Earlier today the Thunder topped the Celtics 91-79 to pick up their fifth straight win. Kevin Durant led the way with 23 points and eleven boards in a well-balanced effort at home. The C's turned in an impressive defensive effort on paper, holding Oklahoma City to their lowest output in nearly two months, but it wasn't enough to down them. Here's more from around the Association..
- In his Sunday column, the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn writes that there has been talk that commissioner David Stern would consider the idea of a World Basketball Classic, similar to baseball’s tournament. However, the challenge for Stern and FIBA would be getting American superstars to play. The major shoe companies may also have to get their taste in such a deal.
- Over at HoopsWorld, the staff debated whether players should be allowed to jump straight from high school to the NBA. Of course, there have been a number of standout players who decided to skip college and go directly to the pros from Kobe Bryant to Kevin Garnett to LeBron James. However, there have also been plenty of talented players who weren't ready for the transition like New York's Lenny Cooke.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld released his latest 2013 mock draft and has Kansas' Ben McLemore going first overall to the Bobcats. After that, Marcus Smart, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and Nerlens Noel round out the top five.
- Virtus Roma point guard Jordan Taylor told Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport that he will likely be in the NBA Summer League, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter). The Wisconsin product was not taken in the 2012 draft and spent time with the Hawks' summer league team before being let go.