With the 3rd pick in the YGLS Mock NBA Draft...

the Zombie Sonics select:

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet (C/Connecticut)

The pick should be Rubio here if the Grizz do what is expected and take Thabeet themselves. I'm not sure that will happen though, as the Zombies publicly state that they like what they have in Russell Westbrook. To paraphrase former Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Russell Westbrook is no Ricky Rubio. Rubio to Durant would provide immeasurable amounts of joy over the next decade and more. However, he's gone here, so I have to move on.

Thabeet is my joyless pick here. His obvious NBA comparison is Dikembe Mutombo. I, like most, think that Thabeet will come in and block 3 shots a game (providing above average interior defense) and probably be able to average double digit rebounds. His offensive game is way behind his defense. Does he have the ability to score in the league? Not right now; he'll probably average 7-8 ppg as a rookie. But he does have a good work ethic; he can work on post moves and maybe get to a point where he averages something along the lines of 13 ppg, 13 rpg, and 3 bpg.

One of my big problems with the NBA Draft is that teams too often pick based on "upside" and not enough on constructing a team. This came to a head in the late 90s/early 00s. The reason for this? Too many high schoolers who weren't ready for the League declared anyway. I won't jump into the age limit debate, but I don't think it can be argued that high schoolers ruined the draft because everyone was looking for the next Kobe. In other words, all NBA GMs are impulsive and can't stop themselves even when they recognize that there are surer things in the draft; they are lured by the siren call of high school upside. Unfortunately, just as often as drafting a Kobe, Garnett, or Lebron, they instead choose a Robert Swift, Kwame Brown, DeSagana Diop, Ousmane Cisse, Travis Outlaw, James Lang, Dorell Wright, or Leon Smith.

What I mean to say here is that I shouldn't criticize whoever takes Thabeet. He will be a useful NBA player for a decade, one of the best in the league in two specific skills (rebounds and blocks). It just isn't a very sexy pick (which, yes, is what I was railing on in the above paragraph).