Though all the focus is on the lottery, the Grizzlies will have two other picks in this years draft — at 27 and 35 — and plenty of open roster spots to play with, so those picks will be important.
I’m not going to do rankings for late-first/early-second prospects, but instead list players I’ve seen that are likely to be in that range in rough order of preference.
I’m leaving off a handful of players projected to go late lottery/mid-first round and who I don’t think have a chance to last to #27, such as: Patrick Patterson, Gerald Henderson, Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Eric Maynor, Tywon Lawson, etc.
Guys I’ve Seen:
Sam Young/Danny Green: Here are two players who project similarly at the next level, and I’d really like to see the Grizzlies come away with one of them. NBA teams can always use those classic Bruce Bowen/James Posey/Raja Bell-style role players — lockdown wing defenders who can hit the open shot. The Grizzlies brought in Quinton Ross to play that role last season, but Ross was too slim to take on all comers on the defensive end and his shot was too shaky to be reliable. Young and Green both have a chance to be that kind of player at the pro level.
Young was a star at Pittsburgh, but at age 24 coming into the draft, he seems to lack the athleticism and upside to be a primary player in the league. His size and toughness suggests he can make his living on the defensive end while contributing on the boards and as a secondary offensive option (37% and 38% from three the past two seasons).
Unlike Young, Green was a secondary player in college on packed UNC teams and is a consensus second-round pick in the mocks, but I think I might like him even better and would be very content to take him at #27. Green is a range-y defensive specialist with a high hoops IQ and a rapidly improving three-point shot (42% last season). He got lost in the shuffle a little bit at UNC, but I think he profiles as a terrific role player in the NBA.
