NBA Draft: Re-drafting the historic 2009 NBA Draft

Re-drafting the 2009 NBA Draft: 2) James Harden, Memphis Grizzlies

As much as the Minnesota Timberwolves catch flack, and rightfully so, for passing on Stephen Curry, the Memphis Grizzlies’ decision to use the second overall pick to select UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet doesn’t get as much attention for being just as bad of a misfire.

The rationale was understandable — the team needed a new low post anchor after trading Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers. Thabeet profiled well as a good defensive center — but Thabeet never lived up to his lofty comparisons.

James Harden, however, torpedoed right past his more measured expectations. Drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden provided instant offense off the bench for those great Oklahoma City squads, helping guide the franchise to the 2012 NBA Finals.

After that season, the Thunder traded Harden to the Houston Rockets to avoid the luxury tax. From that point on, Harden became the breathing embodiment or “Moreyball”, as he all but abandoned long 2-pointers in favor of more valuable 3-pointers, shots in the paint and free throws.

Though many traditionalists criticize Harden for “cheating the game” with his manipulation of defenses and the NBA rulebook, there’s no denying the results. Harden is arguably the best offensive player in the game today and his efforts have already netted him one NBA MVP trophy with another possibly on the way.

As good as those Mike Conley and Marc Gasol-led Grizzlies teams were, it’s fair to wonder how good they would’ve been if the team drafted Harden instead of Thabeet. Sure, Memphis had Rudy Gay, but Harden clearly emerged as the superior player over time.