No sooner do I jump back into the fray when I learn that the Thunder have made a trade. So Johan Petro is now a Nugget and Chucky Atkins is now a Thunder (Thunderer? Thunderee?). My first thought is, "Cool, I'm glad we still have Joe Smith for the time being". My second is, "Well, I guess either Chucky or Earl Watson will be gone sooner than later". And my third is, "We got a first round pick for Petro?"
Essentially it's the two players plus Denver's 1st round pick in the upcoming draft for the Thunder's second round pick. Still, the Thunder are poised to be big-time players as the trade deadline approaches and this offseason.
Joe Smith and Earl Watson have been the names most often mentioned in trade rumors and now the Thunder, with the addition of Krusty and Chucky are prepared to move on down the path this season while making those more valuable trading chips expendable.
It will be interesting to see whether it's Chucky or Earl that gets moved. My money is on Earl. He was kind of on the outs when the season started and Chucky appears to be simply content with the chance to play. With Slim coming along nicely that should mean just breather minutes for Chucky, something he should be able to stomach better than Earl.
Interesting indeed. But there's a lot more action on the horizon and the Thunder look to be in the center of it.
Showing posts with label Johan Petro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johan Petro. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Sunday, November 2, 2008
What a Difference a Day Makes
On opening night the Thunder showed just how far they had to go. On Saturday night against Houston, a team with lofty expectations, the Thunder showed glimpses of growth.
Kevin Durant put on a display going for 26 points and five boards. The Thunder held their own and led the Rockets in most categories yet still lost by 12.
The Thunder shot 40% from the field versus 36% for Rockets, had fewer turnovers 14 to 16 and beat the Rockets 21-7 on the fast break. Moreover, even facing Yao the Thunder dominated in the paint 48 to 32.
So what happened? Two keys. The Rockets were 6 for 21 from 3 point range and the Thunder were 0-4. Also, the Rockets made three times as many free throws as the Thunder, 27 to 9. Ball game.
Most discouraging has to be the three point shooting. The Thunder are just 1-10 through two games. Ten attempts. Conversely their opponents have 39 total attempts and have hit on 13.
Look at this starting lineup. Kevin Durant, Earl Watson, Jeff Green, Nick Collison and Johan Petro. Watson is the obvious 3 point "threat" but he's not a very good shooter (a team low 28%). Durant can shoot it but it's not his primary option (he's 0-3 from 3 so far).
Westbrook is the only guy who's made a 3 pointer and he's made one. Absolutely crazy.
So, while the Thunder looked downright proficient at times against Houston the lack of a 3 point threat absolutely killed them and will continue to do so. If the Thunder continue to lose by 8-15 points this will probably be the reason.
Kevin Durant put on a display going for 26 points and five boards. The Thunder held their own and led the Rockets in most categories yet still lost by 12.
The Thunder shot 40% from the field versus 36% for Rockets, had fewer turnovers 14 to 16 and beat the Rockets 21-7 on the fast break. Moreover, even facing Yao the Thunder dominated in the paint 48 to 32.
So what happened? Two keys. The Rockets were 6 for 21 from 3 point range and the Thunder were 0-4. Also, the Rockets made three times as many free throws as the Thunder, 27 to 9. Ball game.
Most discouraging has to be the three point shooting. The Thunder are just 1-10 through two games. Ten attempts. Conversely their opponents have 39 total attempts and have hit on 13.
Look at this starting lineup. Kevin Durant, Earl Watson, Jeff Green, Nick Collison and Johan Petro. Watson is the obvious 3 point "threat" but he's not a very good shooter (a team low 28%). Durant can shoot it but it's not his primary option (he's 0-3 from 3 so far).
Westbrook is the only guy who's made a 3 pointer and he's made one. Absolutely crazy.
So, while the Thunder looked downright proficient at times against Houston the lack of a 3 point threat absolutely killed them and will continue to do so. If the Thunder continue to lose by 8-15 points this will probably be the reason.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
On The Oklahoman's Comparison of the Hornets and Thunder.
The NBA season kicks off tonight and we're one day away from the Thunder's debut. I can't believe it's finally here. I'm so proud of this city and hope we represent the team as well as they hopefully represent us. We're all in this together.
Here's an article from Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman comparing the first Hornets team to this first Thunder team.
I agree with everything except Bostjan Nachbar vs. Johan Petro being a Hornets advantage. Nachbar's stint was short lived and he was a sharpshooter. However, Petro is going to fill a huge void right away. He can run the floor, shoot and grab some boards. He was easily the best surprise of the preseason for the Thunder. I don't remember ever thinking, "Damn, I sure am glad the Hornets have Admiral Nachbar." That nickname was his single biggest redeeming feature. I also think that even though they weren't compared in the article, Petro is this team's David West. The 2005-2006 version of David West. Let's not get carried away.
I also would tend to disagree that Brandon Bass vs. DJ White is an advantage for the Thunder. We've never seen White take the court due to his jaw problem and we won't for months. And saying Bass was a wide-eyed rookie prone to mistakes, while true, is not really a valid argument given that he was at the very least a usable body. That alone makes him better than DJ at this point. White isn't even useful for a practice punching bag.
Hopefully this will change.
Here's an article from Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman comparing the first Hornets team to this first Thunder team.
I agree with everything except Bostjan Nachbar vs. Johan Petro being a Hornets advantage. Nachbar's stint was short lived and he was a sharpshooter. However, Petro is going to fill a huge void right away. He can run the floor, shoot and grab some boards. He was easily the best surprise of the preseason for the Thunder. I don't remember ever thinking, "Damn, I sure am glad the Hornets have Admiral Nachbar." That nickname was his single biggest redeeming feature. I also think that even though they weren't compared in the article, Petro is this team's David West. The 2005-2006 version of David West. Let's not get carried away.
I also would tend to disagree that Brandon Bass vs. DJ White is an advantage for the Thunder. We've never seen White take the court due to his jaw problem and we won't for months. And saying Bass was a wide-eyed rookie prone to mistakes, while true, is not really a valid argument given that he was at the very least a usable body. That alone makes him better than DJ at this point. White isn't even useful for a practice punching bag.
Hopefully this will change.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thunder 93, Suns 102
If you believe in such a thing as moral victories then last night's 102-93 Thunder loss to the Suns was certainly one. The Thunder played their best game thus far in the preseason. Better still they did it with only 9 guys on the active roster and against a Suns team that, while aging, is still a viable playoff contender.
Johan Petro continued to show that not only can he be a serviceable Center, he is threatening to become a valuable asset on both ends of the floor. He is nearly deadly from the top of the free throw circle which reminds OKC NBA fans of that same favorite spot on the floor David West has now made millions from. Johan finished with 17 points and 5 boards.
Robert Swift saw action for the first time and played real well also. He's very good and clogging passing lanes and as he gets up to game speed could be pretty valuable on the defensive end. He's a big dude that takes up a lot of space and I don't just mean his goofy hair. Also, the nickname Big Red is going on a t-shirt soon.
Russell Westbrook looked sharp in his first matchup against Steve Nash. Most encouraging was Westbrook knocking down some 3's. This team desperately needs someone besides KD with a reliable stroke from deep range. His driving to the basket is solid against anyone.
Overall the team played really solid team defense and it was great to see legitimate strides were made in the last week. Even more encouraging is the fact Phoenix had their starters out for crunch time and the bench-short Thunder hung in. Granted, Phoenix is old but I think if given some truth serum they would admit some surprise with how doggedly the Thunder played them.
Keep in mind the following regular players were out of action for the Thunder; Earl Watson, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith. Whilst none are superstars per se they certainly are each solid veterans who could provide valuable minutes.
All in all this game for the first time showed a glimmer of hope that this team can be pretty good and possibly surprise some people. They were certainly fun to watch. They played hard on defense and looked good on the break.
Johan Petro continued to show that not only can he be a serviceable Center, he is threatening to become a valuable asset on both ends of the floor. He is nearly deadly from the top of the free throw circle which reminds OKC NBA fans of that same favorite spot on the floor David West has now made millions from. Johan finished with 17 points and 5 boards.
Robert Swift saw action for the first time and played real well also. He's very good and clogging passing lanes and as he gets up to game speed could be pretty valuable on the defensive end. He's a big dude that takes up a lot of space and I don't just mean his goofy hair. Also, the nickname Big Red is going on a t-shirt soon.
Russell Westbrook looked sharp in his first matchup against Steve Nash. Most encouraging was Westbrook knocking down some 3's. This team desperately needs someone besides KD with a reliable stroke from deep range. His driving to the basket is solid against anyone.
Overall the team played really solid team defense and it was great to see legitimate strides were made in the last week. Even more encouraging is the fact Phoenix had their starters out for crunch time and the bench-short Thunder hung in. Granted, Phoenix is old but I think if given some truth serum they would admit some surprise with how doggedly the Thunder played them.
Keep in mind the following regular players were out of action for the Thunder; Earl Watson, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith. Whilst none are superstars per se they certainly are each solid veterans who could provide valuable minutes.
All in all this game for the first time showed a glimmer of hope that this team can be pretty good and possibly surprise some people. They were certainly fun to watch. They played hard on defense and looked good on the break.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Welcome to Thunderdome!
Clippers 90, Thunder 88
Last night marked the first appearance of the Thunder at the Ford Center. It's the only appearance the team will make in the preseason. All phases, from gameplay to announcing to the crowd, looked and felt like preseason.
But that's okay.
The team was, at times, sluggish and sloppy but there were some highlights. Johan Petro did a wonderful impersonation of a true center. That was great to see. Nick Collison looked like the closest thing to consistently dependable that the Thunder might have (uh oh). KD finished strong again. When he gets his shot to drop more reliably he will prove to the OKC fanbase that he is truly a superstar.
Lowlights included sloppy play from the backcourt. Lots of turnovers (7 between Earl Watson, Russell Westbrook and John Lucas III) and another 10 from Durant and Damien Wilkins. Free throws were missed late that accounted for the difference in the final score.
The nagging question that's on my mind is how will the Thunder fare when opposing team's best players are on the court for the majority of the game? Last night the Thunder had KD, Collison, Westbrook, Wilkins and Lucas on the court in crunch time. Aside from Lucas that's probably not a stretch for the real show. Meanwhile, the Clippers had no Baron Davis for the entire game, no Marcus Camby the entire game and yet the Thunder scratched and clawed their way to a two point loss. Yes they played 5 games in 7 days. Yes, with injuries and lack of practice time (PJ and KD both said less than half of the offense has been installed) PJ hasn't been able to properly evaluate personnel options. Hopefully, after an 8 day layoff betwixt games the Thunder will be able to offer a more proper showing of what they can do.
From an organizational standpoint I feel like the Thunder have plenty of room for improvement in terms of a "game experience". Regrettably, all the OKC fans have to compare it to is the Hornets and I got the sense that for at least the first half most people in the arena were comparing everything to the Hornets. This will probably be even worse on Opening Night when the place is packed and more seat owners are in attendance.
What people need to remember is that when the Hornets were relocated their entire organzation was uprooted. They basically took everything and everyone associated with the game from New Orleans Arena and recreated it in the Ford Center. In the case of the Thunder, fans need to realize this is much more like an expansion than a relocation. I doubt as many people moved with the team from Seattle as did from New Orleans. Likewise, the team name didn't move, the colors didn't move, the mascot didn't move. All of this is being added piece meal. And frankly, nuances such as sound effects are not as important to have nailed down for the first preseason game as, say, things related to the actual game. The court isn't even finished.
I don't really care either that the Thunder Dance Team is going to be called the Thunder Girls but I do imagine that Marketing probably lost some sleep kicking around ideas before they came up with the moniker. What's more important is this. Now that's Major League.
Also, what's the rush? Why not let the character of the team and the city have some time to marinate together? I think the result will be better than a rubber stamp copy of what the Hornets do. It might actually result in a more unique atmosphere over the long haul. So patience, at least for a season. We are all starting new here.
That said, 16,000 plus is not too shab for a preseason game and in the second half the crowd started getting more and more into things. By the end, it was raucous and I think the players got a good taste of what they can expect if they can play hard enough to keep things close.
Here's a picture of what it looks like in Section 309
Last night marked the first appearance of the Thunder at the Ford Center. It's the only appearance the team will make in the preseason. All phases, from gameplay to announcing to the crowd, looked and felt like preseason.
But that's okay.
The team was, at times, sluggish and sloppy but there were some highlights. Johan Petro did a wonderful impersonation of a true center. That was great to see. Nick Collison looked like the closest thing to consistently dependable that the Thunder might have (uh oh). KD finished strong again. When he gets his shot to drop more reliably he will prove to the OKC fanbase that he is truly a superstar.
Lowlights included sloppy play from the backcourt. Lots of turnovers (7 between Earl Watson, Russell Westbrook and John Lucas III) and another 10 from Durant and Damien Wilkins. Free throws were missed late that accounted for the difference in the final score.
The nagging question that's on my mind is how will the Thunder fare when opposing team's best players are on the court for the majority of the game? Last night the Thunder had KD, Collison, Westbrook, Wilkins and Lucas on the court in crunch time. Aside from Lucas that's probably not a stretch for the real show. Meanwhile, the Clippers had no Baron Davis for the entire game, no Marcus Camby the entire game and yet the Thunder scratched and clawed their way to a two point loss. Yes they played 5 games in 7 days. Yes, with injuries and lack of practice time (PJ and KD both said less than half of the offense has been installed) PJ hasn't been able to properly evaluate personnel options. Hopefully, after an 8 day layoff betwixt games the Thunder will be able to offer a more proper showing of what they can do.
From an organizational standpoint I feel like the Thunder have plenty of room for improvement in terms of a "game experience". Regrettably, all the OKC fans have to compare it to is the Hornets and I got the sense that for at least the first half most people in the arena were comparing everything to the Hornets. This will probably be even worse on Opening Night when the place is packed and more seat owners are in attendance.
What people need to remember is that when the Hornets were relocated their entire organzation was uprooted. They basically took everything and everyone associated with the game from New Orleans Arena and recreated it in the Ford Center. In the case of the Thunder, fans need to realize this is much more like an expansion than a relocation. I doubt as many people moved with the team from Seattle as did from New Orleans. Likewise, the team name didn't move, the colors didn't move, the mascot didn't move. All of this is being added piece meal. And frankly, nuances such as sound effects are not as important to have nailed down for the first preseason game as, say, things related to the actual game. The court isn't even finished.
I don't really care either that the Thunder Dance Team is going to be called the Thunder Girls but I do imagine that Marketing probably lost some sleep kicking around ideas before they came up with the moniker. What's more important is this. Now that's Major League.
Also, what's the rush? Why not let the character of the team and the city have some time to marinate together? I think the result will be better than a rubber stamp copy of what the Hornets do. It might actually result in a more unique atmosphere over the long haul. So patience, at least for a season. We are all starting new here.
That said, 16,000 plus is not too shab for a preseason game and in the second half the crowd started getting more and more into things. By the end, it was raucous and I think the players got a good taste of what they can expect if they can play hard enough to keep things close.
Here's a picture of what it looks like in Section 309
Friday, October 10, 2008
Oklahoma City at Sacramento
What I am looking forward to seeing tonight (and I don't mean The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Lyric Theatre)
-More minutes for Russell Westbrook and Johan Petro.
-Less minutes for Collison and Wilcox.
-Something positive from Jeff Green.
-Fewer turnovers.
-Better reception from the KSBI feed.
-More minutes for Russell Westbrook and Johan Petro.
-Less minutes for Collison and Wilcox.
-Something positive from Jeff Green.
-Fewer turnovers.
-Better reception from the KSBI feed.
Quick Hits
Just some quick thoughts on the first preseason game in Oklahoma City Thunder history.
-Russell Westbrook has "it". Whatever "it" ultimately winds up being remains to be seen. Wednesday night he had lots of energy and showed off the athleticism that helped make him the 4th overall draft pick. He also seems to have a pretty natural feel for splitting defenses and for getting to the basket at will.
-Damien Wilkins and Johan Petro were nice surprises. If Wilkins can maintain that consistency and average, say, 10 points a game that would be a big help. Petro needs to imitate a true Center long enough to give Collison and/or Wilcox a breather. If he can grab some boards and play some D that will be just fine.
-Better shooting from KD, Collison and Jeff Green will come.
-Collison and Wilcox play really well together.
-I wasn't sold on the away uni's until Mike Sherman of The Oklahoman made the following made the point that, "Spelling it out is a political statement. This team is representing the city and the taxpayers who made its presence here possible. And the ownership group is broadcasting that to the world and every NBA city the Thunder visits by wearing “Oklahoma City” across the franchise’s chest. It’s a sign of appreciation, respect and gratitude. Good call, Clay."
I don't expect the uniforms to be around too long but from that perspective it now makes more sense.
-Russell Westbrook has "it". Whatever "it" ultimately winds up being remains to be seen. Wednesday night he had lots of energy and showed off the athleticism that helped make him the 4th overall draft pick. He also seems to have a pretty natural feel for splitting defenses and for getting to the basket at will.
-Damien Wilkins and Johan Petro were nice surprises. If Wilkins can maintain that consistency and average, say, 10 points a game that would be a big help. Petro needs to imitate a true Center long enough to give Collison and/or Wilcox a breather. If he can grab some boards and play some D that will be just fine.
-Better shooting from KD, Collison and Jeff Green will come.
-Collison and Wilcox play really well together.
-I wasn't sold on the away uni's until Mike Sherman of The Oklahoman made the following made the point that, "Spelling it out is a political statement. This team is representing the city and the taxpayers who made its presence here possible. And the ownership group is broadcasting that to the world and every NBA city the Thunder visits by wearing “Oklahoma City” across the franchise’s chest. It’s a sign of appreciation, respect and gratitude. Good call, Clay."
I don't expect the uniforms to be around too long but from that perspective it now makes more sense.
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