Oklahoma City Thunder 2009 Draft Assessment

3rd Pick Overall- James Harden, G, Arizona State
If I were the GM of the Oklahoma City Thunder I would have taken Ricky Rubio. It would have been a decision based on emotion rather than what's best for the team. Last week I really believed Harden was the pick. But as it came closer to draft time I got caught up in Rubio mania.

James Harden has neither the buzz nor the sex-appeal of Rubio or Stephen Curry. But Harden is the right choice based on the dynamic of this team as it is currently assembled.

As I said the other day:

James Harden
The case for: He's a Shooting Guard in a Point Guard dominated draft class. He has good size and is left handed. He's a better athlete than people realize. He has a high basketball IQ and, by all accounts, is a gym rat. He does not need to be first banana and has a team-first attitude. He is probably the best "fit" in terms of sliding in and finding his role within the team and locker room.

The case against: He has a tendency to disappear in games. Um, that's about it.

The Thunder need exactly what Harden provides. The Thunder doesn't need an offensive savior. They need a guy who can play hard on defense, can get into the flow of the offense and keep opposing defenses from collapsing into the lane by knocking down outside shots.

Harden's character is what really makes him a great pick. Here's some quotes from an article by Mike Baldwin in The Oklahoman on June 16th:

"When the ping pong balls fell the way they did, I was ecstatic," [Harden's High School Coach, Scott] Pera said. "He wouldn't need to go in there and shock the world and save the franchise. Kevin Durant is there. Jeff Green is there. Russell Westbrook is there.

"(Harden) is what those guys are not and they're what he is not."

"He's one of those kids that's a throwback from a different era," one NBA general manager was quoted. "His background came back as clean as it gets. His coach and teammates rave about him. He's all business on and off the court."

"His game translates very well to the next level because of his length and he anticipates well, whether that's getting to a spot for a shot or defensively. In high school he led us in charges two years in a row."

"James has never been a super flashy, look-at-me type of guy. He just wants to win games. If he needed to dunk he did. If he needed to hit five 3's he did. If he needed three great passes that's what he did. His game will translate well to the next level."

Harden might not have the razzle-dazzle of Ricky Rubio but he will be a perfect fit for this team and this town. One can only admire Sam Presti leading with his head and not his heart.

25th Pick Overall- B.J. Mullens, C, The Ohio State
After swapping draft rights with the Dallas Mavericks the Thunder picked up B.J. Mullens, a project Center from Ohio State. The Thunder were rumored to be "intrigued" by Mullens and at one time were supposedly considering a trade with Detroit to move to the 15th spot to select him. So, it's fortuitous then that Mullens was available at the 25th spot. They did also give up a future 2nd rounder to Dallas, however.

Mullens is a guy who started two games for Ohio State last season as a Freshman. To say he is a project is being kind. However, the Thunder are filling a void by picking up a big body who can clog the lane. I'd much rather be in the Thunder's shoes taking a chance on a big man at 25 than the Memphis Grizzlies taking a chance on one with the 2nd selection.

Draft Rights Purchased- James Vaden, G, UAB
James Vaden will step in and be the old man of the bunch at 24. One of the interesting things that stands out to me in reading his bio from the UAB web site is the he was 5th in the nation his Junior year in 3-point attempts and 2nd in the nation in 3-point makes. Last year he was in the top three on his team in points, rebounds, blocks and assists. His shooting percentage is in the 35% range so that can improve. But he's similar in size to Harden (6'5").

Overall the Thunder drafted on need and based on the quality, or lack thereof, of this draft they did about as well as they could have hoped. Now comes free agency and a chance for the Thunder to add some veteran pieces to help all these youngin's grow.

With the Third Pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder Select...

The 2009 NBA draft is just over 24 hours away. Many NBA insiders, columnists and bloggers are convinced this is the worst draft class ever. Maybe so. But I'm excited because it's the first draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Look down and to the right on your screen. There's a poll asking which player the Thunder will select with the third pick. It will be one of those players. Here's my case for and against each of them assuming they are even available when the Thunder are on the clock.

Hasheem Thabeet
The case for: He's a 7'3" shot blocking specialist. He will make anyone think twice before driving to the basket. This particular specialty was noticeably lacking from the 2008-2009 Thunder squad.

The case against: He's "raw", his offense game is a "work in progress" at best, his enthusiasm for the game of basketball has been questioned. Also, there's recent draft history of the Thunder/Sonics trying to draft a franchise Center.The list reads like a who's who of busts and includes such notables as Serge Ibaka, Mo Sene, Johan Petro and Robert Swift.

Ricky Rubio
The case for: For months this has a been a two man draft of Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio. His passing has been compared to Larry Bird and Steve Nash. To paraphrase Bill Simmons, "He was put on Earth to make other players better". He has professional experience and he played well in the Olympic gold medal game. He's 18. He has by far the most trade value even with an expensive contract buyout.

The case against: They drafted the point guard of the future last year in Russell Westbrook. His shooting has been questioned which means the quad-fecta of Rubio, Westbrook, Sefalosha and Weaver might combine for one of the worst long range shooting backcourts of all time.

James Harden
The case for: He's a Shooting Guard in a Point Guard dominated draft class. He has good size and is left handed. He's a better athlete than people realize. He has a high basketball IQ and, by all accounts, is a gym rat. He does not need to be first banana and has a team-first attitude. He is probably the best "fit" in terms of sliding in and finding his role within the team and locker room.

The case against: He has a tendency to disappear in games. Um, that's about it.

Tyreke Evans
The case for: He's a good athlete, a hard worker and has excellent size. He's versatile in that he can play the point or off-guard. He might have the most "upside" of anyone.

The case against: What do you do with two Russell Westbrook's on the floor (could possibly be a plus)? The Thunder don't necessarily need another Point Guard.

Stephen Curry
The case for: He's probably the most dynamic player besides Rubio. He can shoot the lights out. He's versatile like Evans in that he can play both guard positions. Very high basketball IQ. Along with Rubio and Harden he's probably the most NBA ready.

The case against: He wants to be a true point guard. His size is a concern to some.

Jordan Hill
The case for: He's an athletic freak. He has lots of "upside". In a class short on big men he's probably the best outside of Griffin and Thabeet.

The case against: There will simply be better, safer options at the third spot. Forward is the Thunder's deepest position with Durant, Green, Collison and DJ White.

So, with the third pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select...

Rubio, Harden or Curry. In that order. No way it's Jordan Hill and I hope it isn't Thabeet. Evans is just the odd man out.

Exit Interview

So the season is over. What to do now? Well, NBA players go through exit interviews so I might as well also.

I'm cleaning up my locker, grabbing some extra shoes for my summer workout (I probably won't need them) and addressing the media before I head off for parts unknown.

Overall I'd say I did a fair job throughout the season. I faltered down the stretch no doubt. It wasn't from lack of interest so much as the personal and professional life getting in the way.

Probably the best way to sum it up would be to do a list of the top 10 things I loved and hated from the season that was.

Top 10 things I hated:

1. PJ Carlesimo's final game. The Thunder played the Hornets at the Ford Center and it was the poorest effort I've ever seen from professionals. The Thunder had completely given up on PJ. At that point there were two choices for the Thunder front office. Be the de facto laughingstock of the NBA or get rid of PJ. They did the right thing.

2. The media practically boycotting the Thunder because of the move. I understand it sucked and it needed to be discussed but after a while the cheap shots at every opportunity started making grown men sound like someone had stolen their woobie.

3. The Wave. I treat that bitch like 7-Up. I never have I never will.

4. The halftime magician who almost drowned. Not only was the simultaneous realization by 18,000 people that they were witnessing someones death a "buzzkill" but it almost doomed everyone to being "treated" to pre-teen cheerleaders for halftime acts for the remainder of the season.

5. The Thunder online store. Gouging people on the web is both seedy and unnecessary.

6. Me not getting chosen to shoot a halfcourt shot. No one made it this season. I guarantee I will make it if I can only figure out how to get chosen.

7. Robert Swift. I went through all the trouble of making a t-shirt for god's sake and the thanks I get is a goofy looking soft whitey riding the pine all season.

8. Getting trounced by Portland at home. Portland is supposed to represent the Thunder's future. A bonafide ass-beat proved just how far there is to go for the Thunder.

9. My mom and sisters running into Kevin Durant, Russel Westbrook, Jeff Green and ESPN's Ric Bucher at a yokel City Bites instead of me. WTF?

10. My wife hitting the Rookie Wall and calling into question my need to renew my tickets for season 2. Thankfully she caught a second wind and we came up with a plan to make it happen but it was nip-tuck for a while.

Top 10 things I loved:

1. When the Thunder and OKC fanbase "clicked". It happened sometime right around New Year's. OKC fans up until that time were comparing everything to the Hornets and wondering what they had and which player's could fill the void left by Chris Paul et al. But there was a game where the fans were into it at the end. They were cheering their guts out for their team and the players realized that their fans were on board with them. Still gives me chills.

2. The media changing their tune from "OKC Thieves" to "OKC- Team on the rise". The cheap shots began to fade once Scotty Brooks was named interim coach and the Thunder starting showing signs of life. Suddenly they were a team on the rise and loaded with so much young talent that people enjoyed the hell out of watching them.

3. Scotty Brooks. The guy just seems like an OKC kind of guy. Now he and his family are living here full time and hopefully he can stick around for a good long time.

4. The likability of the players. There doesn't seem to be a douche among them (except Earl Watson if you ask my wife). Everyone seems very happy, laid back and happy. Nobody moaned about being in OKC.

5. Winning a ball autographed by the whole team. Not one of those chintzy mini balls either. An official NBA ball. Sweet.

6. Sam Presti and/or any move made by Sam Presti. Vetoing what appeared to be an awesome trade for Tyson Chandler, picking up Nenad Krstic, picking up Thabo Sefolosha, getting a draft pick for Johan Petro. The guy just makes great moves and has put the Thunder in great position for the future.

7. The unsuspecting lady in front of me who got pegged in the boobs by the t-shirt cannon. Once I found out she was alright it quickly became the highlight of my night. Be on your toes when the t-shirt cannon is involved.

8. Still not having a favorite player. It's still a toss-up between KD, Jeff Green and Rust Dust. So much to like about each of them.

9. Rumble the Bison. Yeah it's a mascot but in a season where the move was poo-pooed, the logo, colors and uniform were poo-pooed, even the city was poo-pooed, Rumble proved to be a well-timed hit.

10. Having season tickets to a professional sports team in my home town. A lifelong dream realized.

Other notables: The win over the Spurs, the season-ending de-pantsing of the Clippers. George Karl saying nice things about the Thunder's future, the ongoing improvement of in-game festivities, the Thunder Girls.

Late Season Reflections

Some reflections and musings on a Sunday morning:

As thrilled as I am to have a professional team to call my very own I must admit it's been a little difficult keeping up with them this past month. Spring is in bloom, spring training started and there was March Madness. It felt like there was two weeks between home games at the end of March. I'm looking forward to the home stretch.

I hope DJ White plays tonight.

The Point Guard situation is getting interesting. Earl Watson hasn't played for about as long as I haven't blogged (~month). Shaun Livingston was picked up, another low-risk, high-reward move. Kyle Weaver was sent down to Tulsa where he picked up 11 assists in one game's worth of action. My guess is the Thunder carry three PG's next season; Russel, Livingston and Weaver. Possibly Chucky but he should be some kind of player-coach.

Last game against Portland, a woman two rows below me wasn't paying attention and got hit right in the boobs by the t-shirt cannon. She was alright and, sadly, this along with the mascot action provided most of the highlights for the night.

My growth as an NBA fan continues. I learned the other night what it looks like when a team is getting ready for the playoffs. They fine-tune their game like Portland did. They play at a high level. The Thunder, conversely, looked they were feeling out roster spots for next season.

When the Thunder rescinded the Tyson Chandler trade it put me in a tailspin. Alas, I've found my way and I'm back.



Since last we spoke Chandler is still/back in New Orleans, Joe Smith is still a Thunder, Chris "Weezy" Wilcox is in New York, Malik Rose and Thabo Sefolosha are Thunder's.



Whew. So where does that leave us? Marginally better fiscally, physically and emotionally. The Thunder are fiscally better because swapping Weezy for Rose netted the Thunder somewhere betwixt one and three million dollars.



The Thunder are better physically because Thabo Sefolosha offers improved depth at the Shooting Guard position. He played nearly 20 minutes against Golden State the other night and hadn't even practiced with the team. He's a lanky guy who supposedly is a quality defender. He'll back up Kyle Weaver who, on a quick sidenote, is improving day-by-day.



The Thunder are better emotionally because they still have Joe Smith and now Malik Rose brings another well-respected veteran to help raise the youngin's. Rose brings the additional bonus of two championship rings which is the highest form of street-cred (supposedly and understandably) in locker rooms.



In Other News



If you are on Twitter you can follow me by clicking the link over on the right. I found Kevin Durant on there the other day as well. You can do a search and easily find him. Tyson Chandler is on there as well and he's pretty funny.

Hornets Give Away Chandler, Thunder Gladly Accept

Well the rumour I posted earlier came to pass, only better. The Thunder didn't even have to give up a draft pick for Tyson Chandler. Instead, they give Joe Smith (expiring contract), Chris Wilcox (expiring contract) and DeVon Hardin's rights (He's in Europe).

That's it. Hardin was a second rounder and isn't with the team. Joe Smith and Weezy weren't going to be in OKC next year anyway.

The only risk for OKC is that Chandler is currently injured and may never regain his form. He's a seven footer and feet don't handle the bulk that well.

However, if he can stay healthy the Thunder have just drastically improved. TC brings a defensive presence to the paint that the Thunder desperately need. It also allows Nick Collison to move back to Power Forward behind Jeff Green. Now you have Nenad Krstic backing up TC. Durant, Green, Westbrook, Chandler et al plus draft picks and the Thunder are scary.

Legit centers are hard to come by. The Thunder just stole one.

I feel bad for New Orleans. Joe Smith and Weezy are fine players and really great people but it's going to be hard for the Hornets to do anything in the playoffs. In fact, their chances of making them just went down.

All the best to Joe and Weezy.

Blazers 106, Thunder 92

Durant-Oden II. Thunder-Sonics return to the Pacific Northwest. Young Guns vs. Younger Guns.

Add it all up and rather than cruise into the All-Star Break we had a game that featured all the playoff-type intensity you would hope for from division rivals.

Oden outplayed Durant. He unloaded angst-filled dunks and let out some of the frustration that evidently collected after last week's disappointing performance in OKC. KD played well but when you put up 30+ in five straight games anything less is a dropoff.

A contingent of Seattle supporters were in person to voice their displeasure. You know nobody throws a protest like Seattle. According to an Oklahoman report, one guy booed a kid wearing a Durant OKC jersey. On TV it sounded like two or three (at best) voices joined in unison at the beginning of the game. (Interesting Blazers fans observations here)

The game ultimately took center stage. The Thunder gave the Trail Blazers all they wanted. The Blazers eventually pulled away in the 4th but both teams left the floor knowing they were in a scrap.

These inter-division games are quickly becoming the highlight of my blossoming Thunder fandom. Portland represents a two-to-three year's ahead version of the Thunder. The Thunder are a few pieces away from matching Portland's talent level. These two teams could provide the most anticipated matchup in the division for the next several years easily, if not in the NBA. It's within the realm of possibility that you'll have to go through OKC or Portland to win the division. Of course Denver will have something to say about that. Denver is turning into a great rival itself.

The Thunder have to be pleased heading into the break. They gave the best team in the NBA and a playoff team all they could handle on the road, back to back. The kicker is the Thunder didn't play their best basketball in either game. They shot under 40% in both games, they got worked in the paint and got into foul trouble. But they were in the games.

H.O.R.S.E dba G.E.I.C.O, Lakers 105, Thunder 98

In case you haven't heard, Kevin Durant will be one of three participant's in All-Star Weekend's H.O.R.S.E. Contest. The other participants are O.J. Mayo and Joe Johnson. I'm excited about the event and that participant's. It's great exposure for KD and the Thunder. Plus, I think he has a real shot at winning.

Thoughts on Thunder v. Lakers

It was a really great effort by the Thunder all game long. The time for moral victories is over but this was not a bad loss. The Lakers are the best team I've seen the Thunder face all year.

The Lakers are the best because their entire lineup rebounds well on both ends of the floor, is the most disciplined team I've seen and they are big. Kobe Bryant is a nice asset as well.

In a hypothetical world which includes the Thunder in the playoffs, the Lakers are the team I'd want to face the least. It's not even close.

Pau Gasol is both a beast and First Team All Goofy.

Nick Collison had a rough first half. See above.

Jeff Green is quickly running out of places to wear pads.

The "MVP" chant for Kobe has become as cliche as "Everybody Clap Your Hands" at Thunder games. It's even more annoying.

The Lakers were so physical inside it seemed like a good chance for Chris Wilcox to get some minutes but he didn't play.

It's pretty clear that there are "Have's" and "Have Not's" on this team. The "Have's" will be on the roster next year and they are KD, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, Nenad Krstic and Nick Collison. Everyone else is likely gone except for maybe Dez Mason. D.J. White will be here too but he doesn't really count because he's inactive.

KD, Green, Westbrook, Weaver and Collison/Krstic are going to be playing A LOT together the rest of the year. I couldn't be more pleased about it.

Weekend Wrapup

Well, the last game I was able to see in person was last week's last second loss to the Nuggets. Over the weekend the Thunder beat down a quality Trail Blazers team and a bad Sacramento team. I was unable to make either. I've missed at least half this team's wins. If I didn't know better I'd think my presence was a bad thing.

A great win against Portland

I posted a few weeks back about how fun it is to read the other team's home paper. Nothing brings out bitterness, shock and disappointment quite like losing to the Thunder.

This story from Joe Freeman in The Oregonian illustrates this point.

Some choice cuts:

"In one of their worst and uninspiring performances of the season, the Blazers were outworked, outclassed and overmatched against the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder, falling 102-93 in an even-worse-than-it-sounds head-scratcher before 18,694."

From Brandon Roy, "They weren't scared of us -- at all," Roy said. "They came out from the opening jump and said, 'None of you guys can stay in front of us.' It was different than any other game. It was almost like they didn't have any respect for us. From the opening jump, they felt like they could beat any one of our players at any time. I don't know, I feel they just disrespected us. But if you can do it (and get away with it), do it."

Growth in the win over Sacramento

If the win over Portland was a confidence builder, the win against Sacramento could be even more important. As the Thunder continue to grow it's going to become more important to win games against teams of the King's (and the Thunder's) caliber. Portland dropped from 4th to 5th in the Western Conference with Friday's loss. Hopefully the Thunder find themselves jockeying for playoff position and every win is going to be critical.

The Thunder also showed great fight. The Thunder lost a huge lead but battled back. The Thunder have lost probably 10 games that followed this script.

New Mascot a bison

Here's the link from The Oklahoman

I like it. Bison is what I liked for a name and I think it works well with Thunder. I am surprised it wasn't some kind of Thor figure because so many people at games dress up in that sort of costume.

I just hope they make it look tough more than cartoonish and, for the love of all things holy, it has to be better than the horse mascot's that OU started using a few years ago. This hideousness sets the bar for me.

A Tacky Move

I was looking around the "Interweb" for Thunderwear and noticed that the price of identical products on the official "Thundershop" website and NBA.com are different. The Thundershop prices are way higher. At Thundershop you can get an authentic jersey, any size, for $240.00. At NBA.com the same jersey is $209.99 for XXL, $179.00 for smaller sizes.

Shooting Shirts (warmup shirts) on Thundershop are $80.00 for short sleeves and $90.00 for long sleeves. NBA.com has them for $53.99 and $69.99.

There are other examples. You can find Thunder gear on Yahoo! as well and it eflects the NBA.com pricing.

This is either poor work by merchandisers who can't get on the same page somehow or it's gouging on the part of the Thunder.

I hate to say it but I think it's the latter. Unfortunately, if true, it lends credence to the argument that Clay Bennett et al are money-hungry, opportunistic bastards. I know it's a business but they are robbing their neighbors. I can't imagine much merchandise goes outside of the state.

That's my public service for the day. All the extra money they are getting on merchandise had better go towards keeping Kevin Durant.

Nuggets 114, Thunder 113

Here's how it went down. 22 seconds left on the clock and Denver is up by 1, 112-111. OKC has the ball and surely I thought, surely, one of the babies gets the ball, works the clock and creates a shot or drives and dishes as time expires. Well, KD got the ball and promptly drives to the basket and lays it in. OKC up 113-112 now with 15 seconds left on the clock.

Why? Why in the world concede the last shot to Denver and Melo and J.R. Smith who had been lighting it up? I suppose it's more important to take a basket than wait to make sure Denver has no shot. But I wasn't celebrating. I felt impending doom. 15 seconds was way too long for Denver to get something cooking.

As it turns out Carmelo did make a basket, heavily contested though it was, with 5 seconds left. 114-113 Denver.

Now there's five seconds left. OKC draws up a play that's well defended and KD puts up a hopeless shot. Ballgame.

I just don't understand why Denver had any time at all. The ball in your hands with the play clock turned off is gold. Don't give it up. It's like in football when a team is driving at the end of a half and you work the clock so that the opposing team has as little time as possible to do anything. 15 seconds in basketball is like giving the other team two-and-a-half minutes in football.

I'd like to offer up a conspiracy theory. I don't want to believe it and based on my personal observations of the game I don't think it's true. However, my inner cynic forces me to bring it up.

What if the Thunder tanked? You have a wildly entertaining game so the crowd is none the wiser. The effort is there, Melo just made a shot. But Denver had the opportunity handed to them in the first place. 15 seconds. I'm just saying.

There's no way Denver should have had anything longer than two seconds to try and score to win. The Thunder were lucky to have five seconds of their own after the Melo make.

There's probably nothing to it. I doubt there is. It's way too early in the season and I'd hat to think it even crossed anyone's mind. The Thunder are young, they're learning. So on and so forth. Just something to throw out there. The ending was so bizarre.

Video Surfaces of the Halftime Act Drowning

I posted about the female magician who nearly drowned during her halftime performance back on January 19th.

Now a video has surfaced along with a conspiracy theory of sorts from Matt Watson at NBA Fanhouse.

Here's the video:

Who's the Defensive Stopper. Bueller? Bueller?

Dez Mason is gone for the season. On offense, he's been the Thunder's prototypical "no, No, NO!....Yesss!" player. Meaning, his offensive game looks like it has a zero-percent success rate but he's actually pretty solid.


His defense is another story altogether. The Thunder are now 0-9 in games that Mason doesn't play. Uh-oh. He's provided much needed energy to the starting lineup and his veteran moxy yields results that you don't see in the box score.


So how do you replace that? The obvious solution would seem to be Jeff Green. They are about the same size and Green can guard at least three positions. But Green hasn't slid over to Mason's starting position of shooting guard. Instead, Kyle Weaver has been inserted into the lineup.


I like Kyle Weaver's game. His passing and ball-handling indicates he has a high basketball IQ. I also mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he could be a real defensive pest. So I like that he is getting this opportunity.


I don't see him as the long term starter at the position though. Hopefully he can learn as much as he can the remainder of the season and prove that he is a piece in the long term puzzle. Then, next season, he can provide the spark off the bench that I think his game is really more suited for.


If this is what Sam Presti is thinking (and, let's be honest, there's a good chance it isn't) then maybe it offers a glimpse into how this upcoming draft and offseason could go.


For instance, if the Thunder get Blake Griffin then why not move Jeff Green over to the 2? It's a position he can guard and his shooting has improved dramatically this year. If that's the case then why not stick Jeff Green at the 2 now instead of Weaver and insert Nenad Krstic at the 5 and slide Nick Collison to the 4? The answer is probably that, short term, Collison can't defend a 4 as well as Green. It's probably not wise to bank on ping-pong balls falling in your favor.


But in any event, I think it's safe to assume that if Mason were healthy or now with Kyle Weaver replacing him, neither man is the long term answer to start at the position. So maybe we're gazing into the cystal ball and the Thunder are looking to draft or trade for a shooting guard.


In the short term we can only hope that the Green/Weaver combo steps up. This next month looked rough anyways but now it could be downright brutal.

This is Great

The tone that writers use to describe the Thunder is beginning to change. It was once all the rage to mock Oklahoma City, Clay Bennet, David Stern, et al about the move from Seattle. I can understand that sentiment. Once the season started the scornful eye moved from "the move" to the joke of a product on the court. Everything was fair game; the name of the team, the logo, the colors, the city. A terrible record was fuel to the fire.



What's happening now is really interesting. People still have a hard time with the name, logo and uniforms. Most everyone is quick to dismiss Oklahoma City as the new wasteland of the NBA and they appear to care even less about coming here to form a first-hand opinion.



But people are starting to become a little freaked out about what we (OKC and the Thunder) have cooking. The Thunder are on many analyst's and fan's must watch lists. It's an entertaining team with an entertaining crowd and a bright future. It makes people gulp, maybe throw-up in their mouth a bit or question their sanity. But people are coming around.



Take this excerpt from an article on Freedarko.com:



"I'd like to say a few words about the Oklahoma City Thunder. I know that as a resident of Seattle, I should hate this team. Then again, I refuse to hate David Stern, who is far more to blame than, say, Kevin Durant. But along with Denver, LeBron with a healthy team, and presumably now Golden State, they're one of the only squads I can now reliably count on to be entertaining. Yes, Durant's maturation, Westbrook's crash-and-burn progress, and Jeff Green Jeff Green-ing his way to Jeff Green-ness are all rad. However, it's the packaging, the location, and the irrepressible obscurity around them that makes them so compelling. This is an NBA team that, for all intents and purposes, might as well not exist. They play in a city that matters only to the people who live there. Their uniforms are unrelentingly generic, like the plain white can, black type BEER they sell some places. The name of the team seems like a placeholder, unless you bother to acquaint yourself with life in Oklahoma. I kind of admire Clay Bennett for crafting such an utterly blank brand, so strong is his faith in OKC's appetite for NBA ball, plain and simple.



The more this team grows, the more all this seems mysterious, sneaky, or hermetic, rather than simply laughable. When I sleep, I dream of making a shirt that puts Durant on the cover of Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, and I even think the music serves as a decent soundtrack. By contrast, Hawks/Bobcats were red carpet regulars. This team is living in caves, stockpiling arms, camping out on the Big Love compound. I don't know what their purpose is, but the bare bones image and total lack of exposure makes them seem so much more severe, even unsettling, than if they had a cartoon horse on their unis. Durant's good enough now to reclaim that "assassin" epithet; on this team, it's as haunting as it should be. They may practice an hour's drive from any number of campy militias, but mark my words, the Thunder will be the first NBA team to catch on with Waziristan hobbyists."



I had to look up Waziristan but this more or less encapsulates the new tone I see people having with this team.



If you want a more sterilized journalistic version of this attitude just go to the hometown newspaper of any team the Thunder defeats.

And now there is this article from Yahoo! which furthers the point and begins thus:

"Kevin Durant knows what you think about Oklahoma City. Minor-league town, major-league wannabe. Great place if you like college football, a cheap steak and slow nights. Want to watch a high-level NBA game? Head three hours south on I-35 to Dallas. Better yet, don’t exit until you get to San Antonio.

Kevin Durant also knows what you think about his Oklahoma City Thunder, provided you even realize they exist. Bad uniforms, bad team. Their carpet-bagging Okie owner stole them from Seattle. For Durant, this has to be basketball purgatory. A place to get his shots up, collect his millions and wait until the big markets come calling in 2011 or ’12. For the love of the Big 12, he’s a Texas Longhorn sentenced to work in OU country.

No wonder someone started a web site, iwantoutofokc.com, that counts down the seconds until Durant becomes a restricted free agent. Tick … tick … tick … tick… Guaranteed salvation is just a few short seasons away.

So, yes, Kevin Durant knows what you’re thinking. He also wants you to understand this:
“Hopefully,” he says, “I’ll spend my whole career here.”

It's catching on.

Thunder 94 Nets 85

Last night was a monumental win for the Thunder. At one point the Thunder held a 30 point lead, their largest of the season. Their 10th win of the season vanquishes talk of being the worst team of all time (although the point has been moot for over a month). The win also moves them ahead of the Washington Wizards who sit at 9 wins, worst in the NBA. Memphis has 11 wins and they visit Wednesday night. Yes sir, things are looking up.

I wish I could have been there. A patent-pending Oklahoma ice storm kept the Ford Center crowd down to about 5,000 hardy souls. Those that braved the roads were not only treated with the victory but free parking and open seating in the lower bowl.

When the Hornets were here there was once a similar situation and I did make it to that game. It's a special feeling at these kinds of games because a cavernous arena has been reduced to a high school gym. In bad times nothing could seem worse. But when a team has a connection to the fans like those Hornets did and these Thunder are starting to, it's a lot of fun. There's an intimacy that is rarely seen at the professional level. So I was sad to miss it. But only briefly.

You see, of all the days to be iced in, yesterday was one of the best. My new TV got delivered to the house in the afternoon. So, there I was sitting fireside watching the Thunder take a big step forward and I got to see the Sooners beat the Cowboys in Bedlam. All in HD on the new set. The dogs were sleeping and farting at my feet and the wife was asleep on the couch. Everyone nice and cozy.

Doesn't get much better.

Late Night Shenanigans

What a crazy game last night betwixt our beloved Thunder and the Warriors. For once fortuna smiled on OKC and Jeff Green's game winner at the buzzer made it worth staying up to see the 122-121 victory.

It seems to me these two teams bring out the best in each other.

For example a 72-68 halftime score. You'd think that no Defense was being played by either team. But it was really solid basketball by both teams. Both shot over 50% from the floor and both were 15/15 from the free throw line. For the game the team's shot a combined 68-73 from the foul line. The Thunder shot 62% from 3-point range and the Warriors shot over 50% from the floor for the game.

What I really liked about this game, other than winning and other than Jeff Green's beating the buzzer to do it, was something I noticed from Kyle Weaver, Jeff Collison and Desmond Mason.

Collison and Mason, each on separate occasions, took their teammate(s) aside and did a little coaching. Collison showed Weaver something about posting up on D. Mason pulled the entire on-floor lineup aside coming out of a timeout with less than a minute left in the game.

On occasion I've seen Chucky Atkins do this to Russell Westbrook and I've seen Damien Wilkins do it as well.

To me, it's a clear sign that the team has great chemistry and are taking ownership and responsibility for improving and winning. Not only is it encouraging to see but it's fun to watch as well.

Kyle Weaver jumped out to me because he is becoming "that guy you love to have on your team but hate to play against". He's a pest. He gets up in your face, he harasses every pass and lives in your back pocket. He clearly got under the skin of Corey Maggette.

Every good team needs a pest. They can take their opponent out of their games, distract them, get them to commit silly fouls and flat out bug the snot out of people. Two people that immediately come to mind that play this role on other team's would be Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Paul of the Hornets. I'm in no way saying Weaver is an equal to the complete games these two posess. But, as Weaver's confidence builds, you can see him playing an important role off the bench.

The Rookie Wall

Good Monday to all. Here's some news and notes from this past weekend of Thunder basketball.

• My wife has hit the Rookie Wall. Three games in the past week has tested her commitment to the team. Never mind she witnessed the first two-game win streak of the season or that each of the wins came against teams with winning records. Or that she saw the best individual performance from an opponent in the Ford Center in Dwyane Wade. She is pregnant so maybe I should give her some slack.
• The Pistons are in trouble. Opponents are quick to say they should have won any time they lose to the Thunder. But a loss to the Thunder in and of itself is not a red flag because the team is playing so well recently. These Pistons are in trouble because they are no more than a collection of parts. On paper they should be a nightmare. Allen Iverson, Rip Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. Every one of them is a tough matchup. Every one of them should be able to take the wheel when the offense sputters. But they play horribly together. Maybe Rip is still sulking about Chauncey Billups being gone. Maybe it's the chatter about starting three smallish guards or playing time between them or whatever. Really they have no Alpha Dog to lead them. The Heat, by comparison, do not have the same talent but they have Wade and he makes the whole thing hum. The Pistons just have individuals and none of them are the type of players that make those around them better.
• Anyone complaining about ho-hum halftime shows was quieted Friday night. "The World's Greatest Female Illusionist" nearly died performing a water escape routine. She quickly put herself (and I suppose the Thunder for hiring her) on the short list for wet blanket story of 2009. 18,000+ people simultaneously realizing they could be witness to someone's death is a helpless and haunting moment. Thankfully she survived but the crowd was rattled. Sunday night it was back to High School Pom-Pon routines at the half.
• I saw Sam Presti in Section 309 both Friday and Sunday night. I'm not sure what he was doing up there. Maybe he was wanting to soak it all in from the fans' point of view but I thought it was interesting to see him up there both nights. The first night I didn't say anything but the second I blurted "Nice work" or "Keep it up" or somesuch and he was very cordial and appreciative. Seems like a cool guy to hang out with. I'm very good at sizing people up after two-second exchanges.
• Speaking of random sightings, it was my Grandpa's birthday on Saturday. I called him up and he told me on Thursday he and Grandma were having dinner at Hometown Buffet when a cab pulled up and out trotted three Detroit Pistons. Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Aflalo and a player undetermined came in to the restaurant. Of all the places to eat they set out for Hometown Buffet. That's crazy to me.
• Dwyane Wade is the best opponent I've seen in the Ford Center this year in person. LeBron has talent and skill oozing from every pore. He has the greatest understanding of what he brings from an entertainment standpoint and he is "that moment". Dwight Howard was a force that could not be stopped. He is a man among boys. But neither hoists his team on his shoulders and carries them like Wade. He is the first guy I've seen who makes everyone around him better. He's the catalyst of the entire offense. He's the best defender they have, the best scorer they have, the best passer they have. It's no wonder the Heat's record was so abysmal last year without him. I can't imagine what their offense would look like if he wasn't there. He also did not have the benefit of getting bailed out by the referees last night and he still scored 32. What's weird is it seemed like more. But it was his passing and his defense that made it seem like he was omnipresent in everything the Heat did. He was amazing.

The Thunder's Biggest Fans Caught in the Act

I perused the Thunder Madness website today. It's a Thunder fan site created by The Oklahoman. One of the features allows people to upload their photos. The newest photos are shown on the front page. Hugh Scott of The Oklahoman snapped and posted some photos of the Thunder Girls (and bless him for it). In so doing he captured a shot of the some of the Thunder's biggest fans, my parents.

As you can see, the contest has my dad working up a lather and someone nearby has thrust a beer in front of him in their unseen excitement. Mom on the other hand is taking advantage of the game break to sift through some email, check the 401K or perhaps checking in with her bookie. More likely she's texting one of my sisters to see if the puppy has made any doodies in the house.

You can also see that their seats are about five rows from the court, whereas mine are five rows from the roof. It's cool though. I don't really need to be that close. What would be fun about that?

I Just Can't Keep Up

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.

Long Time No See

Ah, let me kick off the shoes and scratch the toes here a little bit. Sure has been a while. Thanks to all the loyal followers out there who conspired to coax me out of the Holiday Coma I've been in. Really, emails are flattering but smooching a bobblehead in my likeness out in the front yard is a little creepy.

In any event, Happy 2009 and what a start it's been. Let's see, where were we:

• The Thunder put 2008 to bed with a win on New Year's Eve at the Thunderdome against the dysfunctional Warriors. Of course I didn't see it because $200 dinners with friends are much more important. I kid, I kid it was wonderful (It had better be, eh?).
• Carmelo Anthony took all the fun out of what would have been the Thunder's first two game win-streak of the year when he did his best super-kung-fu-backflip-off-the-wall-dagger-to-the-heart-routine. It took less time for him to do it than it did for me to write it. I didn't get to see that either because of yet another dinner party. Do you think I blog from Mom's basement or something?
• Nenad (Krusty) Krstic has officially cleared customs and is on the squad, though he has yet to suit up. There is rumor and hope that his first game could be this very night against the suddenly frisky Timberwolves. By the way, Krusty has to be one of the best nicknames on the team. I know one other Krusty and it's served him well for ages. The two actually look similar. I'll have to do a side by side if possible.
• Assistant coach Ron Adams joined the coaching staff. By all accounts he's a defensive specialist and if the game against the Knicks (see below) is any indication, things are working out.
• After defeating the Celtics (now looking as though the Playoff Intensity carried over from last season has finally worn the old fogies down), the Knicks got beat by our own youngin's in a game that really shouldn't have been as close as it was. KD, Young Dro and Slim each had over 20 points.

Yes sir, 2009 is starting out looking alright for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook is starting to get some notice for Rookie of the Year consideration (he was named the NBA's top Rookie for December). The boys are playing with some fire and are proving they can compete with anyone.

Don't look now but this worst-team-in-history nonsense could be behind us by the All-Star Break.

Oklahoma Rising?

It's been a pretty exciting last few days for our Thunder. First, a convincing win at home against the Toronto Raptors, 91-83. Second, an exciting game against Bron-Bron and the Cavs, a 102-91 loss. Finally, news that the Thunder are trying to sign veteran Center Nenad Krstic.

A Full 48 against the Raptors

Obviously, when you're 2-24 at the time a win is a win. A couple things made this one so much the better. First, it was at home. It had been over 40 days since the last home win and watching so many defeats had grown long in the tooth (see previous post). That's 13 trips to the Ford Center where the team and it's faithful left disappointed.

Also, while I wouldn't say the Thunder were dominant, they did play with confidence and they were in control from start to finish. It could have been the infusion of Desmond Mason into the starting lineup or maybe, at some point, you have to look yourself in the mirror and say enough is enough. One thing I thought was particularly interesting was a moment late in the game. Coming out of a timeout you could tell the emphasis was on finishing. The team came out of the huddle and went to the scorers table and did their pre-tipoff handshakes, fist-bumps etc., with team officials. It was as if the game were starting over at 0. Interestingly, the Thunder outscored the Raptors 15-5 in those final minutes.

Something else that sticks out about this win is that it came against a Raptors team that was full strength. The Thunder have recently lost games where teams were short-handed. Golden State (minus Monta Ellis), the Los Angeles Clippers (no Chris Kaman) and Phoenix Suns (no Shaq) all come to mind. The Raptors, while not necessarily on par with Phoenix are similar to the others. Beating a team at full strength, playing well for a full 48 minutes and coming out with a victory provided a much needed shot of confidence. Especially with LeBron coming to town.

A Measuring Stick for Improvement

Last time the Thunder played the Cavaliers it was the worst game of the season for the Thunder. It was a 35 point shellacking where LeBron was needed all of 17 minutes. This time around, the Cavs needed Bron-Bron for over 40 and this one wasn't decided until the 4th quarter.

This was a very acceptable loss. The Thunder went toe-to-toe with one of the beasts of the East. There are only a handful of teams with a realistic chance of winning a title. Cleveland is one of them.

Not only was it entertaining, not only was it close, not only did the Thunder play really well, but it also came in front of a packed house. The importance of this cannot be overstated. This game, along with the Hornets, Lakers and Celtics is guaranteed to bring everybody out. It's in these situations when you can have your deepest impacts on a fanbase. By putting their best foot forward against the most exciting player on the planet the Thunder took a big step towards endearing themselves to the city.

The crowd was absolutely awesome. There were tons of Cavs jerseys but Cleveland left town as bullying villains. Let there be no doubt that the Ford Center is Thunderdome.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the Thunder's improvement comes from the Cavs. LeBron said, "Young teams feed off the crowd and the crowd was into it. They stuck in there and played hard." And, quoth Cavs coach Mike Brown, "The Thunder are young, and their confidence is starting to show." Then this, ''The first thing is they play extremely hard and not only that, but I think [Thunder coach Scott Brooks] has found a combination of players that he knows he's going to get that from every night,'' Brown said. ''The athleticism they have, the toughness they have is tough to match.''

The Thunder are indeed proving to be very difficult to match up with and they are finding ways to exploit their athleticism at all times. This has to be the best team to ever flirt with the NBA futility record.

I Nenad My Krstic

Here's what we know about this guy:

• He's a 7 foot center
• He was one of many NBA free agents to bolt for Europe
• He's the first to come back to the NBA
• Evidently he can shoot and pass very well and has a nice feel for the game
• He tore his ACL in 2006 and prior to that averaged 16 points and 7 boards per game

From the Thunder's perspective it looks like this guy will be smart enough to not only fit in with this team's style of play but also complement it. It also says something about what they think of Johan Petro and Robert Swift. He also gets added to the list of potential trade bait.

All in all an interesting move that really has little downside for the Thunder both in the short and long term. Reportedly, he could be in the fold by New Year's Eve.