30 Teams, 30 Days: Memphis Draft Preview (28th)

RealGM Analysis

Jun 23, 2008 1:23 PM

2007-2008 Finish: 22-60
2008 Draft Picks: 5th, 28th

Pre-Draft 2008-09 Projected Starters:
PG Mike Conley
SG Mike Miller
SF Rudy Gay
PF Hakim Warrick
C Darko Milicic
Key Reserves:
PG Javaris Crittenton
PG Kyle Lowry
C Jason Collins

What the Grizzlies Do Well:

If there?s one thing the Grizzlies have, it's point guards. They have arguably the top two point guards in last year?s Draft (sorry Acie Law) to go along with Kyle Lowry.

Rudy Gay and Mike Miller had breakout seasons for the Grizz last season. Gay led the team in scoring with 20.1 points and proved to be an all around force posting 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Miller was also all over the place, putting up 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting an alarming 43.2% from deep.

Darko also had a solid first season in Memphis. He led the team with 1.63 blocks per game despite only playing 23.8 minutes. His per-48 numbers of 14.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 3.29 blocks identify him as a solid contributor when on the floor.

The Grizzlies received this pick from the trade that sent power forward Pau Gasol to the eventual Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers. Many believed this was quite a lopsided deal, but now the Grizzlies have $8M expired off their cap, young stud point guard Javaris Crittenton, and we?ll see who they get with this selection.

Greatest Areas of Improvement:

Low Block Scorer
Looking ahead to next year, the main areas that the Grizzlies must improve are solely in the frontcourt. Hakim Warrick is a glorified small forward, and Darko Milicic is simply Darko. Neither is going to command a double team and neither will ever carry the team by playing with his back to the basket. Since Pau Gasol was dealt to the Lakers, Memphis has been searching for a scoring option in the paint.

Rebounding
The Grizzlies need more power and rebounding inside ? simply put. Their team leader in rebounding last year was Mike Miller, their starting two-guard, and he only managed a measly 6.7 per game. Their anticipated frontcourt for next year barely combined to average over 10 rebounds per game ? Darko (6.1) and Warrick (4.7). They need to pick up a big man who can rip down boards with authority.

Who?s Gone Number 28 Recently?

The Spurs love finishing with the third best record in the league and selecting 28th. Unfortunately, they were not able to finish as high this season so the responsibility of picking 28th will be that of Memphis (via Pau Gasol trade from Los Angeles Lakers). The Spurs have selected four of the past five players at number 28 and probably should have held onto the first two of the batch. Leandro Barbosa is an excellent sixth man, and Beno Udrih proved this season he could thrive in the starting point guard position.

2007
Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs

2006
Maurice Ager, Dallas Mavericks

2005
Ian Mahinmi, San Antonio Spurs

2004
Beno Udrih, San Antonio Spurs

2003
Leandro Barbosa, San Antonio Spurs (traded to Phoenix)

Whom Should the Grizzlies Target?

For more in-depth analysis and background regarding the players that the Grizzlies should target in this year?s Draft, click on each player name to be redirected to Christopher Reina?s Prospect Report piece.

- Joey Dorsey of Memphis

This pick seem so logical that I almost guarantee it won?t happen. The Grizz are desperately in need of some interior toughness, and hometown favorite Joey Dorsey is the man to supply it. Dorsey was a stalwart in the middle for the Memphis Tigers during their astonishing run to the national title game. His local fanfare in Memphis could be enough to boost ticket sales, which would be quite the coup for adding a player with the 28th pick overall.

- J.R. Giddens of New Mexico:

J.R. Giddens of the Mountain West conference might be the ?who?s that guy?? pick of the first round. His superior ability to score from anywhere on the floor and distribute well from the off guard position puts him in a unique class. With the possibility of using Mike Miller as trade bait for a dynamic big man, Giddens could be the sleeper pick to step in at shooting guard for the Grizzlies next year, especially now that Juan Carlos Navarro has bolted the NBA for FC Barcelona.

Picks Over the Past Five Years

Memphis hasn?t had many picks in the past couple of seasons but used them very wisely over the past three years. Mike Conley appears to be the real deal, and Lowry and Warrick have gotten increasingly better after each added year of experience.

2007
Mike Conley, 4th

2006
Kyle Lowry, 24th

2005
Hakim Warrick, 19th

2004
Sergey Lishchuk, 50th

2003
Marcus Banks, 13th (traded to Boston)
Kendrick Perkins, 27th (traded to Boston)

Previous Editions of the 30 Teams, 30 Days Series

Whom do you want the Grizzlies to draft at number 28? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments and questions.

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