Why Send Thabeet to the D-League? So we don't have a blog called FreeHasheem

(Photo from Yahoo)
Here's an update about Hasheem in the D-League by Marc J. Spears. From the article:

People in the NBA are “definitely looking at it negatively,” Thabeet said. “ ‘He’s the No. 2 pick. He’s not supposed to be there. I can’t believe that guy is over there and he’s the second pick.’ But you got to go and work your way up there. I’m working my way up here, working on my confidence. “When the time comes, I’ll be able to answer the call.”

Take that however you want it, but I believe it. He's not getting playing time in Memphis and the Grizzlies are fighting for a playoff spot, so putting Hasheem in game action in the NBA to learn on the fly isn't quite an option at this point in the season.

I'll repeat that.

Putting Hasheem in game action in the NBA to learn on the fly isn't quite an option... at this point in the season.

People seem to think this automatically means that Hasheem Thabeet is a BUST and that the Memphis Grizzlies are dummies who should have picked Tyreke Evans or James Harden or ANYONE ELSE not named Blake Griffin. But for reasons already stated, hey it's just not happening AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON. I keep saying that. Because people think that going to the D-League means you are in the D-League forever. False. Your team can call you up whenever they want you back, which for the Grizzlies is if they fall out of contention for the playoffs!

Let's look at some other players who after being drafted, were assigned to the D-League:

Jose Barea, January 17, 2007 (Wiki) - After appearing in only 12 games getting less than 5 minutes, the Dallas Mavericks sent their undrafted rookie to the D-League, called him back two weeks later. He still didn't get a lot of playing time, but he did get more, appearing in 21 games for the second half of the season. He now averages 20 minutes a game for a playoff bound Mavericks team. Again, undrafted. D-League success.

Aaron Brooks, December 6, 2007 (NBA.com) - After appearing in 2 games, getting 3 minutes in one and 30 seconds in the other, the Houston Rockets sent their 1st round 26th draft pick to the D-League, called him back a week later, and proceeded to play in every game for the next two and a half months. He had a bell curve going from 5 minutes to 10 to 20 at the top in the middle of January, and then back to around 5 minutes at the start of March. He now averages 36 minutes and 20 points as a starting PG for the Rockets. D-League success.

Jordan Farmar, March 31st, 2007 (NBA.com) - After getting sporadic play behind... Smush Parker, the Lakers sent Farmar to the D-League to get some game action. After his first D-League game, the Lakers called him back to the team, that day to play against the Kings. His second season, he played in all 82 games and averaged 9 points and 3 assists playing behind Derek Fisher. Now he's struggling on the bench not getting the bulk of back up PG minutes with Shannon Brown but he's still averaging 18 minutes. He also won a championship! I'd call this a D-League success. He's probably going to be the next starting PG for the Lakers.

Marcin Gortat, November 20, 2007 (NBA.com) - The 2nd round draft pick hadn't played in a single game. The Magic sent him to the D-League and didn't call him back until March. He still hardly played. The next season, he doubled his minutes to 12 per and was made famous in the playoffs and Finals against the Lakers. So much so that Dallas offered him the mid level exception to play significant minutes for the Mavericks who needed a big man behind (or even to start in place of) Erick Dampier! The Magic matched which was so idiotic (but I won't go into that again, see my previous posts: Orlando Offseason, Gortat Update). He can play, it's just the Magic only play him 12 minutes. I label this a D-League success.

I could delve into more draftees/rookies being sent from their team to the D-League and getting better (Brandon Bass, Ramon Sessions, Martell Webster). I could delve into D-League success stories where players started out in the D-League and got signed to NBA teams (Rafer ALston, Chris Andersen, Matt Barnes, Jamario Moon, Mikki Moore, Von Wafer). But my main point is that the D in D-League stand for development, not dog house, not dunce, not dumbass draft choice, but development. Of course we'd like to see Memphis play Thabeet but they have a chance at making the playoffs and he's not there yet. Sending him to the D-League gets him solid game action and playing time. He will NOT be another infamous #2 draft pick, such as Darko Milicic.

My tangent - Darko Milicic

(Photo from NY Times)
Why didn't Detroit send Darko to the D-League? Granted there were no D-League teams near Michigan at the time (Wiki), he seriously could have used the playing time. His rookie season he averaged 1.4/1.3/.2, 4:40 minutes in 34 games for the playoff bound (eventual champions) Detroit Pistons. Doesn't this sound familiar? Why would Larry Brown give him decent minutes to a young PF/C for a team trying to get into the playoffs and win a championship? Why would Marc Lavaroni Lionel Hollins give decent minutes to young C Thabeet, for a team trying to make the playoffs. Compare the numbers: Thabeet this season - 2.5/2.9/.1, 10 minutes in 50 games. Better than what Darko was putting up.

The D-League would have kept Darko in game shape and he would have gained valuable in game experience, which is exactly what Hasheem will get. Hasheem shouldn't be ashamed of going to the D-League. He should be thanking the Grizzlies for a chance at some real playing time. If he didn't go to the D-League, he'd still be laughing stock of sports writers and in 3 years, he'd be the next Darko. There is no blog called FreeHasheem and if Hasheem takes the D-League seriously, which it sounds like he is, there won't be need for one. He said “When the time comes, I’ll be able to answer the call." I believe him.

Read Between the Baselines, come on now.

Knicks' Darko for Wolves' Cardinal - So many trades to look at!

(Photo from TonySports)
One of the reasons I started this blog was to explain to the less than average NBA fan why teams do what they do. Unfortunately teams don't act GM-wise until the offseason or right before the trade deadline so I'm going to do my best to try and write about all the trades and give some kind of NEW insight that hasn't been beat to death so far - So let's take a look at a trade that may have gone unnoticed -

New York Knicks trade Darko Milicic to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal.

Darko's contract - One year (this year) for $7.5 million, free agent this summer.
Cardinal's contract - One year (this year for $6.7 million, free agent this summer.

This is kind of a head scratcher at first glance, for the Wolves at least. Everyone and their mom knows that New York is saving every penny they can for this summer's free agents and here, they saved about $1 million. But let's look at some recent news to see what the Wolves are up to:

Darko hasn't played in the past few months and in December, getting fed up with riding the bench in New York, he said

"Whatever happens, I'm going back next year," ... "It's 100-percent certain. I have to be real and not lie. I'm not going to get it done in the NBA. I'm not going to get another opportunity and there's nothing wrong with going back to Europe. I don't want to create a bad atmosphere here, but it's not working in the NBA." (Source: NY Post)

Now he said 100%, but that may have been frustration talking and maybe on the Wolves' he'll get some decent playing time. According to the AP, he will have "a 27 game audition at center," provided he shows up! He hasn't seen decent gaming action since about... March of last year-ish?
Hopefully he's been staying in shape and working out (I bet he has if he planned to play in Europe next season but we'll see).

The Wolves have a center by the way- Ryan Hollins who's been putting up Darko-like numbers - 6 points, 3 rebounds in 17 minutes a night. At the end of Minnesota games, Al Jefferson and Kevin Love are the one's who play as Minnesota's bigs anyways.

For Darko's sake, this could be his last 20-something games we'll ever see of him in the NBA. Sucks he could never get anything going. First he didn't play for a championship Piston squad. Then he got some decent minutes for Orlando averaging 8 pts, 5 rebounds in 22 minutes for one and a half seasons. Signed a nice $7 million for 3 years with Memphis (BasketballReference) - he started and then was benched his second year for terrible Memphis teams that didn't win more than 25 games. Then traded for Quentin Richardson (one of Q's many trades last summer), where he played in 8 games and then was benched. Just couldn't quite get it going. Minnesota looks like the last chance for his days in the NBA, otherwise we'll see him in the Olympics every 4 years, where he hopefully won't be on the bench for most of the game.

(Photo from nba.com)