Feb 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against New Orleans Hornets guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the New Orleans Hornets last night 119-74 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The win was the third in a row for the Thunder. After holding the Chicago Bulls to 29 percent shooting in their last game, New Orleans shot just 35 percent last night.

The Thunder led by 17 at halftime and then outscored the Hornets 57-29 in the second half. The Thunder had an insane 48-25 rebounding advantage for the game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 27 minutes, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists – A+

Durant recorded his third triple-double of the season and his career. It was a very quick one too doing it in just 27 minutes. He continues to play the role of playmaker rather than scorer and last night it was a good thing. The Hornets made it easy for Durant to find open teammates but give KD credit too because some of his dimes were very impressive.

Russell Westbrook – 26 minutes, 29 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds – A

With Durant essentially playing point guard, Westbrook became the scorer. He had 18 in the first quarter including 8-for-8 free throws and finished with more point than minutes. His pull-up jumper was falling and that opened up everything else for him driving to the rim. Greivis Vasquez simply cannot stay in front of Westbrook and he abused him.

Serge Ibaka – 23 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks – A

Ibaka was hitting his jumper but finishing around the rim a lot as well. He went 9-for-11 from the field and had four offensive rebounds. He was very aggressive and persistent getting shots to go down from in the paint.

Kevin Martin – 18 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds – B+

Martin was really efficient last night shooting 5-for-7 from the field and making both of his three-point attempts. He has shot the ball very well vs. the Hornets this season averaging 20-plus points per game against them in four games.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks – B

Perkins didn’t score but definitely didn’t have to. He played great defense and did have three assists as well.

Thabo Sefolosha – 25 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals – B

When Westbrook is in full-on scoring mode, either Ibaka or Sefolosha gets less open looks. Last night it was Sefolosha who didn’t even attempt a three in the game. He still played well cutting to the rim nicely on a few occasions and scoring some.

Nick Collison – 14 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

Collison missed his only shot attempt in the game but still was great offensively picking up four assists. When he has at least four assists in a game this season, the Thunder are 6-1.

Reggie Jackson – 22 minutes, 14 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – A

Jackson looked good again. He made 6-of-10 shots and turned the ball over only once. He knocked down 2-of-3 threes which he has been doing pretty well lately. Unfortunately, it looks like Derek Fisher might be taking away some of his minutes.

Derek Fisher – 21 minutes, 0 points, 2 assists, 1 steal – D

Fisher made his Thunder debut this season and was not very good. He missed all four bricks he threw up from three and did little else. He is just out there spacing the floor and trying to play defense, which he is not very good at either. He came in with Jackson in the second quarter on the second unit which is not a good sign for the Thunder.

Hasheem Thabeet – 7 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – C

Thabeet didn’t get many minutes but came in and did his job. He finished with a few boards and of course blocked one shot, which was very impressive actually.

Perry Jones, III – 15 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

Jones posts a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. He knocked down a nice jumper and had a nice dunk off a cut too. He looked better than usual but still has a long way to go.

Ronnie Brewer – 12 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals – B

Brewer also made his Thunder debut last night and was much better than Fisher. It was pretty much all garbage time but Brewer still showed that he can do, which is a lot of things. Hopefully, we will see Brewer getting in the game instead of Fisher by the playoffs.

DeAndre Liggins – 9 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Liggins is always great while he’s out there, no matter how short the time. It’s kind of too bad he will probably rarely be playing now with the acquisition of Brewer.

Feb 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a layup against the New Orleans Hornets during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant recorded his third career triple-double that helped power the Oklahoma City Thunder over the New Orleans Hornets 119-74 on Wednesday night.

Durant’s 18-point, 11-rebound and 10-assist game, coupled with Russell Westbrook’s 29 points helped the Thunder to not only sweet the Hornets (4-0 against New Orleans this season) but also to close out a perfect three-game homestand at Chesapeake Arena.

The Hornets’ were short-staffed against Oklahoma City, as starters Anthony Davis (shoulder) and Eric Gordon (knee) are out with injury. Ryan Anderson started in place of Davis and led the team with 14 points, but aside from his effort, none of the Hornets could put any kind of a fight to temper OKC’s assault.

Oklahoma City got to work early against the Hornets, putting up 16 of his 29 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. He and Serge Ibaka exploded early in this game, scoring all but a pair of the Thunder’s first 26 points and teaming up for an 8-0 run. From there, Oklahoma City kept on rolling to a 36-22 lead after Kevin Martin knocked down a 16-footer in the first two minutes of the second quarter.

The Thunder never trailed and continued to pull away after a cranking up their defense late in the first half. New Orleans started out 18 for 36 from the field and even got the score within 48-43 at one point, but it was all downhill fromt there. The Hornets then sunk only nine of 41 shots after that, and they never got back in it.

Oklahoma City on the other hand recorded five blocks in the first four minutes of the second half and it was essentially game over.

With his team up by 23, Durant turned his attention to dishing the rock and got his second triple-double since All-Star Weekend. He had five straight assists in the third quarter, and he set up Westbrook’s two-handed dunk and a jumper by Serge Ibaka. He followed that with a pass to Ibaka for a layup for his ninth assists, turning and grinning to his teammates on the bench. After a timeout, he passed on a shot near the elbow to feed a 3-point attempt to Westbrook, who nailed it and subsequently allowed Durant to complete his triple-double attempt.

Durant then went back into scoring mode and made a 10-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 87-52. After that, he and the rest of the starters came out of the game 4:01 left in the third quarter, and never came back.

New acquisitions Derek Fisher and Ronnie Brewer got to see much playing time because of the huge lead Oklahoma City had secured for itself. Fisher–who signed as a free agent this week after Oklahoma City traded point guard Eric Maynor last week–missed a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. Brewer–who came by way of a trade with the New York Knicks– played the entire fourth quarter along with Fisher and helped grow the lead to as much as 43.

The margin of victory matched the largest of the season for Oklahoma City and was also the biggest blowout the Hornets have suffered this season. It also marked the first back-to-back blowouts by at least 30 points by the Thunder franchise since 1994, as they beat the Chicago Bulls 102-72 on Sunday.

With the win, Oklahoma City advances to 42-15 on the season, and will face the Denver Nuggets next on Friday, Mar. 1.

Dec 12, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles around New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (23) during the game at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Oklahoma City won 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will look for their third straight win tonight as they host the New Orleans Hornets at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder ended a three-game skid with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at home last Friday. Then the Thunder dismantled the Chicago Bulls 102-72 on Sunday night.

The Thunder have played the Hornets three times already this season and won each time.

Kevin Durant is averaging 27.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60.0 percent from the field vs. New Orleans this season.

Russell Westbrook has been on the opposite end averaging just 14.0 points on 34.9 percent field goal shooting vs. the Hornets this season. He is also averaging 10.3 assists per game, however.

Kevin Martin is averaging 21.0 points per game in the season series vs. the Hornets and is shooting 45.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The Hornets have won half of their last 10 games but just once in their last five.

To make matters worse tonight, New Orleans will be without two starters as Anthony Davis misses the game with a left shoulder sprain and Eric Gordon will sit because this is the second game in two nights for them.

New Orleans is second last in the league in pace and coming off a game last night when they played the slowest paced team in the Brooklyn Nets. Keeping up with the high-powered Thunder will be no easy task for New Orleans tonight.

The Thunder have been off the last two days as well and have looked good in their past two games. There is no reason to believe tonight won’t be another blowout victory for OKC.

The game will tip at 8 p.m. EST.

Dec 12, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Despite trailing for much of the game, the Thunder surged back to beat the New Orleans Hornets by four on Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to nine straight games.

At 18-4, the Thunder have matched their effort from the 2011 season, the second best start in franchise history after the Seattle Supersonics’ 20-2 start in the 1993-94 season.

Thunder star Kevin Durant dropped 35 points in this winning effort. For the Hornets, Brian Roberts led the team with 15.

The win serves as the third time in four weeks the Thunder have beat the Hornets, and the seventh straight time on the series. The Hornets on the other hand saw their fifth consecutive loss this year. For most of the game, New Orleans controlled the tempo and limited the Thunder. They held an 11-point lead going into the second half, but did not have enough steam to close this one out. In the closing seconds, Hornets’ Greivis Vasquez put up a three-pointer that would have given New Orleans the lead, but to no avail. Thabo Sefalosha grabbed the board, and then knocked down both subsequent free throws.

Though the Hornets could not top OKC, they limited the Thunder from scoring 100 points. Currently the league’s highest-scoring team, the Thunder had dropped triple digits in each of their last 12 games. New Orleans also held the Thunder to 17 and 36 first quarter and first half points respectively, season lows for this squad.

Oklahoma City moves on to play the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Dec. 14, at home.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the New Orleans Hornets for the third time this season as they look to win their ninth straight game tonight.

The Thunder have easily taken care of the Hornets so far this year beating them 110-95 in New Orleans on Nov. 16 and then 100-79 again in New Orleans on Dec. 1.

Kevin Durant is averaging 23.5 points on 64.0 percent shooting from the field vs. the Hornets so far this season. Russell Westbrook 14.0 points and 11.0 assists per game and shooting just 37.9 percent from the field vs. New Orleans.

During their 8-game winning streak, the Thunder have climbed to the top of the league especially in terms of offensive efficiency where they are now the best. The Thunder are also shooting lights out this season with a league-best 59.7 true shooting percentage.

New Orleans is not the team to slow OKC down as they are second-worst in the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency right now.

A bright spot for the Hornets is that Anthony Davis has returned from injury. He played for the Hornets last night in their 77-70 loss to the Washington Wizards. Davis is averaging 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this year in seven games.

The Hornets will need more than just ordinary offense to compete with the Thunder tonight. They are good in transition and good when they get offensive rebounds but in the half court, can be pretty much a mess.

Things aren’t made easier for the Hornets either because they are playing in a back-to-back while the Thunder have been off the last two days. OKC will be playing their third game in a row where they are all too comfortable.

The game will tip-off at 8 p.m. EST tonight. No team is hotter than the Thunder right now and New Orleans simply doesn’t have the tools to slow them down.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

It was too easy once again for the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight despite playing the second game of a back-to-back and being on the road.

Russell Westbrook scored 18 points to go with 10 assists and five rebounds as the Thunder beat the New Orleans Hornets 100-79 Saturday night.

This was the second meeting of the year between these teams and both times the Thunder won the game without much trouble.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 20 points along with eight boards and three assists. Kevin Martin had 19 off the bench and Nick Collison scored 12.

The Thunder shot over 50 percent from the field while holding the Hornets to just 37.0 percent shooting. New Orleans was without Anthony Davis and looked lost trying to find any kind of offense.

Ryan Anderson was gunning for New Orleans and led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds but he went 6-of-17 from the field and 3-for-11 from downtown.

Kendrick Perkins had another nice night for the Thunder scoring in double figures with 10 points to go with five boards.

The Thunder are now 14-4 on the year and will play their next game Tuesday night on the road against the Brooklyn Nets.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Hornets will meet for the second time this season. The first was a 110-95 win in Oklahoma City and this time the game will be played in New Orleans.

Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each scored 27 points for the Thunder in the first meeting. Durant went 9-of-12 from the field and Martin 9-of-17 including tying a franchise record with six made 3-pointers.

The Thunder shot 54.1 percent from the field as a team and made 14-of-29 3-pointers. They also totaled 31 assists as a team.

Meanwhile, the Thunder held the Hornets to just 42.3 percent shooting from the field. Anthony Davis finished with just eight points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Davis will be out for tonight’s game. The Hornets have lost eight of their last nine games which includes their first meeting with the Thunder.

The Hornets also have to deal with a Russell Westbrook that has been playing some great basketball as of late.

Westbrook had 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting the first time OKC played New Orleans but is fresh off one of his best games of the year in which he had 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals.

The Hornets aren’t exactly set in terms of defending elite point guards with Greivis Vasquez and Brian Roberts making up the one position for them. Staying in front of Westbrook will be especially difficult tonight and with no Davis patrolling the paint, the price of allowing Westbrook to penetrate will be steep.

The Thunder are on a roll of late winning their last four games and seven of their last eight. The Hornets don’t look like the team to end that streak right now.

The game will tip at 8 p.m. EST.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder get a chance tonight to get back to their winning ways on the road vs. the New Orleans Hornets.

The Thunder are coming off a very tough loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at home. It was a loss that exposed some of the potential flaws for this Thunder team post James Harden.

OKC was in a situation more than ever when they would have needed Harden or a third star as Russell Westbrook was struggling and 34 points from Kevin Durant wasn’t enough. They didn’t get it as Kevin Martin was held to a season-low point total and no one on the Thunder bench stepped up.

The Hornets have not been great this season but not horrible either. Their defense ranks 10th in the league in efficiency while the offense is much worse. It won’t be a cake walk for the Thunder offense to get points but they are the heavy favorites even on the road.

The 2012 No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis has lived up to the hype so far for New Orleans averaging 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. He’s not exactly poised for a big game vs. OKC but his presence on this rebuilding team will make them more formidable than last year.

The Thunder go as Westbrook goes. When he is scoring and shooting efficiently, they are impossible to beat. When not, it is more of a challenge.

Staring at Greivis Vasquez on the other end, Westbrook should be ready for a big game, attacking for himself and creating for others. Durant has increasingly scored more the last few nights so combining that with a good matchup for Westbrook is good news for the Thunder.

The Hornets are young and haven’t seen someone like OKC yet this season. The Thunder don’t want to lose two in a row and tonight should be focused and ready to win.

November 16, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Hornets power forward Ryan Anderson (33) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each dropped 27 points, striking thunder and lighting down upon the New Orleans Hornets en route to winning 110-95.

The Thunder got hot early, scoring the first seven points and conceding nothing to the lowly Hornets, who have now lost two games in a row. The blowout began in the very first quarter, when OKC went up by 20 due to a string of consecutive three-pointers that Martin kept draining. Martin and Durant really got off tonight, sinking shots from behind the arc with reckless abandon. Durant hit 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc to compliment Martin’s 6 of 11. Not only that, but Martin hit five of his threes in the first half and had 22 points going into the half.

The Hornets got absolutely outplayed by the Thunder, but at no point did they give up the fight. They just did not have enough muscle to contain Durant and Martin, let alone the rest of OKC’s dynamic team.

It was a group effort win though for the Thunder, which shot 54-percent and went about establishing a huge lead that they carried into the second half. At times up by 34 points, this Thunder team looked a lot more electric and on point than the one that took on Memphis just the other night. All the starters sat the entire fourth quarter, making the final score look a lot closer than it actually was.

Serge Ibaka added 15 points and Thabo Sefolosha scored 11, but it was perhaps Russell Westbrook who showed the most tonight what it is to be a team player. He only made 3 of his 11 shots for 10 points but he had 12 of the Thunder’s 31 assists. Coach Scott Brooks lauded Westbrook’s selflessness at the end of the game.

With a dominating win, the Thunder advance to 7-3 on the season. OKC will take on the Golden State Warriors next, on Nov. 18.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

New Orleans Hornets Team Overview

The Hornets finished last season with a 21-45 record, tied for fourth-worst in the NBA. The Hornets traded away Chris Paul before the season to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Gordon and a few others. Gordon missed most of the season with an injury and the Hornets became a team in rebuilding mode.

The Hornets struck gold in the NBA Draft Lottery winning the top pick and chance to draft Kentucky’s Anthony Davis. Davis was by far the No. 1 prospect and one of the highest touted players coming out of college in a long time.

The Hornets also drafted Austin Rivers in the lottery, taking him 10th overall in the draft. New Orleans went out and acquired Ryan Anderson, Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick via trades this offseason and now look to have a much better roster than last year.

The Hornets will be parting ways with Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Gustavo Ayon, Chris Kaman, Jarrett Jack, Marco Belinelli and Jerome Dyson from last season.

The Western Conference is very deep and the Hornets still have a lot of work to do to begin competing for a playoff spot any time soon but the future is very bright in New Orleans.

Last year

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Hornets three times last year and beat them each time.

The Thunder won 95-85 in New Orleans on Jan. 11. Kevin Durant had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead OKC. Russell Westbrook added 22 points and seven assists and James Harden had 14 off the bench.

The Hornets made only 1-of-16 threes in the game as Chris Kaman and Carl Landry led them in scoring with 17 each.

On Jan. 25, the Thunder beat New Orleans 101-91 in OKC. Durant again led the Thunder with 25 points and seven rebounds. Westbrook and Serge Ibaka each had 14. Harden scored 18 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field.

The Thunder shot 53.1 percent from the field while New Orleans again struggled from deep going 1-for-7 on threes.

The Thunder won again at home on Feb. 20 101-93. Durant and Westbrook each scored 31 while Harden sat out the game with an ankle sprain. New Orleans shot just 36.3 percent in the game.

Durant averaged 28.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game vs. the Hornets in three meetings last season. He shot .612 percent from the field and .500 percent from three.

Westbrook averaged 22.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. He shot .426 percent from the field and averaged 4.7 turnovers per game.

Harden averaged 16.0 points and 4.5 assists per game.

The matchup

The Hornets had just the 25th best offense in the NBA last season in terms of overall points per possession. They struggled on spot-up shooting plays, ranking 27th in the league, and were the worst in isolation plays.

New Orleans was decent in their pick-and-roll offense, ranking 8th in the league, while the Thunder pick-and-roll defense was 11th best.

The Hornets did have the 13th best overall defense in terms of PPP. They were 3rd best defending spot-up plays and 7th best vs. isolation plays. They were only 22nd best vs. pick-and-roll plays though.

The Thunder offense was most dominant in isolation and pick-and-roll plays. They were a good spot-up shooting team as well and would also hold an advantage vs. the Hornets in transition where the Thunder had the 6th best offense while New Orleans was just 25th best.

Next year

The Hornets begin a new era next season with rookie Anthony Davis. He could be a franchise changer that turns New Orleans into a championship competitor in the future.

Developing chemistry with their new parts and staying healthy is going to be critical for the Hornets next season. It will be a challenge for Gordon and Rivers to learn to play together in the back court and the playmaking for New Orleans may suffer some next season with less minutes for a true point guard.

The Thunder really have no problem playing the Hornets. Durant had a very easy time scoring and putting up big numbers while the Thunder defense held New Orleans to 93 points or less in each of the three meetings.

The Hornets have the pieces to become a very good team down the road but next year they won’t be on the level of OKC just yet.

Harden posted the picture below earlier today and then later deleted it. Credit to Royce Young of Daily Thunder for getting the image before it was deleted.

This would be a huge deal if Harden was traded and it would be completely out of nowhere. There has been no speculation this offseason at all of Harden being traded unless you count the rumors around the time of the NBA Draft with Harden possibly being shopped for the No. 2 overall pick.

The most likely cause for this is that Harden’s account was hacked. Not actually hacked but just someone getting his password and posting the pic.

The other interesting thing about this picture is what exactly it is of. It’s not like he typed this on a computer and then took a picture of it. It looks more like an old parchment or something. Not really sure what to make of it.

Harden has been with Team USA these past few days preparing for the Olympics. In the coming days, we may know more about what exactly this was all about but for now, we can all at least be sure that Harden has not been traded.

The Cavaliers can help facilitate the trade by taking on Kris Humphries in a sign-and-trade as well as possibly MarShon Brooks. The Magic would receive Brook Lopez along with three first round draft picks.

The deal for Orlando does not seem much better than the ones rumored between them and the Nets earlier that the Magic were not interested in. However, it is rumored that this deal could be done by the end of the day today.

Brooklyn would suffer harsh luxury tax penalties over the next four seasons if they do get Howard. The penalties could amount to over $100 million in four years but they still seem determined to get Howard.

“You can talk about the new (luxury) tax all you want, but if the Lakers get Nash and the Nets get Howard, then what did the new CBA accomplish?” one GM told ESPN. “You have to realize part of long-term planning is making sure you don’t help create teams you can’t beat.”

The Nets are not limiting themselves to Cleveland as the third wheel in a Howard trade and are shopping Humphries around the rest of the league as well.

The Magic agreed to another trade yesterday sending last year’s Most Improved Player, Ryan Anderson, to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade for Gustavo Ayon. Anderson will receive a 4-year, $36 million deal.

Anderson benefited greatly from playing alongside Howard as a spot-up four getting a ton of open looks from three. We will see if he can still be effective in a different landscape without Howard.

The Hornets are happy to get a good rebounder and shooter to put alongside No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis for next season.

The Chicago Bulls also made moves yesterday bringing back Kirk Hinrich to a 2-year, $6 million deal. The Bulls now have to decide if they will match Houston’s 3-year, $25 million offer sheet for Omer Asik.

Derrick Rose may not be recovered from his torn ACL until well after next season has started for Chicago. The Bulls are likely parting ways with C.J. Watson so signing Hinrich here is a big move for them.

July 11 is the first day that free agents can officially sign. Teams will have three days to match offer sheets their restricted free agents signed elsewhere.

Jeremy Lin, Eric Gordon and Roy Hibbert are three of the biggest named restricted free agents that signed offer sheets with other teams. All three are expected to have those offers matched by their former teams.

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to match the offer to Gordon. Gordon is hoping they won’t.

“After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible,” Gordon said in a statement. “Mr. (Robert) Sarver, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, the Front Office Staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.”

Gordon is in the same position right now that Thunder guard James Harden would be in next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Thunder this summer.

If Gordon can get a max offer this year, Harden most certainly can next year. Harden and the Thunder know this and it is no secret now that Harden will have to take less money to stay in Oklahoma City.

Gordon is considered by most one of the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Harden is right there with him.

Gordon and Harden will also be competing for one of the final spots for Team USA Basketball in the Summer Olympics in London.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

• The Boston Celtics have expressed interest in moving up into the lottery. The Celtics have the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round. Their number one target is reportedly Duke guard Austin Rivers, son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.
• The New Orleans Hornets also have Rivers atop their list for the No. 10 pick. This means that Boston would have to try and move into the top nine to take Rivers. The only teams who could conceivably move out of the top 10 are the Sacramento Kings or the Golden State Warriors although neither seems likely.
• Kings and Rockets trade talks for the No. 5 pick have intensified. The Rockets are looking to get the fifth pick to take Andre Drummond. Sacramento doesn’t seem to be sold on any player to draft except for Thomas Robinson. Once Robinson is drafted, if it is before No. 5, the Kings will likely pull the trigger on trading the fifth pick to Houston for a few of their first round picks and Kyle Lowry.
• The Charlotte Bobcats who have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now have reportedly narrowed down the candidates to the Cavaliers and Rockets. The Rockets number one mission is to get pieces to send Orlando’s way for Dwight Howard. The Cavs have the 4th and 24th pick in the first round and any deal for the No. 2 pick with Charlotte would include both of those.
• This means the Thunder are 99% not trading James Harden. It never felt like it was really going to happen anyway.
• The player most teams seem to want to get at No. 2 is Bradley Beal, unless the pick stays with Charlotte in which case they’d likely pick Thomas Robinson. Beal will not drop past Washington at No. 3.
• If Beal is off the board at No. 3, the Wizards would still likely look for a shooter as opposed to picking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They went into the draft many believed having Harrison Barnes high on their board and would also possibly take Dion Waiters instead of MKG.
• The Portland Trailblazers really want Damian Lillard. They have the 6th and 11th overall picks. They have heard that Lillard will not be available at 11 so they may have to take him at 6.
• The Detroit Pistons will reportedly select John Henson at No. 9 if he is there. Drummond may drop to No. 9 but if he doesn’t, Detroit is probably going with Henson.
• The Thunder aren’t necessarily looking to pick a player at No. 28 that will play next year. That means they could be leaning toward Evan Fournier from France and also now Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece.

Here is our most recent 2012 NBA Mock Draft.

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
1	New Orleans	Anthony Davis	C	Kentucky
2	Charlotte	Thomas Robinson	PF	Kansas
3	Washington	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	SF	Kentucky
4	Cleveland	Bradley Beal	SG	Florida
5	Sacramento	Andre Drummond	C	Connecticut
6	Portland	Damian Lillard	PG	Weber State
7	Golden State	Harrison Barnes	SF	North Carolina
8	Toronto	Dion Waiters	SG	Syracuse
9	Detroit	John Henson	PF	North Carolina
10	New Orleans	Austin Rivers	SG	Duke
11	Portland	Tyler Zeller	C	North Carolina
12	Houston	Jeremy Lamb	SG	Connecticut
13	Phoenix	Kendall Marshall	PG	North Carolina
14	Milwaukee	Meyers Leonard	C	Illinois
15	Philadelphia	Perry Jones III	PF	Baylor
16	Houston	Terrence Ross	SG	Washington
17	Dallas	Terrence Jones	PF	Kentucky
18	Houston	Arnett Moultrie	C	Miss. St.
19	Orlando	Moe Harkless	SF	St. John’s
20	Denver	Jared Sullinger	PF	Ohio State
21	Boston	Royce White	PF	Iowa State
22	Boston	Tony Wroten, Jr.	PG	Washington
23	Atlanta	Fab Melo	C	Syracuse
24	Cleveland	Andrew Nicholson	PF	St. Bonaventure
25	Memphis	Marquis Teague	PG	Kentucky
26	Indiana	Draymond Green	PF	Michigan State
27	Miami	Festus Ezeli	C	Vanderbilt
28	Oklahoma City	Evan Fournier	SG	France
29	Chicago	Doron Lamb	SG	Kentucky
30	Golden State	Quincy Miller	SF	Baylor

The only certainty about tonight so far is that Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall draft choice. After that just about every team is open to trades involving their picks.

• The Houston Rockets have been making the most moves so far. They have acquired the 12th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round. Their ultimate goal is to somehow trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard. The first step towards getting Howard to Houston is trading with the Kings first. The Rockets first offered Sacramento Kyle Lowry and two of their first rounders for Tyreke Evans and the 5th overall pick. The Kings turned down that offer.
• The Kings aren’t sold on any prospect yet at No. 5. They are hoping that Thomas Robinson could fall to that spot although that is pretty unlikely. Robinson is currently projected No. 2 overall to the Bobcats but the Bobcats reportedly have five offers on the table for that pick. The Kings were earlier rumored to have been eyeing Harrison Barnes with the fifth pick but now are possibly thinking Andre Drummond instead.
• The Bobcats have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now. We first heard of them targeting James Harden for the pick. The Thunder have expressed interest in Bradley Beal but would have to part ways with Harden to move high up enough to draft him making that very unlikely.
• The Timberwolves have reportedly offered Charlotte Derrick Williams – last year’s No. 2 overall pick – for this year’s No. 2 overall pick. Williams wasn’t terrible this season but the idea of possibly pairing Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio alongside Beal or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is enticing.
• The most likely deal to be made with Charlotte for the No. 2 pick would involve Cleveland and their No. 4 and No. 24 picks in the first round. The Cavs would most likely want to move up to jump Washington so they can pick Beal but it has been reported that Cleveland is considering Dion Waiters with the No. 4 pick as well.
• Waiters has been shooting up draft boards a ton these past few weeks. Now the Toronto Raptors are also interested in moving up to pick Waiters. Toronto has the No. 8 pick and has been projected to select a shooting guard with that pick from day one. If Waiters is not there for them, they could choose between Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb with the pick.
• Kidd-Gilchrist is considered by a lot of experts to have the second most potential of any player in this draft behind Davis. The Bobcats have showed little interest in him and he has been rumored to potentially slide as far down as No. 5 for Sacramento.
• The Los Angeles Lakers have put Pau Gasol on the market the past few days and have expressed some interest in MKG as well.
• The Atlanta Hawks are interested in dealing Josh Smith for Gasol but the Lakers haven’t shown much interest in that yet.
• Drummond is another prospect with tons of potential but also considered a risk. He could go in the top five or drop as low as nine. The Rockets would like to use some of their picks to move up to No. 7 if Drummond is there and trade with the Warriors.
• The Warriors are looking for a player to be an immediate impact. It would be hard to consider anyone other than Davis as an immediate impact player in this draft but if Barnes slips, the Warriors could try and move up to draft him.
• The Portland Trailblazers have two lottery picks at No. 6 and No. 11 and they intend to use both as opposed to packaging the two to move into the top five.
• The Boston Celtics would like to move into the lottery. They currently have the No. 21 and No. 22 picks in the first round. They were rumored also to have promised Royce White that they would draft him at that time if he is still available.

This is just the tip of the ice berg so far today in terms of NBA Draft rumors. We are just over five hours until the draft will begin and there will surely be plenty more stories developing until that time.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NBA Draft is upon is and that means plenty of rumors, trade talks and speculation over the next 48 hours. One thing that won’t be speculated is who the New Orleans Hornets will be drafting first overall.

Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. We’ve known this for awhile now. Basically since he began playing college basketball it was clear he was the best player in the country.

Davis at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game in his one season at Kentucky. He led them to a national championship season in which the Wildcats lost just two games.

Davis’ spot in the 2012 Draft will not be questioned but the kind of pro that he will become is certainly of some debate.

Davis will be most comfortable playing power forward in the NBA although he will be able to play some center too depending the on the team and situation. He is 6-foot-10 but only 222 pounds right now so he’s not going to overpower you.

The way that Davis will overpower you is with his skills and basketball savvy. Before his senior year of high school, Davis was a 6-foot-3 point guard not drawing much attention at all from colleges.

When you hear that now, it isn’t surprising at all. He can handle the ball like a guard, moves like a guard and has instincts most big men take a long time to develop. The best part about Davis is that he blossomed so late and for a number of reasons, most importantly being that he was not tainted by the AAU circuits.

Davis was never a prima donna who expected anything to come his way. He grew up in a poor family in Chicago and his rise to the national stage happened so fast there was never any time for an ego to grow.

Davis has been compared to a number of NBA players. Marcus Camby comes to mind immediately although it feels like Davis’ ceiling would be higher than that. There have also been comparisons to Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire.

Bill Russell is also a name that has come up. The 11-time NBA champion is rarely compared to NBA players nowadays. It makes sense. It was a different game in the 1960s so it’s hard to compare that era to today. Russell was only about 6-foot-9 and a modern day version of him in the NBA would look something like Thaddeus Young so it’s hard to imagine him impacting today’s game anywhere near to how he did in the ‘60s.

But what would Russell look like today? Not simply if you placed Russell in today’s game but what would the Russell equivalent be in 2012?

Anthony Davis might be it.

Russell embodied everything about team basketball. He didn’t score the most points but he got the most rebounds, blocked the most shots, ignited the most fast breaks and won the most championships.

Davis will never lead the NBA in scoring but he might become the best at everything else. If Davis peaks at 19-14-4-5 (points-rebounds-assists-blocks), isn’t that something that the modern day Russell would average.

What if Davis averages that and is simultaneously the best teammate in the NBA. He’s the perfect defensive anchor to block shots, rebound, start fast breaks and run the floor, everything that Russell was so perfect at.

Davis isn’t going to win 11 championships in today’s NBA but Russell wouldn’t have either. The equivalent of 11 would be something like 6 or 7 for Davis. It seems pretty impossible but you never know.

Alright, so comparing Davis to Russell already isn’t totally fair. But it’s a decent comparison and “best possible scenario for the 2012 No. 1 overall pick.”

The ultimate point is: if you had to think up a modern day Bill Russell, Anthony Davis sounds about right.

Let the conspiracy theories begin.

As everyone knows, the Hornets have been owned by the NBA the past few seasons. The NBA is about to sell them to Saints owner Tom Benson but it is ironic that the one team owned by the NBA is the only team in this year’s lottery to move up.

Currently in a USA Today poll, 55 percent of people believe that the lottery was fixed last night.

Fixings and riggings have been surrounding the NBA for a long time with the notion usually being that certain things are better for the league like Patrick Ewing being drafted by the New York Knicks instead of the Indiana Pacers.

The entire lottery went chalk until New Orleans, who had the fourth highest chances to land the number one pick, jumped the three teams in front of them to snag it.

It wasn’t long ago that the NBA vetoed a trade sending New Orleans’ best player Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers stirring up more controversy with the league’s conflict of interest.

The team with the best chance to win the lottery, the Charlotte Bobcats, will now end up picking second in a draft where the difference between first and second may be greater than any other spot.

Michael Jordan of course owns the Bobcats and has been someone who has been centered around some conspiracy theories before in the league like when he retired in his prime to go play professional baseball.

If the league truly is fixed then we will see Miami in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder: LeBron vs. Durant.

The Heat are already well on their way while the Thunder may need some Donaghy-esque help. Everyone get ready for Durant shooting 20 free throws per game the rest of the Western Conference Finals.

The Hornets had the fourth highest percentage to get the number one overall pick at 13.7 percent. The Charlotte Bobcats had the highest probability to get the pick at 25.0 percent and will pick second instead.

Anthony Davis will be selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA Draft and will join Eric Gordon to help turn this franchise around.

Here are the lottery results.