So we've all heard about the fiasco/controversy/standoff with Xavier Henry & the cheap Memphis Grizzlies. I think it would only be right to bring this dude where he rightfully belongs; the Golden State Warriors! I think he rightfully belongs here as we actually have playing time available for a player of his type. The Warriors have liked Xavier Henry since the pre-draft workouts which means that there should be interest in a S&T deal. Besides the obvious, I will describe the pros & cons of such a deal and why we should or shouldn't bring in Xavier Henry.

PRE-DRAFT MEASUREMENTS:

Xavier Henry is a Shooting Guard/Small Forward that is nearly 6'6 w/o shoes on. This is considered a positive as he is only 19 years old which means he can still possibly grow another inch or two while heading into his prime as a player (Let's not forget he already has a NBA ready body!). Xavier is also a fundamentally sounded player that can probably play a little bit of point guard if needed. He is an underrated distributor that can get some time at either the 3, 2, and even the 1. His versatility is key and I am actually surprised he slipped to the 12th pick as I saw him as a lock to either UTAH or IND (well, if he didn't come here of course).

Xavier's game/style is actually similar to that of Reggie Williams except Xavier has a few things Reggie does not have; he has legit size to play the small forward position along with upside. I think regardless of if he's more polished than players his age or not, being one of the younger guys in his class (Henry will not be 20 years old until March of 2011) he can still develop and build on his current skills. For example, if he can hit the 25ft shot with consistency why can't he make it 27ft? If he hits free throws at 78% why can't it be at 90? I'm just saying this guy has been overlooked and I think Memphis, the team that drafted him, is doing the same thing to him.

On The Side Note: Xavier Henry wasn't the focal point in the offense at Kansas playing alongside Cole Aldrich which means being on this team it will be much easier for him to be able to play off the ball with Stephen Curry setting him up consistently for open looks.

CONS:

The one thing that may factor into the Warriors dealing for Xavier Henry is actually important; He hasn't even played in a game yet. Nobody knows what to expect from him since he didn't even join the Grizzlies for Summer League play these past few weeks. No one knows if he's hiding something or for the fact that he might not want to participate if it "doesn't count." Xavier Henry is a mystery man the Warriors may not want to go after but regardless of the above I still think he's worth the risk.

HOW DO THE WARRIORS GET HIM:

I think the Warriors will have to sacrifice part of their trade exception along with a future "protected" draft pick in order for this deal to go down. The Grizzlies should only be allowed to keep the pick if it ranges from 12-14 as that is the range of the draft in which X. Henry was taken anyways. I don't care what year the pick is as long as they are happy and we are able to get a potential stud like Xavier Henry.

If this deal was to go down, the Warriors depth chart would look something like this:

C: Andris Biedrins, Ekpe Udoh*, Dan Gadzuric

PF: David Lee, Brandan Wright, Anthony Tolliver*

SF: Dorell Wright, Xavier Henry*, Devean George*

SG: Monta Ellis, Reggie Williams

PG: Stephen Curry, Jeremy Lin, Charlie Bell

* = Injured/Questionable

From the looks of that line-up, that Warriors team is young with a lot of players that are looking to prove themselves this upcoming season. That team can compete within a few years with other young teams like Oklahoma City Thunder & the Portland Trailblazers. I am saying this now, but this will make the Warriors the second best team in California. This team will be a force to be reckoned with in the VERY NEAR future.

On The Side Note:

Here are some sources that may be interesting to some:

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Xavier-Henry-1324/

http://www.locksmithsportspicks.com/golden-state-warriors-interested-in-drafting-xavier-henry-6810/

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/07/25/grizzlies-standoff-with-xavier-henry-continues/

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/xavier-henry