By Paul M. Banks and David Kay
Being 7โ3โ and possessing the athleticism Hasheem Thabbet does, itโs no surprise heโs regarded one of the top prospects in the 2009 NBA Draft.ย In his three years at UConn, he made major strides each season. He conveyed steady growth while still leaving plenty of room for improvement.
โYou can see from my freshman year to my junior year. My freshman year I was averaging 6 points, by the time I left UConn I was above 13. I just keep changing and working hard and listening to the coaches, and thatโs the only way I can be successful,โ Thabeet said at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Perhaps no player in recent memory had the same impact on the defensive end that Thabeet did.ย He leaves UConn just 118 blocked shots shy of the NCAA record, a record he almost certainly would have broken had he returned for his senior season.ย Besides averaging 4.2 blocks per game, the intimidating presence of Thabeet in the paint altered several shots a game; discouraging smaller players who wouldnโt even fathom the idea of taking at the big man. Players down low rarely have that sort of impact today.
Dikembe Mutombo is perhaps the most recent example. His mere presence forced opposing offenses to completely overhaul their game plan. At the combine media day, I asked Thabeet about being compared to the โFear of Zaire,โ a post player whoโs country of origin is very close to Thabeetโs native Tanzania. โI look up to him. He had a great career, and his being not too far from my country, to be able to stay in the league and accomplish what he did is great. Heโs a good player Iโd like to have a great career like him,โ Thabeet center.
Many NBA Mock Drafts have Thabeet going third overall, due to his impressive shot blocking abilities. Heโs 7โ3โ and has a ridiculous 7โ 6.25โ wingspan, incredible timing, and is coordinated enough to go up and swat a shot with either hand on a regular basis.
Offensively, Thabeet is still very much a work in progress.ย And he spoke about all the experts heโs working with to improve his offense. โRight now Iโm working out with Scott Roth. Heโs a shooter,โ Roth played for three different NBA teams (Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves) in the 1980s after starring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Thabeet has also found another workout partner. โIโm working out with a former Navy S.E.A.L. I was in California. Me, Darren Collision and some other guy working out, Iโm going back to L.A. And itโs not in the water at all, itโs a mobility workout,โ the big man said.
While his skills on the block have improved year-by-year, they are still not anywhere close to where they need to be if he wants to become a steady offensive threat.ย Most of Thabeetโs baskets in college came from offensive rebounds or slam dunks, and rarely did he ever have to step out and shoot a mid-range jumper.ย When he did spot up to shoot, his stroke wasnโt as horrendous as most would imagine.ย His touch is soft, and his form doesnโt need a whole lot of work.ย It will more be an issue of finding a rhythm and feeling comfortable enough to shoot the 12-15 footer so that he becomes less of a one dimensional talent.
Thabeet was asked if he would rather go to a team that A.) Wanted him to be a defensive specialist or B.) Wanted him to do it all, including his in-progress offensive game. โTo me defense always wins the game, but wherever I end up, I just want to be able to do anything. Itโs not like college where maybe they might not throw you the ball too many times. In the NBA youโre going to get your touches,โ he responded before answering the critics of his offensive game.
โTheyโre going to see me out there and thatโs the only way I have to talk, I donโt really talk off the court, I just play basketball and have fun.โ
