Daily Thunder.com

@Keith
Absolutely...:)

I say Krstic over Collison because of shooting touch/range. I say Durant over Green just because of sheer shot-making ability (there's not a lot Durant can't do offensively). I say Thabo's size and strength help him back down and beat Livingston to the rim and his defense locks up Shaun...and I'm going to go with a wash in the Joe v Royce melee, as I've not seen either of them ball but can only assume it would result in a double-flagrant 2 when someone said something about someone else's mother and the offended party had to "handle it."

@J.G.
You up for it with me? Haha.

@Keith
...wow, you realize how bored we are that both of us have broken down an imaginary one-on-one game between two point guards with such serious contemplation?

Although, this could open up a can of worms for endless discussion topics for the next 7 days.

Green v Durant
Collison v Krstic
Thabo v Livingston
Royce v Joe

I mean, these are the kinds of questions that need answering.

@J.G.
I don't really think it's as easy as all that. If Westbrook could just back a guy down like that, we would have seen him do so more often. Westbrook, in his current state, loves to just run around people. Given his shaky ball-handling already, I really feel like Rubio would be poking the ball out left and right. Also, ironically, Rubio is the better finisher. Westbrook doesn't have a lot of touch from anywhere quite yet. I think the biggest advantage for Westbrook would be rebounding.

I see the game playing out like this. For the first half, Westbrook uses his strengh and speed to get a lead. Rubio keeps trying different things until he finds a few that work. By the second half, Rubio figures Westbrook out. He wins in the end when Westbrook can't get past his own limited game while Rubio can change on the fly to whatever works best.

@Keith
I'll go the other way and say that Westbrook takes the one-one-one game pretty handily over Rubio because of sheer strength and aggression. One-on-one really comes down to physicality or superior shooting skill...and since neither one really has great shots, Westbrook's raw strength and athleticism could just back Rubio down into the post, thus negating Rubio's sly skills at knocking the ball away.

I agree with the Rubio defensive recap, though it should also be mentioned that he has incredible hands. Guys don't get by him without effort, because they have to pay careful attention to where they keep the ball. He can just dart in and poke the ball away to his teammates or himself.

I think a really fun game would be Westbrook and Rubio one on one. Westbrook would constantly be trying to blow by Rubio, who would constantly be picking his pocket. Rubio would be trying every little trick in the book to get around Westbrook, who would have the speed to make up for little mistakes, keeping Rubio away from the basket. I actually think Rubio would win because of the better outside shot.

thanks, JG - I am still trying to get the Olympics Vide hookup to work - so that will tide me over until the meantime . . .

@Dylan
No one trades the #1 pick anymore...no one. After the Chris Webber fiasco, it's abundantly clear that whoever trades out of the #1 pick never gets fair value and usually has about a decade of upset or disinterested fans to overcome. Please don't listen to the Sports Animal for your draft commentary, as the #4 pick + a late first rounder would not even be dignified by a response by a GM for the #1 pick. You'd have to have a bona fide all-star, a top three pick in that draft and probably an expectant top 5 pick in the next one to even get the GM who has the #1 pick's attention.

Why is it so costly? Because of that little thing called, "First Pick of the Litter." You can't put a price on being able to do whatever you want without worrying what the other guys will do.

@Kev
Rubio's greatest defensive assets are his length and his tenacity. He genuinely tries on defense (but he definitely has a way to go to be referred to as 'great' on D) and his length and positioning savvy help him overcome his athletic deficiences regarding defense (and he's really not that bad of an athlete to begin with). Think a shorter and less experienced Thabo with a sliver less of athleticism (or to borrow Joe's analogy, the longer and faster Jason Kidd) and you're on the right track.

nobody in their right mind would pass on blake griffin, he is a rare talent and other than the fact that he may step on durants toes a little, he could help make us a playoff team with an immediate impact. Id rather have thabeet than rubio.

Kev, Royce posted a link last week in his bolts where you can view the Olympic games. I saved it. Here it is:http://www.interbasket.net/news/431/2008/08/17/wat...

Other than that,there are several Youtube remixes of Rubio. I watched most of whats out there, and I have to admit...that is one skilled dude. He reminds me of a fast, rangy, long armed Jason Kidd. He made passes that you just don't see that often, and he has hundreds of them. He is too good to be passed on if you get to draft him imo. And I wasn't really sold on him earlier, but I've seen the light, defense notwithstanding.

it happens all the time - it's all just talk

Blake will go #1 - they just need something to write about . . .

@Vince
You're absolutely right on all accounts. The "favorite" starts having weaknesses and the other guy has more and more potential. They want people to still talk about the draft up until the final second - up until Stern calls the name. They still want that little bit of doubt in our heads.

And if Presti passed on Blake for Rubio, well, like you said, things would be no more.

Nix :
Think about it…Rubio has been talked up more than Parker/Manu/Calderon ever were…

True, but that was because when they were heading into the draft international players were still more of a curiousity and people weren't convinced they could play in the NBA. Nor did any of those three play the US in a gold medal game widely considered one of the great international games of all time.

The Griffin/Rubio "debate" is pretty standard in the days of 24/7 sports coverage. Given enough time, people take down the favorite and pump up the underdog, if only because they need something to argue about. I don't think anyone running a lottery team right now would take Rubio over Griffin. Plus, I'm pretty sure that if Presti did, the Ford Center would be burned to the ground in about half an hour.

Ok Royce - I always read he was a defensive liability at this point in his career - I hate not having tape on him - I could spend a weekend watching his game to break it down - does anyone else have any ideas on what he can do on the defensive end? I missed the Olympics last year . . .

@Nix

I generally like the guys, but when the NBA is the only thing really going right now, they should know more. For example, last week, the afternoon guys had no idea that Shannon Brown was backing up Fisher (after Derek got suspended). They thought Farmar was still the backup - they had to look it up on the internet on air - while the Lakers (the top team in the league recordwise) had been playing every other night on national television!! Do they not watch the games??? We watch them and we don't even get paid to do so. That kinda thing makes NO sense . . .

@Nix

I really miss JOX 930. We desperately need some competition because these guys just don't work hard at their jobs. Not to mention that Mark Rodgers (sp?) has absolutely no charisma or anything attractive except for the fact that he is on the only local sports show during that stretch.

Clark Matthews :
I agree that there is no chance the Thunder would take Rubio over Griffin. Of course, that’s one reason I’d be kind of happy to see the Thunder get the #2 pick.

Whoa. Seriously? I know you're not a Russell Westbrook at point kind of guy, but that's pretty strong.

@Dylan
The Sport's Animal is the biggest joke ever when it comes to NBA...They couldn't name half the player's on our own team...

I bet most the casual readers of this website know more then the main Sport's Animal hosts (Traber, Al, BBJ)...

@Josh
If you get the #2 you draft Rubio no questions asked...Players leave teams, that's life...

You get a super star for 5 years...for free (because he's a draft pick)...

You could be referring to the article...in which case you still draft Blake before Rubio regardless...

@Dylan

You just reminded me of my all time favorite sports animal radio moment.

Maybe it's just because there is a part of me that hasn't yet graduated from the 8th grade, but there was a sports animal show on a few months back where OU Johnny called in to BBJ's program one morning. You could hear the cattle in the background, and after a while, OU Johnny asked BBJ if he saw his picture in the paper. He goes on the tell about how he caught this huge fish by noodling, and he challenged BBJ to come along sometime. I wish I had the segment recorded, or could at least remember it word for word, but it went something like this...

BBJ: There's no way I'm going noodling. I'd be too afraid that I'd stick my hand in some deep, dark beaver hole and get my hand chomped off.
OU Johnny: Oh no man, you can tell the holes apart. You know it's a beaver when there's wood all around.

It would be an unmitigated disaster. Rubio has the flash/star quality which suggests getting the hell out of OKC and into a big market as soon as possible, maybe even taking the qualifying offer in year five to get unrestricted status ASAP.

Does anyone think that Sacramento's reluctance to trade the No. 1 pick would stop Traber, Eshback and all of the redneck sports animal callers from talking about it nonstop?

Traber thought that our No. 1 plus our late first rounder would be enough. They're going to talk about it every day until the draft, and then they're going to talk about why can't we just trade Green+Harden for Griffin.

@Vega You're right. The Thunder wouldn't trade up, but not because we'd be happy with Harden. We wouldn't trade up because no GM in their right mind would trade the #1 or (assuming Rubio stays in the draft) #2 pick...unless the person trading up were crazy enough to trade someone like Kevin Durant to do so.

I agree that there is no chance the Thunder would take Rubio over Griffin. Of course, that's one reason I'd be kind of happy to see the Thunder get the #2 pick.

But come on we're going with the for sure thing in drafting Griffin.

Exactly!

@Dylan
unless we have the 2...I don't think anyone would complain about Rubio...

Could end up being a Oden/Durant situation...Not saying Blake will be a bust...just that Rubio could end up being a far better fit...it is difficult to evaluate foreign players...

Think about it...Rubio has been talked up more than Parker/Manu/Calderon ever were...

@Dylan
No. We won't trade for the first pick. We would take Harden and be happy with him. End of story.

@Nix

if we don't end up with the No. 1, it will just lead to a couple of months of crazy "WILL WE TRADE FOR THE NO. 1 PICK" speculation, anyway

@Nix
Amen. I'm ready to just get it over with.

9 days...9 days...then we won't have to worry about this crap anymore...

I don't blame them for thinking of the better tandem either... Udrih/Griffin or Rubio/Haws (or, if you're thinking Griffin is a 4) Udrih/Griffin or Rubio/Thompson.

@Alex
That's obviously a great point, but I have never seen Carlos Boozer in Blake. He's always looked like Amare to me. But whatever.

Like you said, I agree with the way you'd rank each player against the other. But coupled with the fact Blake is a life-long Oklahoman, plus it fills a huge need, plus Rubio is a bit of an unknown... it's just a no-brainer. For OKC that is. Other teams could likely justify it.

I completely agree with you Royce, but I could at least respect this argument from one of the Sactown Royalty readers, who voted for Rubio:

"I picked Rubio, because if I had to pick between Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams, I would take Williams, and that’s what I expect their respective peak abilities to be."

I tend to think Griffin>Boozer and Rubio<Williams, but I guess if that's how you evaluated them, you would have to go with the potentially game-changing PG over the All-Star PF.

Hahaha, "read more after the jump!"

"no."