The Draft: T-Minus 3 Days

Well, Grizzlies fans, we're on the home stretch. Only three days remain until the (crucial) draft. After a weekend of workouts and contract extensions, however, we are still left with much speculation. Neither GM Chris Wallace nor anyone else in the organization has tipped their hand about a possible trade and the list of players the Grizzlies might select in the draft grows with every workout. Although we don't know much, let's go over what we do know.

Patrick Patterson is now a frontrunner to be selected with the 12th pick. The 6'9" power forward from Kentucky impressed Griz management in Sunday's workout and possesses all the skills the Grizzlies are looking for. By simply showing up to the workout, Patterson did better than many other prospects (who have stood up the Memphis workout). Once play began, he was even more impressive. "We wanted to see him go out on the perimeter and guard people," said Tony Barone, director of player personell. "We wanted to see him take advantage of size mismatches. I think we got that accomplished today." Patterson is an excellent blend of size, strength and athleticism. He is a burly 240 pounds and can bang with bigger forwards down low. Offensively, he has both a post game and a mid-range game, and even developed an outside shot this season. His offensive versatility would make defenses stretch the floor, opening up opportunities for other players. Defensively, he is smart and uses his size and length well. He averaged 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season. Overall, he is a hard worker, understands the game and would make a great pick at #12.

The "trade" door is wide open. Regarding a possible trade, the only thing we know for sure is that we don't know. Wallace, Heisley, et. al are mum on any possibilities, stating only that "there's possibilities out there on the trade front and an almost unlimited number of players with these three picks... There's still a lot of ground to be covered." Maybe Grizzlies management will give a better indication of their intentions closer to Thursday, but don't count on it.

This is going to be a crazy summer. Between the draft and the most anticipated free agency period ever (which begins July 1), the biggest summer in NBA history is heating up. When the dust settles, the entire landscape of the league will likely be different and it's anyone's guess as to what that landscape will look like. Hopefully, the Grizzlies will emerge a better team, one ready to challenge for a playoff spot.

I'm excited about the possibilities,
Owen