Draft Countdown: Hasheem Thabeet

[J Dilla]

I could see his comparison somewhere between Kevin Willis and David Robinson-lite. He's a pure bigman, and a very old skool one at that. He would be a terrific system player IMO, and would be the perfect fit beside Timmy D or Al Jefferson.

I mean the tools are there, its entirely up to him and how much he's willing to work to be a good center for the future. If Raptors want a center, I hope this is who they get.

[Spartan13]

What would we do if we got the 4th pick, and 1,2,3 went griffin, Rubio, Harden? i say trade it...someones gotta want Jordan HIll more then we will, and make an offer worth our while, maybe something that includes a later pick. So i don't think theres a scenerio in which we draft Thabeet.

[Fairview4Life]

What would we do if we got the 4th pick, and 1,2,3 went griffin, Rubio, Harden? i say trade it...someones gotta want Jordan HIll more then we will, and make an offer worth our while, maybe something that includes a later pick. So i don't think theres a scenerio in which we draft Thabeet.

The Raps can't get the 4th pick. The lottery is for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd picks only. The Raps can end up at 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

[Dr Positivity]

There are very few 7'2+ guys as fast as Thabeet. Big Z, Yao, Big Z are all very slow. If he can stand his ground and not get pushed around Hasheem will be a beast

[JYD]

I would not take him if we had the 3rd pick, and I'm glad we're not in a likely position to even be making calls on players like Thabeet and Hill.

[brownbobcat]

I'll be shocked if Thabeet doesn't go #3. Just as shocked as Darko being picked over Carmelo, or an Atlanta team chock-full of SF's and heavily depleted on PG depth picking another SF prospect over two can-contribute-right-away PG prospects.

Ditto. It'd be extremely hard for any NBA team to pass on his size considering nobody else really stands out at #3.

[The Notic]

i hope okc picks him. they've already smashed the record of drafting project C's in the first round over the last 5 years or so.

[Dennis P]

I have a hard time believing he'll be the 3rd best player from this draft class. NBA players love dunking, and I think the general commitment to defense in the NBA is less than what he would've experienced in college, so I feel he'll be hung out to dry on numerous occasions early on in his career. If he can make it past the first few seasons without a major injury or loss of confidence, then I think he can be an impact player. The problem is, the higher he goes the worse off he'll be.

Think Dikembe Mutombo. That guy altered so many games because of his presence inside. If you see the value of Dikembe you will understand why Thabeet is a potential top three selection. He makes a difference at the defensive end.

[Alfred]

i hope okc picks him. they've already smashed the record of drafting project C's in the first round over the last 5 years or so.

There's actually a very good chance that they would draft him with the #3 pick.

[supersub15]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009 ... our-090514

[tecumseh18]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=PreDraftTour-090514

Put him in a bad situation with a coach who's an obsessive faultfinder, and he could fail. Put him in a good situation with a coach and teammates who give him reason to believe, and maybe those Mutombo comparisons aren't as far off as I once believed.

Hmm. Bosh obviously responded positively to Smitch's tough love approach, and I supposed Calderon did too. Different strokes.

As for Thabeet, I think you can't draft a big man high unless there is some tangible evidence that he's got the on-court mental toughness to dominate. Bargs in Italy played well in some big games, and his caliper test apparently indicated that he did have that drive. Thabeet ... we'll see.

[Contract Season]

This guy is not Mutumbo, not even close. But he'll be better than Diop, who went 8th or 9th.
Third is a reach for him, 5-8 seems like where he should be picked in a normal draft.
But I wouldn't expect miracles from him.
Just a steady, defensive centre who will be a lane intimidator and useless on offence.
A bigger Varejao with more shot-blocking and less rebounding.
the Raps could use him, of course, but have much bigger needs, imo.

[neurotik]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12825

Steve's Weekly Update: With Blake Griffin all but gifted wrapped for the Clippers and with the Grizzlies' liking selling the #2 overall pick to the team that covets Ricky Rubio the most, the Oklahoma City Thunder could find themselves with a number of attractive options at #3 and really the lynch pin team of the 2009 Draft.

Reports that the Thunder were considering James Harden with the #3 selection, are not necessarily false, however the Thunder's interest is not as substantial as some would have you believe.

Sources close to the situation list Rubio, Jrue Holiday and Jordan Hill among the Thunder's top prospects. Hasheem Thabeet however does not seem to be on the Thunder's radar at all meaning he could slide pretty significantly if Memphis does not grab him at #2.

The Kings would pass on the 7'3 shot blocker at #4 according to team sources, leaving him on the table for the Wizards at #5, should the Wizards pass or sell their pick as league sources are suggesting. Thabeet could fall pretty far as #6 Minnesota has a stacked front court, #7 Golden State has a ton of money tied into Andris Biedrins, #8 - New York might look, but does the "no-offense" Thabeet fill a need? #9 Toronto might look, but they want toughness with that pick and Thabeet may not fit the bill.

If the Grizzlies sell their pick and The Thunder play from their list, it could be a long night for Hasheem Thabeet, unless someone trades up to grab him.

I think that If teams arent that impessed with him at workouts or become enamoured with other players, that this could very well happen. if he fell to the 9 spot and harden. evens, and derozan were gone, would you want Thabeet?

he could provide a true center if Bosh was to be traded this summer, and Andrea could be moved to the 4 spot.

Personally, if holiday is still on the board I would take him, otherwise I would probably draft Thabeet and look to buy a second pick to nab a wing

[ayo_23]

I'm hoping he'll change but for now he's a big softie that doesn't like contact and gets destroyed by very undersized (but strong) bigs.

[basketball royalty]

Players will usually be drafted in a BPA basis, so I would think he will be drafted early but then traded to the team that really wants him, much like Rubio.

[Morris_Shatford]

If we were drafting 3rd,
I would have to weigh the pros and cons of taking Hasheem Thabeet with that pick.

If he drops to us at 9, for me there is nothing to think about.

[Alfred]

I think it would be difficult to pass on a guy with as much potential as Thabeet. He apparently has a very good motor and drive to improve. He will probably be a bit of a project though.

[DarkKnight]

PASS. Slow, no offense, blocks shots with his height and doesn't do much more.

[Gold Chain]

No.

Some one else can gamble on Thabeet, we need a 2 or a 3.

[STA 13]

A Thabeet/Bosh frontcourt could be very good. Would be an interesting pick