Hey, Malik... I'm sorry... now, go get it done
Posted by John Canzano June 27, 2008 11:48AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/johncanzano/ ... sorry.html
I was pleased to see both Malik Hairston and Maarty Leunen get drafted in the second round on Thursday in the NBA Draft, even as I thought it was unlikely either would be drafted.
Malik Hairston now has a chance to make the roster in San Antonio.I didn't have either being drafted in my early mock, despite a key NBA source insisting that some team would take a shot on Hairston in particular. In fact, I wrote as pre-draft workouts began that I saw Hairston as a Developmental League player. And now, he gets a real opportunity to prove me wrong by sticking with an NBA team that has some roster space.
Hairston was taken 48th overall in the draft Thursday night by Phoenix. The San Antonio Spurs acquired the draft rights to Hairston from the Suns in exchange for the draft rights to guard Goran Dragic. Leunen went to the Rockets with the 54th pick.
Here's what I originally wrote:
Hairston was a huge disappointment to me as a college player. He just didn't deliver, and the prevailing theory is that we all miscast him very early because of all the hype surrounding his recruitment. I don't necessarily agree with that, because he was great in spurts, but then would just disappear for large portions of the game. That strange disappearance was not due to a lack of talent.
I don't think Hairston gets drafted unless William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley convinces the Pistons to take the Michigan product in the second round.
Keep a careful eye on that. If you come to the blog, you understand Worldwide's depth of influence, and it wouldn't be beyond the scope of belief to see Detroit (the team Wes is closest to) burn a second-round pick on a Detroit kid Wes has known and befriended for years.
Leunen (6-9, 215) is strong, and has a nice outside shot, and his growth curve over the last 15 months was remarkable. He's without a true NBA position on the offensive end, though. The best-case scenario for Leunen is to become a defensive specialist and role player... basically a larger version of Ime (not Eme) Udoka (6-6, 215), who also came through the D-League.
I think Leunen is defensive-minded, and hard working, and he doesn't have bad feet for a guy who is 6-9... if he fell into the right situation he could become a specialist.
If either Hairston or Leunen can get themselves into an NBDL situation I think, fundamentally, they're going to be better skilled, older and stronger than most of the players on that level.
Well, Hairston got it done. And I'm told even the Blazers saw him as a mid-to-late second round pick who could possibly be a "rotational" player somewhere in the league.
I feel like I should play Timbaland's "Apologize" under this blog entry.
I apologize, Malik.
I apologize, Maarty.
Hairston, who is a stand-up guy, worked extremely hard in his pre-draft workouts. He leaned out. He did what was necessary. He doesn't have a dynamic game, but he does a lot of different things. And it was apparently plenty enough to prove to the Spurs that he was worth taking a shot on. Now, I find myself rooting for him to stick to a roster.
Leunen, too.
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