South Bound & Down
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NBA Draft: SEC Underdogs Ready to Address Critics

By Ben Richardson

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 15, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Wade Baldwin IV (4) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Wichita State Shockers of First Four of the NCAA men
Mar 15, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Wade Baldwin IV (4) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Wichita State Shockers of First Four of the NCAA men /

Wade Baldwin-Drafted Number 17 by the Memphis Grizzlies.

With Mike Conley’s future in Memphis undecided, and Mario Chalmers having a torn achilles late in the season that lead to him being cut, it was no secret that the Memphis Grizzlies were in desperate need for solid point guard play. They got exactly what they were looking for in Wade Baldwin.

Baldwin finished his sophomore season at Vanderbilt averaging 14.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 5.2 apg. All that is fine and dandy, but if you know anything about NBA basketball, then you know the Achilles heel of the Memphis Grizzlies: They lack 3-point shooting. Wade Baldwin had an average 42.7 shooting percentage from the field, but he did sport a 40.6 shooting percentage from 3-point range. If he can get the 3-ball to drop for him in the NBA, he could be one of the few missing pieces for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Another thing I like to look at when point guards are drafted high is whether or not any of their teammates are being drafted as well. My reason is that a point guard’s biggest value is the ability to make those around him better by giving his teammates better opportunities to perform. You don’t have to go far to find Baldwin’s former teammate, Damian Jones, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the last pick in the first round. If Baldwin’s 3-point shooting translates to the NBA, and he improves his ability to finish at the rim, his 6’3″ frame and athleticism will make him a star in Memphis, and a household name in the NBA.

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