If you’ve followed the Memphis Grizzlies for any period of time, then you know that the draft usually produces more horror than joy.
Whether it be losing a top 2 pick in one of the deepest drafts in history (2003) or having the worst record in the league and not only missing out on the first overall pick, but actually following as far down the line as was possible by the draft lottery rules to #4 (2007). Not only falling to 4, but there were three awesome prospects in that draft (Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and Al Horford) and rolling the dice on Mike Conley Jr.
Those two years were extreme examples, of course. Had they been able to keep their 2003 pick, they could have drafted Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to go with Pau Gasol, Shane Battier and the rest of a team that ended up winning 47 games in 2004. Maybe that didn’t prevent them from winning a championship, but those years would have been so much more interesting with one of those guys, obviously.
Even if you’re a newer Grizzlies fan (and most people are) or just started following two or three years ago, you know that Memphis has drafted absolutely horribly for a team that’s been as successful as they’ve been over the past two seasons.
Let’s just go back to the Zach Randolph era. He joined the team on the night of the 2009 NBA draft. The Grizzlies traded Quentin Richardson for Zach Randolph as Z-Bo’s stock was at an all-time low after being with three teams in four seasons.
That was a franchise-altering move, to say the least, as was the Grizzlies’ 2nd overall pick that season, when they drafted Hasheem Thabeet, the UConn product that is on his way out of the league.
Thabeet was one of the biggest busts of all-time. Making matters worse, no less than four other great players were drafted after Thabeet that would have been much better fits that it highlights the whiff.
James Harden, Steph Curry, Tyreke Evans and Ricky Rubio all went after the 2nd pick and Harden looks like a perennial all-star, Steph Curry has 30 foot shooting range, Tyreke Evans’ rookie season was matched by only two guys in NBA history: Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. It took a while for Rubio to come to the NBA, but when he did, he looked like a future franchise player.
So, yes, that was a bad pick.
The Grizzlies had two other picks in that draft and selected DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young. They’re two decent enough players who played some big minutes for the Grizzlies, and Carroll even became a starter for the playoff-bound Utah Jazz.
The Grizzlies’ entire 2009 draft has been purged from the roster, a truly terrible mark of futility.
If 2009 was terrible, 2010 was mediocre. Still quite bad, but not legendarily bad.
The Grizzlies’ cashed in what they hope will be their last lottery pick for some time and selected Xavier Henry from Kansas, who showed some flashes in his time in Beale Street Blue. However, he was eventually traded for Marreese Speights early in 2012.
The Grizzlies also had a late first-round pick and selected Greivis Vasquez who eventually moved into Lionel Hollins’ doghouse so deep that he was traded for Quincy Pondexter, another swingman on a team that had plenty of swingmen.
So, if you’re keeping score, the Grizzlies don’t have a single player remaining on their roster that they drafted in 2009 or 2010. It has to be mentioned that they at least do have players to show for those picks, but the fact remains that the guys they selected were such a poor fit that they were traded just over a year after being selected.
The Grizzlies’ lone pick in 2011 turned into Josh Selby who hasn’t played much so far, but will likely be counted on in a big way if O.J. Mayo leaves in free agency this summer.
So, if you’re a Memphis fan and you’re counting on a potential superstar in the draft, it’s important to remember that the Grizzlies have been a notoriously poor drafting team lately. Just because something usually happens doesn’t mean it always will, but those who don’t learn from their past are doomed to repeat it.