X

Ivan Rabb Falls to Memphis Grizzlies in 2nd Round of 2017 NBA Draft

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistJune 23, 2017

TUCSON, AZ - FEBRUARY 11:  Ivan Rabb #1 of the California Golden Bears during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on February 11, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats beat the Golden Bears 62-57.  (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Chris Coduto/Getty Images

Ivan Rabb was the No. 35 pick of the 2017 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and social media was quick to react to the selection of the California Bears power forward.

Bleacher Report NBA @BR_NBA

After trading with the Magic, the Grizzles get Cal PF Ivan Rabb with the No. 35 pick https://t.co/CBKPGmo1sb

Geoff Calkins @geoff_calkins

Ivan Rabb. Former McDonald's All-American who would have been lottery pick last year. Very much a Wallace pick.

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpearsESPN

Cavaliers tried to land pick to get Cal forward Ivan Rabb, but deal fell through and he lands with Memphis with 35th pick, source said.

Marcus Thompson @ThompsonScribe

Ivan Rabb was a lottery pick a year ago. Went back to college and falls out of first round. Cost him millions in guaranteed money

Vic Tafur @VicTafur

Feel bad for Ivan Rabb. Such a bad decision last year

 

Rabb, 20, likely would have been a lottery pick had he declared for the draft last season. Instead, he returned to school, presumably with the hopes of improving his game and his draft stock in the process. 

Instead, the opposite transpired, as Rabb fell out of the lottery discussion and down the board. From a numbers perspective, Rabb didn't dramatically showcase improvement.

Ivan Rabb College Stats (Per Game)
SeasonMinutesPointsReboundsBlocks
2015-1628.712.58.61.2
2016-1732.614.010.51.0

He also didn't reach the heights during his time at Cal that many fans likely would have hoped for, per Ben Ross of NBC Sports Authentic:

Ben Ross @BenRossSports

I know there were many other factors, but disappointing for Cal fans that Jaylen Brown/Ivan Rabb era led to 0 NCAA Tournament wins

In the age of the stretch 4, Rabb is more of an interior threat offensively and may be better suited to playing center at the NBA level if he can add bulk and become a better rim protector. He needs to improve as a defender in general, although he is a very good rebounder, which should translate as his best skill at the pro level. 

Still, Rabb appears to be a man stuck between positions.

He doesn't yet have the strength or defensive presence to translate as an impactful center, and he doesn't have a consistent jumper or the range to stretch defenses to the perimetera trait that has become vital for modern power forwards. In that regard, Rabb's ultimate role in the NBA remains unclear. 

As B/R's Jonathan Wasserman wrote of Rabb in early April: "Rabb's best attributes are his hands, nose for the ball and motor around the basket. Without the ability to protect the rim, guard the perimeter or stretch the floor, he'll be limited to bench minutes in the NBA."

Sam Vecenie of the Sporting News sees a role in the NBA for Rabb, however:

Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie

Rabb needs to improve on D (get stronger), but everything he does on O is going to lend itself well to an efficient, low-usage role in NBA.

His length, finishing at the rim and rebounding leave Rabb with upside, and if he can improve on some of his weaknesses, he should have room to grow into a solid player.

The hope for Memphis will be that Rabb's disappointing sophomore season was a product of Cal's overall lack of talent and Cuonzo Martin's offensive philosophy, and not an indication of a relatively low ceiling for the player.

summer. In an effort to avoid losing Favors without getting anything in return, he could be traded this summer.

That, in turn, could open the door to more playing time for Rabb. But for the time being, it appears he'll spend most of his rookie season on the bench.

The Grizzlies are in need of help at power forward next season. Zach Randolph, who averaged 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in 73 games last season, is an unrestricted free agent and will turn 36 on July 16.

Rabb is going to need a lot of coaching and development to get back on the track it looked like he was on when his career at Cal started. David Fizdale and the Grizzlies staff will happily take the challenge, as they look to build a team that can get beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.