By John Shinn
Blake and Taylor Griffin always figured they’d played their last game together when Oklahoma’s season ended.
Both were heading for professional basketball. Blake, as the most sought-after player in the NBA draft, and Taylor, holding out hope he too would make an NBA roster.
Their first game against each other could come sooner than expected. Blake was the Los Angeles Clippers’ No. 1 pick, but Western Conference rival Phoenix Suns grabbed Taylor in the second round.
“This is your dream. As far as Blake and I being taken in the same draft — you can imagine maybe playing college together, but never in a million years did I really imagine both of us being drafted on the same night,” Taylor said.
He was in New York Thursday night along with his parents and Sooner coach Jeff Capel for the draft.
After pre-draft camps Taylor, who averaged 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season, and was a starter his last three years at OU, had worked in his way onto some teams’ draft boards.
He’d already lined up some potential playing opportunities overseas if the NBA wasn’t an immediate possibility.
Then he got a phone call from his agent Thursday night when the draft was about midway through the second round.
“I think they were on about the 35th pick and my agent called me and told me they were seriously considering me for the 48th,” Taylor said. “Then he called me back and wasn’t sure. He said that Utah also liked me at 50.”
The Suns ended the doubts, taking the 6-foot-7 forward with the 48th pick.
“He’s a guy who is a basketball player and is big and athletic,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. “He plays hard every possession and does a lot of things well. I’m actually surprised that people weren’t higher on him and I’m not sure why. We’ll get a look at him during summer league and we’ll see how it goes. We are excited to have him.”
The elder Griffin will get to show off his talents when NBA Summer League play begins next month in Las Vegas. A good showing could help him make the roster next season.
“I think I can fit in well there,” he said. “I’m not sure what they want to do with me. I have a chance to show them what I can do on their summer league team. They’ve also talked about possibly sending me overseas. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Blake Griffin will also be there. The Clippers and Suns are scheduled to meet July 19 in the league’s final game.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
