The Best Rookie of the NBA Draft is..?
Let’s hope some of these guys will live up to the hype.
In case you didn’t know, the NBA just wrapped up the 2009 NBA Draft. And while it’s still a little bit early if any of these picks were the right one or not, we’re hoping none of ‘em will turn out to be a big joke like Milicic did.
And as far as the overall no.1 draft pick is concerned, as expected, the Los Angeles Clippers got Blake Griffin. Griffin should provide the Clippers a brighter outlook for the future. I mean, the guy’s just 20 years old for crying out loud. That gives him a lot of time to develop into an NBA star and help the franchise finally shave that losing mystique off.
Griffin could have been a top 10 pick in last year’s draft but surprisingly, he opted to return to Oklahoma for his sophomore year. Griffin is dominant in the low post and could really help the Los Angeles Clippers inside the paint. He faces constant double teams but he has learned to pass effectively out of them. He is one of the best rebounders in the country, has great athleticism, runs the floor well and he finishes strong around the basket.
Then we have Ricky Rubio, the most talked about guy in the draft. This guy made a name for himself in the 2009 Beijing Olympics Men’s Basketball Finals when he almost helped Spain beat the U.S. for the title.
Taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the overall no.5 pick, Ricky Rubio has good foot speed, a high basketball IQ, and great court sense. It’s like he is one step ahead of everybody else on the court. He shoots pretty well from the floor, knows how to flop, can get to the line a lot and shoots about 80 percent from it. He goes hard every time he is on the court. Has great length and quick reflexes to break up passes.
The biggest prize of the draft, LITERALLY SPEAKING, is the seven-foot-three, 267-pound tower of power, Hasheem Thabeet. The problem is, he got drafted by a team that has a knack for giving up on their big guys.
Yes, the Memphis Grizzlies took him and for a team that already gave up on Pau Gasol and Darko Milicic, why would you get yet another big man when you already have Marc Gasol? Hasheem Thabeet has one of the biggest upsides of anyone in the draft, but as good as he can turn out to be in the NBA, the guy also brings a few risks. Is he Olajuwon or Olowokandi? Or maybe somewhere in the middle? Most compare him to Dikembe Mutombo because he’s 7-3 and has a penchant for swatting away shots. Whatever it is, I just hope he’s not the next better-than-advertised Greg Oden.
Which team will win the 2010 NBA Finals? SPORTSBETTING.COM has the early odds.
Orlando Magic 7-1
Boston Celtics 5-1
Denver Nuggets 12-1
Want more odds? Visit SPORTSBETTING.com for more basketball betting odds. Want to watch the NBA live? Get NBA tickets online now.
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