The name Brandon Roy keeps coming up in conversations about Harden, who compares favorably to the former Pac-10 star and now NBA All-Star. Many NBA types questioned Roy's explosive athleticism at this same juncture a few years ago, only to have their concerns dismissed by Roy's performance in workouts and at the pre-draft camp. Harden scrambled those doubts about his athleticism in Chicago, testing above and beyond what was expected of him by most teams. Harden's stock was waffling in the days leading up to Chicago. Some teams seemed more enamored of workout wonders like DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Williams. Harden outshined them all in Chicago, solidifying his stock as no worse than a top-six pick.
For some reason, I'm starting to think Harden may be the best player coming out this draft. Maybe Memphis picking at two won't be a badidea because its hard to believe that OKC will pass up on him. IF Rubio couldn't workout a buyout deal, then Harden would probably be my pick at 2 overEvans and Thabeet.