Although he isn’t getting a huge amount of publicity, James Harden is going to be one of the first names called during the 2009 NBA Draft. The guard out of Arizona State will likely go as high as second and as low as fifth.
The aspect of Harden’s game that the scouts love the most is his ability to put the ball in the hole. Last year, as a sophomore at Arizona State, Harden averaged 20.1 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the …read more

Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center out of the University of Connecticut, will undoubtedly be a top three pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The native of Tanzania has a huge frame and great potential as a defensive player.
When it comes to his NBA potential, the first thing scouts marvel at is his shot-blocking ability. In his three years at Connecticut, he averaged 3.8, 4.5 and 4.2 blocks per game, respectively. In his junior season, his 10.8 rebounds per game average was also very impressive.
Expect whichever team that drafts him to use him as a defensive center in the mold of …read more

The 2009 NBA Draft is less than a month away. While this mock draft is sure to change quite over the next few weeks, here’s a look at a mock draft of the first round of the 2009 draft.
1. Los Angeles Clippers – Blake Griffin
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ricky Rubio
4. Sacramento Kings – James Harden
5. Washington Wizards – Jordan Hill
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans
7. Golden State Warriors – Brandon Jennings
8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry
9. Toronto Raptors – Jrue Holiday
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Earl Clark
11. New Jersey Nets – DeMar DeRozan
12. Charlotte …read more

The 2009 NBA Draft will take place at the end of June. However, if you are playing dynasty fantasy basketball, it’s never too early to take a look at the top prospects.
1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Griffin will go number one overall. This athletic bigman has a chance to be a double-double machine.
2. Ricky Rubio, Spain
One of the most hyped players from Europe of all-time, Rubio already has a lot of fans in the United States.
3. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
A big shot-blocking center, Hasheem Thabeet will tempt teams with his huge size and wingspan.
4. James Harden, Arizona State
Every team could use more scoring …read more

Any fantasy basketball owner who watched Jodie Meeks go off for 54 points for the Kentucky on Tuesday night had to be wondering whether this guy has NBA fantasy potential. Although he tore up Tennessee to set a new school record for points in a game, a few things point to him being a borderline NBA draft prospect.
First of all, Meeks is only 6-foot-4. As a shooting guard, that is shorter than the height NBA scouts prefer. On top of that, he doesn’t possess long arms or extreme athletic ability to make up for his lack of height. Although he’s …read more

Here’s an early look at the 2009 NBA Draft. This mock draft should give those in fantasy basketball dynasty leagues some idea what will be available next season.
1. Blake Griffin
2. Ricky Rubio
3. James Harden
4. Hasheem Thabeet
5. Stephen Curry
6. B.J. Mullens
7. Al-Farouq Aminu
8. Brandon Jennings
9. Jrue Holiday
10. Gani Lawal
11. Chase Budinger
12. Austin Daye
13. Patrick Mills
14. Earl Clark
15. Damion James

Although the 2009 NBA Draft is a long ways away, Blake Griffin has already emerged as the favorite to be the number one pick in the draft. Griffin is a 6-foot-9 power forward who plays for Oklahoma.
The most impressive aspects about him are his fundamentals and his power around the basket. Once he gets the ball down low, he’ll figure out a way to score. He’s also a very good rebounder and an improving defender.
In his freshman season at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 28.4 minutes per game. He shot 56.8% from the …read more

Although Ricky Rubio is only 17 years old, he continues to show why he is one of the top prospects in the 2009 NBA Draft. Check out the video of a move he pulled off against Lithuania in a recent international game. Rubio, who is from Spain, pulled off a move that would make most NBA players blush.
Check out the Ricky Rubio video:

If you are in a dynasty league, it’s important to know which players coming into the league could help your team. Here’s a look far into the future as we take a peak at the 2009 NBA Draft and look at the top five prospects.
1) Demar DeRozan, Compton High School
DeRozan is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Compton, California who is headed to USC next season. DeRozan is an explosive guard who can score from above the rim. His jumper is decent and his basketball IQ seems to be high for a high school player. Look for him to make an …read more