Xavier Henry was the team's first selection at 12th overall. Henry played one year at Kansas before making the leap to the NBA.
The 6'7 shooting guard averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds at Kansas.
The Grizzlies then added Dominique Jones with the 25th pick. Jones, a 6'5 shooting guard from the University of South Florida, was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks for cash.
With their final pick in the draft, 28th overall, Memphis selected Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez played four years at Maryland and will serve as the backup point guard to current starter Mike Conley, Jr.
By drafting two guards and getting some extra spending money, the Grizzlies seem poised to make a serious offer to small forward Rudy Gay, who is a restricted free agent this season.
The depth at guard will also allow Memphis to curtail some of the minutes that the starters played last season. Keeping those starters healthy is key to getting into the playoffs and trying to win a series.
A good bench is what gets teams through the regular season and provides valuable breathing time throughout the playoffs. I mean, who would have thought we would have seen Brian Scalabrine playing in the finals this season for the Celtics when he was in street clothes throughout the playoffs?
Overall I grade the Grizzlies draft as a B+, given they use the cash to resign Rudy Gay. The lack of second round picks makes it hard to give an A, but the team improved with this draft, which has been hard to say lately.
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