<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sources close to the situation have indicated that center Hasheem Thabeet will enter his name into the 2007 NBA draft. He will likely test the draft process and wait to hire an agent. Thabeet, from Tanzania had a solid first season playing for the UConn Huskies. He averaged 6.2 ppg, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game. He is extremely raw offensively and would benefit in the long run by returning to UConn for his sophomore season. But he is anxious to help out his family and bring his mom to the United States. With such a premium on centers, NBA teams do not hesitate to take a player such as Thabeet with a high pick. Just in the past three years five center projects were taken in the lottery: Andris Biedrins - 11th pick in 2004, Robert Swift - 12th pick in 2004, Andrew Bynum - 10th pick in 2005, Patrick O'Bryant - 9th pick in 2006 and Saer Sene - 10th pick in 2006. As centers with limited immediate impact, but a lot of potential these are high risk/reward picks. Thabeet is considered a great kid with an excellent work ethic and enthusiasm for the game. He's not to be confused with Peter John Ramos, or considered a player with questionable motivation or off court concerns. He has proven himself (at least defensively) on the NCAA level. </div> Source
He is really raw as I have heard and says in this article, shouldn't he wait, to get better or does he need the money or something.
<div class="quote_poster">SP23 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">He is really raw as I have heard and says in this article, shouldn't he wait, to get better or does he need the money or something.</div> The longer he's in college, the more time people can say he's a bust and stuff. Right now IMO is when he's at his peak.
Nice move, he's my most intriguing prospect heading into the draft. I would love it if we drafted this kid, mainly for his shot blocking and overall inside defensive presence after losing Ben Wallace. I wouldnt count on him ever really being a quality offensive contributor, but he should be Dikembe Mutombo esque on the defensive end. <div class="quote_poster">SP23 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">He is really raw as I have heard and says in this article, shouldn't he wait, to get better or does he need the money or something.</div> | V <div class="quote_poster">Quoting J_Ray:</div><div class="quote_post">He is extremely raw offensively and would benefit in the long run by returning to UConn for his sophomore season. But he is anxious to help out his family and bring his mom to the United States.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">J_Ray Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Whoa! Where did my quote come from </div> Not from you but from the article you posted. I agree with J_Ray that now is the right time for Thabeet to come out, because his stock is probably only going to go down the longer he stays in school, and right now he's considered not that much different as a prospect than Roy Hibbert, which is a huge mistake on the part of scouts. Thabeet's a twig, and he doesn't have the type of frame that adds weight easily. He's got very narrow shoulders. That's where the Dikembe Mutumbo and Theo Ratliff comparisons are way off. He more resembles Manute Bol or Keon Clark physically. I personally wouldn't take him until the latter end of the first round, but hey, Saer Sene went in the top ten, so Thabeet could wind up going just as high just because some GM is unreasonably enticed with his size.
This is a terrible decision IMO. The two or three UConn games I've seen this year left me extremely turned off by Thabeet. The guy just looks like he has no idea what the hell hes doing in a basketball court, he has no instincts in any area of the game. Has no scoring ability outside of wide open dunks and layups, poor rebounding technique, only gets a lot of blocks because hes so much bigger than the opponent. I don't think he'll fool any GMs into taking him before the 20's in the draft this year, just the fact that hes entering now and believes that his stock is as high as it will be right now is a red flag IMO. If I were him (or his adviser) I would encourage him to stay at UConn and learn to play basketball like Roy Hibbert did at Georgetown. In the NBA he'd very likely be sent to the D-League for most of his rookie season and probably for several years he wouldn't see nearly any playing time, hes very far off right now and its unlikely that he could catch up with the NBA competition by leaving college when hes not even close to being a dominating player in the NCAA's.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Calhoun: Thabeet Faces 'Hardship' If He Stays In School 12th April, 2007 - 10:27 am - Jim Calhoun said Wednesday that freshman center Hasheem Thabeet would be in a "true hardship" if he did not enter the NBA draft. "Hopefully we'll know this week," Calhoun said of Thabeet's decision. "If not, next week. He's trying to resolve the situation. It is a fiscal situation. He would be in true hardship if he didn't go. "He wants to stay very badly," Calhoun said. "We just have to find a way to find some help for his mother, and I don't mean financial help - some type of work program. It's very complex." [READ]</div> Source
^ That's too bad if he really does have problems forcing him into the league too early. At least he does have the comfort that with his size, he'll get PAID. This may become an interesting case. The NBA seems to be pushing the D-League, and I don't know all that much about it, but couldn't a team draft him and stash him with their affiliate for a couple years a la the NHL? I remember a similar case with Ndubi Ebi, the guy Minnesota picked out of H.S in Texas. They implemented some new regulations about the D-League right after he'd used up his eligibility by being on an NBA roster for two years. Could Thabeet be the guy who makes it ok to develop players like the NHL or MLB do, in the 'minors'?
