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Thunder GM Sam Presti works draft the old-fashioned way

 
By John Rohde | Published: June 26, 2009    Comment on this article Leave a comment

The first round of Thursday night’s NBA Draft was not the swap meet some had envisioned.

There was little movement.

Ricky Rubio slipped a bit. Tyreke Evans rose a bit. Chase Budinger disappeared.

photo - Spanish guard Ricky Rubio would have been an intriguing pick for the Thunder, but Thunder general manager Sam Presti is happy with picking James Harden. AP Photo
Spanish guard Ricky Rubio would have been an intriguing pick for the Thunder, but Thunder general manager Sam Presti is happy with picking James Harden. AP Photo

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Bottom line: The Thunder got what it wanted in Arizona State shooting guard James Harden.

The Thunder did it the old-fashioned way.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti had the No. 3 overall pick, and he picked Harden.

No need to pick Rubio and trade down. No need to pull a rabbit out of a hat. There was no hole card.

Presti wanted Harden, and got him.

By doing so, there should be no more questions as to whether Russell Westbrook is truly the Thunder’s point guard.

Rubio and a half-dozen other top-notch point guards were available, and Presti passed.

There were just three first-round trades on draft night. Teams seemed to be standing pat.

Presti shrugged when asked if that surprised him.

"Every draft is different,” Presti said. "They kind of ebb and flow. There’s no way to predict them.

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Related Topics: Basketball, Sports, NBA Draft, Men's Professional Basketball



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