NBA Draft picks through the years that went #2 overall have not done very well. NBA Draft odds for the 2009 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 25th has Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin going first but the #2 pick is more of a question mark.
NBA Draft stats tell us that the Memphis Grizzlies pick #2. They are going to take either Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio or Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet. Both players are a risk and either could be a flop. History is not on Memphis’ side in NBA Draft picks. They have had the #2 pick in NBA Draft odds three times and done nothing with it. In 1998 the Grizzlies had the NBA Draft stats second selection and they went with Mike Bibby who was later traded to Sacramento. Bibby has been an okay player but the Grizzlies passed on Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. The next year the Grizzlies again got the second of NBA Draft picks and went with Maryland guard Steve Francis who never really did anything but get hurt. Sports betting information tells us that they passed on Elton Brand in that draft. In 2000 they again had the second of NBA Draft picks and took LSU’s Stromile Swift who never even played a full season with the team. He was a major bust in NBA Draft odds.
Other teams have had little success with the second of NBA Draft stats. It is not only Memphis. Chicago took Jay Williams at #2 back in 2002 NBA Draft odds and he had a bad motorcycle accident and never did anything. The Bulls actually made a good #2 NBA Draft picks in 2006 in LaMarcus Aldridge but then inexplicably traded him to Portland.
Atlanta made a huge blunder in NBA Draft stats in 2005 as they took Marvin Williams with the second pick and passed on Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Detroit made an even bigger blunder in 2003 as they took Darko Milicic in a draft filled with players like Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Memphis was idiotic enough to actually trade for Milicic and are now stuck with his huge contract as online sports betting info shows. Now the Grizzlies really need an inside presence and they could go with Thabeet with the 2nd pick in NBA Draft picks in 2009. Or they could roll the dice and go with Rubio. The problem with Rubio is that he is an International player and Memphis already has a young guard in Mike Conley Jr.
Will the second selection in NBA Draft picks be a curse again in 2009?