The Team That Sam Built: Another Wing Added

Oklahoma City Thunder -2009 NBA DRAFT

3rd pick - James Harden (19), sophomore out of Arizona state, shooting guard.

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 3rd pick in this year's NBA draft lottery after a poor season that was salvaged somewhat by the firing of PJ Carlesimo after a disastrous 1-13 start to the season. The Thunder then hired assistant Scott Brooks who led them to a 23-59 record on the year.   

Former San Antonio Spurs executive and Thunder GM Sam Presti has been impressively building the nucleus of a potential championship winning team in the last few years with the drafting of first rounders Kevin Durant (2nd pick, 2007), Russell Westbrook (4th pick, 2008) and Jeff Green (5th pick,.2007).This trio have now locked down the starting positions for Oklahoma at the short forward, power forward and point guard positions for years to come.  Many analysts had predicted the Thunder would be in contention for a play off spot next season with the addition of another piece to Brook's athletic and high tempo team.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, the debate had been whether Oklahoma would draft for their glaring need at center or their lack of scoring on the wing. This year's draft had been acclaimed as the weakest for many years so there was even talk of Presti trading the 3rd pick to provide some veteran leadership for the youthful Thunder. Connecticut's giant shot blocker Hasheem Thabeet was predicted to be the pick early on but with Spanish teenage sensation Ricky Rubio refusing to work out for the Memphis Grizzlies who had the 2nd pick, it looked like the star for Spain in the 2008 Olympics could fall to Oklahoma. Rubio had the most upside in the whole draft, a magician with the ball and a basketball IQ that was way off the charts.

However, Westbrook had already cemented his place as the Thunder point guard last season so drafting another player for that position didn't see logical considering the Thunder's lack of depth elsewhere on the court. There also had been whispers that Westbrook had made his misgivings known to Thunder management about having to slide over to shooting guard if Rubio came in. Rubio would also have to buy out his own contract from his current team, DKV Joventut in Spain who were holding out for a seven figure payout.

As it got closer for the draft it looked like Memphis were going to go for Thabeet and the Thunder would either go for the best player on the board (Rubio) or go for need and draft Arizona State's shooting guard, James Harden. Harden, the player of the year in the Pac-10 and 2009 all American had played poorly in the NCAA tournament but would be a great fit in the Thunder backcourt. He was the number one player at his position in the draft, a great scorer and passer who could also help out on the defensive end. The LA native was the safe pick but many thought that Presti could not resist the charms of Rubio, a youtube highlight video waiting to happen and a marketing dream to boot if he even lived up to half the hype.

With the Los Angeles Clippers selecting Blake Griffin with the 1st pick and the Grizzlies taking Thabeet at #2 on draft night yesterday at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Thunder had only 4 minutes to decide between the potential superstar that is Rubio and the NBA ready and missing piece in the jigsaw, Harden.

"With the 3rd pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select................................................James Harden!!!..."

Grade  -  A

The Oklahoma Thunder made the sensible and correct pick in my view. James Harden is a hard working and team oriented young player who will fill a huge hole for the team on the wing. Apparently, Presti and Stiles were blown away by his workout for the team earlier in the month and love his strong work ethic. The PAC-10 leader in scoring (20 ppg) and steals (1.7 spg) hadn't the je ne sais quoi of Rubio but was another building block for the team in their quest to be a perennial contender for the NBA championship. If the Thunder can maybe pick up an available veteran center like Marcus Camby or Chris Kaman in a trade before next season they have a good chance of contending for the 7th or 8th spot in the Western playoffs, a far cry from the embarrassment of the last few seasons.