At this point, I would not be at all surprised to click to the Oklahoman and find out that Russell Westbrook has a life-sized tattoo of a honey badger on his back.
Scott Brooks Has Longevity | NewsOK
I recall reading that in pro sports, the day a head coach signs on with a team is the day that the clock starts ticking down to when he gets fired. I wonder how Scott Brooks' mom feels about that.
Teams Trying Not to Tip Hands | Sports Illustrated
Amick writes that with the player talent pool so evenly distributed, teams are working hard to keep their intentions private. I suspect that as a result there will be plenty of draft day trades.
Here is a phenomenal interview with draft hopeful Bismack Biyombo. He should be of interest to OKC fans because he bears a striking resemblance to Serge Ibaka, both in terms of his background as well as his raw athletic ability. He also addresses what kind of girls he looks for in coming to America.
Union Proposal Countered by Owners | ESPN
The CBA negotiations continued apace yesterday, and it looks like the league will have to forgo its attempt at putting a hard salary cap in place. It is also amusing to read that the owners feel like they 'conceded' ground by not pressing toward banishing guaranteed contracts. That's a golden egg that is never going to go away.
2011 Draft By Similarity | Basketball Prosectus
Pelton compares the current draft crop with current NBA players. Kyle Singler is compared to Brian Cook. If OKC got that kind of production out of its #24 pick, I think we'd be very happy indeed.
Some more player to player comparisons. Singler is hilariously compared to Danny Ferry, because the most obvious thing to do is compare Singler to other slow, white Duke small forwards. Ok, maybe it is appropriate. I'd probably have him closer to Mike Dunleavy though, and Dunleavy hasn't had a terrible career. Well, he's made a lot of money anyway, even if he has to live down this photo.
More links after the jump.
Mock Draft Purely on Production | ESPN
I like this look, which only considers the player's production. I think this analysis is useful if you're considering non-lottery picks, where guys will have to step in to fulfill a specific role and not be a cornerstone player.
NBA Draft Informational Post | Basketbawful
A good look at the lottery picks this season. Added bonus is that each one has video footage so that you can see highlight videos of each player.
Tweet Index: Mock Draft | Negative Dunkalectics
Featuring Judge Reinhold. Also, this draft does not have Singler taken in the first round at all, but instead has the Thunder going with UCLA product Michael Lee. An interesting choice, since the author argues that UCLA guys tend to get drafted too low while Duke guys get drafted too high.
Evaluating International Prospects | Sports Illustrated
Amick looks at six different international players who may go anywhere from a lottery spot down to the end of the first round. It is unlikely that the Thunder will wind up with any of these guys, although Donatas Monteijunas and Nikola Mirotic may be available at #24.
Retroactive Drafts from 2004-2008 | Behind the Basket
Gault takes a look back at previous drafts and considers how teams might have altered their drafting strategy. You might be surprised to see who would have gone #1 in 2007.
What GM's Don't Know About the Draft | Grantland
A great observation is made here - the notion of draft-day trades is something of a lark. They are as likely to fail as succeed. Strangely enough, one of the more arcane arguments that I play out in my head is one that involved a draft-day swap - I'm still not sure whether Antawn Jamison or Vince Carter had the better career.
League Shift in Power to Small Guards Continues in Draft | Sports Illustrated
We're seeing more and more of the smaller combo guards that have had a huge impact in the post-season - Russell Westbrook Derrick Rose, and Jose Barea to name a few. With the rules continuing to evolve to allow the smaller guys room to operate, they will continue to have advantages that should make the game fun to watch.
Ricky Rubio Hits the Court | Ball Don't Lie
Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio is featured in some early workout video here. If he figures out his shot, I think his upside is someone in the Steve Nash mold. What concerns me most however is what he's going to do when muscle guards like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Derrick Rose start checking him 30 feet away from the rim.
TMZ Puts Durant in Awkward Spot | NewsOK
Mayberry takes on this ridiculous mini-controversy where TMZ made an attempt at its own particular brand of "gotcha" journalism. The attempt underscores the general attitude that cynical people have toward new media - the point is sensationalism, not journalism, and no scandal is too small.
Dominique Jones Gets Neck Tattoo | Ball Don't Lie
Following the sage wisdom of DeShawn Stevenson and Jason Terry, Dominique Jones gets the Larry O'Brien Trophy tattooed on his neck. Is it that players are starting to run out of skin real estate, that they would take such a physically painful step? What comes next? A Leonidis tattoo on their eyelids? A picture of Jerry West on their scrotum?
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