This is extremely exciting news – three members of the Thunder have been invited to Team USA camps in July. 
Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green will all take part and have a chance to fill what’s believed to be four open spots. Chris Sheridan on their chances: “Kevin Durant: He played so well the past two summers, there was serious talk of adding him to the Beijing roster before the powers that be whittled the competition for the 12th spot to Tayshaun Prince and Tyson Chandler … Jeff Green: Barring an injury between now and late July, he and Andre Iguodala will be the only players in camp to have been on the ’07, ’08 and ’09 Select Teams … Russell Westbrook: It will not rain in Vegas in July, but there will be plenty of Thunder. And don’t forget, Colangelo likely will set his sights on inviting a couple of high draft picks, so Oklahoma City might actually have four players in Team USA camp.” If that doesn’t tell you something about OKC’s pool of talent, well… uh, that should tell you something about OKC’s pool of talent.
Thunder to work out Rubio – and the NBA has not had any issues with him, contrary to yesterday’s report: “But the Thunder is in the process of scheduling workouts with all the players it is considering with the third pick in next month’s draft, including Rubio. The Thunder has not encountered any issues with Rubio or his representatives regarding playing in Oklahoma City, contrary to a report on the Web site Draftexpress.com. The holdup in scheduling Rubio’s workout most likely stems from the fact that Rubio’s DKV Joventut team is still playing in the postseason … Aaron Goodwin, the agent who represents Kevin Durant and projected lottery pick DeMar DeRozan, said the Thunder likely should never be affected by public stances from draft-eligible players who say they don’t want to play in the city. “A general manager and an owner are not going to succumb to an agent saying, ‘If you select my player he’s not going to come here,’” said Goodwin, co-founder of Seattle-based Goodwin Sports Management. “If a GM does, he won’t be a GM much longer.”
Ziller on the whole Rubio thing: “As for the Thunder, they have a point guard and a superstar. Rubio will never be bigger than Kevin Durant in OKC, barring injury or a complete destruction of expectations for Rubio. (This isn’t to say Rubio can’t be a more important player than Durant in the NBA — I don’t think he ever will be, but it’s possible. But Durant is a decade-long MVP candidate, and a decade-long scoring title contender. Chicks dig the long ball, or something.) … This is not an endorsement of the ploy by Fegan, leaking it out across the ether that Rubio dislikes Memphis and OKC. It’s a bit shady, and I’d much rather land Rubio because Memphis and OKC fall in love with Thabeet and Harden, respectively. But it doesn’t reflect poorly on Rubio. He’s not making these decisions. He just wants to play in the NBA. And with all due respects to the power brokers involved, we ain’t drafting Dan Fegan. We’re drafting Ricky Rubio. I don’t plan on engaging in any sort of guilt trip if Fegan sneaks Rubio out of Memphis’ hands.”
HoopsWorld on OKC’s prospects: “No team needs a defensive stopper and rebounder in the middle than the Thunder and with the third pick in the draft it seems obvious that Oklahoma City will select former Connecticut star center Hasheem Thabeet to fill that role. Thabeet, a 7’3″, 265 lb., shot-blocking specialist fits right in with Oklahoma City’s plans to build around its young core. While Thabeet is far from a finished product, particularly on the offensive end of the floor, his knack for blocking and altering shots make him the best fit for the Thunder.”
Dime on the Green for Griffin proposal: “So instead of running with a core of Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Green, and perhaps Arizona’s Jordan Hill at PF, the Thunder are willing to part with one of their three core guys to get BG. If I’m OKC’s GM, I’d offer up Jeff Green and the No. 3 pick – but I’m not sure that I’d be so quick to give up Westbrook. It’s not that Green isn’t a really solid player – he is. It’s that Westbrook could be really special if he continues to develop.”
Very interesting – the top 15 most hyped foreign players in the draft.
Sam Amico on Rubio: “But what this really boils down to is that Rubio is an 18-year old kid who is thought highly enough of to play pro basketball in the greatest league in the world. That should be enough, and he and his agent should take care not to raise a fuss over location.”
Draft Express observed one of Blake’s workouts: “Beyond the flurry of offensive rebounds and dunks, the most common theme from watching Griffin this past season was the poise in which he conducted himself on the court. Off it, you get a similar sense, as he shows little of the detachment or sense of entitlement that you often feel when being around other star players. Really, he couldn’t come off as being any more “normal,” which is the last way you would describe the average lottery pick. It’s exactly these intangibles that should have the Clippers or any other team that drafts him excited about making him the face of their franchise.”
The Lost Ogle, PL&T: “At first, I didn’t believe this could possibly be true. Then, I thought about it. The Grizzlies have spent their last three first round picks on point guards. After taking Kyle Lowry (and trading for Javaris Crittenton) in 2006, they selected Mike Conley, Jr. in the lottery of 2007. Then in 2008, they selected Kevin Love, but swapped him for Minnesota’s first round pick, O.J. Mayo. That’s four point guard prospects out of the last three drafts, and the log jam was so bad that Memphis gave away two of them before the trading deadline in February. Essentialy, what was happening is that Memphis was making the same mistake Seattle did in taking project centers every year and that Atlanta did by taking 6′9″ swing men every June. That has to suggest the Grizzlies might go a different direction this year.”
@Joe
I can agree with that.... oh and I didn't take it personally.
GAP :@Joe
Since i’ve been to all of the home games this year I think the Thunder being ineffient on offense was caused mostly by the large amount of turnovers by Westbrook playing too fast and not knowing when to slow the offense up. Yeah I know our offense was terrible most of the time, but we lost so many games trying to have shootouts and not having anyone down low with a defensive pride or swagger at all (Jeff Green).
Most fans agree Jeff is a 3 in this league, but can spell a player at the 4 but until he gets a real low post game he’s best served at the 3 which would make him a reserve with KD starting the 3.
We could have Charles Barkley rebounding and still get our butt kicked in the paint without having a “Beast” or a Terminator down low to be the yin to KD’s yang. Until fans realize we won’t come close to even smelling the playoffs until we can have a defensive presence i’ll take the label of just watching a few games and don’t know a thing about anything Thunder.
Don't get me wrong Gap, I wasn't trying to be insulting, but facts are facts, the offense is the bigger problem. Improvement on the defensive end is also very important, but it isn't necessarily more important.
As you say, turnovers are a problem. Correct, they are a function of offensive efficiency. Each team only has so many possessions and if the Thunder turn the ball over 15 or so times, those possessions go away empty, therefore you are making my point because they lose that opportunity to score--which is bad offense.
If all things being equal, we suddenly were able to hold our opponents to 2 ppg less next season, but still only scored the same number of points, we would still lose a lot of games. We need to score more points than the other guy before time runs out to win, defense and offense are both a part of that equation; and we are further away from the norm on offense.
@Joe
Since i've been to all of the home games this year I think the Thunder being ineffient on offense was caused mostly by the large amount of turnovers by Westbrook playing too fast and not knowing when to slow the offense up. Yeah I know our offense was terrible most of the time, but we lost so many games trying to have shootouts and not having anyone down low with a defensive pride or swagger at all (Jeff Green).
Most fans agree Jeff is a 3 in this league, but can spell a player at the 4 but until he gets a real low post game he's best served at the 3 which would make him a reserve with KD starting the 3.
We could have Charles Barkley rebounding and still get our butt kicked in the paint without having a "Beast" or a Terminator down low to be the yin to KD's yang. Until fans realize we won't come close to even smelling the playoffs until we can have a defensive presence i'll take the label of just watching a few games and don't know a thing about anything Thunder.
@Keith
Keith, you are 100% correct. The facts are plain. The league average offensive rating and defensive rating (points scored and points allowed per 100 possession) was 108.3 this last season. The Thunder scored only 102.9 pp/100 on offense. That is number 29 of 30 teams. Only the Clippers were worse. That's 5.4 points below the AVERAGE. Not good offense. On defense we allowed teams to score 109.4 pp/100, which is 20th of 30 teams, and only 1.1 points worse than average.
Our defense was below average by a bit, but our offense was very very inefficient, which is bad. So don't let these people who act like they know something about the Thunder after watching a game or two say otherwise. True we vastly improved our perimeter defense after getting Thabo, and true, we still suck at interior defense, but we were a great rebounding team (which is a function of team defense). Our offense was very vanilla, and it's one of the things I hope Brooksy will address. Shot selection will naturally improve with the growth curve of our young guys, and now that Brooksy is not an "interim" perhaps he can be a bit tougher with the players in that regard, but offense is the bigger problem.
Nix :
I think this was my favorite part of the Lost Ogle article “Landing in Oklahoma City is bound to get him more exposure than even the Clippers. Name me one player who has benefited from being in the shadow of the Lakers in Los Angeles from a marketing standpoint? I can’t think of one.”
Baron Davis is now a spokesman for Jennie Craig...does that count? :O)
@Nix
Can we all admit there is a bit of a difference between KD/Green and Westbrook. I would love for him to develop an outside shot, but in one offseason, I can't imagine him suddenly becoming KD or even Green. At his best, I could see 44% and 30% next year. Those are somewhat respectable numbers. Still, we're not going to want to count on him to hit an 18 footer or long three as time runs down. If I had to choose, I'd take Westbrook finishing his drives at a good clip (over 50%, ironically not a high number at all for that close) over minimal improvement from range.
I'm just going to come out and say it. I want Russell to be Monta Ellis with defense. Ellis just made a fat contract because he could get to the rim at will and finish most of the time. Russell actually has the capacity to be better, but that's what I want out of him by next year. I want him to take smart shots, include his teammates, and have one go-to shot that works. After that, it's all gravy, no matter what position he ends up playing.
@Clark Matthews
On top of that I think RW will develop a jump shot...If KD & Green push him at all like they pushed each other last off season RW will develop nicely.
@GAP
I think the main point is that a lot of our close games were caused not by an inability to make stops, but an inability to put points on the board when it mattered. How many times did we come out and shoot 40% from the field and just happen to still be in the game late? Just because we were in the game late didn't mean we really deserved to be playing for "just one stop." If we played offense at an even mildly respectable clip, we wouldn't be talking about the umpteen close games we lost, we'd be talking about the 30+ games we WON.
kev :Again, everyone keeps focusing on our defense. Remember, it was the OFFENSE that was worse this past season. Few people are mentioning that. Why add a player (Thabeet) that doesn’t improve on your biggest weakness?????
Do you know how many close games we lost last year? Some by LOTS of turnovers and NO Defense in the paint to even speak of.... now you know they say defense wins championships and we'll be fine in the backcourt with Russel and Tabo holding it down, but who'll stop the interior post player when the other team starts to throw it in??
Aside from all that I still don't see Thabeet for us, but McGee might just fit the bill with the chance to pick up some more role players or a proven veteran by trading up.
Why is everone saying "Stop talking about this or that" because this is what this site is for so if you don't like a post "Don't Comment" it's as simple as that. There's so many fans that are saying some really good stuff and this site is supposed to be open discussion.
@Clark Matthews
Oh for sure. My comparisons were all based on current team makeup and skills. I have no doubt that Rubio can become a good shooter. I actually like the Kidd example the best. Look at that guy's stats. He is a career 40% shooter overall. One might think he could never shoot. However, he will kill you if left unguarded. Rubio can do that now with a wrist injury. How much of a threat could he be when totally healthy and working on his shooting all season?
Keith :
Rubio is not known for his shooting, but he is best (and quite respectable here) when left open.
While that's true, it should be noted that Rubio had a shooting wrist injury that effected him this past season. He's a better shooter than he is given credit for because his recent performance has been hampered. Plus, Chris Paul was not much of a shooter when he entered the league, Jason Kidd was not much of a shooter when he entered the league, and even LeBron James was not much of a shooter when he entered the league. Guys with drive can develop enough of a jump shot to become dangerous. Rubio has that kind of drive.
I looked at a list of unrestricted free agents for 2009, and now I'm even less convinced that Thabeet would be a decent choice. There are several guys the Thunder could target to fill the role of defensive stopper/shot blocker that won't break the bank (two examples: Anderson Varejao and Chris Andersen). Both of those players are still young, are proven prospects, and play for teams who are in luxury tax territory. Plus, unlike Thabeet, both of those guys seem to give a crap about basketball.
After seeing that, I'm even more of an advocate of the Thunder making a play to swap picks with Memphis, or taking Harden if they stay at three and Memphis takes Rubio.
@Vega
I don't disagree. He certainly isn't a true point guard. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Russell Westbrook in that regard. The thing is, Memphis gave away Kyle Lowry and Javaris Crittendon because they plan to use Mayo at the point. So, if they draft Rubio, they'll end up giving away Conley.
@Keith
From what I've seen, McGee is a very capable man defender (not amazing, but more than adequate, especially if he adds 10-15 pounds) and the majority of his blocks are the "tip-up" kind, where instead of absolutely swatting the ball into the third row, he deflects the ball up into the air where either he or a teammate recovers it...or pretty much exactly what you want to happen from a blocked shot.
And as the year progressed, even despite his very small minutes, McGee's post one-on-one game got better and better. Honestly, I think this kid needs some D-League time or some NBA time...but he just needs some playing time to develop into either a quality role player or maybe even a starter.
@Bernard
McGee blocks shots and can rebound at a pace probably around or a little under Thabeet's projected NBA contribution and both are exceptionally athletic...after that, McGee wins any other "comparisons" for sure in my mind.
@Keith
As I've said before, I don't know as much as I seem to. I'm not a super stat cruncher and I don't watch footage of every game and analyze it. I simply watch the games, and I understand how Presti wants to construct the team.
Personally, I think trading down with the Wizards makes sense. If we take Thabeet, we get a project with high bust potential, and we don't solve our two guard problem. If we trade down, we get young, athletic big that has shown that he can play in the NBA, and we can draft Harden to solve our two guard problem. Basically what it comes down to is solving two problems instead of maybe solving one, and I like that, even if we have to take Songaila's contract and give up the Spurs' pick.
@Nix
One of my biggest pet peeves with the Thunder all season was their inability to run simple plays that have a high percentage chance of working. The pick and roll was the easiest of these to jump on. Russell just never had the mentality or timing to pull of what is the easiest thing for a PG to do. He had already chosen his action before seeing what the defense would do. That kind of thing is exactly why I want Rubio so bad. The kid can read and break down a defense. He makes those veteran moves that suck a second defender in just a step, opening up something wide open outside or an easy lane to the basket. And even more, he can make the pass when those things open.
@Vega
Man do the Clipps need to move. They've been beaten down in the shadow of the Lakers for their entire run as a franchise there. Free agents don't go there (not good ones anyway), rookies are ruined, and management never improves. Too bad their owner makes money regardless.
As for McGee and Harden, I wish I had seen more of McGee so I might have some firsthand knowledge. I guess the change would be dependent on how effective he is down low one-on-one, and whether his man-defense is as good as his athleticism and shot-blocking. Remember, shot-blocking is not near as useful as most fans tend to think. Unless you can retain possession from a block, a player has accomplished little. Also, since most blocks come from the weak side, being a shotblocker does not presume that a player is a good defender. I would take two good man-defenders in the post over two shot-blockers any day. Just look at Thabeet. The guy gets thrown around by every good post play in college, but even in those games got his blocks. So the moral of that little story is I would need more info. What do you think, Vega?
how is McGee compared to Thabeet?
advantage of McGee: NBA proven, some mid-range game
advantage of Thabeet: Block machine, 3-inches
I cant think of any.
@Keith
Great work for sure...
I really think Rubio would be able to play with Kristic better then RW does at the point. He would be able to pull the CP3/David West pick and pop.
Oklahoma City feel in love with the NBA because of a guard (at least those who weren't in love with it already). I'm definitely not afraid to take Rubio, because RW WILL develop a jump shot.
The Paper Clips need to move. Maybe St. Louis, Kansas City, or Seattle. Anywhere is better than where they are now.
@Keith
How about Harden with McGee?
I think this was my favorite part of the Lost Ogle article "Landing in Oklahoma City is bound to get him more exposure than even the Clippers. Name me one player who has benefited from being in the shadow of the Lakers in Los Angeles from a marketing standpoint? I can’t think of one."
Let's look at the effect of one player on the team, assuming the best from them.
Thabeet - Interior defender with little to no offense. So, on offense, the opposing team has even fewer players to worry about (our guards can't shoot, Green isn't going to be anybody in the post). Our offense inevitably stalls and someone is forced to throw up a shot with the clock winding down - a win for the defense. On defense, the opposing team is still driving at will or throwing the ball into the post. Let's say Thabeet plays better defense than Krstic. Let's say he gets 3 blocks a game. Now, since guys are getting inside at will, let's be realistic and say Thabeet fouls out in 20 minutes because he overextends himself on blocks. So in summation, our offense gets even worse, and our defense is only marginally improved for 20 minutes per night.
Harden - On offense, we finally have a deep threat opposite KD who can also create his own shot. Opposing teams can no longer sit in the lane waiting for a drive, since Harden will burn them from 3. This opens up lanes for everyone to drive, and suddenly gives them a solid kick-out option if things get hairy around the basket. On defense, he's no Thabo, but he's no AI either. Harden is an incredibly smart player who gives full effort on the defensive side of the ball. Since defense is primarily effort, we can assume his "physical limitations" won't significantly harm our perimeter defense. In summation, our offense gets significantly better and our defense gets a little worse.
Rubio - On offense, we have a player who can see everyone on the court and read the defense. Rubio is not known for his shooting, but he is best (and quite respectable here) when left open. Since Rubio can get the ball to players in better positions, hurt the defense when left open, and coordinate our offensive moves, our FG% goes up and turnover rate goes down. On defense, he's actually a very savvy defender. His defense won't be worse than Harden's at the least, and with the size/length advantage he has over other PGs, he should be able to overcome and physical limitations with smart play. In summation, our offense improves significantly, our defense suffers only if Westbrook can't defend 2s.
Great work today Royce...
(I've been hooked on Lost Ogle now...so funny)
@Vega
agreed...If you're going to talk about how those stars dominated us you have to talk about how Blair dominated Thabeet (as did Hibert).
Hibert people...come on...
Also, who says that Thabeet is going to be a super-beast? Remember, he got absolutely CRUSHED, MANHANDLED, PULVERIZED, HUMILIATED, DECIMATED, OBLITERATED, etc, by DeJuan Blair, so how do you think he'll do against the likes of Jefferson, Duncan, Howard, Shaq, Chandler, Okafor, Okur, Griffin on the Clips, Marc Gasol, Lee, Perkins, Lopez, Biedrins, Horford, etc?
"Who says that McGee would be on the bench? He could very well work his way in to the starting lineup."
i was going by the depth chart yall had in the previous post ..
my fault, players f up!
i aint claiming to know evrything - or be presti or jerry west ..
i just know the thunder was charmin soft around the basket ... young players, 2 guards, even thabeet aint gonna change that ... but it better change!
Who says that McGee would be on the bench? He could very well work his way in to the starting lineup.
kev :Again, everyone keeps focusing on our defense. Remember, it was the OFFENSE that was worse this past season. Few people are mentioning that. Why add a player (Thabeet) that doesn’t improve on your biggest weakness?????
A-freaking-men. Granted, we weren't great at either and the offensive stats are a bit skewed because the team under P.J. was on track to maybe be the WORST offensive team EVER. But still, it's not like this was a great offensive unit. And I firmly believe defense is easier to teach/learn than offense. Nenad Krstic is not a bad defender people. He's not the world's greatest, but he's not bad by any means.
rather have reke evans than derozen ... & thats no knock on derozen ... just saying ...
the offense was worse than when? ... how is that when your best offensive players not only shot well but improved by leaps & bounds ...
the major problem with offense is taming westbrooks recklessness & honing his decision-making ...
did you see the games zach randolph, al jefferson, dwight howard, dirk novitzki had against the thunder ... even greg oden feasted down low? ...
LET ME BE CLEAR - im not advocating definitely drafting thabeet ... im just advising everyone not to automatically rule it out
i think the reason you dont see the "friction" & "in your face" players - is that the best players on the team have only played 2 years or less ... they are really still finding their way in the league ... basically fresh outta adolescence ...
thats why i dont think 2 rookies or young players will be that impactful anyway ..
but okc has some big time talent so they will be able to compete very soon
i think you are overstating the "major potential" of mcgee ..
& understating the game of thabeet ...
thats all ...
like, your talking about trading for mcgee - for him to sit the bench ... behind krstic ... whats so exciting about that? ... how much will he add to the team sitting the bench? ... how will that improve the defense of the thunder?
Am I the only one here who thinks that Presti will go with DeRozan? He's a freakish athlete, can play two positions, and, according to Draftexpress:
"He’s essentially a blank canvas in terms of what kind of player he can be in the long run."
A guy who can be molded to fit the system. Sounds like a Presti guy to me.
Again, everyone keeps focusing on our defense. Remember, it was the OFFENSE that was worse this past season. Few people are mentioning that. Why add a player (Thabeet) that doesn't improve on your biggest weakness?????
I think chemistry is overrated by most. Is chemistry important? Of course. But it matters most when you have a winning team. When you have won only 23 games, "keeping your chemistry" shouldnt be a priority. Maybe we need a shakeup. We need a guy to get into someone's face. I think guys are too comfortable with each other. What do I mean? Sometimes friction is good. If you are getting beatdown by 30 points, that's NOT the time to be comfortable. Players should be getting upset with other players that are slacking. I saw no evidence of that this past season.
Of course, stating the problem is easy. Hopefully Presti has the solution.
the poit guard is not gonna monopolize the ball - the top 5 scorer will? but when the top 5 scorer isn't, the poit guard will have to have it in order to set up teammates ...
which means it will make it difficult for harden to really shine - he will be the 3rd or 4th option at best (at least early in his career) ...
i LOVE harden game ... & i agree, he fits so much better - offensively ...
but the thunder will go NOWHERE until they get a defensive presence near the basket ...
all im saying - its a pick em for me ... & i think fans should realize what may actually be best for the team is not what is the best aesthetically
@JD
I'd rather have an unathletic guy with high basketball IQ than an athletic guy with a low basketball IQ, at least in this situation.
@Royce
You really love James Harden. The guy will probably be solid, but I don't think he'll be "awesome". He'll probably top out at 6'3 and he's not that athletic. That doesn't usually equal awesome, but ya never know. I think he'd be a nice complement on the Thunder, but I'm not gonna lose any sleep if he ends up on someone else's team.
@p
How about a freakish McGee that has shown some major potential over the course of a season instead of an unproven, unathletic Thabeet who has very few tools?
A poit guard is not supposed to monopolize the ball - he's supposed to set up teammates - Harden fits in perfectly with this team . . .
p :
but his awesomeness will be so hard to attain in a lineup with kevin durant & westbrook monopolizing the ball …
I think that's why Harden will shine in OKC.
because he is effective in hitting open shots while RW and KD drive hard.
Harden can also operate the offense with his high Bball IQ and passing skills. offensively he fits so much better than the other prospect.
"Having to watch James Harden be awesome."
true.
but his awesomeness will be so hard to attain in a lineup with kevin durant & westbrook monopolizing the ball ...
& even a "bad" thabeet can be a factor on the boards & blocking shots a la dalembert ... & that is a HUGE necessity for okc right now
Vega :
If we trade for McGee, we would probably have to take Darius Songaila’s bad contract, but, to be honest, I think it would be worth it. McGee is a freak that will only get better and doesn’t really have a spot in Washington’s rotation when they are healthy, and, as far as bad contracts go, Songaila isn’t that bad. He’s a wily veteran who could teach our developing bigs a lot, and play a few minutes off the bench to give guys some rest.
Why would we have to take his bad contract? Isn't Washington the one trading up?
To be honest, i can't think of any good reason why not to trade with Washington. It's not like Songaila's contract is horrid like Eddy Curry's.
@p
If we trade for McGee, we get an athletic shot blocker, and we can still take a Harden or DeRozan with Washington's pick. We would get a darn solid big prospect who has shown a lot of potential, (And wasn't manhandled by DeJuan Blair.) and fill the hole at the two-guard at the same time. Sounds good to me.
p
say thabeet turns out bad … what did they truly risk?
Having to watch James Harden be awesome.
the truth is - the thunder team is filled with young talent ... the last thing they really need are 2 rookies that will have to learn how to play in the nba ... aside from blake or harden, everybody is basically too young to factor alot ...
& the biggest need is interior presence ..
with all the assets okc has in place, thabeet becomes the best pick if blake is unavailable. & thats no knock on the impact i think harden will make ...
but with harden, okc wil still surrender 100+ points a game ... you dont make the postseason like that ... especially when your top rebounder averages less than 7 a night ...
say thabeet turns out bad ... what did they truly risk?
If we trade for McGee, we would probably have to take Darius Songaila's bad contract, but, to be honest, I think it would be worth it. McGee is a freak that will only get better and doesn't really have a spot in Washington's rotation when they are healthy, and, as far as bad contracts go, Songaila isn't that bad. He's a wily veteran who could teach our developing bigs a lot, and play a few minutes off the bench to give guys some rest.
“No team needs a defensive stopper and rebounder in the middle than the Thunder and with the third pick in the draft it seems obvious that Oklahoma City will select former Connecticut star center Hasheem Thabeet to fill that role. Thabeet, a 7′3″, 265 lb., shot-blocking specialist fits right in with Oklahoma City’s plans to build around its young core. While Thabeet is far from a finished product, particularly on the offensive end of the floor, his knack for blocking and altering shots make him the best fit for the Thunder.”
it aint hard to tell