Greene Gay Love

Get your mind out of the gutter. The Grizzlies have strapped their short term future to the back of Gay - Love, the most deadly combination of talent since George Michael and Boy George toured the world in the summer of '88. The Grizzlies drafted Kevin Love with the #5 pick, and German born Donte Greene from Syracuse with the #27 pick. Check out their profiles in the attached links.

I feel disappointed somewhat, although the Grizzlies appeared to have gotten who they wanted all along. From day 1, the word was Grizzlies would get Kevin Love. After about 50 trade rumors, 7 mock drafts by Chad Ford, 4 blog posts by yours truly, hours of sports talk radio debate, and lots of rambling emails between my friends and myself, the result is simply where we started - Kevin Love.

There will be many Grizzlies fans that are disappointed in this pick. Many will be informed and intelligent supporters. Others will be ignorant Tiger fans that will take out their bitterness on Kevin Love. To the haters, I say this: lets let these kids prove it on the court. Lets give them a chance. I am not going to waste energy on what doesn't matter. The picks have been made, the outcome is yet to be determined. Here are 5 big reasons why Memphis Grizzlies fans should be excited about the two incoming 6 foot 9inch 20 year olds:

• 6 ft 9 guys that can shoot 3s never hurt an offense - Both guys shot 35% from beyond the arc. Green will play 3, while Love will play more 4. Each will have opportunities to shoot over much smaller or slower opponents. Big guys that can shoot = versatility = dynamic = more offensive options.
  
• Donte Greene has been compared to Rashard Lewis. Kevin Love has been compared to Kevin McHale. Both are very legitimate and hopefully accurate analogies.
  
• Kevin Love has good basketball instincts - Sometimes athleticism and measurables are overrated when faced with ball handling, shooting, and passing skills. The ability to put a good pump or head fake on a defender is just as effective as blowing by the guy with speed and quickness. Kevin Love has great instincts for pass fakes, pump fakes, and lots of other "tricks" to get his defender off balance or to create an opening. Love is just like CDR - unorthodox but just plain productive. Basketball fans will appreciate a great pass fake then backdoor alley-oop to Rudy. Thats pure Kevin Love.
• Donte Greene has athleticism - Athleticism is not overrated when you are simply faster, taller, quicker, and bigger, creating a mismatch. Donte Greene has the ability to be that mismatch at some point. 6 foot 9 guys that can create shots off the dribble and shoot the 3 do not come around often. I see him as a solid backup to Rudy Gay, and possibly another asset we can develop and maybe trade.
  
• The most important reason - Kevin Love wants to be a Grizzlie. How refreshing is that? Knowing that our city is more renown for murder and losing than our basketball team gets old. Hearing about players not coming to workouts for the Grizzlies or not wanting to play here gets old too. This kid was genuinely excited when he was drafted - and I believe he wants to bring excitement, passion, and winning attitude with him to Memphis full bore.
  

Just like I said previously in my Pau Gasol Trade Justification post, things cant be judged immediately. Tomorrow morning there will be grades all over the internet rating the Grizzlies as solid or whatever. The real grade occurs 3 years from now. Lets get our butts in the stands and give these kids a chance. I'm hopeful that Kevin Love will be the Anti-Pau - energetic, a rebounder, a good passer, and most importantly - a winner. More notes on the draft tomorrow.