The goal of the Oklahoma City Thunder should be apparent: Rise from the dregs of the Western Conference and into the middle-of-the-pack. That's a realistic endeavor, and it will be the responsibility of coach Scott Brooks to get the Thunder there.
LAS VEGAS -- The question for the Oklahoma City Thunder is whether premium free agents will want to play in a city with little NBA reputation. That question will loom large in coming years because the Thunder will have a satchel full of money and cap space to attract an All-Star caliber player to join Kevin Durant, James Harden and Jeff Green.
Until then, the Thunder will rely on the draft and clever moves such as the mid-season signing of Nenad Krstic and the acquisition of former lottery pick Thabo Sefolosha. Oklahoma City has one of the NBA's lowest payrolls -- although many critics would say that's due to the thriftiness of owner Clay Bennett -- and just $20 million committed to players after the 2010-11 season. But will any of those potential 2010 free agents -- a class that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki -- consider the Dust Bowl?
It has been said of late the draft begins with Oklahoma City at No. 3. Well, Sam Presti didn't pull out a bag of tricks -- he took the somewhat expected pick, shooting guard James Harden of Arizona State. Harden figures to slide right into the Thunder line-up between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Speaking of Westbrook, who earlier this week bristled at the idea OKC could select point guard Ricky Rubio: he's going to love feeding Harden the ball. Harden is an incredibly efficient scorer. He even finished higher than Stephen Curry in True Shooting percentage last season. While not a perfect shooter, Harden has good athleticism and he was a solid defender in college. We'll see how much of an upgrade on Damien Wilkins and Thabo Sefolosha he can become.
FanHouse was fortunate enough (thanks to the kind folks at EA Sports) to talk with likely No. 1 overall 2009 NBA Draft pick -- and current cover superstar for EA's NCAA Basketball 10 -- Blake Griffin. That's right, as of Tuesday, it was announced that Griffin would grace the cover of everyone's favorite college basketball game.
We talked to Blake about the upcoming draft, what it's like to be on the cover, the fear of being thrown into a losing culture like that of the Clippers, what kind of suit he'll be wearing on draft night, and, of course, his favorite video game of all time. The full interview is after the jump.
Arizona State coach Herb Sendek knew the James Harden era in Tempe would last a maximum of two years. Harden returned to school after a sparkling freshman season and exceeded that first year, leading the Sun Devils to their first NCAA tournament appearance in six years and earning first-team All America honors. Now Harden is gone along with gifted senior forward Jeff Pendergraph, leaving Sendek with a major challenge heading into next season.
A five-man recruiting class along with the return of improving point guard Derek Glasser should keep ASU competitive but remaining in the Pac-10's first division won't be easy.
* At the Chicago combine, players submit to interviews by team personnel. Lots of interviews. On Thursday, Chase Budinger was asked if he has any "friends with benefits" and Ty Lawson learned about an uncle he didn't know he had. The Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick has those stories and more.
* Amick also passes along the new sentiment that Oklahoma City wants USC prospect DeMar DeRozan at No. 3, leaving Ricky Rubio to the Kings at No. 4.
* According to DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony, James Hardencanceled interviews with teams outside the top five picks. He will reportedly not work out for the Wolves, who pick No. 6, because Harden's crew believes he will land in OKC at No. 3 or Washington at No. 5. In other news, someone in Harden's crew is a lunatic in thinking it's impossible for the kid to fall to Minnesota or further.
Now that the 2009 NBA Draft order is set, it's time for the second FanHouse Mock Draft of the season.
The Clippers have won the first pick, with Memphis and Oklahoma City rounding out the top three spots. Several teams, including Minnesota, Sacramento and Chicago, have multiple picks in the first round.
After the jump, find the full first round mocked out. Then, feel free to mock it. That's how this works.
All mock drafts are not created equal. And why would you want them to be? That'd be awful boring, just reading lists of names over and over. At FanHouse, we emphasize the commentary -- so in our mocks we'll (try to) explain why we think certain players fit in their theoretical slots. We will also project our own biases (positive and negative), of course.
At this early stage -- and let's be honest, at every stage -- this is 5% homework, 5% supreme divination, 90% guesswork. (A great endorsement, no?) After the jump, a full first-round mock draft for your amusement bemusement.
For the last two days, I have basically watched more television than any person should be legally able to do. I've watched basketball at my house, on a computer, at a bar, at a restaurant and even attempted to on my cell phone. Here are some observations from a guy who has watched too much basketball but still can't get enough.
The NCAA tournament is just one day away, so FanHouse writers and editors got together to talk over each region. The Midwest Region got the ball rolling, followed by the East. Now, the South. What is intriguing about this region, and who do we like?
Matt Snyder: The one thing I like about the South Bracket is it's the one bracket with a bit of a mid-major flavor. Butler and Gonzaga should both have a shot at taking down Ty Lawson (right) and the mighty Tar Heels, and Western Kentucky has a solid chance at beating Illinois in the first round.
FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.
LAS VEGAS -- The question for the Oklahoma City Thunder is whether premium free agents will want to play in a city with little NBA reputation. That question will loom large in coming years because the Thunder will have a satchel full of money and cap space to attract an All-Star caliber player to join 
It has been said of late the draft begins with Oklahoma City at No. 3. Well, 
FanHouse was fortunate enough (thanks to the kind folks at EA Sports) to talk with likely No. 1 overall 2009 
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* At the Chicago combine, players submit to interviews by team personnel. Lots of interviews. On Thursday, Chase Budinger was asked if he has any "friends with benefits" and Ty Lawson learned about an uncle he didn't know he had. The Sacramento Bee's Sam Amick 
Now that the 
FanHouse covers the 
The NCAA tournament is just one day away, so FanHouse writers and editors got together to talk over each region. The 
