Stay away from the light, Ricky

Each day up until the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 25, I will be taking control of an NBA franchise to select its next star (it seems in this classes case, its next seventh man).

2. Memphis Grizzlies — Ricky Rubio, G, Spain

The Memphis Grizzlies will determine how the entire 2009 NBA Draft unfolds. A scary thought, I know.

The legend of Ricky Rubio continues to gain momentum. With as many as six teams rumored in trading up for the 18-year-old point guard, the love is clearly there for Rubio.

But, the love is not existent between Memphis' front office and Rubio's team. Reports have surfaced over the previous two months that Rubio does not want to play in Memphis due to its lack of good treatment towards Spanish-bred players (Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro). 

Outside of landing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, this is Rubio's best fit. Matching the flashy-passer with the super-athletic O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay would give the Grizzlies a very flashy up-and-down game.

The Grizzlies still like former lottery pick Mike Conley Jr. and Hasheem Thabeet is a definite option at this pick with the hole in the middle. Tyreke Evans is a darkhorse pick, as well. 

Rubio is not a scorer, and he probably never will be. His passing skills must be paired with a couple of scorers. Rubio would complement Gay and Mayo very well. Again, I'm not a Rubio follower. He's not quick enough to get by the likes of Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams, and he's not strong enough to handle guys like Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd and Andre Miller. It's going to take a few years for Rubio to peak because of his age and his premature frame.

If I'm Memphis management and I'm picking between Rubio and Thabeet, I've got to go with Rubio. The pieces are already placed in Memphis for a run-and-gun format. Why take a 7-foot-3 monster like Thabeet and ask him to sprint up-and-down the floor for 35 minutes a night.

It would shock me to see Rubio wear a Memphis uniform, though. A draft-night trade is likely to occur with teams like Sacramento, Minnesota, New York and Boston interested in Rubio.