NBA Lottery Pix: The WARTT Way

One week ago today, the NBA held its 59th annual amateur draft at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The hype for this year's draft didn't live up to that of the previous two years', which both featured 2 players who arguably could have gone first overall (Kevin Durant/Greg Oden and Derrick Rose/Michael Beasley). Blake Griffin was by far the best player in this year's class with a large dropoff in talent after his selection. But nonetheless, there were players drafted and analysis was given. So here is this site's take on the 2009 NBA Draft, each pick and their actor comparables...

#1. Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) = Young Will Smith

The 6'10 Oklahoma power forward averaged 22.7 ppg and 14.4 rpg his sophomore year and was the most obvious first overall pick since Lebron James in 2003. Now I'm not saying Griffin will enter into the superstardom that James has, but Griffin will be a great NBA player...as long as he leaves the Los Angeles Clippers when his rookie contract ends. Now the show "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was not the black hole that the Clippers organization is, but Will Smith knew when it was time to move on. And hopefully Griffin will know that that time for him is as soon as possible. Then he can move on and make the jump to superstar status much like Smith did when he made his firstmovie after leaving his sitcom, "Independence Day".

#2. Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis Grizzlies) = Chris O'Donnell

The shot blocking center from UConn was drafted by Memphis to shore up their weakness inside the paint. Unfortunately for them, Thabeet isn't that player. He's too soft, as we saw 6'7 DeJuan Blair from Pittsburgh, literally manhandle the 7'3 Thabeet. In one of the biggest games of the year, Thabeet scored 5 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked 2 shots, while giving up 22 points, 20 rebounds and 9 blocks to the smaller, less athletic Blair. His disappearance was similar to that of Chris O'Donnell. After starring as Batman's sidekick, Robin, in the big budget but disappointing films, "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin", O'Donnell ended up starring in only two lackluster films in the next six years, eventually disappearing all together. At least, Thabeet can tell his children and grandchildren that he was in the same draft as Blake Griffin, just like O'Donnell has been telling people he got to work with Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and George Clooney.

#3. James Harden (Oklamoha City Thunder) = Michael Clarke Duncan

Harden's performance in the NCAA tournament this season shows that he isn't the type of player to put his team on his shoulders and take over a game. He's slow, he can't create his own shot and he

doesn't want the ball in clutch situations. So why did he go so high

in the draft? Because of his basketball intelligence. Well, that and the lack of talent in this draft. Harden knows his strengths and weaknesses and plays within himself. As long as he knows his role on the court, much like Michael Clarke Duncan does on a set, he will be a solid player. Duncan is never the star of the movie, but his presence always shines through. No matter the cast, Duncan knows his role and plays it to the fullest. Harden's going to a young team that already has two superstars in the making, so he doesn't need to be the go to guy. Is he the usual type of player you draft at #3? No, but with a weak class and a young up and coming team, the Thunder took a role player they felt could help them improve in the long run.

#4. Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings) = Kenan Thompson

The Sacramento Kings needed a point guard and the three top ones were still available. But instead of taking one of those three, they opted for the guard who was the farthest thing from a point guard in Evans. His assist to turnover ratio was almost 1:1. His draft scouting reports listed some of his weaknesses as decision

making, ball handling, turnovers and out of control at times. Not the type of qualities you want in a point guard. Evans will struggle in Sactown, but because of the lack of talent around him, no one will notice. The move is very similar to Saturday Night Live adding Kenan Thompson to their floundering cast. No one cared about the show anymore, so it didn't matter how bad of an addition he was.

#5. Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves) = Jamie Foxx

The Timberwolves lucked into getting the projected best point guard in the draft. They have two very good front court players in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, but need someone to get them the ball down in the post. Rubio is just the player for that. He's a good decision maker who can create for himself as well as others in the open floor. He's been playing professional basketball since he was 14 years old in Spain. He knows how to be the star, and also how to be part of the supporting cast, much like Jamie Foxx in 2004. Foxx was nominated for an Academy Award as a supporting actor in "Collateral" and as a lead actor in "Ray". However, he made some rough movies before coming into his own ("Held Up" and "Bait"), and Rubio will undoubtedly go through some bumps in the road as well, being an 18 year old in the NBA. But in the end, Rubio will be a good NBA player and earn some of that hardware like Foxx.

#6. Jonny Flynn (Minnesota Timberwolves) = Cuba Gooding Jr.

Well, the Timberwolves lucked into getting the top TWO projected point guards in the draft. Most people thought they would trade one of these picks because they basically drafted the same player twice. Both are aggressive, have the ability to create their own shot and have excellent ball handling skills. But as of now, the Timberwolves are hoping to hold onto both of these guards. So what other actor has been the star as well as the role player? Also, has gone through some rough stretches in his career? And also has won awards? Cuba Gooding Jr. He's been in great movies ("Jerry Maguire" and "Men of Honor"), as well as awful ones ("Boat Trip" and "Rat Race"). Flynn will be a good basketball player, but no one knows how well Rubio and him can play together. There's a reason Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jamie Foxx have not been cast in the same movie, it wouldn't be pretty.

#7. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) = Jason Bateman

If there's anything Stephen Curry likes to do, it's to take shots. And if there's anything the Golden State Warriors like to do, it's to take shots. Seems like a perfect match. Curry isn't quite a point guard, and neither is the Warrior's current floor leader Monta Ellis. But together, the combo could be impossible to guard offensively. Defensively, well that's another story. Curry will have games where he won't miss, but he'll also have games where he can't even get his shot off. His career will be striking similar to former child star, Jason Bateman. He started off as a good college player, then teams figured him out. He now has to realize that he's not the star, but a role player. Much like Bateman had to realize just because he was the star of Silver Spoons and Hogan's Family, doesn't mean he was still a teen idol. He then began taking supporting roles such as Pepper Brooks in "Dodgeball" and Mark Loring in "Juno" and his career is still going strong. Curry will be in the league for a while because of his realization that he is a shooter, and only a shooter. And if Voshon Lenard can last in the league for over 10 years, so can he.

#8. Jordan Hill (New York Knicks) = Mekhi Phifer

Mike D'Antoni compared Hill to A'mare Stoudemire which is a stretch. Hill is a similar to player to starting Knick power forward, David Lee. The selection of Hill seems to be insurance in case Lee leaves through free agency. Either way, Hill will do what he does best. And that is rebound, contest shots and stay active in the paint. His ceiling isn't high but he will be a solid role player. Actor Mekhi Phifer has been a solid role player his entire career. Especially the past six years, in his role as Dr. Gregory Pratt on ER, where he was nominated twice for an NAACP award. Phifer is never going to win an Oscar and Hill isn't going to be an All-Star, but when both are put in the right situations, they improve their respective situations. Plus they both have rocked the dreadlocks and have rocked them well.

#9. DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) = Zac Efron

If there's one word that most scouts use to describe DeRozan, it's 'potential'. DeRozan has the size, frame and athleticism most two guards don't have. However, he doesn't have a long range shot, and he has trouble creating his own scoring opportunities. He also is not a good defender. But most scouts feel his upside is worth the risk despite his average freshman year stats. What actor has the 'potential' but isn't really proven yet? Zac Efron. Yes, he had the lead role in the High School Musicals, but that role didn't really show if he was a legit actor or a product of a Disney movie (Jonathan Taylor Thomas anyone?). Both DeRozan and Efron's career are as good as anybody's guess. But if I had to guess, I'm saying neither live up to their 'potential'.

#10. Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks) = Nick Cannon

Jennings is an interesting case in this draft. First off, instead of going to college for one year like everyone else does, he went overseas to play professionally for an Italian team. He played

sporadically, only averaging 17 minutes a game. In his one year overseas, he did not show the talent that caused many to predict he would be a top 3 pick when he returned. In high school, at Oak Hill Academy, Jennings won the 2008 Naismith High School Basketball Player of the Year Award. So which player did the Bucks draft? They drafted a little bit of both. A player who will be a serviceable point guard, but not an All-Star. They also drafted the player who's career will reflect Nick Cannon's. He's just functional at whatever it is he does, but he's still getting plenty of work. Plus he kind of looks like Nick Cannon. But I wish Jennings would have kept the high top fade.

#11. Terrence Williams (New Jersey Nets) = Tracy Jordan

Williams is one of the best athletes in the draft. He's also the most eccentric. He routintely walked around the Louisville campus in Spongebob pants and a Barbie backpack. On the court, sometimes, his intensity is off the charts, and other times, he's just not all there. But a lot of the positives of Williams' game don't show up on the stat sheet. He's very similar to actor Tracy Jordan. Despite Jordan's erratic behavior at times, he works well with his writers and co-stars, such as Liz Lemon and Jenna Maroney, on "TSG with Tracy Jordan". The Nets are hoping Williams can do the same with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez.

#12. Gerald Henderson (Charlotte Bobcats) = Terry Crews

Every team needs the player who can come off the bench and provide a spark, whether it be through his defense or athleticism, such as Trevor Ariza did for the Lakers last season. And every movie with the role of a muscular black man needs Terry Crews. Henderson and Crews know what their job is, and they are both successful at it.

#13. Tyler Hansbrough (Indiana Pacers) = Jon Heder

The Indiana Pacers reached and took the goofiest white guy in the draft. They by far, have the most white players in the NBA (6), which is an extremely questionable strategy. In all seriousness though, Hansbrough doesn't wear warmups when he warms up. He doesn't even put them on when he's on the bench to stay warm. No other player in college or the NBA does that. We'll see if he keeps this up in the NBA. Whether he does or he doesn't, he'll be in the league for years because of his rebounding skills, intangibles skills, intensity skills and ESPN's love for him. Dang!