What is it with Syracuse guys getting drafted and then traded right away? A year after Demetris Nichols was drafted by the Trail Blazers and immediately traded to the Knicks, Donte Greene was drafted 28th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and is apparently awaiting final word that he has been traded to Houston (nice work Mike W.) Yet again, the old adage that "nobody knows nothing" was proven as, after all the bullcrap mock drafts and expert analysis, not one of them picked Donte for the Grizz at 28. Good work, folks.
So is Donte, who had said he was mentioned in top ten discussions before his workouts, disappointed? At the AMF Pikesville Lanes in Baltimore, where he and his family watched the draft, Greene's Dad expressed, well, something. It's not clear in the article if he's happy his son got drafted or surprised he went so late:
"I don't know what to say. I'm stunned...He works hard at what he does. Anything he's got, it's because of hard work."But much like the SAT or picking your college major, when he was drafted is now irrelevant. The only thing that matter is what he does with the opportunity now.
So about this Houston business...The Rockets had the 25th pick and could have taken Greene. Instead they chose Nicolas Batum out of France. They then turned around and traded him to Portland in return for 27th pick Darrell Arthur, a 6'9'' forward out of Kansas. With Greene, that makes two 6'9'' forwards in the first round. Curious. We'll see how it unfolds.
"He's got a lot of tools, he just can't find the keys to the toolbox right now."- Jay BilasCheck out video of Donte reacting.