Would it be to out of question to say they should draft James Harden??
The guy has a sticky handle and all-around great game.
You can tell he is dedicated to basketball and takes it seriously just by amount he has improved his game from his senior year in HS to now. (Think OJ Mayo).
I think he would be the perfect complement to Kevin Durant. Someone who could take the pressure off him a little w/ his ball handling and point gaurd ability's. He can also score fairly well.
W/ The amount of bigs in next years draft it shouldnt be hard to find another one.
I dunno i'm just not sold on Thabeet at all. He is at best a solid role player. To say Harden can develop into a future All-star really isnt that much of an overstatement
They dont need Harden. They have Durant. Thabeet makes sense. They dont need offense from him. They need a good defensive center, and he fits that role. Great shotblocker, 7'3, has potential on offense. Don't know why people aren't sold on him. Give him some time to develop in the NBA, get in the weightroom, I think he will be a very good C.
If OKC was like 4th or 5th and not in a position to take Rubio or Thabeet, I'd say Harden is their guy, but with either of those 2 out there and considering the playmaking guard and a force inside is exactly what that team needs, can't say they should reach for Harden
They dont need Harden. They have Durant. Thabeet makes sense. They dont need offense from him. They need a good defensive center, and he fits that role. Great shotblocker, 7'3, has potential on offense. Don't know why people aren't sold on him. Give him some time to develop in the NBA, get in the weightroom, I think he will be a very good C.
Yeah for the first time in a while it makes sense for them to go for a 7 footer. The other 3 bums didn't pan out but that shouldn't discourage them.
A "proven" 7'3 shot blocker can really be their defensive anchor. He probably won't be a star but i could see him being in contention for DPOY year in and year out. With him on the floor you can put Green at the 4 with no worries; pressure on defense and get out in transition.
Taking Harden makes no sense, I live on the east coast so i only saw him play 4 times and his game wasn't that impressive.
Last edited by WhySoInsecure? : 05-20-2009 at 01:24 AM.
really would of liked to see them get Blake Griffin, but I doubt that will happen. I really see like you all said them taking Thabeet to go along with Westbrook & Durant..
y is OKC draft thread on the college highschool forum??? anyways...
no harden is definitely not out of the question, i don't see why the memphis grizzlies pass on thabeet, you don't pass on 7'3 sorry, i know they got marc but again you don't pass on 7'3! if griffen avg 5 less points, and 3 less rebounds thabeet will be the #1 overall without question.
back to okc... knowing this yeah harden would be the pick to go and i think that pick will catapult them into a playoff team next year, okc's gotta go harden i don't see them havin a choice, unless they offer... nevmind
The primary question is who will OKC pick if Griffin and Rubio go at 1 and 2 as expected.
Their choice really comes down to Harden (SG), Thabeet (C) and Hill (PF).
There's no way I'd pick Hill before these two, as he's flat out not as good as the other two, so that leaves Harden and Thabeet.
Both would fill positions of need for the Thunder, so I guess there's two things to weigh up:
1. Who is the better prospect?
Harden is more of a sure-fire pick but Thabeet has more potential. I'd probably give the edge to Harden slightly as I think he will be a star, whereas Thabeet is more risky.
2. Will they be able to pick up another C or SG with their second pick?
If they pick Harden: Mullens is really the only other top C prospect in the draft apart from Thabeet, however he may not slip to the Thunder's second pick in the 1st round.
If they pick Thabeet: If the Thunder pick Thabeet, I would be looking at someone like Wayne Ellington with their second pick, and he has a reasonable chance of slipping down to them. He is a great shooter from long range and I think will turn out to be a very good player in the league. Mullens is more of a risk than Ellington but has more potential. Even if Ellington doesn't pan out, Xavier Henry is a great prospect to look out for in next year's draft and could be as good as Harden. The Thunder may be interested in him.
I really think the Thunder could go either way, and they both have their advantages. Originally, I was leaning towards picking Harden over Thabeet as he is the safer option. However, I think they will have more options later to pick a quality SG (such as Ellington this year or Henry next year), whereas the opportunity to pick a quality C (particularly a 7'3 defensive beast like Thabeet) doesn't come around very often.
I think they may pick Thabeet for this reason if given the option. Hopefully they will take someone like Ellington with their second pick if this is the case.
Westbrook
Ellington (or Henry next year)
Durant
Green
Thabeet
Oklahoma City draft options-
