proving my theory that this wasn’t a weak draft overall- there were players that fit every teams need- just one that was a bit gun shy on star power.
But back to Blair, I still can’t get over him falling to the second round. I just can’t.
Just as I said that James Harden before didn’t overwhelm me in person, Blair did the opposite in the several times I saw him.
Will he ever be a star in the NBA, of course not. But you don’t get 13 rebounds a game in the Big East by accident, and he will have to be no more than a complimentary player in San Antonio.
And as someone who studies the college game, I can tell you that the Blair way better than the guy in the NBA he is most often compared to, Glen “Big Baby,” Davis.
I have no personal vendetta against Davis, but honestly it’s not even close. Comparing the two is like trying to say that Khloe Kardashian is just as attractive as her older sister Kim. Sorry, thanks for the effort, but I’m just not buying it.
Blair is more athletic, longer, quicker and has an equally good set of hands as Davis does. More importantly, Blair has much more refined post moves coming into the professional game than Davis did when he came into the league.
At the end of the day we all know the real reason why Blair fell so far in the draft and it’s his knees. Nobody short of Dr. James Andrews can give you the scoop on what’s going on down there, but let me try and do my best.
From my understanding Blair had major surgeries on both of his knees, and no longer has an ACL in either. Hmm, I left my orthopedics textbook at home, but that doesn’t sound promising.
However, what I also do know is that Blair barely missed any time at Pitt, and it was certainly never for knee problems. From all accounts, they also appeared to hold up just fine in workouts.
So who knows, but once again give the Spurs credit. While everyone complained about the dearth of available big men in this draft, San Antonio took a chance on a guy who may end up being the second best big in this draft, jumping where other teams were afraid to.
Whether Blair’s knees hold up long term is the big question. But for now the Spurs have to be content to take Blair and fit him in with everyone else they have. And what they have of course is a championship contender.
The Bad: The Cleveland Cavaliers
Before I go on my Cleveland Cavaliers rant, let me quickly point out that I like the second round pick of Danny Green from North Carolina.
Now that that’s out of the way, let me make a lot of enemies in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers selected some guy named Christian Eyenga with their first pick. No, not in the second round, but in the first round, 30th overall.
What?
Huh?
Wait a second, isn’t Cleveland trying to win now? Trying to assemble a championship caliber team as quickly as possible so LeBron James doesn’t bolt town next summer? I need a strong drink to get over this one, and from the looks of things I think Cleveland General Manager Danny Ferry needs a pair of sunglasses and a seeing eye dog.
Seriously? You just spent your first pick on some guy who played in the second division in Spain last year? A guy who won’t be ready to even fold towels in the NBA for another three years? Really, Christian Eyenga? Isn’t that the cologne my mom bought me for Christmas?
Alright, I’m not an NBA coach or GM, and don’t claim to be any expert strategist on the game. But from what I could see there were two major things that stopped the Cavaliers right in their tracks against Orlando in this years Eastern Conference Finals:
They had no one who could defend an upper echelon post player like Dwight Howard one-on-one. Well, they just added Shaq, and while he may have lost a step is certainly an upgrade over who they had.
Also, wasn’t it Cleveland that couldn’t defend Orlando’s big perimeter players, or did I just make that up. Remember when Delonte West had to man up on Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu? Anybody?
Yes the Magic are going to lose Turkoglu to free agency, but they also just added another versatile piece to the perimeter puzzle in Vince Carter. Orlando certainly is trying to improve their lot, trying to win a championship next year.
While the Shaq trade was a step in the right direction, drafting Eyenga took the franchise three steps backward.
More frustrating than anything is that in my eyes, the best big perimeter defender was still on the board when Cleveland picked: Sam Young.
Now I watch a lot of college basketball, more than any normal human being should. It may be why I don’t have a girlfriend, and my social circle is limited at this point pretty much to my dog and the guy from the bus station who smells like pee.
But having watched all those games I know one thing, Sam Young can play. Yes he’s a bit older (he just recently turned 24), but you’re not drafting him for upside, you’re drafting him for right now.
Most importantly, he would have given the Cavaliers exactly what they needed off the bench, a big perimeter defender to come in and rough up Lewis, Carter and Pietrus.
Now Young will almost certainly never be on an NBA All-Defensive team, and he obviously wouldn’t have been the only piece to put Cleveland over the top, if they are at all. But he also would have brought a physical presence (Pitt guys are known for their toughness), and at the very least given more of a challenge to Orlando’s big guards than West, or Boobie Gibson.
Maybe it all becomes irrelevant if Shaq summons his “Big Aristotle,” playing days and Cleveland wins a title next year. But on draft day, there was no title, and no moral victories. Just like at the end of this season, the Cavaliers came up short.
Agree with Aaron? Disagree? Let him know here or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
