Draft Recap: Wolves Draft Rubio, Flynn, Blazers Get Pendergraph

Two point guards are better than one for the Minnesota Timberwolves, it seems. Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn were take back-to-back in an exciting NBA Draft.

The 2009 NBA Draft was better than expected, with plenty of surprising selections as well as some startling slides.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, selected Spanish guard Ricky “the next Pete Maravich” Rubio with the fifth overall pick after the Oklahoma City Thunder inexplicably passed him up and instead chose guard James Harden with the third overall pick.

Then, the Timberwolves made an odd choice, taking another point guard, Johnny Flynn. Even though it was shocking, Minnesota is convinced that they can find time for both players, just using them in different sets.

Rubio, who was rumored to be headed to the New York Knicks after the pick was made, has acknowledged through his agent that he could spend a couple more years in Europe to fine-tune his game. This would give Flynn, who I think is a better player than Rubio, will be given the reigns as their starting point guard.

The Golden State Warriors took guard Stephen Curry with the seventh overall pick. He’s a great fit in head coach Don Nelson’s up tempo style, and should mesh well with fellow guard Monta Ellis in the backcourt.

This left the Knicks' fans heartbroken. They, as was Curry himself, hoped that New York would be his destination. Yet, he fell one pick prior, forcing the Knicks to go with their backup plan, power-forward Jordan Hill.

Hill was booed as he greeted Commissioner David Stern; the Knicks’ fans weren’t disappointed by his selection in particular, but the fact that Curry didn’t fall into their hands.

The Milwaukee Bucks selected point guard Brandon Jennings with the 10th overall pick. Though he is talented, and deserving of a top-10 selection, the pick was puzzling on the part of the Bucks.

A day prior, they traded small forward Richard Jefferson to shore up cap space in order to re-sign point guard Ramon Sessions and power forward Charlie Villanueva.

Both can be signed, but by taking Jennings this high in the draft, they must think of him as their point guard of the future. A lottery team doesn’t pick a player in the top-ten if they don’t think they will be an integral part of their future.

Jennings, a flashy pass-first guard, should be a terrific pro, but unless the Bucks give up their pursuit for Session, the selection of Jennings makes little sense.

That is why the Timberwolves’ selections of both Rubio and Flynn makes little sense as well. Sure, they give them depth, but if you are Minnesota, you either draft someone of necessity with the sixth pick, or trade the pick for proven talent to fill a hole.

Rubio and Flynn have the capabilities to be All-Stars in the NBA, but if their minutes are limited, and they aren’t molded into starting point guards, their presence on the same team is pointless for their growth.

The Indiana Pacers made a similarly bold selection, taking former NCAA Player of the Year, gritting power-forward Tyler Hansbrough with the eleventh overall pick. This was bit of a reach, considering, before a late surge up the draft boards, that he was projected to be selected in the late-teens to mid-20s.

Yet, he was who they coveted, and rightfully so. He is extremely intense and never takes a play off. His offensive game needs work, but he’ll rebound, block shots, and make all the hustle plays for the Pacers. Though I despised him in college, I think he will fit well in Indiana.

The Portland Trail Blazers passed up on the undersized but powerful Dejuan “I have no ACLs” Blair–who dropped considerably, falling all the way to the San Antonio Spurs with the 37th pick–and took Victor Claver, a 6′11″forward with great talent. He’s a project, though, and will probably spend two to three seasons playing overseas.

With all of he anticipation of what Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard would do, this was quite a letdown. In my mind, they should have taken Blair, but must have been scared off by his balky knees. This was a move I thought they would regret, until Pritchard redeemed himself.

He traded point guard Sergio Rodriguez to the Sacramento Kings–whom I will sorely miss, but was expendable–as well as the 38th pick for the first pick of the second round. They used this selection to pick power-forward Jeff Pendergraph, a dominating rebounder and consistent scorer.

Pritchard realized that Portland’s lone weakness, aside from their inexperience, was their lack of a backup power forward. They have the missing piece now, as Pendergraph, at 6′10″, 240 pounds, can strengthen an already dangerous bench.

Other than this trade, Pritchard was inactive. Travis Outlaw, who name was thrown around a lot in trade talks, is still with the team. So is Martell Webster, Nicolas Batum, and Jerryd Bayless, other players coveted by a bevvy of teams.

Pritchard could have made the big splash, but understood that his second unit could succeed as a starting lineup, and that the young core can only improve after winning 54 games last season.

With that said, there is no telling what could happen in the coming days. Pritchard could still make a huge deal involving some of the aforementioned players, but because he was very calm on draft night, he appears comfortable with his current roster.

The NBA Draft was full of surprises: Minnesota took two point guards, the Knicks fans were in a booing mood yet again, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee took players they don’t need, Pritchard was annoyingly silent, and Hansbrough rose while Blair fell.

Though the draft’s class is considered weak, this upcoming season is sure to be an enthralling year for the rookie.