Can We Talk A Little Draft?

Originally Published: Jun 18, 2010 7:59 PM CDT

The NBA draft is next Thursday.  Remeber the attention the past two drafts have gotten in our state?  We were on full Ricky Rubio alert around the Blitz offices this time a year ago.  This time around, realignment has the draft getting as much attention as me in a roomful of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

If you scout around the various mock drafts, as usual, its impossible to gauge who the Thunder might take.  Just look at the differences in the three mock drafts I was looking at today.

Thunder picks:  #21 and #26 in Round One

nbadraft.net
21-Deven Ebanks (68" SO SF West Va.)
26-Gani Lawal (69" JR PF Georgia Tech)

insidehoops.com
21-Solomon Alabi (71" SO C Florida St.)
26-Craig Brackins (69" JR SF Iowa St.)

draftexpress.com
21-Daniel Orton (610 FR C Kentucky-OKC McGuinness H.S.)
26-Tibor Pleisse (7 C Germany)

My take:  Ebanks would fall into the "best player available" category.  Obviously, with Kevin Durant around, Ebanks would be a backup.  Alabis name has been in the mix from the beginning with the Thunder.  Ortons stock has fallen and he could slip to pick 21.  Brackins was a lottery pick this time a year ago had he come out.  He struggled at Iowa State this year, but had all kinds of injury and turmoil around.  Cyclones Head Coach Greg McDermott, a good guy, left at the end of the season.  If the Thunder could get a combination of Orton, Ebanks, Alabi and Brackins it would be a solid draft.  I really like Brackins.  His body type and game remind me a bit of former OSU star Richard Dumas.

The problem with all of this is that nobody has the Thunder taking a shooter.  That tells me a couple of things:  1. There arent many shooters available in this draft and if the Thunder want one they will have to trade up to get a good one (James Anderson).  2. The Thunder will trade down, believing they are just drafting backup big guys anyway.