The New Class
B.J. Mullens (photo. Tim Tadder)It’s funny how the 2008 NBA Draft was barely a done deal and everyone was already casting judgment on the ‘09 draft class. (The majority of experts say it’s weak.) How about we let the kids get into the new season first before figuring out how the draft will pan out? Outside of the names we expect to see in the Green Room a year from now — Brandon Jennings, Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet, etc. — you never know which breakout stars will come down the pike and whose game will develop to what extent over the course of the season … But if you ask us, the front-runner for the #1 pick in ‘09 has to be B.J. Mullens. The 7-foot freshman-to-be at Ohio State is big, has a nasty streak, gets his hands dirty inside and can stroke threes outside. He’s like Kosta Koufos except legitimately scary and much better. And just looking at the rosters around the League, don’t be surprised if Mullens ends up with the Pacers, who have made themselves significantly worse over the past week … One questionable Indiana move was dealing #11 pick Jerryd Bayless to the Blazers, who have been killing the draft game over the last few years. If you’ve been on DimeMag.com or DimeMag.tv at all lately you know we were following Jerryd throughout draft week, and yesterday posted Part 4 of Jerryd Bayless’ Draft Diary. In this final episode, we’re right there with Jerryd during draft night, from the time he’s getting ready to go to MSG to when he learns he’s been traded to Portland. Check it out HERE … Who do you think got the better of the Grizzlies/T’wolves trade? Memphis sent Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins over to Minnesota in exchange for O.J. Mayo, Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner. We’ll go with the Wolves. They needed another big to complement Al Jefferson, which they got in K-Love. They needed another shooter to go along with Rashad McCants, which they got in Miller. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, desperately needed a big — do they REALLY believe in Darko and Kwame like that? — and they had a good one wearing their Draft Cap. Mayo has more box-office appeal, but was he worth giving up your second-best scorer/best shooter and a good big man? And not to mention everyone else Memphis got in the deal is basically useless … Speaking of ‘Toine, could his and Paul Pierce’s careers be any more different right now? Pierce is at the top of the world, while ‘Toine is bouncing between garbage teams and not even getting PT … If you know a Knicks fan who’s still pissed about the Danilo Gallinari pick, don’t forget to let them know that Isiah Thomas reportedly had a hand in it. Zeke saw Danilo in-person when he went to Europe for a scouting trip back when he was still making the front-office decisions, and on his way out of New York, recommended Gallo to Donnie Walsh … As always, draft night ended with some deserving players not having their names called; one of our readers said this year’s pool of undrafted talent might be the best he’s ever seen. One of the headliners, Drew Neitzel, has already agreed to join the Wolves for summer league play. Ex-Washington State PG Derrick Low also accepted and invite to Mavs’ summer camp … Looking to surround Vinny Del Negro with some experienced assistants, the Bulls have interviewed Paul Westphal, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Hill and Del Harris. Is there any doubt all four of those guys are licking their chops like vultures, making game plans in their head as they wait for Del Negro to choke so they can inherit the head coaching job? … Have you put in your bid yet to win one of Dime/Levi’s 501 exclusive Draft Suite t-shirts? Check out the contest HERE and show your support for your favorite Lottery pick … We’re out like Brian Cardinal getting burn …
June 28th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Timmy D says:
How dumb are half the writers in the country.
KWAME BROWN’S contract is done, thats the whole reason he was in the gasol trade. Kwame is not playing for the grizzlies, i dont understand why people think he is on our roster still. We won that trade by far we our buying out Walkers contract and Buckner’s contract is only guaranteed for one more season. And Marko Jaric’s contract sucks but at least he can still play unlike Cardinal and Collins. He also is bringing Adriana Lima which is awesome.
I also love Mike Miller but he is going to continue to have injury problems b/c is a hustle player to a fault and throws his body around too much and will continue to have back problems. And his is only 28 but that will start catching up to him pretty quickly. And I thought OJ Mayo was the next big thing according to Dime Mag so how did we lose at all. The Grizz finally are on the right track for once in their history and it was all b/c we got rid of the biggest Puss in NBA history in Pau Gasol .Go Grizz and screw all you haters. Mayo for ROY
June 28th, 2008 at 2:43 am
TL says:
?
June 28th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Austin Burton says:
We probably have to wait and see how Darrell Arthur pans out in Memphis before grading the trade. If he’s as good as I think he will be, losing Love won’t be so bad.
June 28th, 2008 at 4:38 am
the_don_mega says:
whoa… a Grizz fan! too much angst there…
June 28th, 2008 at 4:45 am
Wake says:
Too much losing can do that to a person. Conley Mayo Gay Arthur. That’s quite the nice haul of young guys.
June 28th, 2008 at 5:12 am
blah says:
Thank you Timmy D
June 28th, 2008 at 6:42 am
karan says:
ricky rubio is going to be a legend
June 28th, 2008 at 8:40 am
celticsdada says:
definitely a btter trade for the wolves. Big Al is gonna be an all star this year. Thought I could see that Gay Love combo in Memphis but hey their gm is Chris wallace. Goodluck
June 28th, 2008 at 9:02 am
sans says:
Grizzlies fans do have the fact that Kevin McHale always makes bad decisions, most likely putting his left shoe on his right foot most days. Roy, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, singing Wally and Googs to big deals, trading for Antoine Walker (seriously–why would he do that? Why? He never played that much and they had to move Al Jefferson to center to compensate)…but this latest trade–this is the one that will make McHale a genius. The best low-post scorer in history (to the writhing lunatics in Titletown) is Isiah Thomas if he never decided to try his hands at coaching. Oh, and I can take anyone as the original 2k8 Grizzlies team. They had mass talent, very fast, and digitally, they can play defense.
June 28th, 2008 at 9:04 am
sans says:
Best comment I’ve heard lately: “If Kobe looked at the paint like he was drunk, and it was an underage white chicks anus, they Lakers would have beat the Celtics.”
June 28th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Big Freeze says:
The Wolves are the winners because they get the two coolest white guys in the league with Kevin Love and Mike Miller. Go Gators!
June 28th, 2008 at 10:20 am
D.I. Dollar says:
I think the Grizzlies team play by play analyst got the best part of the deal. Do you realize how many creative (non-sexual) ways they would have to come up with to convey thier extreme facination for the Gay Love Combo? LOL. Anyone wanna bet the NBA had its hand in that trade? Another conspiracy?
June 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
D.I. Dollar says:
Oh shoot but now theres a Gay Mayo hookup…
June 28th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Gay Mayo Love says:
disgusting
June 28th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Gay Mayo Love says:
….and Gay takes the Love Mayo hard to the rim!!!
June 28th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Skeeter McGee says:
This draft seemed top heavy and then after about 10 picks I really didn’t care anymore. For some reason, I don’t believe a person who is third-team anything is worth a number 4 pick (i.e. Russell Westbrook).
Had to get that off my chest. That being said, it really really really seems the Knicks try everything to test their fan base. Danilo Gallinari? Dude could be the next Dirk for all I care (that would be the first time we’ve heard that…) and I still think that wouldn’t have sold on the fans at MSG.
I can’t wait till Love doesn’t pan out to be the NBA player people are hailing him to be and Mayo just wrecks shit… So the guy can make shots from one end of the floor to the other regularly with a chest pass? Are you really gonna show that as part of the dude’s highlight reel? Like he’s gonna get the chance to do that routinely in a game…
Also, I think DIME kinda shat on the Cavaliers’ pick at No. 19 with J.J. Hickson. If he pans out at all to be anything like Jason Maxiell, cause he damn sure reminds me of him, then I think LeBron will be happy…until 2010 when he goes to BROOKLYN suckazzzzz
June 28th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Celts Fan "Kobe, Tell me how my ass tastes" says:
That’s the problem though Skeeter, by the time he pans out (if he does) LeBron’ll already be in Brooklyn. Why take Hickson when Darrell Arthur is there and would be a PERFECT fit for a team that needed more scoring from their bigs. He’d stretch the floor for Big Z, Delonte, Booby, and Wally and let LeBron work w/ more spacing on the floor. The kidney’s really a bigger risk than LeBron going to Brooklyn?
June 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am
ML says:
@Post 7 Legend at what? What are you smoking Son? Cause it must be good.
June 28th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Xavier Garcia says:
You guys keep forgetting about Marc Gasol, really, look him up.
Like it was said before, Kwame is gone and the Grizzlies got Gasol, who broke Sabonis’ record for most weekly MVP’s in the Spanish League this year (and also received the season MVP) So in the worst case scenario, hell be a strong presence in the paint.
June 28th, 2008 at 11:54 am
shake&bake says:
I’ve only seen videos of Mullens and Rubio and both look legit. Mullens looks like a beast and pretty athletic. There’s a YouTube clip of him going between his legs and dunking. Rubio looks like he has great vision. Didn’t see much of his shooting or athleticism but he doesn’t look lightning quick. He reminds me of the “White Chocolate” JWill.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Austin Burton says:
Of course now you have “Gay” and “Toine” on the same team…
June 28th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Montel says:
LANCE STEPHENSON SUCKS ASS
June 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Austin Burton says:
Off-topic, but I’m watching the replay of the draft right now, and when they showed Derrick Rose hit the game-winner of his high school state title game in the United Center, I just realized the score of that game was 31-29 IN OVERTIME!
June 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
BigHead says:
Yo Dime why aint no one talking about the jefferson trade…
1
June 28th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Austin Burton says:
@BigHead:
http://dimemag.com/2008/06/breaking-news-richard-jefferson-to-milwaukee/
http://dimemag.com/2008/06/wheeling-and-dealing-on-draft-night/
June 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
GEE...Now can you dig that....Sucka! says:
LOL Men on film reference AB from In Living Color. “Don’t get mad Toine” Funny how many comedians that are much more on the scene now got a start or help in their careers on that show. Not to mention dancers as well.
I am wondering if their should be a third round to the draft. Just GEE but come on Drew and Low could work out on someone’s team. I am glad they getting the summer league things at least. Then it’s some more cats that prolly gone do well overseas.
Oh yea playing across the water ain’t all that bad. I think many fans look at it as oh this person cant or couldn’t cut it in the L. I don’t think it’s so much that as it is some didn’t get a good shot, maturity, experience or whatever. Granted it’s a lot of different reasons, but some cats that play in developmental leagues and overseas are doing work and can do work in the L I feel. I am not saying all or even the majority but most def. a few.
So how do you react if you see a kid wearing a some kicks with a rooster on em???
For the record I would go and play for Russia too if the USA didn’t give me a look and Russia was willing to put me on for the olympics. Little WNBA shot out right there.
Coach K to be in the NBA in 2 to 3 years. Watch fo it.
June 28th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
only 27 ???? says:
what?
nobody give a fuck about DIME anymore ????
June 29th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Montel says:
LANCE STEPHENSON SUCKS ASS, as does DIME
June 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
jz_smoove says:
ricky rubio is a poor man’s dan dickau. you know what, dickau will carve this guy up if he comes to the nba hahahaha
June 30th, 2008 at 9:56 am
MSkittle says:
Don’t Kevin Love and Al Jefferson play the same position?
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 am
karlos01 says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WxqFeMWFrs
brandon jennings baby
July 10th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
ryan says:
Wolves are so lame, why would you give up T-mac for Linas Kleiza?
http://www.collegefastbreak.com/