Memphis Grizzlies: 5 biggest draft mistakes of the last decade

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2. 2010 Draft: Hassan Whiteside

2010 would begin a period of sustained playoff success for the Grizzlies. Still, it doesn’t mean that they always made the best decisions in the draft, and the draft that very summer showed it.

With the 28th pick, the Grizzlies selected Greivis Vasquez. Not long after, the Sacramento Kings selected Hassan Whiteside. The Grizzlies selection was a little head scratching. They had selected Xaviar Henry earlier in the night, and they had a stock of shooting guards who could’ve played down one position to fill Vasquez’s position.

Vasquez isn’t currently playing in the NBA, his career was tragically cut short by injury, and give credit where credit is due, he wasn’t a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. During his seven seasons in the NBA, he averaged 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He was also a reliable shooter from 3-point range, shooting 34.8 percent.

Still, Whiteside has played better throughout his career. He’s averaged 13.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. Whiteside would’ve made a fantastic backup to Zach Randolph, and now would serve as a wonderful post-partner to Jonas Valanciunas.

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