Thabeet on Full “Bust” Watch
Hasheem Thabeet, Grizzlies
This much is certain: The Grizzlies knew they were getting a project when they drafted him. And although his attitude seemed positive and his demeanor on the court was professional, his effort level never came close to what it will take for him to have success in the NBA. His lack of strength, balance or scoring skills is not the issue. Give him that same set of weaknesses, but replace his passion for the games with Blake Griffin’s, and Memphis would have a center who would be the envy of the entire league.
No passion = no effort
Lack of strength, balance and scoring skills certainly don’t help
While I appreciate that a guy who is 7-3 should be good in the NBA, there is a track record of these players turning out to be busts. Thabeet was amazingly limited on the offensive side of the ball while he was at UConn, though I will give him credit on the defensive end, as he seemed to have a knack for blocking shots of every 5’9″ guard who dared to confront him in the lane.
Thabeet needs to quickly realize that size will not nearly be enough for him to prosper in the NBA. While he did average double-digit rebounds in his last year at UConn, his prior two seasons saw him under eight boards a game, which seems miniscule for a guy his size. Time to start working kid because you don’t have the talent to go on size alone.
