Tyreke Evans is absolutely not a point guard. Neither is Jrue Holiday. Stephen Curry played one season of point at Davidson against mostly weak competition and while he racked up some big assist numbers, he also turned the ball over at an outlandish rate.
So why the smoke screen? Because 'tweeners and wing players are a dime a dozen while really good PGs are hard to find. At least that's the perception. It's the same reason that anyone over 6'8 tries to pass themselves off as a center. Remember when Kevin Love was considered a center? It's a joke.
The positional dupe also buries potential defensive dilemmas. For instance, if Curry isn't a point, then you (the nervous GM) have to ask yourself if he has the size and strength to guard 2s. Um, not really.
Many are already calling 2009 the worst draft in recent memory, and considering the Bargnani 2006 Debacle, that's really saying something.
So what's so scary about this year's crop?
One thing that stands out about 2009 is how few players have obvious positions. Blake Griffin is a legit PF, no question. Rubio, as I said, is a PG. He can't shoot but he's a natural distributor who sees the floor well, even if he is prone to playing a little out of control (Jason 'White Chocolate' Williams comes to mind). James Harden is a natural 2 with NBA range, a combo of Paul Pierce and Mike Redd. He'll be fine. But after those three, 2009's got issues, which is why Thursday might set a record for most teams trading down.
Then you've got Hasheem Thabeet, whose only talent literally IS his height. He's a center, just not a very good one. Some sucker is about to waste a lottery pick on the next Erick Dampier.
If I'm a GM, the only guys from this draft I'm interested in are Griffin, Harden and Flynn. If I can't get one of those guys, I'm swapping out my pick for a crack at the class of '10.
See also: 5 rules for drafting in the lottery.
Pictured: Evans and his 1/1 TO vs Asst ratio
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