Daily Thunder.com Q&A with 3 Shades of Blue

With all this talk of Memphis possibly liking Hasheem Thabeet, I thought it might get some insight from somebody that knows that team better than anyone. So I asked Chip Crain from 3 Shades of Blue a few questions.

1. Simple question: Hasheem Thabeet or Ricky Rubio?

Chip: That isn’t even a question. Thabeet is a nice big man and you can’t teach size but no one believes this player will become anything more than a defensive stopper in the middle. Rubio could be an all-star and a crowd pleasing player as well. If Memphis publicly contemplates taking Thabeet it would most likely be an attempt to get Oklahoma City to buy the 2nd pick for the 3rd pick and another asset. Oklahoma City would be making a mistake taking Thabeet over Rubio in my opinion however. If Memphis moves down to 3rd and Rubio and Griffin are gone I doubt Thabeet would be the player they take at three anyway. James Harden, DeJuan Blair, Tyreke Evans and others have more upside in the NBA the way I look at it than Thabeet. Thabeet is another Roy Hibbert to me.

2.What makes you want Rubio, when Memphis already has Mike Conley? Conley was the fourth overall pick just two years ago and played better in the second half of the season. If Memphis takes Rubio, are the Grizzlies basically giving up on a top five pick just in his third year?

Chip: Every team needs more than one point guard. Rubio is 18 and will take time to adjust to a new country and a new brand of basketball. If Rubio can beat out Conley for the starting role then moves can be made further down the line. Besides, you don’t draft for need. You take the best player available. Drafting for need causes teams to do really dumb things. Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan springs to mind as an example.

3. Reports came out that Rubio doesn’t want to play in either OKC or Memphis. What do you make of such things?

Chip: Agent talk. Rubio hasn’t said anything. You can’t blame his agent for trying to play hardball prior to the draft. After all he gets 15% of every contract Rubio will sign so he wants him in the most marketing desirable hot spot in the country. That doesn’t mean anything unless Rubio actually pulls out of the lottery but I don’t expect that to happen. He knows he can sign the contract with the Grizzlies to get into the NBA and then go elsewhere once he arrives. It would be very silly for him to delay his entry into the NBA simply because he doesn’t like a city that might take him.

4. What’s the Grizzlies biggest need? And are you a “draft for need” or “best available” kind of person?

Chip: The biggest need is starting PF and Blake Griffin would have filled that hole nicely but c’est la vie (or should I say asi’ es la vida since Spanish would seem to be more appropriate than French). As I said earlier I am definitely a best available player kind of person. After PF the Grizzlies really only need a backup PG, backup SG, backup SF and backup C. That is why the team needs to take the best player available and not fool around taking a lesser player to fill a need. The Grizzlies have needs everywhere.

5. Is there any chance Memphis goes a completely other direction with this pick? A trade or maybe a dark horse player?

Chip: You’re talking about a franchise that traded Pau Gasol for future draft picks, scrubs and cash. Is there a chance Memphis does something no one is expecting? Of course there is but I feel that it would be counter-productive to not use the opportunity the Grizzlies have picking 2nd to grab the best talent on the board. Trades rumors are already rampant around the Grizzlies with this pick so that is not really doing something completely out of reason but taking anyone other than Rubio with the pick would be. Chris Wallace isn’t afraid to stir things up a bit so him doing something unexpected should almost be expected.

Huge thanks again to Chip for taking a little time to hopefully educate us Thunder fans on what maybe the Grizzlies will be looking at come June 25th. Be sure to check 3 Shades of Blue often to keep an eye on the pulse of the Grizzlies.

9 comments

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James Rogers

As a Memphis fan, I can tell you that Chris Wallace is more of a fall guy than the guy making decisions. Look no further than owner Michael Heisley for your off the wall decisions. Of course, the Grizz made the safe pick last year with Kevin Love and only made the trade for Mayo after everything basically fell their way. It became common knowledge after everything shook out that Memphis would have been happy holding on to Love as the best available player at the position that they drafted. Unless they can swing the trade up to get Griffin, then they will take Rubio and entertain offers. If none comes along, they will hold him (or at least his rights) and wait. The Grizz have that luxury because no one expects them to win for a couple more years and they have the most financial flexability in the league in a year where mid level teams will have to dump quality players to cut payroll. With the 2 pick, 2 picks later in the draft, the lowest payroll in the league, a couple of desirable players that will be available (Gay and Conley), and an attractive veteran expiring contract (Buckner), Memphis has a lot of directions that it can go. The only question is, will they after they make the pick? We will see. With the needs the team has, I think either Rubio, Conley, or Gay would be gone before the 2010 season starts. The rest will be left for free agency.

Steve H

@chip crain
I wasn't suggesting that we try to trade up with Memphis- I was suggesting a three party trade with LA getting Rubio,Green and our other first round pick- or one from next year. Memphis getting Thabeet and Collison and Thunder snagging Griffin. Memphis could also pick up Baron Davis- and possibly throw a first round pick to LA as well. If we look at this as a three way negotiation, there should be some way to land Griffin in OKC and have LA and Memphis walk away happy.

chip crain

I meant to say if Oklahoma City wants a shot at Rubio not Thabeet. Thabeet will probably be available after the top 4 picks with only Washington looking likely to take the big guy.

Steve H :@Pennington No, what Royce said. It might not be necessary to bring in Memphis at all if Rubio’s agent can convince them he won’t play ball for them and LA says no to whatever offers the can (and will) come up with.

If Memphis can't move up in the draft and decides Rubio is too great a threat not to sign then they will move down. If Oklahoma City wants a shot at Thabeet then they will have to offer their 3rd pick and another asset (although I believe Green is way too much to move up one spot).

@Pennington
No, what Royce said. It might not be necessary to bring in Memphis at all if Rubio's agent can convince them he won't play ball for them and LA says no to whatever offers the can (and will) come up with.

Royce

@Pennington
No way. LA is going to want Green or Westbrook to make it happen.

Pennington

@Steve H
This would be the biggest trade in the history of the NBA (no balls association) It has a snowballs chance in hell. If we sent two first round picks this year plus Ibaka could we land Blake Griffin?

Additional note- I just don't think the Grizzlies have the players to make the trade directly for Griffin. They could offer Rudy Gay, but his remaining contract is a year shorter than Green's, and Green just looks to have more upward potential than Gay based on his improvement last year- improvement made while playing half the year out of position at the 4. PLUS, that would leave Memphis with a gaping hole at the 3 spot (we have a pretty good SF left in our stable). Man I can't wait for draft night.

As someone who previously summized that anyone thinking the Grizzlies would pass on Rubio was smokincg crack, I am absolutely delighted to hear Rubio's camp saying he won't play in Memphis or OKC. I was also pretty psyched to see that the Clippers added Rubio's picture to Blake's on the front page of their website (a pretty clear indication to their fans- we will have ONE of these guys come fall). WE have the pieces to pry Griffin free from LA(Green, Possible lottery pick next year and/or this years extra pick)IF the Grizzlies can be convinced to pass on Rubio. At the end of the day, I think Rubio would come to play in Memphis, but do they really want to risk it? Even if they win, what does a very public game of chicken do for their fan base? The answer to this conondrum is a three way trade. Grizzlies need front court help? How about Collison and Thabeet? Hell, if they want a back up point we could throw in Watson and take back an unwanted contract or two (Marco Jaric looks likely). The Clips get three players for one pick- at least two of which will be starting for years to come (they could even move Baron Davis to G-State for Bierdrins). We get Griffin. Everybody goes home happy and wins more games next year. Somebody needs to call Presti.

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December 3, 2011 at 8:13 pm

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Q&A with 3 Shades of Blue

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