Memphis Grizzlies: What does an All-Bust team look like?
C: Hasheem Thabeet
If Darko Milicic is the biggest bust in NBA history, then Hasheem Thabeet isn’t far behind. The 2009 draft will forever go down as the biggest “What if” for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 7’3″ giant had the makings of the next Mutombo with his impeccable ability to swat shots, but he just didn’t pan out at all. In his rookie season, he averaged 3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 13 minutes of action per game. Then, everything went downhill from there. The next season, he only appeared in 45 games, averaging an abysmal 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in 8.2 minutes per game. In that season, he was also demoted to the D-League
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before getting traded to Houston in a deal that sent Shane Battier back to Memphis.
Thabeet was never the right choice, given the fact that they already had Marc Gasol. Now, this will forever go down as the biggest “what if” of the decade as two perennial MVP candidates were drafted after him. Because of this, there are so many questions that linger in the minds of every Grizzlies’ fan:
Do James Harden and Mike Conley become the best backcourt in the NBA? Does Steph Curry lead the Grizzlies to their first ever title? Do they land a difference-marker if they were to draft a guy like Ricky Rubio, DeMar DeRozan or University of Memphis product Tyreke Evans?
This draft pick might be the ultimate reason why the Grizzlies never win a title in the “Grit ‘n’ Grind” era.