It's Seattle

Just a reminder of why KD to Seattle is a good thing, from the Kevin Durant Mock Draft:
There is a reason that Seattle slipped all the way to the 13th pick. I've never been do the Pacific Northwest, but I understand the weather there is awful. I can't really think of any reason to like Seattle other than the fact that my new roommate is from there. I've never been there, however, and I hate to speak ill of places I've never visited...that's the kind of thing they do in Russia. But the SuperSonics aren't going to be in Seattle much longer. The team was recently bought by a group from Oklahoma City. We all know that Oklahoma sucks, but playing in OKC would put KD only 6 hours from Austin. That's the closest KD could be to The University without playing on one of the Texas teams. Kevin Durant to the OKC SuperSonics could be the steal of the draft.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 2, Picks 4 -- 7

Eleven picks down, three to go go...The second round of the Kevin Durant Mock Draft is rolling. Enjoy.

4) Micah --
Tough call - as a Longhorn fan on the East coast, staying up to watch the late games can be brutal. On the other hand, the Sacramento Kings are probably the most likely franchise to move to Las Vegas given that their owners, the Maloofs, own the Palms.

Therefore, I choose Sacto. They have a history of putting together incredibly entertaining offensive clubs, and GM Geoff Petrie is one of the savviest personnel men in the league. I have full confidence that he'll be able to put together a roster around KD that will make them competitive for years to come, thus ensuring plenty of national TV appearances for Longhorn fans to enjoy.

Plus he'll be in Vegas.

Vegas baby, Vegas.

5) Greg -- L.A. Clippers
Kevin Durant loves the show Entourage. The Clippers love Kevin Durant's talent. The Clippers are so thrilled to get Kevin Durant that Ari Gold will be Durant's agent. The Clippers have big things for Durant. For starters, they are going to posters entitled "The Dynamic Duo" It will be a picture of Durant and Kaman. Kevin Durant also loved watching big time Clippers fan Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle. Now, 34 years old, Malcom will be a huge influence in helping Kevin Durant land a chick his own age, namely Hillary Duff. Also, LA is in close vicinity to the USC campus, so any payback needed on Taj Gibson will be easy to come by.

6) Jeff -- Seattle
There is a reason that Seattle slipped all the way to the 13th pick. I've never been do the Pacific Northwest, but I understand the weather there is awful. I can't really think of any reason to like Seattle other than the fact that my new roommate is from there. I've never been there, however, and I hate to speak ill of places I've never visited...that's the kind of thing they do in Russia. But the SuperSonics aren't going to be in Seattle much longer. The team was recently bought by a group from Oklahoma City. We all know that Oklahoma sucks, but playing in OKC would put KD only 6 hours from Austin. That's the closest KD could be to The University without playing on one of the Texas teams. Kevin Durant to the OKC SuperSonics could be the steal of the draft.

7) Abram -- Charlotte
First and Formost, I must object to my esteemed colleague's comments about Seattle. I have recently visited there and it is a wonderful city. That said, here is why Charlotte would be a great place for KD to end up. Not only were the Bobcats the very last team available and I had the very last pick, but also...well, that's pretty much it. But there are some positives. Much like Cleveland and the Browns, it was very impressive the way the community rallied after losing their NBA team to New Orleans and got themselves a new franchise. Obviously, this is a basketball town where KD would be the fledgling team's first superstar. So he'd have that going for him, which is nice. Charlotte is the biggest city in a hoops-crazed state--take a look at Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and NC State if you don't believe me. It would actually be a great place for Durant to flourish, with low expectations and a loving fan base. And I hear the Panther cheerleaders have interesting ideas about what makes for a good night on the town.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 2, Picks 1 -- 3

Seven picks down, seven to go...just like the NFL, the second round of the Kevin Durant Mock Draft goes much quicker. Enjoy.

1) Ben D. -- Philadelphia 76ers

If there's ever been a city in more of a dire need of a sports savior, i've never seen it. granted, they've got the worst fans in the country (they threw batteries at mike schmidt, for crying out loud!!), but if anybody can bring them together, it's young kevin. raw, unlimited talent combined with his naivete and pure love of the game separates him from the elite sports stars the city has known over the years - he doesn't have iverson's thuggishness, mcnabb's mom, mike schmidt's mustache, or eric lindross's hockey playing. seriously, who plays hockey? kevin in philly would basically make him the next rocky balboa in the philly fans' eyes. he would immediately become their favorite son. for about a week. then, wow. good luck, kev.

2) Peter -- Portland Trailblazers
My second round choice for Durant was an easy one... at least when you consider the other cities available:

New York: If every Isaiah Thomas joke hadn't already been made before, I'd make one here. No way I want the Knicks to squander KD.

Charlotte: No. No. NO.

Seattle: Maybe if they move to Oklahoma City... Until then: no.

Sacramento: Do you want Kevin Durant to have daily contact with Ron Artest? Me, neither.

Clippers: And let Bill Simmons see him play every day? Over my dead body.

That left Portland, a team I liked back in the (Rasheed, Sabonis, Stoudamire) day, and one that's becoming increasingly easier to like again: Lamarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy give the team an exciting young nucleus to work from, and adding Durant just makes them the most interesting young team in the league. Works for me.

3) Ziggy -- New York Knicks

Let's face it... New York is the world's biggest stage. Madison Square Garden is the arena of arenas - it has it's own television network, for Vince's sake! If Kevin Durant is not going to be in my hometown, as he should be, star of the team in the biggest media market on earth is probably the next best thing. The Knicks, with a superstar, will be on tv all the time - good for KD fans everywhere! They'll be NBA Christmas Day game participants. Shaq vs. Kobe is tired and the Big Apple is ready. Put Kevin at the core and New York is back. Make a Longhorn great New York's biggest basketball star and see if highly-rated recruits from the New York area, of which there are plenty, don't start giving Texas and Rick Barnes a second look. Start spreadin' the news!

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 7

With the final pick in the first round of the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Abram selects the Boston Celtics.

Despite the fact that this would make Bill Simmons--in all his Barnes-bashing sin--a very happy man, I think Boston is the best place for KD to end up (especially since all 3 teams within my driving distance were taken in the first 4 picks). Let's start with reasons to love the city itself.

KD will have the chance to join such historic Boston heroes as Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Crispus Attucks, and Carl Yastrzemski. Along with delightful clam chowder and lobster, Boston has much to offer to keep KD entertained. Yes, the city is full of history--but despite Kevin's reputation as quite a good student, I somehow doubt his first act upon arriving will be to stroll the Freedom Walk. The main feature of Boston that I am referring to is the fact that there are 50 colleges and universities in the metro area. Durant said repeatedly that leaving UT was a very tough decision for him because he loved college and loved the college lifestyle. Boston is a college town on steroids. Remember, the kid is going to turn 20 during his rookie year. He would love living in such a young city.

Which brings us to basketball (here comes a killer segue!). KD would come in and make an immediate impact on what is a relatively young Celtics team (10 of their 15 players are 25 or younger). More than that, he would have the opportunity to rebuild a once-great team back into a winner; he'll have a chance to "pull a Mack Brown," if you will. When you think of NBA greatness, two franchises come to mind before any others: Lakers and Celtics. For KD to join the tradition of Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and (my childhood favorite) Larry Bird would be a huge honor. True, their last championship was in 1986. And true, they tore down the Gahden. But the Celtics are an important part of this country's sporting history. And they are in danger of becoming irrelevant in their own city. The Sox are Yankees Lite at this point with the way they buy their way into the postseason every season, and the Patriots have been the most consistent franchise in the NFL for the last few years. New Englanders (New Englishmen?) expect winners, and KD represents the Celtics' best shot at winning them back.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 6

With the sixth pick in the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Jeff selects the Milwaukee Bucks.

When this pick was made, it seemed like a steal at #6. There once was a time when TJ Ford was the greatest Longhorn to ever wear a basketball uniform. TJ may not be the best shooter in the NBA, but I doubt you can find a quicker player in the league. He has had some injury problems, but the chance to match my two favorite Longhorn basketball players at the next level was too much to pass up. So I took the Bucks with the sixth pick.

Apparently TJ was traded.

There are still a few reasons to like a TJ-less Milwaukee Bucks. First and foremost, the Bucks are one of the few teams in the NBA that would seemingly take Kevin Durant with the first pick. The Bucks already have a franchise center in Andrew Bogut that they took at the top of the 2005 draft. The Bucks have one of the NBA's best guards in Michael Redd, and KD would make one of the East's best offenses even better. The Bucks would seemingly be one of the few teams that wouldn't rely on KD to be their primary scorer right away, lessening his short term stress.

Finally, the Bucks seem to have a history of trading Longhorns to the Raptors, so maybe KD and TJ can be reunited after all. Oh, and happy 24th birthday VY.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 5

With the fifth pick in the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Greg Kelminson selects the Minnesotta Timberwolves

Kevin Durant has been compared to Kevin Garnett. It's time to shut those critics up. The Timberwolves select Durant so they can trade Garnett because we all know Garnett does not like being upstaged by a rookie. In addition, Minnesota offers the Mall of America, a perfect location for a teenager like Durant.

It is only fitting for Kevin Durant to play in the state where the first intercollegiate basketball game occurred. Furthermore, he has great role models on the team like Ricky Davis and Eddie Griffin to mold him into a Timberwolf.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 4

With the fourth pick in the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Micah Hart selects...the Atlanta Hawks. I suppose I should be up front with my biases and say that I work for the Atlanta Hawks, and so I have a personal stake in seeing Kevin Durant put on a Hawks uni. But much like Ziggy picked Durant to come to Memphis to play for his hometown Grizzlies, I would want to see Durant find a home in the ATL simply for the selfish opportunity to see him play 41 times a year (plus playoffs!), regardless of my employment.

Having said that, Atlanta is the best place for Durant to end up, hands down. Look at the sports landscape of the city: the Braves success has bred complacency in their fan base. The Thrashers are an up-and-coming success (disclosure - I work for them too), but in a niche sport. The Falcons are led by a quarterback who appears to be engaged in some sort of legal trouble can-you-top-this battle with his brother ("I see your weapons charge and raise you a cruelty-to-animals rap!"). That leaves the Hawks.

KD is a breath of fresh air, a charismatic and enjoyable personality that the city would gravitate towards post-haste. His presence on the Hawks roster would immediately make the franchise the most-talked about in the city, and the fact that he would lead them to the playoffs for the first time in a decade would bring the fans out in droves.

People like to make fun of the Hawks and the amount of fans that come to the games dressed as empty seats, but this city loves basketball. Atlanta typically pulls close to the highest out-of-market ratings in the country for the NBA. They are dying to support a winner. A Durant-to-the-Hawks scenario would be the perfect storm, much like Vick was at the beginning of the decade for the Falcons, only without the herpes. He would rule the city in much the same way he rules Austin, and would instantly make the franchise relevant again, which would be music to David Stern's ears given that the team resides in the country's 9th largest media market.

Then again, maybe getting Durant would be too much for me to take. I nearly shit my pants when the Hawks drafted Royal Ivey for god's sake - drafting Durant might make me catatonic.

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 3

Next up, with the third pick in the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Ziggy selects none other than the Memphis Grizzlies.

Remember the Alamo? Of course you do. It's the surprisingly small (I built a bigger one out of sugar cubes in 4th grade) mission in San Antonio where the deep and long-standing relationship between the states of Tennessee and Texas began (and home to the non-existent basement in which Pee Wee's bicycle was rumored to have been held). The Alamo's historic freedom fight was led by a tough and committed contingent of Tennessee volunteers (yep! that's where the nickname comes from). Yes, Texas and Tennessee have, since that time, been inextricably linked. Bosom buddies, if you will. Through the years, the pipeline has been open, with great talents and treasures (remember when I went to Texas?) being shared by the sister states, and the connection has never been stronger.

Tennesseeans have become accustomed to sports greats from the State and The University of Texas. The state's undisputed star of stars is none other than legendary Longhorn quarterback Vince Young. Adding Kevin Durant as the state's biggest basketball star, in the state's biggest city, is the next logical step for everyone. Longhorn fans can see all of their favorites on one glorious roadtrip. VY and KD can gather as often as they want to sing The Eyes of Texas in their super voices, powerful enough to make Chuck Norris run for cover. I can see both of them play. See? It's great for everyone!

Basketball-wise, here's a franchise that has tasted success and yearns for more. After years of cellar-dwelling, the Grizzlies broke through a couple years ago with 50 wins and playoff trips. It can be done... not by Mike and not by Pau, but by KD alone (1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1...2...3...). The Grizzlies have a fantastic arena, great fans that are waiting for a star, and even the freedom to hire a coach to suit a new franchise player. If Kevin Durant could do what he did as a boy in the live music capital, eating Texas barbecue, just imagine Kevin as a man, fueled by Memphis bbq, rockin' the rims in the birthplace of rock and roll. See you in Memphis and, of course... Remember the Forum!

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft -- Round 1, Pick 2

With the second pick of the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Peter selects...the Indiana Pacers.
Why Indiana? Two words: Larry. Bird.

Okay, four words: Larry Bird and Reggie Miller.

Shit, that's five, but you get the idea. When thinking about where I want the most talented Texas Longhorn basketball player of all time to wind up, I can't help but reminisce on my two favorite players of my formative basketball years.

If Durant goes to Indiana, he gets hands on Larry Bird guidance. There aren't many non-sleazebags in the NBA who I'd trust not to sully our pristine hero, but Larry Legend's one of 'em.

Meanwhile, the Pacers desperately need a face to their franchise now that Reggie's boring us from the announcers' table, and damnit, I need a reason to like the Pacers again. When Miller finally retired from basketball last season, I realized that I wasn't so much an Indiana Pacers fans so much as I was a Reggie Miller fan.

Without Miller, the Pacers are a mess of a basketball team desperately in need of a big scoring guard in Durant's mold. If Larry Bird gets to draft KD to Indiana, the Pacers get what they need, I get what I need to root for the team again, and Durant lands in a city with fans who will worship him. And appreciate him.

It's hard to even talk about KD as a professional just yet, as I'm just now emerging from the "If I can't have him, nobody can" phase, but I know my road to letting go would be infinitely more bearable if he somehow fell into the Pacers' lap.

Here's to hoping…

The Kevin Durant Mock Draft

We are now exactly one week to go until the NBA Draft Lottery on May 22nd. Just as all true Longhorn fans became interested in the Titans when Vince Young was drafted by the Titans, we expect that Horn fans will follow KD's team when he is drafted. The question we wanted to answer, therefore, was this: What team does the average Longhorn fan want to see draft Kevin Durant? In other words, which NBA team do Texas fans want to support for years to come? All too often we see mock drafts which decide which teams will want a certain player, but we wanted to find out which teams would be best for the NBA's next big thing.

To complete this project, we held the Kevin Durant NBA Team Mock Draft. 14 lottery teams meant 2 rounds of 7 drafters. We asked seven of the web's biggest Longhorn fans to serve as the drafters. Or, at least, seven of the web's biggest Longhorn fans that also fit the other key criteria: we have their email addresses.

The order was as follows:
1) Ben D. -- Of Manifest Destiny fame
2) Peter -- The king of UT blogs...Burnt Orange Nation
3) Ziggy -- Funniest person in Memphis
4) Micah -- If only the Hawks were as good as their blog.
5) Greg -- No blog, but he is on Facebook...
6) Jeff -- The looks and brains behind 40 Acre Sports
7) Abram -- The beard behind 40 Acre Sports

We, therefore, begin the Kevin Durant Mock Draft...And with the first pick in the Kevin Durant Mock Draft, Ben Dorfman selects NOOCH!

Wow, the first pick in the draft. I'd be more excited if I actually got to stand on stage with david stern wearing a 17 button suit and a NOOCH hat, but this is still pretty good. and for the record, i know that NOOCH is no longer, i just like saying NOOCH. who doesn't like saying NOOCH? NOOCH!

Anyway, being a longhorn fan is serious business. you have to be committed. i'm moving to atlanta in a few weeks, and my new apartment is on durant street. that's no lie, i'm really going to be living on durant street. the kid's got talent, there's no way around it, but is he really worthy of all this love and affection being being bestowed upon him? he had a phenomenal, unprecedented freshman season, he was the anchor of one of the three teams that really put Big 12 basketball on the map this year, and he won so many awards that he's renting space in lebron's house to store them all until he can build a mcmansion of his own. but as far as his longhorn status is concerned, in my opinion, he's no brad buckman. blame the system, though, not the kid. i'd have left school if somebody offered me $500 and a spicy chicken combo at wendy's.

So, i wasn't really sure how to play this one. i debated the "good luck in atlanta, we're all pulling for you!!" route, but it felt a little contrived, and i didn't want to steal micah's thunder. i also debated the "screw you, durant, enjoy your time in portland," but i'm not a vengeful person, and again, you can't blame the kid for taking his game somewhere he can make the money for himself and enjoy life to the fullest. it's that enjoying life to the fullest part that led me to NOOCH. nowhere in the league is there more fun to be had than in new orleans, and with kevin durant leading the way (now that the pain of the baron davis loss is sure to be felt city-wide), he can have fun and be the biggest star on the local hardwood. it could also be nothing but good for the city to have a genuine nice kid to focus on, now that we all know reggie bush is a punk.