ESPN Insider: Rates 2001 Draft Class - Eddie Griffin Not Rated Highly

In the 10/18 edition of ESPN Insider, they looked at the Draft class of 2001. Scoll down a bit to see where they rate Eddie Griffin at this time. Surprisingly they rate Richard Jefferson and Jaron Collins HIGHER at this time, two of the three guys we gave up for Griffin!

I would have thought Eddie would have been in the ROCK SOLID or STARTING TO HEAT up categories, don't ya think?

Chris


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All-Stars in the Making
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pau Gasol, Memphis
Drafted No. 3
Gasol's 17.9 ppg and 8.9 rpg last season weren't a fluke. He's bulked up even more for this season and the Grizzlies are seriously thinking about giving him some minutes at center. With the additions of Drew Gooden, Michael Dickerson and Wesley Person to shoulder some of the offensive load, look for Gasol to really explode this year.


Richard Jefferson, Nets
Drafted No. 13
Jefferson was the best player at the Shaw's Summer Pro League, where he averaged 22 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 6.5 apg on 50 percent shooting. His athleticism, court savvy and improving outside shot were all on display at camp the past few weeks and coach Byron Scott feels that Jefferson has the potential to be the team's leading scorer. But what has really impressed the team is Jefferson's ball handling. Look for him to spell Jason Kidd at times this year, and make a great run at the All-Star team.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rock Solid
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony Parker, Spurs
Drafted No. 28
His numbers were modest (9.2 ppg, 4.3 apg), but his impact wasn't. Parker steps into year two with more experience and he'll need it. Now that Terry Porter's retired, there isn't a veteran to bail him out if things get tough in the fourth. The word from Spurs camp is that coach Gregg Popovitch isn't worried -- Parker looks better than ever.


Jamaal Tinsley, Pacers
Drafted No. 27
Tinsley had an amazing run last season (9.4 ppg, 8.1 apg) before running head first into the rookie wall. He spent all summer in Florida working out and getting in top shape. He still needs to work on that jump shot, but Isiah Thomas and company are confident that Tinsley will be able to push them deep into the playoffs this season.


Jason Richardson, Warriors
Drafted No. 5
It didn't take long for Richardson to steal away the starting job from Larry Hughes. This season, Richardson is aiming higher. With Antawn Jamison trying to prove he can fit in, Richardson has the potential to become the leading scorer in coach Eric Musselman's high-octane offense. If he can just learn how to get to the line, he'll be a handful.


Shane Battier, Grizzlies
Drafted No. 6
Battier was solid during his rookie season (14.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.8 apg). Will he ever be more than that? Newcomer Gordan Giricek is pressing Battier for the starting small forward position, but coach Sidney Lowe is reluctant to send Battier to the bench. While the Grizzlies admit that eventually, Battier will be their sixth man, his maturity and defense are essential if their young starting unit plans on succeeding.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting to heat up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eddy Curry, Bulls
Drafted No. 4
Curry's offense is way ahead of his defense, but given that he's 6-foot-11 and weighs 285, low-post offense will do. Curry has looked unstoppable, at times, in the paint this preseason. His rebounding and defense still need a lot of work, but it's been a while since we've seen a true center with this much offensive prowess.


Joe Johnson, Suns
Drafted No. 10
Johnson's game was a little too laid back for the Celtics, but considering the tug-of-war between Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and Penny Hardaway for touches, Johnson's do-it-all game was a godsend. Coach Frank Johnson has already anointed Johnson as the starting two guard and has even experimented with him at point guard in camp. He won't put up monster numbers, but if Johnson can pick up the point, his value goes through the roof.


Vladimir Radmanovic, Sonics
Drafted No. 12
With Vin Baker gone, and the international invasion already completed, Radmanovic will get ample opportunity to ply his wares in Seattle this season. Is he really a power forward? He won't grab 10 boards a night, but he's strong, a good athlete and will draw big men away from the basket with his perimeter game. He looks destined to become a star.


Troy Murphy, Warriors
Drafted No. 14
Murphy took advantage of a coaching change and an obvious rift between management and Danny Fortson to slip in the back door and grab the starting power forward slot. And why not. He's bulked up considerably over the summer, has a big size advantage over Fortson and Jamison, and he possess a terrific inside-outside game. He also won't camp out in the paint every possession, giving Jamison opportunities to work down low as well. He's got the potential to be an 18 and 8 guy this year.


Brendan Haywood, Wizards
Drafted No. 20
He may be the starting center by default, but that's not all bad. With Jahidi White out, the Wizards don't have a lot of other choices, but Haywood seems to be progressing just fine. He's already a force on the defensive end, a smart shot blocker and his offensive game is emerging.


Gilbert Arenas, Warriors
Drafted No. 31
Arenas is caught in a camp battle with Bobby Sura, but his stellar play in the preseason seems to be winning over coach Musselman. That's amazing when you consider that before last season, Arenas never played a minute of point guard.


Jarron Collins, Jazz
Drafted No. 53
He was supposed to be the ugly step-sister to twin Jason. Instead it's Jarron, not Jason, with a starting job. Of course, when you look at the Jazz's depth chart, there isn't much competition. Greg Ostertag just donated a kidney, Curtis Borchardt is out with a broken foot and John Amaechi was a huge bust. Still, you can't knock a guy for taking advantage of a situation.


Kenny Satterfield, Nuggets
Drafted No. 54
Another starter by default, Satterfield has one year to prove he has what it takes to be an NBA point guard. The Nuggets' only other option is rookie Junior Harrington. Kiki Vandeweghe is a big Satterfield fan, but he'll have to resist the temptation to shoot every time he touches the ball.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Headed in the right direction
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eddie Griffin, Rockets
Drafted No. 7
It's only a matter of time before Griffin laps Mo Taylor and Kenny Thomas and claims the starting power forward position. He's still young, raw and impressionable, but he and Yao Ming would give the Rockets one of the best shot-blocking tandems in the league. The Rockets absolutely refused to part with him when the Sonics called about a sign-and-trade for Rashard Lewis. In another year or two the lineup of Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Bostjan Nachbar, Griffin and Yao will be one of the toughest in the league.


Kwame Brown, Wizards
Drafted No. 1
Last season was a disaster. This summer was a disaster. But judging by the first four Wizards preseason games, Kwame is finally finding his groove. He's averaging 18 ppg on 58 percent shooting from the field and 8.3 rpg in 29 mpg. More important, he's shown aggressiveness at both ends of the court. If Kwame keeps it up, he'll be the team's starting power forward on opening night.


Tyson Chandler, Bulls
Drafted No. 2
He's had an up-and-down offseason that was punctuated Wednesday by a concussion and a broken tooth. Chandler has put in a lot of work, is aggressive on the defensive end and still has loads of talent. But, his offensive game is progressing much slower. Can the Bulls afford to start Chandler and Curry? For now, Donyell Marshall or Marcus Fizer may be the better call.


Kedrick Brown, Celtics
Drafted No. 11
He's progressed faster than even the Celtics thought he would. GM Chris Wallace already calls him the Celtics' best-on-the-ball defender. He's strong, athletic and could eventually be the missing piece to the puzzle for the Celtics. However, a severely sprained ankle has slowed his progress. Expect him to get regular minutes in Jim O'Brien's rotation when he's healthy.


Michael Bradley, Raptors
Drafted No. 17
With Keon Clark and Hakeem Olajuwon gone, Bradley is finally seeing the light of day after a frustrating rookie season. He had a big 8-point, 16-rebound game versus the Bulls in the Raptors' second preseason game, but he still has a little ways to go. He should have the opportunity to log between 15 and 20 minutes a game this season.


Jason Collins, Nets
Drafted No. 18
Dikembe Mutombo may eat away at some of Collins' minutes this season, but the Nets believe that ultimately he has the skills to be their center of the future.


Zach Randolph, Portland
Drafted No. 19
Right now he's a summer league rock star, but GM Bob Whitsitt is starting to clear the deck a little so Randolph can get some minutes in the regular season. He has soft hands, devastating low-post moves and an NBA body. If he can keep his weight down and his head on straight he has a bright, bright future.


Gerald Wallace, Kings
Drafted No. 25
He's the 10th man on a loaded Kings roster, but Wallace's athleticism and defense will get him more minutes this year. Everyone in Sacramento agrees that he was a steal at pick No. 25.


Mehmet Okur, Pistons
Drafted No. 38
Okur actually begins his rookie season this year, but after playing professionally in Turkey the past few years, he doesn't act like a rookie. The Pistons plan on Okur giving them big minutes right away. Like most European big men, he has a coveted inside-outside game. Unlike most European big men, he has a toughness in the paint that should allow him to thrive in the NBA.


Loren Woods, T-Wolves
Drafted No. 46
He fell from a possible lottery slot into the second round on draft night after teams questioned the health of his back and his head. But Woods stayed healthy, was on his best behavior last season and he's being rewarded this year. With Joe Smith hurting, the Wolves have played him some at power forward Woods responded with a nice 14-point (on 7 of 8 shooting), 7-rebound game versus the Heat. Expect him to play a much larger role in their rotation this season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stuck in Neutral
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DeSagana Diop, Cavs
Drafted No. 8
Once again, Cavs GM Jim Paxson was the laughingstock of the NBA when he passed up Joe Johnson, Richard Jefferson and Vladimir Radmanovic for Diop. Will he be Trajan Langdon revisited? Is Diop Yinka Dare's twin? Diop's done little this preseason but the Cavs knew he'd be a project. Check back in another year or two.


Rodney White, Nuggets
Drafted No. 9
White caught a huge break when the Pistons traded him to the Nuggets this summer. Conventional wisdom said that White has the talent to be the Nuggets' starting small forward. He's very raw, but the Nuggets know they're going to lose. Why not get him as much playing time as they can this year. White, however, has hit another speed bump. He hasn't been particularly impressive in camp and Jeff Bzdelik, a stickler for defense, hasn't been giving him the minutes everyone expected. That may change, but right now White's future doesn't look as hot as it did a few weeks ago.


Steven Hunter, Magic
Drafted No. 15
A torn ACL has derailed Hunter's attempt to rebound from a miserable rookie year. The Magic, in desperate need of some frontcourt help, would've given Hunter every opportunity to earn a starting position. As it stands now, Hunter isn't expected back until February.


Raul Lopez, Wizards
Drafted No. 24
Lopez suffered a partial tear of his ACL while preparing for the World Championships and is expected to miss the entire season. This is the second ACL injury Lopez has suffered in the past two season. The Jazz, however, still believe he is the heir apparent to John Stockton.


Samuel Dalembert, Sixers
Drafted No. 26
Dalembert suffered a knee injury in the preseason, but has vowed to play through the pain. The Sixers could sure use him. With Derrick Coleman out and only Todd MacCulloch to anchor the frontline, Dalembert could see a major increase in minutes this season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One Foot out the Door
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk Haston, Hornets
Drafted No. 16
A so-so summer league and a deep Hornets roster hasn't bode well for Haston. He's seen sporadic minutes in the summer league, but the 2-for-13 performance like the one he dropped on the Wizards Thursday night aren't helping things.


Joe Forte, Sonics
Drafted No. 21
The Celtics tried to turn him into a point guard, but all Forte turned into last season was a locker room problem (he actually showed up in the Celtics' locker room wearing a Laker jersey). He's got a new chance on life in Seattle, but with Brent Barry and Desmond Mason running the two, expect him to see a lot of time on the IL.


Jeryl Sasser, Magic
Drafted No. 22
The Magic drafted Sasser ahead of Parker and Tinsley and have lived to regret it every day. With Darrell Armstrong slowing down, Sasser has been an absolute bust. This summer the Magic gave up on the Sasser-at-point-guard experiment and tried to give him some time at the two and three. He played better, but given the Magics' depth at that position, expect Sasser to disappear in another year.


Brandon Armstrong, Nets
Drafted No. 23
Another monumental reach, the Nets fell in love with Armstrong at the Chicago pre-draft camp. He shot the ball well there, but hasn't been able to find his stroke since. Second-round pick Tamar Slay has outplayed him in the preseason leading to speculation that the Nets may eat the final two years of Armstrong's guaranteed contract.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------