The 2009 NBA Draft Fantasy Outlook

by Chris Burrows

1. Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
The Clippers made the obvious choice snatching Griffin and putting themselves in a position of contention for next season. Griffin has already shown his dominance as a power forward in Oklahoma leading the NCAA in rebounds and shaming opponents with his touted 22.7 ppg. He would make a healthy and productive addition to any fantasy roster provided that the Clippers can put some sort of defense together—many of their losses last season were by very generous margins. The Clippers will be the only thing holding Griffin back.

2. Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis
He’s not going to be a fantasy impact player but the 7-3 center out of UConn will play an important shot-blocking role in Memphis. If he develops an offensive game, Thabeet may be valuable down the road.

3. James Harden, Oklahoma City
James Harden is what Oklahoma City needs; he’ll fill a hole in their wing as a strong passer and shooter. The 6-5 guard out of Arizona State could be a strong supplemental fantasy player with plenty of assists and rebounds in his future.

4. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento
No one really understands this selection. Why Sacramento passed on Rubio in favor Evans whose bulk they can use but lack of passing and full-court shooting may prove a detriment is a mystery. Evans probably won’t have much of a fantasy impact next season.

5. Ricky Rubio, Minnesota
Spain’s point guard prodigy, Ricky Rubio will have a major impact where ever he ends up (it looks like the Wolves are going to trade him). His finesse passing and playmaking ability will be highly sought-after in the league but it’s hard to say yet whether Rubio will be a productive fantasy point producer since his role is mainly in the center of the court and not at either end.

6. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota
The 6-1 point guard from Syracuse demonstrated an ability to get to the rim in the NCAA last season and led everybody with 6.7 assists per game. His shooting skills aren’t tops but he’ll be a key for the Wolves’ offensive game. Fantasy potential isn’t huge with Flynn but he’d be a sturdy bench-player.

7. Stephen Curry, Golden State
Everyone knows Stephen Curry can score points—he led the NCAA in points, ppg, pos/g and 3-pointers/game. His lack of bulk, however, will affect him in the NBA and may hurt the Warriors on the other end of the court. He’s a gamble that got picked up later than expected in the draft but a fantasy gamble I’d be willing to take.

8. Jordan Hill, New York
This power forward out of Arizona is not an offensive standout. At 6-10 Hill stands out in the offensive rebound and reb/g categories and it’s pretty clear where his skills will fit in for the Knicks who need to shore up their defenses. Fantasy-wise Hill wouldn’t be a top choice at this point for the PF position but may be down the road.

9. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto
Don’t look for 6-6 SG DeRozan to take to the courts this season but he may be a future star for a Toronto team that is known for nurturing top prospects. DeRozan isn’t a leading scorer or ball-handler but with time could be.

10. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee
19 year old Jennings is hard to clock with numbers that come from the European league. But he’s fast and could be a fantasy-worthy prospect in a few years of depth-shooting development.

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