WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Wizards will conduct pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, June 13th at Verizon Center.

The following players are currently scheduled to participate in tomorrow’s workout:

• Al’Lonzo Coleman – F – Presbyterian College – 6’7, 255 lbs
• Thomas Robinson – F – Kansas – 6’10, 237 lbs
• Kevin Thompson – F – Morgan St. – 6-9, 240 lbs

Thompson was one of the premiere big men in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference over the last four seasons. He helped lead the Bears to two MEAC Tournament championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. His MSU teams reached the MEAC Championship Game three times in his four seasons.

As a senior Thompson averaged 10.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. As a junior he averaged 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. As a sophomore he averaged a double double, 12.7 points and 11.8 rebounds. Even as a freshman Thompson averaged a respectable 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Thompson’s former Morgan teammate Reggie Holmes was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies after the 2010 NBA Draft and played for the team in the NBA Summer League.

Two years ago at the FIBA World Championship, Kevin Durant put the rest of the world on notice. Durant finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player with an average of 22.8 points per game including a masterful championship game against the host country Turkey. He carried a USA team filled with some of the best young talent in the NBA to their first FIBA World Championship since 1994.

Durant and the World Championship team, labeled the “B Team” by many, earned an automatic bid to the World Championship when LeBron James and the 2008 US men’s basketball team took gold at the Summer Olympics. Team USA rolled through the tournament going 8-0 and outscoring their opponents by an average of 27.9 points per game. The 2008 team was filled with the NBA’s most established stars. LeBron was second on the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game behind Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.

On Tuesday night in game one of the 2012 NBA Finals, Durant and LeBron will again be on the biggest stage. For LeBron, it will be his third Finals appearance. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron was swept in 2007 by the San Antonio Spurs. Last year, after joining the Heat, LeBron again lost in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Durant will be making his first appearance in an NBA Finals game after starting his career with a record of 37-117 in his first two seasons.

The Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder are reminiscent of those 2008 and 2010 US national teams. The Miami Heat, filled with the established stars of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, look a lot like that 2008 Olympic team. The Oklahoma City Thunder, constructed with some of the top young talent like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka, take a similar form to the 2010 World Championship team. Both teams were dominant, but one constantly overshadowed the other in the spotlight.

When these two teams face off in the Finals, either LeBron James or Kevin Durant will get their first championship ring, the ultimate measure of a great player. The world will not only be watching the Miami Heat versus the Oklahoma City Thunder for the ultimate prize in professional basketball, but they will also be seeing LeBron James versus Kevin Durant for the right to be called the best player in the NBA. Whether or not that topic is up for debate by NBA fans doesn’t matter. That is how most of the world will look at the result of this series.

Both teams and both players finished up remarkable regular seasons. The Heat winning 46 games and the Thunder winning 47. LeBron James averaging 27 points per game and Durant 28.

The Thunder are on the rise. Whether or not they win this series, the 2011-2012 season will have been a success for them. In the Western Conference Finals, they fell to an 0-2 deficit to what looked to be the best team in the NBA. They climbed out of the hole and won four straight to advance to the Finals.

The Heat, in their current incarnation, are in their second season together, but it is considered by many as a last ditch effort. If the “Big 3″ do not find a way to win a championship this year, the media explosion that will follow will likely lead to some changes somewhere in the organization. It could be Spoelstra that is ousted. It could be Bosh.

In their two meetings against each other this season, the Heat and Thunder split the series. On March 25, the Thunder beat the visiting Heat 103-87. Durant led the way with 28 points, but it was Ibaka, Perkins and Harden who made the difference and combined for 54 points. In that game, Miami got just 26 points from everyone outside of their big three. On April 4, the Heat beat the Thunder in Miami 98-93. Durant and Westbrook combined for 58 points and the rest of the team added 35.

The Thunder need to find a way to get Perkins and Ibaka involved to win this series. Much like the Indiana Pacers, the frontcourt of the Thunder will be their biggest advantage. When David West and Roy Hibbert weren’t able to leave their mark on the game, the Pacers faltered against the Miami Heat. The Thunder cannot make the same mistake. The decision-making of Russell Westbrook will be the ultimate deciding factor for the Thunder. If he plays with the flow of the game and takes what the Heat give him, the Thunder will beat the Miami Heat. If he forces shots, the story will be different.

The Heat are a very different kind of team. They need big games from Wade and LeBron to succeed. At any point in time, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers or Shane Battier can land a barrage of three-pointers, but that really isn’t a consistent option for the Heat. Their greatest strength is their fast break game with Wade and LeBron running the floor and making highlight plays. The key to a Heat victory will be their ability to score out of half-court sets when they can’t pull away from the young Thunder in transition.

Their one game advantage in their regular season record earned the Thunder home court advantage in the Finals. The Oklahoma City crowd has been huge in the playoffs, providing energy for their young players to feed on. This advantage heavily tips the scale in favor of the Thunder. Since 1985, the NBA Finals has been a 2-3-2 format, with the home team playing the first and last two games of the series on their home court. In the last ten years, only three teams have won the NBA championship without home court advantage. One of those teams was Dwyane Wade and the 2006 Miami Heat. Of the three teams who failed to win the NBA championship with home court advantage, the 2011 Miami Heat are the most recent. Home court advantage is everything in the NBA Finals.

With Bosh returning to the line-up, both teams are at full strength. Just four more wins to immortality. Durant and LeBron both know what it is like to win at an international level. The burning question is which one will be able to get their first Larry O’Brien trophy. That one point and that one win will be the difference between a champion and a loser.

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Tennis: ATP Garry Weber Open (Tuesday-Saturday 1pm from Halle, GER on Tennis Channel)

10. Bonnie Raitt (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Beach Boys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Neil Diamond (Thursday 8pm Verizon Center); Dave Matthews Band/Gary Clark Jr. (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Martina McBride (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap); Reel Big Fish (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Of Montreal (Thursday 8pm Recher Theatre); Lindsey Buckingham (Thursday 9pm Baltimore Soundstage), Lisa Marie Presley (Friday 8:30pm Baltimore Soundstage); Kelly Bell Band/Cris Jacobs (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Robert Cray Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Grouplove (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Cult (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Bouncing Souls (Tuesday 7:30pm Black Cat DC); Ziggy Marley (Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Little Richard (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Keane (Thursday 8pm Strathmore); Rush “Clockwork Angels” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’ve already established that “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is the greatest Beach Boys song of all time. Now I point out that I’m an absolute hack because I also enjoy this clip from Full House…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ5dEiZYCo

A lot of people know I’m a significant Dave Matthews fan. But do you know that I’ve proclaimed my all time favorite Dave Matthews tune to be THIS?…

And if you go see DMB don’t stay in the parking lot too long. Gary Clark Jr. is freaking AMAZING. You may remember him from a collaboration he had with Ray Lewis a few weeks back at the NFL Draft…

Wait…The Cult? Isn’t that the band that does the song from that commercial in that Super Bowl?

9. Star-Spangled Sailabration (Wednesday-Monday Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Locust Point); “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” out in theaters (Friday); Gilbert Gottfried (Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Richard Lewis (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv)

Ryan Chell and I are going to see That’s My Boy Tuesday night. It will probably make six billion dollars and everyone involved will get new cars. It used to piss me off because I don’t really find Adam Sandler’s shtick to be funny anymore, but there are a couple issues involved. One-Adam Sandler sat down with us at the Super Bowl and was really nice. He even opened up about my idol Chris Farley, which is something I found out later he really never does…

Two-over the past few months I’ve developed a unique friendship with Happy Madison star Peter Dante, who might be the best human being on the face of the planet. He’s the guy on the right below…

So now I hope the movie is funny and they make a billion dollars. Damn you, nice guys.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Memphis), Champions Tour Regions Tradition (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from Shoal Creek, AL on Golf Channel), Wegmans LPGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 12pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm from Pittsford, NY live on Golf Channel); WNBA: New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FX 3-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (Friday 9pm from Sunrise, FL live on FX); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Charlotte Hounds @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com)

10. Gavin DeGraw & Colbie Caillat (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Foster The People (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Carbon Leaf/Civil Twilight (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Hawthorne Heights (Sunday 5pm Recher Theatre); Victor Wooten (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Edwin McCain (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Little River Band (Sunday 1pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Bootsy Collins (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Jimmy Cliff (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Wailers (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Beach Boys “That’s Why God Made The Radio” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

There was a time in my life when I genuinely enjoyed the tunes of Gavin DeGraw. Maybe that’s not something I should be broadcasting…

Since Foster The People are coming to town and the Beach Boys are putting out a new record, here’s FTP’s EXCELLENT take on the greatest Beach Boys tune of all time…

Any excuse to share a Carbon Leaf tune is a good one…

I wish I could go to RHL Saturday night. Civil Twilight is excellent too…

9. “Prometheus” opens in theaters (Friday); “Safe House“, “John Carter” and “Act of Valor” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Greg Proops (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Doug Benson (Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Honfest (Saturday & Sunday Hampden); Maryland Wine Week begins (Friday)

You know Prometheus as THAT MOVIE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS TO SEE. Well, at least until “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” comes out, at which point they might as well just stop making movies.

Honestly, there is no single greater gift you could ever purchase me than this movie poster…

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Antonio Tarver vs. Lateef Kayode (Saturday 9pm from Carson, CA live on Showtime), Gabriel Rosado vs. Joel Julio (Friday 9pm from Bethlehem, PA live on NBC Sports Network); WNBA: Minnesota Lynx @ Washington Mystics (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Denver Outlaws (Saturday 9pm from Denver live on ESPN3.com)

10. Zac Brown Band (Thursday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Capital Jazz Fest feat. Indie.Arie, Bill Cosby (Friday-Sunday Merriweather Post Pavilion); Radiohead (Sunday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Miranda Lambert/Jerrod Niemann (Sunday 4pm Jiffy Lube Live);  City and Colour (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live); Smile Empty Soul (Saturday 5pm Recher Theatre); Crossfade (Monday 7pm Baltimore Soundstage); Dandy Warhols (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Used (Wednesday 7:30pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Victor Wooten (Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Dr. John (Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Rhett Miller (Monday 8pm Jammin Java)

I’d watch ZBB do just about anything, but this was as good as anything I’ve seen them do…

My favorite tune from Thom Yorke and the boys?

For more traditional country folk, I sorta dig this Jerrod Niemann tune…

I wish I didn’t have to admit to digging this tune…

9. Great Grapes Wine & Food Festival (Saturday & Sunday 12pm Oregon Ridge); Guy Torry (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Corey Holcomb (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Man on a Ledge” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Glenn Clark’s first ever “Hogfest” (Saturday)

That’s right. For the first time in my (still?) young life, I will be roasting a pig Saturday. It’s all thanks in part to ABC Rental Store in Rosedale. A talented young man I listen to on the radio is always talking to me about them. I think his show is called “The Reality Check.” I PRAY my results make me as happy as George W. Bush…

Also, I will be hosting a qualifier for the Olympic KanJam team Saturday (more on Twitter @OlympicKanJam). I expect the day to look much like this…

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Ft. Worth, TX), Champions Tour Senior PGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Benton Harbor, MI); High School Lacrosse: MPSSAA Class 2A/1A Final-Fallston vs. South Carroll (Tuesday 6pm UMBC Stadium), Class 4A/3A Final-Westminster vs. South River (Wednesday 4pm UMBC Stadium), Class 3A/2A Final-Hereford vs. Glenelg (Wednesday 8pm UMBC Stadium); WNBA-Tulsa Shock @ Washington Mystics (Wednesday 7pm Verizon Center)

10. Drake (Friday 7pm Verizon Center); One Direction (Thursday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Corey Smith (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Jason Isbell (Saturday 1pm Rams Head on Stage); Garbage (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); Collective Soul (Wednesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Thrice (Wednesday 7:30pm Howard Theatre); John Mayer “Born and Raised” and Garbage “Not Your Kind of People” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

You know that I’m a “money over everything, money on my mind” type of guy, right?

I used to have the biggest crush on Shirley Manson. Hell, I probably still have  huge crush on Shirley Manson…

If you don’t want to go see Collective Soul we probably wouldn’t be much of friends…

John Mayer is apparently doing country music now. This is a classic example of when “success just simply isn’t enough.” See below.

9. “Men in Black III” and “Chernobyl Diaries” open in theaters (Friday); Bob Marley (Wednesday-Sunday DC Improv); Cedric The Entertainer (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Brew at the Zoo (Saturday & Sunday Maryland Zoo in Baltimore)

There’s simply no chance MIB3 is something I’ll want to go see. And while Cedric the Entertainer is funny, I’d rather talk about beer.

I have no idea whether or not Flying Dog Brewery will be unleashing canned Underdog Atlantic Lager on the Zoo this weekend, but I DO know that the campaign they used to roll it out in our nation’s capital was simply fantastic…

Brilliant.