March 9, 2010
Big on Potential
Hasheem Thabeet and BJ Mullens square off in the D-League.
by Pardeep Toor
Fourth meeting, third different location ? 2009 first round picks Hasheem Thabeet (second overall) and BJ Mullens (24th overall) battled in the depths of the D-League in Tulsa, OK last Friday, an unexpected locale for two highly scouted prospects.
Mullens started the game for Tulsa while Thabeet watched from the Dakota bench. After winning the opening tip, Mullens drilled a turnaround two in the post to give the Tulsa 66ers a 2-0 lead. Thabeet enters the game with 6:26 left in the first quarter and gets the defensive assignment on Mullens.
The two met twice in summer league and once again on January 22 when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Thunder, 86-84. Thabeet had 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in 23 minutes in the game while Mullens played a tad less than five minutes and had zeroes across the board except a personal foul. WiHasheem Thabeetth both producing below expectations this season and scavenging for minutes with their respective teams, the Dakota Wizards and Tulsa 66ers became suitable destinations for both big men. Thabeet became the highest draft pick in the history of the League to be sent down to the D-League.
?I was excited to have this opportunity. I wasn?t getting playing time and I was working hard and I wind up coming out here and that was cool,? Thabeet said. ?They told me that I was working for so long and plus I don?t get enough minutes. They wanted me to come out here, play a couple games, so they can see the progress of what I?ve been working on and what do I need to work on.?
With 5:25 left in the first quarter, Thabeet rolls off Mullens in the post and puts downs a thunderous alley-oop jam while barley having to get off his feet to get above the rim. Mullens answers on the ensuing Tulsa possession, beating Thabeet baseline off the dribble, sliding underneath the basket while leaping for a one-handed reverse jam, putting the 66ers up 14-7 with 5:03 left in the first quarter. Thabeet finishes the first quarter with 3 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in just over six minutes. Mullens has 4 points, 3 rebounds and a block in 11 minutes.
Mullens is serving his second stint in the D-League but while he was sent down earlier this season, this time he approached Thunder General Manager, Sam Presti, and requested to be sent down to improve his game.
?There?s nothing like getting game-time experience, doesn?t matter who you are playing against, D-League or NBA players, you can?t get better just working in practice,? Mullens said. ?Some people look at coming down to the D-league like ?I?m too good? but I look at it like a business move, I?ve gotta get better.?
Mullens played sparingly in his freshman season at Ohio State last year, averaging a modest 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 20.3 minutes a game. Despite his stats and lack of playing time, Mullens opted to go pro, opening himself to criticism from media and fans who are quick to pre-maturely correlate stints in the D-League with ?bust? status.
?There?s going to be different criticisms on Thabeet and different criticisms on me just because I came out after my freshmen year, he came out, I believe, after his junior year,? Mullens said. ?My critics are going to say that ?he should have stayed another year, he?s wasn?t ready.? Of course people are going to hate on me more than him, he was more NBA ready because his coach was using him more and he got more experience than I did in college.?
