Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet, Second Overall Draft Pick, To Be Assigned To D-League

by Scott Schroeder on Feb 25, 2025 3:45 PM EST in Hasheem Thabeet ThaBlog Comment 15 comments

8 months ago: Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet, who was picked second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, listens during a news interview during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 25, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

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According to multiple sources close to the situation, the Memphis Grizzlies will assign second overall draft pick Hasheem Thabeet to the D-League's Dakota Wizards, along with rookie guard Lester Hudson, on Friday.

Thabeet will become the highest ever draft pick assigned to the D-League, a dubious record previous held by Martell Webster, who was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers from the Portland Blazers as the sixth overall pick in 2006.

The 7-foot-3 Thabeet was drafted as a shot-blocking specialist with high hopes that he could be one of the premiere defensive big men in the NBA after a career at the University of Connecticut that saw him average 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and an astounding 4.2 blocks per game. Fifty games into his NBA career, however, Thabeet has shown to be all to raw for the NBA, scoring less than three points and three rebounds while averaging 10 minutes of playing time.

The writing on the wall seems to have finally come on Tuesday, when Hamed Haddadi was moved ahead of Thabeet on Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins depth chart. According to SBNation Grizzlies blog Straight Outta Vancouver, "Haddadi fits the system better, since his tough rebounding and excellent, albeit raw, passing skills are closer to Marc Gasol's style of play than anything Hasheem Thabeet has done all season."

The Dakota Wizards will play seven games in the next 13 days before having a week off, leaving me to assume that Thabeet would be recalled at that time.

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Read More: Hasheem Thabeet (C - MEM), Hamed Haddadi (C - MEM), Martell Webster (F - POR), Lester Hudson (G - MEM), Lionel Hollins (H - MEM), Hasheem Thabeet (C - UConn), Memphis Grizzlies, Connecticut Huskies

Comments

Awwwkward.

by Spider Jerusalem on Feb 25, 2025 6:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Props for blowing up on Twitter, though.

by Spider Jerusalem on Feb 25, 2025 6:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thabeet needs minutes.

This move makes all the sense in the world. Thabeet hasn’t been playing basketball for that long. He was a longtime soccer player prior to playing basketball. Hopefully, the Grizzlies have good player development. It would be a terrible move to do him what the Bucks did to Joe Alexander.

by E-ROC on Feb 25, 2025 6:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Interesting to see who he'll be playing against.

John Bryant, Jared Reiner, Kurt Looby, maybe Chris Richard.

Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.

by Jon L on Feb 25, 2025 6:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

ESPN is running this story like a "Can you believe this..."

But it’s clear Thabeet really needs to play, and his competition will be stiff.

Blogging at Ridiculous Upside, where my terrible writing meets people's eyes.

by Aisander D on Feb 25, 2025 7:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

yet another

reporter acting like the DLeague is where players go to die instead of trying to put a positive spin on it like getting some actual game minutes and/or player development. They could even do 5 minutes of actual research and name some of the successful call ups rather than trying to make it sound like he’s the biggest failure to ever join the NBA.

by Billy Hoyle on Feb 26, 2025 9:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, it's a tired trick.

I can’t tell you how many forums/articles I’ve read making the case that the D-League is nothing than “lesser than players.” Often those reporting this misinformation about the D-League have about 2-3 NBA retreads sitting on the end of their benches soaking up paychecks.

Blogging at Ridiculous Upside, where my terrible writing meets people's eyes.

by Aisander D on Feb 26, 2025 11:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not a journalist

but I do understand sensationalist journalism, but is putting a negative spin on something that much more effective than putting a positive spin on it?

Couldn’t Stein just have easily said something like “Thabeet has been assigned to the D-League to get more playing time, hone his skills against NBA-ready talent and will most likely be brought back to the Griz in game shape for the stretch run?”

by Billy Hoyle on Feb 26, 2025 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs