Loud Links: June 7, 2009

Loud Links are back! So Rubio will visit the States with his mother, but will not workout for anyone? The more I hear about Rubio the less I like this kid. Especially when you consider the consensus #1 pick, Blake Griffin, is making all the appropriate stops to showcase his talents. Blakey even volunteered to do a three ball dribbling drill for the Clippers. That is the kind of heart that we need in our players.

The Daily Thunder wrote a great two-part article about what the Thunder needs to contend for a title. Overall the article has me more interested in Harden (could that be possible?) or Stephen Curry. Speaking of Curry, did you know Curry, Griffin, and Hansbrough are NBA bloggers? The Boston Globe also has a nice article about Jeff Adrien.

NBA.com: International players under NBA microscope at Eurocamp
It's not just NBA teams that love the Eurocamp, it's the European teams too. They flock here in droves, representing all of the most powerful franchises in the continent, often with open checkbooks looking to sign the next promising talent.

DraftExpress: 2009 Reebok Eurocamp: Day One
Day one mostly revolved around catching up with the various members of the basketball industry, all of which seem to be out in full force. As Angelico Biella’s General Manager Daniele Baiesi told us in our Eurocamp preview on NBA.com, this is a perfect setting to mix watching players in with business, and indeed we’re hearing plenty of chatter coming from the direction of the bleachers with agents peddling their players, teams looking for prospects to sign, and old friends catching up on their experiences from the past season.

Blake Griffin impresses in workout for Clippers - Los Angeles Times
"It felt all right. I wish I could have shot a little better," he said. "I was a little tight out there. But overall it felt good. . . . I'd really like to just come in and fill a gap that they don't have. They have a great cast of veterans and a great group of young guys. I think we can definitely turn it around and start winning."

Call Me 'Hopeful' in NBA Blogs
Hey, what’s up everybody? This is Blake Griffin, a 2009 NBA Draft hopeful. I’m excited about the opportunity. I’m just working out right now and looking forward to fulfilling a dream of being able to play in the NBA.

NBA.com: Clippers take first official look at Griffin
Griffin's handling three basketballs as part of a dribbling drill, his final trick before finishing the hour-long session, was what got the attention of his possible future boss. "The last part was something you probably don't see too often from a 6-10 guy, doing two ball and three ball ballhandling drills. I thought we'd save that part for last," Dunleavy said.

How the Thunder can contend for a title | Daily Thunder.com - Where Thunder Happens
Ok, stop laughing. I am not talking about next year, but about a long term approach to team building that puts the Thunder into the upper crust of NBA teams competing for the golden trophy. The concept is very simplistic, but in some regards that’s the beauty of it. Keep it simple right? Easy to understand is always better than complex for me.

How to contend pt.2 | Daily Thunder.com - Where Thunder Happens
The idea in part 1 was that in order to become an upper crust team, a team needed to field a group of scorers that consisted of either two class Class A scorers, and surround them with specialists(see Shaq-Kobe or Shaq-Wade, 2nd Three-Peat Bulls) or field a team with one Class A scorer, and two Class B scorers, then fill in around the edges.(Ginobili-Duncan-Parker, Jordan-Pippen-Grant, Dantley-Thomas-Dumars, Hamilton-Billups-Sheed). A class A scorer is a player who has his points per shot in the 1.3 range and above. A class B scorer is between 1.2 and 1.29. And both of these have to include shooting the ball around 12 times per game or above.

Job Interviews in NBA Blogs Tyler Hansbrough
I'm here in Chicago for the Pre-Draft camp and we're going through some live drills here for NBA teams. We're doing some testing and I'm getting a little more familiar with the NBA process. We're getting measured ... weighed ... they wanted our wingspan and our standing reach.

Things Are Working Out So Far in NBA Blogs Stephen Curry
I went up to Chicago for the Draft Combine last Monday. I got a chance to go to the gym a little early to get some shots up with some of Tim Grover's guys. He was the one hosting the combine at his facility. I got a chance to work out and get some shots up. Then Wednesday came and all the guys came into Chicago. It was good to see everybody that I've watched and heard about. And we were all in one spot.

He feels NBA is within reach - The Boston Globe
Ex-Brookline High star Jeff Adrien had a solid career at the University of Connecticut after it took a chance on him. Now the bruising power forward is hoping the same thing can happen in the NBA. While UConn star center Hasheem Thabeet was in the spotlight, Adrien quietly averaged 13.6 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the field, plus 9.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks as a senior last season. But while Thabeet is projected to be a top-three draft pick, Adrien is projected as a second-rounder in the 40-60 range.

Something Left to Prove - Basketball News & NBA Rumors -
Hansbrough put together one of the most prolific collegiate basketball resumes in the history of the game, breaking an abundance of UNC, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA records along the way. Despite his remarkable consistency and record-breaking productivity at arguably the top basketball program in the country within possibly the best basketball conference in the land, Hansbrough is projected to be a late-first round pick in this month's NBA Draft. Having to prove himself to his critics despite his previous successes, however, is nothing new to Hansbrough.

NBA referees must use judgment | NewsOK.com
Most agree this has been one of the more entertaining NBA playoffs in recent years except for one thing — officiating. But NBA referees are probably doing a better job than given credit.

NBA: Inside scoop | NewsOK.com
Teenage point guard Ricky Rubio will visit the United States with his mother for a tour that begins June 13. Rubio plans to visit Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and New York but will not work out for any team.

NBA: A look at technical fouls | NewsOK.com
Oklahoma City led the league in one category — fewest technical fouls. The Thunder was assessed only 11 technical fouls, edging Minnesota (14) and Washington (15).

NBA has most complaining | NewsOK.com
A lot of pro athletes complain to officials. They’re competitors. They want a fair shake. That’s understandable. Any guess how many technical fouls were assessed this past season in the NBA? A lot.