Warriors vs. Thunder: Pre-game view

vs.

Golden State Warriors (10-23) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (THREE AND FREAKING TWENTY NINE)
Wednesday, December 31
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

View from the other side: Golden State of Mind

More than anything, tonight is about overcoming a mental block. The Warriors aren't necessarily more talented than Oklahoma City, but OKC can't seem to shake that its supposed to lose. And the Thunder plays like it. It's obvious; especially in the fourth quarter. If the Thunder's winning late, they played scared. If they're trailing, they play careless.

Golden State has been decent at home (6-7) but awful on the road (4-16). The last time OKC and Golden State locked up, all signs pointed to a Thunder victory until the ball was actually tipped. Golden State was playing without any of its most major stars and with guys that have seen the court as much as Mo Sene and they still beat OKC by 10 and led virtually the entire game. The only good thing to come from that pathetic night was Kevin Durant's 41 and the light show he put on in the final two minutes. But that game was easily the most frustrating of the year.

You'd think the Thunder would come out and look to get revenge. You'd think. But sometimes I wonder if they've accepted the fact that they stink and are just waiting for April 15 -- the last day of the season. So you have to toss all expectations out the window. If this group had finished and won a few games they should have (Memphis, Atlanta, LA Clippers, Minnesota), I'd be calling victory tonight. But since that just hasn't happened, I'm trying to picture 3-30 and convince myself it isn't at bad as it looks.

I really don't know why you want a team to win other than to just give you reason to care. As everybody says, you can't crown a winner before the game starts. Who knows what can happen? But in OKC's case, most times, we all know what will happen before the tip. And so does the team. And that's the problem. One team doesn't expect to win. The other thinks, "We better not effing lose to those jokes." That makes for one squad trying harder than they should against a 3-29 team and the other creating new ways to lose.

This isn't one of those, play-tough-hang-in-there-stay-close-and-give-yourself-a-chance games. It should be (but won't be) the type of game you win. The Warriors stink on the road, play bad defense and are really, really average. But I thought the same thing in Washington last week. And the same thing against the Clippers. And the same thing against the Grizzlies. And the same thing... you get the point.

It would be really nice to have Nenad Krstic tonight because, well, OKC needs everything it can get. But he won't be in uniform as he waits on his work visa to get finalized. That sucks. Let's just hope Kevin Durant follows up on Ziller's prediction and goes for 50. KD played poorly against Phoenix and typically he follows a bad one with a really, really good one. And if Russell Westbrook can do half of what he did against the Suns and Jeff Green chips in another solid performance, the Thunder could have a fighting chance. Look at me, I sound like Dan Shaughnessy with all these "ifs". But it is the truth -- OKC just can't seem to get all three clicking together. In the Thunder's three wins Durant, Green and Westbrook have combined for 58 percent of OKC's points. Sure, there has been losses where all three played well, but OKC has to have everybody clicking in order to win. And the those three are the most important parts.

I'm trying to go into this game with no expectations, or in other words, with the full expectation of a loss. But for some reason this one has the feeling of the Raptors game a little. Except that Golden State hasn't gotten a coach fired and completely quit on the new guy. But a below average team that's bad on the road is coming in and the Thunder's just due. They are. But again, no expectations other than the obvious ones, but I have that sneaking suspicion OKC could surprise. (Translation: I'd love to make a win prediction for the Thunder but I obviously realize how futile and borderline psycho that is, so in order to not sound like a loon, I'm pulling a Lee Corso and tossing out a butt-covering "Closer than the experts think" call so I can kind of get the best of both worlds.)

Wednesday Bolts - 12.31.08

• Ziller think KD has a big game in him tonight: "This one was actually a close runner-up for Headliner. (And you think I'm kidding.) Kevin Durant has 50 points in him tonight."

• Rob Mahoney on the Krstic signing: "Pretty sweet pick-up for the Thunder, though. The team has been ridiculously competitive this season in relation to their laughable record; it seems as though every time I tune in or check a mid-game box score, they're nursing a tiny lead or facing a manageable deficit. The issue isn't one of effort, and you'd know as much if you watch the Thunder regularly (the few, the proud). There just isn't enough talent on the roster for the bunch to be a good team, and Krstic certainly helps there. Dude can play, though he's certainly not without his flaws. His presence suddenly makes Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith's expiring deals just that much more expendable, and one can only hope that OKC will get back prospects or picks in return."

• Russell Westbrook is No. 3 in ESPN's Rookie Award Watch: "His confidence is growing and, with the season not even halfway complete, don't be surprised if he makes a serious push to join Rose and Mayo in the conversation for top rookie honors. Of course he needs to improve on his shooting percentage and cut down on his turnovers, but he has been a much better player in December than he was in November and he is only going to keep improving."

• Nope, no Krstic tonight: The Thunder signed Krstic to a three-year, $15.6 million deal that launches a new chapter in his NBA career. Krstic will not be in uniform tonight against Golden State and cannot suit up until the final paperwork is completed on his work visa.

• Teammates on Krstic: "Smith said that opponents will respect Krstic’s midrange jump shot to the point where it should open up driving lanes for his teammates. “It also helps with (having) another outlet on the perimeter whenever they do get caught in traffic,” Smith said. Simply having another able-bodied big man who has shown a knack for scoring should benefit everyone. But let’s make one thing clear: the Thunder didn’t bring Krstic here to resuscitate the franchise or save the season. He is a piece to the puzzle, albeit one who is expected to make significant contributions."

What impact will Nenad Krstic actually have?

Now that it's official -- Nenad Krstic will become a member of the Thunder -- what can OKC fans expect? Will he equate to more wins? Or will it be more of the same?

First instinct says he has to make the team better. Otherwise, 1) Why would Sam Presti spend $15 million on him? and 2) He's definitely better than what the Thunder has already.

There's really one major question lingering on Krstic -- is his knee healthy and will he play like his old self? If he is, this could be pretty big. This team needs obvious help and Krstic fills one of the positions OKC needs the most help -- the low post. It seems the Thunder are functioning decently at three positions -- point guard, small forward and power forward. They aren't awesome at those spots, but they're good enough to win some games. And the best part is those three are young. But at center and shooting guard, OKC's getting next to nothing.

At center, OKC is getting about 16 points per game, 13.5 rebounds per game and a PER of 14.5. In other words, not very good. In 26 games before his knee injury, Krstic was averaging 16.4 ppg and 6.8 rpg. He's not a great rebounder, but he is what OKC needs -- a good scorer. He's a perfect pick and pop guy to work with Westbrook and he's also a nice post player that can score on the blocks. I feel alright (and by "alright," I mean "better") about a lineup that has:

PG Westbrook
SG Dead Body
SF Kevin Durant
PF Jeff Green
C Nenad Krstic

My feeling is that if OKC is a current "F," Krstic will take it to a "D". After watching this group play 32 games and see them win three, if nothing would have been done, I'm thinking the Thunder would win about 11-14 games. If that. But with a healthy Krstic, the Thunder could potentially push that number 15-20. One reason being because he could give a mental boost to the team. Right now, nothing feels right and losing appears to be the only option on a night-to-night basis. Adding a potential star to the fold could help the team break from this loser mentality and kind of give OKC a fresh start.

Now the obvious question remains what will happen to the roster now that Krstic is a part of it. This gives OKC three seven-footers (now that Steven Hill has been waived) -- 14 feet of it being pretty crappy. But there's an abundance in the blocks for the Thunder -- Joe Smith, Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox, Johan Petro, Krstic, Robert Swift, Mo Sene and even the injured D.J. White. Somebody has got to go. Maybe two of 'em. Maybe three.

Krstic will be formally introduced to the media today at 4 p.m. And he will likely be formally introduced to some of the worst basketball he's ever seen Wednesday night. But he's a good player and he fills a gaping hole for OKC. This is a big step in a 10,000 mile walk. But I see it as a pretty good one. And an absolutely necessary one.

Some highlights of OKC's new big man:

Tuesday Bolts - 12.30.08

• Help has officially arrived; Krstic will join the Thunder: "The New Jersey Nets have declined to match Oklahoma City's offer sheet to former first-round pick Nenad Krstic. The decision Tuesday gives the Thunder another 7-footer as they continue to look for a reliable center. Krstic was playing in Russia when the Thunder extended an offer sheet to him last week. The Nets had a week to match it but passed."

• Bright Side of the Sun said last night's Thunder reminded them of someone: "The Suns seemed to be sleepwalking in the first quarter, this could be due to the days off or underestimating the opponent. The defense was really bad (to say the least) and it seemed that The Thunder were scoring at will. They looked like the old Suns, running, cutting to the basket and getting highlight dunks and assists that will surely be on the top ten tonight. To make things even worse, just into 9 minutes of the first quarter Nash got hurt on a beautiful pick and roll play with Amundson who finished an AND1 play. Nash signaled coach Porter to get him out of the game and never came back. It was later reported that Nash had back spasms."

• Ziller says at least you're not a Bobcats fan: "When you think of utter hopelessness in the NBA today, Oklahoma City surely comes to mind. The team's record is horrific. I mean, maybe the Detroit Lions have softened the string of utter failure to our cynical eyes. But three wins, 29 losses ... that will almost always be hilarious to the neutral party. Whether justice to the jilted, brown grass to the fellow sufferer or simple joke, the Thunder have become a complete laughingstock. You feel silly for even looking for the bright side. But you can't tell me there isn't hope there. The truly bad in the NBA can offer one concession to fans: hope for a better tomorrow. In this league, that is fulfilled by youth. Oklahoma City has loads of youth: Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook ... all kids, and all starters right now. OKC owns roughly two dozen draft picks to spend the next two Junes. Take away Joe Smith and Earl Watson, and you've basically got a college team. This is where we turn to our main subject, a bad team without much hope, by my count the Bleakest Team in the NBA: the Charlotte Bobcats."

• Another Serge Ibaka update: In December, he's averaging 13 minutes per game, 5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and is shooting 57 percent from the field.

• A mock draft from Bleacher Report has Oklahoma City picking you-know-where and taking you-know-who: "Clearly the supreme talent in this class, the sophomore 6-foot-9 forward has gotten off to a ridiculous start this year for the unbeaten Sooners. His superior athleticism gives him a huge advantage crashing the boards, and his offensive game is explosive and already highly-polished. Unlike Michael Beasley before him, his work ethic and killer instinct are unquestioned and he appears willing to do anything to get the win. Unfortunately for him, it's looking like he'll have to stay in Oklahoma and play for the OKC Durants. Quite frankly, this team needs anything it can get. They wouldn't be doing too shabbily to snag Griffin, though."

Phoenix burns Oklahoma City a second time

A fast start, a slow finish. Oklahoma City scored as many points in the fourth quarter (15) as Russell Westbrook did in the first. Kevin Durant shot horribly (5-17). The Thunder rebounded terribly (37-28 in favor of Phoenix). And OKC shot poorly from the line (67 percent). All in all, it added up to just what we expected - another loss.

I wish I could figure out why only two parts of the three part group of Westbrook, Jeff Green and Durant seem to click on a night-to-night basis. Tonight Westbrook was fantastic scoring the ball, netting a career-high 31 on 12-16 shooting with 3-4 from downtown. He also dished five assists, but turned it over six times. Green had 22 and 11 and played a whopping 45 minutes. He did a yeoman's job on Amare Stoudemire, holding him to just 14 points and kept him in foul trouble all night. But Durant. He did have 18 points - most of it coming from the line - but shot just 5-17 from the floor and 0-5 from three. As much praise as he's received from his three-point shooting this month lately, he's gone 2-15 from moneyland the past three games. It doesn't seem like he's taking those threes in rhythm anymore and looks like he's forcing some. I'm not complaining about the guy because everybody deserves an off night, especially after his recent 10 game tear. It's just extremely clear that in order for OKC to actually win, all three parts have to be clicking because the supporting cast isn't going to get the job done.

But there was a huge moment in tonight's game - for the first time in a while, Earl Watson impressed me. Not his overall game because per usual, he had little impact on the game, but his over-the-shoulder, no-look to Robert Swift was really sweet. Other than that, he just frustrated me.

It's clear how weak the Thunder are in the post. Swift got the start, but Shaq just dominated. It appeared as if he could score every possession. He had 28 and 12, but was just dominant in the paint. The Thunder hung tough and led for a about two thirds of the game, but once Phoenix took a 7-10 point lead, it just felt like OKC was hanging on by a thread. At any moment it felt like the Suns could blow this thing open. Of course, a lot of the reason why it never happened was because Steve Nash headed to the locker room early in the first half with back spasms.

It all started to really fall apart late in the third when Phoenix got in the bonus with about five minutes left in the period. But then the Thunder got the bonus too. Which made for a painful final four minutes as basically the teams would play 15 seconds, a whistle would blow and somebody would shoot two freebies. Start the clock and repeat.

The Suns have become a pretty good looking half court team and they run pretty clean sets. Most of it goes through Stoudemire and Shaq, but why wouldn't it? They've got good three-point guys and they've got a good slasher/jump shooter (Jason Richardson). They could be a lot tougher down the road than people are giving them credit for. They're 17-12 and while the Thunder played them tough, the second half never felt to be in doubt. The Suns had control and OKC was scrambling to stay close. Phoenix could probably use another body or two off the bench, especially in the post (Joe Smith could flourish there picking and popping all night long).

Kyle Weaver got quite a bit of burn again and he was relatively productive. But you can see that the NBA game is a little overwhelming for him. At one point he fouled Shaq and gave him an and-one and Scott Brooks called him over and wrapped his arms around Weaver and said, "Wrap him up." Weaver nodded with the kind of look that said, "I think I know I was supposed to do that, but it never occurred to me to actually do it." Maybe he's getting more floor time because Sam Presti is trying to see if he can serve as a decent back-up point guard in order to move Watson. The trade rumors are blowing like the wind in OKC and some moves are likely coming.

I've said it before but I'm sure every OKC feels it every night - we all know what the outcome will likely be each night, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating to watch. If you could really go back and flip about four or five plays in the Thunder's favor, these games might go their way. But that really sums up the difference between good, average and bad teams. The toss up plays never go in the Thunder's favor and as a result, we're looking at a 3-29 record. (Sigh.) It's bad to be that bad, but at least the team is competitive on a nightly basis.

A day off and then back to the Ford to play 9-23 Golden State Wednesday night. I'm not saying anything about it being winnable. Nope. Not gonna say it.

Suns vs. Thunder: Pre-game view

vs.

Phoenix Suns (16-12) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-28)
Monday, December 29
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

View from the other side: Bright Side of the Sun (And be sure to check out the podcast at the bottom at Joe from Thunderguru talks with Phoenix Stan)

We all remember what happened the first time the two teams met. Phoenix was playing without the extremely large cactus and the Suns were flatter than a three week old Coke. That was the second game under Scott Brooks and the Thunder played with the kind of moxie and determination that was strangely missing for the first month before it. The Suns outscored the Thunder 29-17 in the final 12 and ultimately won by a digit, 99-98.

So what happened in that first meeting? How'd the Thunder take Phoenix to the brink?

- The Suns shot 53.4 percent from the field. OKC shot 41.9.
- Phoenix hit four more threes than OKC (nine to five).

Judging by those two stats, you'd think the Suns ran away with it by 12 or something. But the Thunder paid attention to detail. OKC shot 24 free throws to Phoenix's 16. And the best part? The Thunder actually hit 21 of those. OKC turned the ball over three fewer times than the Suns. OKC outrebounded Phoenix 40-34, including a whopping 15 offensive boards. The Thunder had 13 steals and outran Phoenix, scoring 17 fast break points to the Suns' 15.

But remember, that all happened without Shaq.

I think what Phoenix Stan had to say in his pregame at Bright Side is interesting: "The real reason [the Thunder] only have 3 wins is that after a horrible start under the oppressive thumb of P.J. Carlisimoso they earned themselves such a reputation that teams are now afraid to lose to them ... Imagine losing to the Thunder. Even if you are fairly crappy team yourself you might just earn a shoe thrown at your coach by a member of the local media during the post game press conference."

That's a different theory on why the team is 3-28. I think there's definitely some truth to that, but I think it's more that the team is too young, too thin and too clueless to figure out how to win.

So the Suns surely don't want to lose this one. They're still stinging from that Christmas Day loss to the hated Spurs and tonight will likely be a chance to get out some frustration. But then again, at some point OKC surely has to surprise somebody. It happens all the time, in every sport. A team that has no business winning gets it done out of nowhere. Maybe tonight. Probably not, but maybe. That's why they'll go ahead and play it and that's why we'll all be watching.

State of the World

Pretty soon, some pretty major changes will be happening to The Thunderworld and I thought I'd clue everyone in before they actually happen. I'm not going to say exactly what, but I'm pretty excited about it and look forward to where this little hobby can go from here. I started this blog five months ago mainly because I didn't like the name "Thunder" and I wanted to tell someone. But the right people have read what I wrote, liked it and have extended a wonderful opportunity for that will give the blog lots of exposure and visibility.

The Thunderworld will almost certainly be moving to a dot com and will also likely be changing its name (you see, someone already scooped up www.thethunderworld.com and www.thunderworld.com and plus, I've never really liked this blog's name, but just picked something because I couldn't make up my mind). I'll be joining something a little bigger and better and I'm extremely pumped about the opportunity a few of wonderfully talented and brilliant basketball minds are giving me.

Also changing will be the institution of a comment policy. I know that will deeply sadden some of you, but I think we can all agree this has gotten completely out of hand. Quite frankly, some of the comments are embarrassing. I know that behind the shield of anonymity and the Internet we can all say what we want and not be held accountable, but it has crossed the line and crossed it long ago. I don't know if some think they are being funny or if they're hurting my feelings or both, but enough is enough. This blog isn't about you and giving you a platform to embarrass and shame your fanbase and awesome city. I'm sorry that this whole thing happened the way it did. I've said it multiple times that I hate the way OKC got a team. But I don't know what you expect me to do - ignore it? Teams move and always have. It sucks for one city and is great for another. You think people in Brooklyn didn't hurt when the Dodgers packed up and left? The people in Baltimore still grieve over losing the Colts. I thought there were going to be riots in Cleveland when the Browns bolted for Baltimore. But the people moved on and time healed the wounds. Instead of throwing salt on it, let's do our best to move on. Lord knows I've tried.

I just figured with the "new beginning" it would be a fine time to address it in one swoop. I actually want to talk about it more later (because I don't think Seattle people have gotten a proper reaction from Oklahoma), and I know former Sonics' fans have reason to be upset, but this isn't the place to express that. If you think I stink and don't know anything, don't read it. I don't have a problem with that. It's not that the comments have "gotten to me" or driven me to tears each night, but it's just beyond ridiculous. I honestly can't believe what some of you will write. And if you're wondering, the reason I pretty much ignore it is because it really doesn't bother me. Why do I care if some person that I've never met or ever spoken to hates me for completely unfounded reasons because a group of owners took a BASKETBALL TEAM and moved them to my city? For all I know you're some acne ridden 15-year-old that feels tough by writing tasteless jokes about my mother on the Internet. And if you're not and are actually some 30-year-old with a wife and two kids, that's way, way sadder. You don't bother me, you don't hurt my feelings. You just make your anonymous self, your city and your fanbase look really, really tired and moronic.

I understand you're upset and I don't blame you. You will get a new team back one day but trolling this blog won't bring one. And it's not going to make the Thunder run off either. Find a new hobby. I don't care if my comments go from 30 to one. It's not about you anyway - it's about Oklahoma City basketball. And if just one person wants to talk it, that's fine. I really don't know how you can feel good about yourself saying some of the most extreme, crude, vulgar, insensitive things and think you're doing your former fanbase good. I feel awful thinking that some 10-year-old kid has come here to read about his favorite basketball team and has had to read some of that junk. It makes me really regret not taking care of it earlier. But I thought maybe I'd give an "airing of grievances" period and it would stop. But you guys are persistent - maybe if you'd have supported your basketball team the way you troll this blog they'd still be there. Low blow? Probably. But it felt good, especially after some of the total crap you wrote about my wonderful mother.

Another thing that's cool is that a new voice will likely be joining the fold. One tremendously insightful and talented writer is joining forces with me and I'm definitely on the look out for more. The whole blog is for fans - the fan voice is important. In the future, it's going to be highly encouraged for anyone and everyone to write and be heard from. If you spent two hours at work looking up stats and have a new take on Kevin Durant's eFG%, write up 300 words and share it. I don't have to be the only guy writing stuff about the Thunder. If you have something to say, by all means, say it. It doesn't have to be all sugar and roses and I definitely don't have to agree with it. Everyone has a voice and this should be a place to get it out there. (And the best part is, with where the blog is going, what you write could get TONS of exposure and a lot of people could see it.)

So in the near future, look out for the changes and if you're a dedicated following of The Thunderworld, make sure to be ready to switch over to where I go. And if you have any good names for a Thunder blog, I'm all ears. I've already rejected "Thunder Mifflin," "Thunder Down Under," "Thunder Siege," and "Six Feet Thunder," so don't bother with those.

If you have questions, concerns, suggestions or comments about the upcoming changes, or just want to tell me I suck, feel free to email me.

Well, that was a step backward

It's not the horribly disappointing loss that was happening earlier in the year where the team was just flat and unprepared. But it's pretty much just as bad.

For all the "this team is getting better" momentum Oklahoma City spent the last week and a half building, this was a major step in the wrong direction. Granted, it was a road game coming off a killer loss the night before, but that's no excuse. You were playing a 4-23 team without two of its biggest stars (Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas).

The Thunder were in it until another dreadful fourth doomed them (outscored 28-19). OKC turned the ball over 19 times but here's the stat of the game: Washington took 100 shots; OKC took 77. For all you math studs that's 23 extra times the Wizards had a chance to throw the ball at the hoop. That's where the game was lost, plain and simple. It was a game of runs in the second half with Washington going on a 7-0 spurt, then OKC coming back with an 8-0 then Washington countering with another 7-0 and then a 10-0 by the Thunder. But in the end a 12-0 run by the Wiz at the start of the fourth created separation and made OKC play catchup the rest of the way.

Kevin Durant made it seven in a row over 25 and 10 over 20 and even grabbed 11 boards, but Russell Westbrook was again relatively ineffective, scoring just 10 and turning the ball over five times. Four of the last five games Westbrook has turned the ball over five times. That's a little frustrating. He's still a rookie and he's still learning a new position and honestly, I'm thrilled with his progress thus far. I don't think many thought he'd be as good as he's been this early, but he's just a little inconsistent.

I do like Kyle Weaver getting Damien Wilkins' minutes because we all know Wilkins was bringing basically nothing when he was on the floor. Weaver is a rookie and he deserves some play. He'll never be a star but he could make a good role player. And at 3-28, why not give him some burn?

An aside: I listened to the first half of the game on the radio tonight driving back from dinner celebrating my dad's birthday. I've listened to Matt Pinto here and there throughout the year when I was late to get home or something, but this is the first time I've listened for an extended period. While he's not bad, he's not really good. He does an excellent, excellent job of describing the action and putting pictures in your head. He has great energy and keeps listening on the radio feel interesting. But he's too dramatic and too wordy. He seems a little too in love with alliteration. Like he'll say stuff like, "Chris Wilcox scoops and swoops to the hoop for a rim-rocking, razzle-dazzle dunk!" Or, "Kevin Durant picks, probes and punches his way into the paint and kicks to Jeff Green for a CHA-CHING! Thunder moneyball!" It's just over-the-top. One thing that would help would be a color man to give a different voice and perspective on the game so you're not hearing Matt Pinto for two straight hours. At timeouts I wonder if he has to towel off and drink some Starbucks Tazo tea to keep his vocal chords from melting. I'm okay with his work, I just think he needs to gear down a bit on his own razzle-dazzle.

A frustrating night to watch the Thunder drop another one that they had a real chance at winning. We've all come to expect it and it shouldn't be surprising, but it's frustrating nonetheless. It's tough to win when you're getting steady production from one guy (Durant) while two others trade nights (Westbrook and Jeff Green) and the rest don't give you much on a nightly basis.

The Thunder returns home for a rematch against Phoenix Monday night. The first time the two met, the Shaq-less Suns took a 99-98 thriller from OKC.

So close, yet soooooo close

As one commenter said, the Thunder were only down two at half and he expected them to lose by 8-12 points in the end. That's what I thought. That's what everybody thought. Especially against a good Pistons squad, in their building nonetheless.

And at a few points, it looked like it was happening. Oklahoma City was down by 14 and appeared to be fading, but an 11-0 run pulled the Thunder to within three. While that run was great and all, the following few minutes showed just how far this team has come. In the past, the valiant comeback attempts came up short and by "short," I mean well short. But OKC fought and scrapped and scraped and with Joe Smith's 21-footer, the game was tied at 88-88 with under 20 seconds left.

But then Allen Iverson did what he was supposed to. He challenged Russell Westbrook and hit an impossible leaning jumper with 0.02 seconds left. But again, OKC wasn't throwing it in yet. A lob to Jeff Green was executed perfectly, well, except for Green actually putting the ball in the hoop. But still, the play was ran just how Scott Brooks wanted, but it's kind of hard to place the ball when you only have time to put a pinky on it.

Once again, all you have to do to find out why the Thunder came up short is look at the details. Free throw shooting once again failed them. 63 percent from the line just isn't going to cut it. The hidden points that you missed out on just because of a lack of concentration or whatever the reason, can't be excused.

While Kevin Durant was once again good, the 1-6 from three concerns me a tad. He's been shooting the three-ball so well lately (over 50 percent this month), I fear he's going to have a lapse and get carried away with the moneyball and start chucking like he did the first half of his rookie season. But I think he's come a long way in that. For the most part, the six shots were good looks that just didn't go in. He didn't force it and was still 9-19 from the field. But Durant has been scary good lately - his 26 Friday night made it nine straight outings with over 20 points and six with 25 or more. I'm excited with where his game is going.

And Russell Westbrook should pick up a few slam dunk votes tonight with his two ridunkulous (see what I did there?) rim-rockers. That second one with the little cross and dive into the lane was a thing of beauty until he cocked and assaulted the iron. Very awesome. Brian Davis sounded like threw up on the microphone as he stammered to get the superlatives out after it.



But honestly, outside of the poor foul shooting, I don't see how anyone could complain or bash after this one. Seems to me this is one of those, snap your fingers and say "shucks" type of games. Even if OKC was 20-9 instead of 3-26 coming in, losing to a top five time in the East in their gym on a last-second shot is nothing to be ashamed of. The idea is, in two years when this group has completely matured, these type of games will have been integral in getting the Thunder to the point of being a winning ball club.

Next up is a winnable one in Washington against the 4-23 Wizards. These kind of games concern me because 1) Nothing is a gimme for this group and 2) I hate expecting a 3-27 team to win, because that typically leads to disappointment. But that's what will be the case Saturday night in Washington. If this so-called improvement is really happening, then the team should go out and win one against a sub-par opponent. But again, three and twenty-seven. There's no "should's" involved with the Thunder except "should lose."

Thunder at Pistons: Pre-gamer

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Oklahoma City Thunder (3-27) vs. Detroit Pistons (15-11)
Friday, December 26
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Detroit, Michigan
7:00 CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

The one area OKC really has an advantage tonight? The glass. The Pistons are 25th in the league in rebounding averaging just 39.8 a game. The Thunder on the other hand have been rebounding extremely well lately, outrebounding seven of their last eight opponents, averaging 45.3 boards during that stretch. Jeff Green has been rebounding much better (and he should be), snatching 24 boards the past two games. Chris Wilcox had a season-high 12 against Atlanta. Even Kevin Durant has been hitting the glass a little better lately.

But other than that, what hope is there for tonight? Though the Pistons are an average 11-11 since trading for Allen Iverson, they still are one of the top five or six teams in the East. Rodney Stuckey had a career high 40 against Chicago the other night, Tayshaun Prince will give KD major problems tonight and Rasheed Wallace is a matchup nightmare.

Like I mentioned the Hawks preview, somehow I'm kind of getting excited about this team again, though it's still 3-26. It's awesome watching Durant operate at such an efficient level (25.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 51.1 percent from three in December), and Russell Westbrook is continuing to mature and improve. I'm still not totally sure if Jeff Green is "getting it" because he's still relatively inconsistent. And even the Nenad Krstic signing has injected a little life because help in on the way and it's pretty good help. The win against Toronto helped get people off OKC's back with the whole "worst team ever" talk and highlighted the improvement under Scott Brooks.

All that aside, we all know how tonight will turn out. The Thunder is likely looking at 3-27 and that's just not good for the first 30 games of a season. But each game I don't have the complete and total "no chance" feeling like I did a month ago. Granted, it's only like a one percent chance feeling, but I'm saying there's a chance.

Vote for Russell!

Not only has Russell Westbrook's stock soared over the past few weeks, as evidenced by his rise in NBA.com's rookie rankings (he's up to No. 3), but now he's got a chance to show his unreal athleticism on the big stage: The Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

But in order to get there, Westbrook needs your vote. It him, Rudy Fernandez of Portland or Joe Alexander from Milwaukee.

I don't think there's any question that Russell can electrify and dazzle. Vote for him.



A couple more examples of why he clearly deserves your vote:

Merry Christmas from The Thunderworld

Have a wonderful Eve with your families and an even better Christmas Day.

Thunder rolled again

What is there to say? Everything went as planned. The Thunder hung tough for virtually the whole game, but inconsistent jump shooting and extremely poor execution of course doomed them in the end. A stale stretch in the second quarter and a bad fourth quarter basically summed up the Thunder's 99-88 loss in Atlanta tonight.

OKC shot terribly (37 percent) all night long and the worst part is, it didn't really adjust. The Thunder weren't hitting shots but instead of changing it up and driving to the hoop or trying to get to the line, OKC kept hoisting the jumpers. And they kept not falling. I think the poster-boy for this season is Earl Watson. Unbelievable underachieving, awful jump shooting and pathetic decision making. If there's one thing that makes me want to put my face in boiling water it's Earl Watson dribbling up the floor, taking one step inside the three-point line and hoisting a 20-foot jump shot with 18 on the shot clock. And lucky for me, he did it multiple times tonight.

Russell Westbrook did what rookies tend to do: He reverted back and played like he did at the beginning of the season. But as we all know and as we've all said (numerous times), that's the growing pains of a 20-year-old point guard. He wasn't good tonight, but that doesn't mean he won't be good next time out.

And I guess Scott Brooks' text messages are working. Jeff Green poured in another strong effort on the glass, grabbing 14 boards. Kevin Durant continues to play efficient basketball. Seems like every box score lately is looking about the same for him (in a good way): 28 points, 10-19 from the floor, 2-3 from three, six rebounds. He's doing his part. Over the past eight games, he's averaging almost 28 a game. And he's just 20. I can't wait to see where's he at in three months, much less three years. He's getting better daily.

Atlanta is a top five team in the East and OKC is a bottom two team in the league. It turned out like it should - especially with the game being in Atlanta. Against contenders, this is what Thunder fans have to hope for - staying close and not getting embarrassed. So by all accords tonight, mission accomplished.

Oklahoma City gets a few days off and then returns to action Friday against the Pistons.

Thunder at Hawks: Preview

vs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (3-25) vs. Atlanta Hawks (17-10)
Tuesday, December 23
Philips Arena
Atlanta, Georgia
6:00 CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

The last time these two got together, Oklahoma City led an undefeated Atlanta squad for about 40 minutes and then a late 18-5 run doomed the Thunder as the Hawks won 89-85.

When the Hawks are focused and are playing hard, they're good. Like good as in they can play and win with anyone. But they are also the type of team that can potentially come out flat, overlook an opponent and lose. And that's precisely what OKC fans are hoping for tonight. A lackluster effort from Atlanta enabling the Thunder to stay close for four quarters and maybe squeak one out.

One thing about Atlanta though, is they're good at home. Like 11-2 good. They've played very solid defense this year and when they're hitting from three, they're nearly unstoppable. And they do it even better at home.

It's a weird feeling to be a Thunder fan right now. Somehow, someway, my excitement for the team is beginning to catch a second wind. The expectations are gone and the team's playing so much better. The wins really haven't come as a result, but knowing the team will likely be competitive each night makes losing constantly a little bit easier to take. The Thunder's average margin of defeat has fallen from 13.0 points over their first 16 games to 4.4 in the last 12, but they're still 2-10 in that span. We knew the team would be bad, but watching it steadily improve and get to the point where it can compete each night is fun. And knowing help is on the way in Nenad Krstic, it's really fun to watch the building blocks come in to place and see a team built from the ground up.

No expectations tonight, except to be competitive. Hang tough, give yourself a chance. I know some readers and like to poke fun at "improving yet losing." But with any team, what are you supposed to take out of a game? If the Team A doesn't have near the talent, the ability or the intangibles of Team B, what are you to hope for if you're a fan of A? Is it realistic to hope for wins against superior opponents and be pissed if you lose? Or do you stay realistic and hope the team plays as well as it can and stays competitive and if it wins, then that's just a bonus? Because that's the mindset of Thunder fans. Play hard, play well and just hang tough. At this point, that's all we can ask for.

Tuesday Bolts - 12.23.08

• A must-read - Tom Ziller wrote yesterday on Fanhouse, "You can't accuse the Thunder of giving up," which is exactly what Thunderfans have been preaching : "With an awful team to call my own, don't ask why I have spent the past week catching every Oklahoma City Thunder game I could on League Pass. Something about Kevin Durant continues to thrill, and Russell Westbrook's new cult status as Rondo-on-a-bad-team coupled with Jeff Green's eternal Pippen mimicking make the team an interesting watch ... But the fantastic thing -- the factor which kept OKC in closer proximity than most far superior Cleveland opponents -- is that the young Thunder players never quit. Durant, Westbrook and Green have a tremendous chemistry on the court. Obviously, it rarely registers in the win column and often not even in the box score. But that's a youth and talent issue ... But the shimmer of hope, a fistful of spirit remain, with every Westbrook assist and Green three and Durant dunk. In a few years, opponents will long for 2008, when OKC represented an easy mark. This team, meek as it seems, travels on the path toward respectability. Patience will be required, but almost certainly rewarded."

• Shoals of FreeDarko thinks the Thunder are totally cool even though they lose: "First off, Ziller has suggested that Thunder/Grizz is the new Bobcats/Hawks, and I'm inclined to agree. I feel like a turncoat for saying this, but as Dr. LIC noted a few weeks back, the Thunder are rad and lose a ton of games. Perfect! And they're about the most god-foresaken outpost of NBA basketball available. The game with Cleveland yesterday was bound to end as it did, but certainly felt like a battle. Westbrook's the wild card, Durant the edgy craftsman, Jeff Green has become Jeff Green. Combine those with a high pick, and Presti might not built another Spurs, but a team with serious mind control powers. Now let's see what he does with a coach, or when Ibaka comes over."
  

• Josh Lambert on Bleacher Report writes the Thunder may not, in fact, be the worst team in the NBA: "After the win against the Raptors, it seemed as though this team has figured something out. The Thunder lost tonight to the Cleveland Cavilers by 11 points, 102-91. If it were not for the freakish play of LeBron James, Oklahoma City might have earned another win."

• Well look at that; Marc Stein of ESPN agrees in his newest Power Rankings: "I'm guessing Scotty Brooks will happily endure all of these cracks about being the winningest coach in Thunder history -- at 2-13 -- if it means less talk about how his kiddies are still stuck on a dreaded 9-73 pace."

• And it keeps getting better; Chris Mannix of SI.com has OKC all the way up to No. 27: "Looking to fill their need for an inside scoring threat, the Thunder are preparing a three-year offer to Nets restricted free agent Nenad Krstic, who is poised to return to the NBA after starting the season in Russia. If the Nets decline to match the offer for their former starting center, Krstic would join with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green to give the Thunder the makings of a decent frontcourt."

• Randy Hill of Fox Sports looks at excellence vs. futility: "Riding while strapped to the top of another runaway train are the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose recent victory uprising puts them at a righteous three triumphs through 27 games. With their success window still looking as vast as a dollhouse peephole, interim coach Scott Brooks and his plucky Thunder are on a quest to avoid 70 defeats. Are they capable of discovering victory in at least 10 more scheduled dates? Just feeling the need to raise this question suggests the potential for doom. Anyway, with the Cs and Thunder as co-stars, we've been challenged to answer the following question: if these teams are riding separate trains and allowed to go speeding off in opposite directions, which team will reach 70 first?"

• OKC is gaining a bit of respect, despite still actually being 3-25: "On Sunday night in the Sooner State, the Cavaliers topped the Thunder for the second time this season, although this was definitely not the same OK City team they thumped by 35 three weeks ago ... 'With this atmosphere, I really have to pat my guys on the back,” praised Coach Mike Brown. “It’s the third game of the trip and I thought our guys stayed focused with this crowd here in Oklahoma City. They hung in there and won the game in the fourth, which is what you have to do sometimes on the road.'"

A couple quick thoughts from last night's game against Cleveland

Yesterday included a rather large family gathering from my father's side for Christmas so a game recap was a little difficult to get to. The holiday season can kind of have that affect on a blog. I watched it this afternoon via DVR and here's a few quick thoughts:

• Considering how the first matchup went, this was a pretty good improvement. The two teams swapped leads for about two and half quarters, but in the end the Cavs won because they are just simply better - which is what should happen. But the effort of the Thunder shouldn't be overlooked because it's obvious OKC has a little something going. It's playing better and playing smarter. For one team being 3-24 and the other being 22-4 coming in, the game sure didn't play out that way.

• I love the way Russell Westbrook is playing right now. He's still attacking the rim but he's doing it in moderation and doing it smarter. He isn't recklessly flying at the cup and challenging Ben Wallace repeatedly. Now he'll pull up for a little jumper and he's knocking it down at a pretty good clip. He had a nice 24 and 11 assist. He did turn it over five times, but I can live with that as long he's getting better - he's got the ball in his hands a lot more now so more turnovers will happen but he's also making a lot of good things happen too. The comparison to Rajon Rondo was amped up a lot before the season and right now, he's really looking a lot like Rondo offensively. Westbrook can get into the lane with ease, but now he's making solid decisions once he gets there instead of chucking an errant shot with defenders in his face or leaving his feet with nowhere to go. (See: the nice dish to Nick Collison for a flush. Very nice play.)

• Jeff Green's game is how he needs to focus on playing for the rest of his career. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds and took (for the most part) smart shots. He played solid defense and did a nice job helping.

• Kevin Durant is taking a lot more threes under Scott Brooks than he was under P.J. but he's also shooting the ball so much better from there. Almost every three Durant takes is in total rhythm and comes on a kick out of from dribble penetration. He went 2-3 from downtown Sunday night and if he continues to get good looks on threes and doesn't get carried away trying to take them, he could be absolutely unguardable in a few years. Besides getting a little stronger on driving, I'd love to see KD add a nice fadeaway post up jumper. He used that shot quite a bit in college but he doesn't seem to go to it as much in the NBA. With his length, that shot could be unstoppable.

• You have to love that OKC outrebounded Cleveland 41-32. For a team without a true center or dominant big man playing against a team that has one of the premier rebounders in the league (Ben Wallace) and a really solid center (Zydrunas Ilgauskas), it was nice to see that kind of effort on the glass.

• LeBron James is so bloody good. People forget he's 23 years old. Some guys haven't even arrived in the league at that age. Think about what he will look like or might have accomplished at 29. Scary.

It's another loss and it doesn't look any better on the right side of the column, but playing extremely well and hanging in against one of the elite teams in the league shows how far OKC has come from the totally and completely inept team it once was.

Well how do you like that - OKC shocks the world and beats Toronto

Thank you Nick Collison. What an awesome, gutsy hustle play to give Oklahoma City its first win at home in 47 days. That play really summed up why the Thunder came out 91-83 winners over a fast imploding Toronto squad.

For 48 minutes, the Thunder simply outworked the Raptors. Loose balls, charges, steals, everything - were going OKC's way. The effort was obvious from the tip and part of that reason was a shakeup in the starting five. Finally, Scott Brooks got Damien Wilkins out of the first five. Playing with him out there for the first eight minutes of a game was like having a dead body being drug around. I was actually planning on doing some research to find out if Wilkins was maybe the most unproductive starter in league history. Also, maybe the Johan Petro experiment is wrapping up. Collison finally got the start at the five and while the group was small, they were also quick, much more energetic and way better defensively.

You look at the box and its got all the symptoms for another Thunder loss. Eleven missed free throws, 18 turnovers, 3-13 from downtown and just 44 percent from the field. But the biggest thing is the Raptors shot a miserable 36 percent from the floor and OKC outrebounded them 54-48. Chris Bosh was held to a 6-18 night and Russell Westbrook played excellent defense on Jose Calderon. Coming in, both teams were giving up over 100 a game, but tonight either both teams played good defense or both teams played bad offense. I think it was a bit of a combination. The Thunder rotated extremely well, the intensity was very high and OKC doubled Bosh some, but Collison and Wilcox really did a nice job one-on-one.

Oh and look out world, because Russell Westbrook's jumper is coming along. He's getting more and more confident pulling up and he's not forcing it to the rim all the time. He went for 19 on 7-12 shooting with eight assists. At times, he really looks unguardable. Kevin Durant didn't shoot the ball all that well, but still managed 24 and eight boards, but nailed a monster trey with about three minutes left (How about his posterization of Jermaine O'Neal; that was awesome). And Desmond Mason was huge - seven points and 10 rebounds, but his energy and intensity really carried the team tonight. Really, it was just a total team effort - Joe Smith was great, Jeff Green played well even though he was saddled with foul trouble and Wilcox had good minutes.

Rumor has it Bosh refused to speak with the media after the game and got into a small tussle with a PR guy. I guess that kind of stuff happens when you lose to a 2-24 team. But I think the Raps are about one more bad loss away from totally blowing up. They were 8-9 under Sam Mitchell and since he was burned, they're 2-7, including a loss to the Thunder. And more than anything, they lost because it just looked like they had given up and got out-hustled. Ouch.

Look, I know OKC is 3-24. It's not good. At all. No matter how you try and mix it. But that's sure better than 2-25 - one game better in fact. And with the way the Ford Center responded after the win, that little 91-83 win meant quite a bit. My wife, who has no interest in the team whatsoever except for cringing every time she hears "Thunder" because the name bothers her so much, was on her feet urging the team on late. She was joined by 19,000 other people that were begging this team to finally win one in front of them. There's a reason OKC got tagged for having such great fans. Tonight was a good example of it.

While some of it was half joking, half relief and all happiness, fans were high-fiving, yelling in the streets and honking car horns around the Ford. I know that sounds pretty stupid, but this city is dying, and I mean dying, to embrace this team and make them its own. And tonight was a step towards that. One guy behind me was talking to his friend and said, "You would have thought we just won the NBA title or something. But hey, I'll take it. This feels good - just don't remind me of our record." This group has played better under Scott Brooks and has been in every game except one with him at the helm. Tonight, instead of the traditional folding down the stretch, the Thunder rose up and got it done.

When the Raps cut the 10 point lead to to three for most of the fourth and then finally tied it, everybody in the building had the "Here we go again" feeling. But instead of locking up and kicking the ball away and failing to get rebounds and giving up easy buckets and missing bunnies in the lane and giving away possessions, the Thunder actually did all of the above. It started with Durant hitting that huge three to break a 76 -76 tie. But it was highlighted by Nick Collison's hustle play - going to the floor against Bosh and wrestling the ball away. But instead of getting a jump ball, Collison kept working and kicked it out. The ball swung around to Westbrook who drove and banked in a jumper to put OKC up by four, 85-81, and basically put win No. 3 in the bag for the Thunder. This may be a little ridiculous to say, but when you've only won three games, big moments are few and far between, but Collison's play is probably the play of the season so far for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City gets a day off before King James and the Cavs come to town Sunday night. Last time the two squads matched up, Cleveland walloped the Thunder by 35.

Raptors vs. Thunder: Pre-game view

vs.

Toronto Raptors (10-15) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-24)
Friday, December 19
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK

7:00 CST TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

Can Nenad play tonight? No? Oh, well then nevermind - I thought the might be hope for tonight. Not much chance the Thunder can hang with Toronto's front line of Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal and Andrea Bargnani. Bosh is going to be a near impossible matchup for Jeff Green. Green can stretch Bosh a little on the outside, but Bosh will likely be able to abuse Green in the post.

The Raptors come to Oklahoma City having lost eight of their last 10. Of course, the Thunder has lost their last 22 of 23. And it seems like any time a skidding team comes to OKC, it's kind of "Get back on track night." So that will likely be the case.

The Raps are pretty poor defensively so tonight's game could be a but of a high scoring affair. I'm really looking forward to the Russell Westbrook - Jose Calderon matchup. These are the type of opposing guards Russell was drafted to lock down on. The Raptors entire offense really relies on Calderon. He has to cut and slash into the defense and distribute because the Raptors really don't have guys that create on their own. Anthony Parker is a nice player but he's not great at getting his own shot. Jason Kapono is a straight up spot up shooter. Jamario Moon is a straight up athletic freak, but he's not a good shooter. So if Westbrook can limit Calerdon a little, it may make it tough for Toronto's line of bigs to get their points.

Even though OKC is 2-24, one thing I'm growing more excited to watch every night is Kevin Durant. As everybody has witnessed under Scott Brooks, he's just so much more efficient and productive. He's not forcing anything, but just letting the game flow and makes scoring 25 looks easy. When Jeff Green scores 14, it seems like I notice and remember every bucket. When Durant scores 30, it seems like it came out of nowhere. It is really an enjoyable thing to watch a player that works within the flow of an offense and just scores because the game is coming to him - it's not nearly as fun watching a guy force the action.

I have a kind of good feeling about tonight's game for some unknown and totally unfounded reason. But when a team is 2-24 and has lost the last 11 at home, you kind of feel like, "This HAS to be the one." But then again, I've been feeling that way for two weeks. Maybe OKC can keep it close and just have a chance in the fourth. At this point, that's what Thunder fans have been resigned to hoping for.

ESPN's Chad Ford reports Nenad Krstic will return to the NBA and join the Thunder

From ESPN.com's Chad Ford: "Former New Jersey Nets big man Nenad Krstic followed Josh Childress' lead this summer and bolted the NBA for the riches of international basketball. Seven weeks into the season, Krstic is on the verge of coming back to the NBA. Two league sources told ESPN.com on Friday the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed in principle to sign Krstic to a three-year offer sheet. The deal should be finalized on Monday, according to the sources.

Krstic is still a restricted free agent. The Nets would have seven days to match the deal once they receive the offer sheet. A league source in New Jersey said the chances of the Nets matching what is believed to be a three-year, $15 million offer are slim. The Nets like Krstic but are trying to clear cap space for the summer of 2010 ... A Thunder source said that the team has been in pursuit of Krstic for a while and considered making him an offer this summer. After watching him play in Russia, they believed he was finally healthy and would command a large salary next year. With nearly all of the team's mid-level exception available, they decided to cut off the competition and lock up Krstic now."

Krstic was having a breakout year in 2006 before an awful ACL injury sidelined him. In 26 games that year, he averaged 16.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. He's just 25 years old and is a solid seven-footer that OKC desperately needs. It's hard to say if he's really a good solution to the current problem, but his presence sure won't hurt. Right now, OKC is getting little to no production from the frontcourt. Having Krstic should open up more mid-range looks for Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and give Russell Westbrook a reliable post-scorer to pass to on dribble drives.

If Krstic is completely healthy and can return to his 2006 form, this is a solid pickup. But if he's unproductive and not fully-recovered, this could be a major setback dishing out $15 million to someone that's going to give you as much production as the guys you've already got. This piles up more OKC big men, which suggests that someone out of Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Nick Collison or Chris Wilcox will likely be moved.

Friday Bolts - 12.19.08

• Should the NBA widen the court? Marty Burns of SI talked to the logo about it: "Think about it. The NBA has been playing with the same 94-feet-by-50-feet dimensions for a long time. But the players seem to have grown much bigger. Doesn't it only make sense to expand the court at least a little bit to accommodate that change?"

• HoopsWorld hands out quarter report cards: "Oklahoma City: On pace to win the fewest games (six) in the history of the NBA, the Thunder (2-24) has very little to be excited about just six weeks into their first season in Oklahoma City. Clearly in re-building mode, General Manager Sam Presti's squad is light years from contention in the Western Conference, despite a talented young trio of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. Grade: F"

• Darnell Mayberry writes about Thunder improvement: "Look beyond the record, and the Thunder’s transformation can be seen on the practice court and in the locker room, in games and on the final stat sheets. The most glaring difference has been Oklahoma City’s improved offense."

• The Sports Corner has Blake Griffin going No. 2 and OKC taking someone else: "Blake Griffin is more dominant, more experienced, and better scorer than Ricky Rubio is. I’ll get that out of the way. But the problem is, OKC doesn’t need another scorer. When Scott Brooks took the job nobody wanted, and made his first major move by putting Kevin Durant back tot he three spot where he belongs, Durant took off and is putting up some pretty good numbers. What the Thunder needs is a pure point guard that can get Durant the ball in tough spots. And in Oklahoma, Griffin would most likely be playing that three spot with the emergence of Robert Swift, and three other forwards above 6′10 on the team. With Swift, Durant, Westbrook at the two spot and Rubio (aka Spanish Steve Nash that is a better scorer) at the point, it’s actually looking like a respectable ball club. Although, it’s going to be very hard not to draft Griffin, born and raised in Oklahoma City."

• Mike Baldwin writes about potential free agents: "Money won’t be the only factor. Bosh said playing for a playoff contender with a bright future will figure into his decision. Since he played at Dallas Lincoln High School, Thunder fans might like to think Bosh might be tempted to play in Oklahoma City, near his hometown. It’s doubtful the Thunder can sign Bosh, James, Dwyane Wade or Amare Stoudemire. But you never know. Presti is clearing about $40 million of cap space for the 2010-11 season. In line for another high draft pick next June, Oklahoma City should add another talented, young player to the foundation of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. But to land a quality free agent, the Thunder might need to start winning to convince a player this is a team on the rise."

Kevin Pelton on the education of Kid Delicious

I know this was included in today's Bolts, but this is just too good to not put a neon sign on. Pelton wrote and awesome feature about the evolution of Kevin Durant. Just read the whole thing. It's wonderful. Pelton says what we've all seen: Though P.J. Carlesimo and Scott Brooks both have the same 1-12 record, there's a ton of differences between the results of the two.

I've been talking about the improvement of the team, and while it hasn't done much in the win-loss area, the team has gotten better. It's undeniable. Pelton of Basketball Prospectus puts together some awesome numbers and breaks down the difference between the two coaches - most notably, the way the Thunder's stud has performed under the two.

Check this little diddy out:

Coach       Pace   OffRat   DefRat    Diff   ExpW
Carlesimo   94.6     93.4    107.7   -12.3    1.2
Brooks      91.0    106.8    116.4   - 7.5    3.3

"Despite the record, it's easy to see that Oklahoma City has played better with Brooks at the helm. Their point differential is still bad, but at least respectable. On average, a team with the Thunder's -7.5 differential under Brooks would have won about three out of 13 games. It's easy to see where those wins could have come; within Brooks' first week on the job, Oklahoma City had lost a pair of home games by a combined three points on last-second shots. The team is also competing on a nightly basis: only one of Brooks' 12 losses has come by more than 12 points."

So there's a few positives. I don't think it's outlandish to say that if Brooks were at the helm from the beginning of the season, OKC would have at least two to three more wins than it has now and a 6-18 record really wouldn't be out of the question. But as much as the offense and scoring has improved, the defense has regressed. But it's not all that bad of a tradeoff, considering where OKC was heading on the offensive end under Carlesimo.

"Under Carlesimo, the Thunder was threatening all sorts of league records for offensive futility. That has changed under Brooks, and impressively so. Actually, Oklahoma City's 106.8 Offensive Rating over the last 13 games is not far off of league average for the season (108.0). The Thunder has been far more potent at late. The tradeoff has come at the defensive end, where an OKC squad that was reasonably competent early in the season has been porous since the coaching change. No team is allowing more points per 100 possessions than the Brooks Thunder, though again the league-wide shift inflates the magnitude of the change."

Pelton has Durant's numbers under P.J. and under Brooks:

Coach        2P%    3P%    eFG%   TS%  Usage    2A%    3A%   FTA%    TO%
Carlesimo   .447   .438   .462   .513   .294   .712   .055   .088   .145
Brooks      .476   .500   .532   .592   .271   .613   .156   .124   .107

"Durant has improved virtually across the board. The most telling numbers might be the rightmost series, what I group as player tendencies--the percentage of possessions used on two-point and three-point attempts, free throws and turnovers. The two most efficient ways to score are on threes and at the free-throw line, and Durant has improved his sum of the two categories from 14.3 percent of his possessions under Carlesimo to 28.0 percent under Brooks. Quite simply, Durant is playing a different game. It's also a much better one, as reflected in the massive spikes in his effective field-goal percentage and his True Shooting Percentage. Durant has gone from a low-efficiency, volume shooter to the kind of lethal, highly-efficient scorer he was in his lone season at Texas. And he's done it while slashing his turnovers as well."

Pelton doesn't really buy into the whole, "Oh, well it's because KD moved to small forward" argument. He said after reviewing a Thunder game, he didn't really see any difference between the way Durant is being used between Carlesimo and Brooks. But he does see what I've said I see - improved spacing, freeing up KD's jumper and his driving ability.

Pelton wraps up with this:

"There's one final factor, one which should be disconcerting for the Thunder's opponents in the long term. Durant is still a babyfaced 20-year-old, and he's figuring out things all the time. The development of his game from where he was at the end of his rookie season was obvious against the Spurs. He has become much more accurate from the perimeter, most notably from three-point range. Because of his low percentage, Durant gradually phased the three out of his game near the end of last season, continuing that at the start of 2008-09. However, when Durant started making more of his infrequent attempts, he began ramping back up. Under Brooks, he has been hitting at an even 50 percent clip from long distance while making nearly two threes a game. A long 6'9" player who can gets shots off against any defender while hitting almost effortlessly from range? That's the Durant everyone envisioned coming out of the University of Texas, and slowly but surely--with the assistance of the Thunder's coaching change--we're starting to see it at the NBA level."

If that doesn't help sway you a little to the "optimist" category then there's not much hope for your sad self. I understand the reason to see the future being a tad dim, but there's a lot of upside for this group. And it all starts with Durant and so far, under Brooks, it's starting to look better.

Thursday Bolts - 12.18.08

• According to HoopsWorld, OKC is listening to offers for its big men: "The Oklahoma City Thunder have big men to spare, and are rumored to be listening to offers for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox, and maybe even Nick Collison. The problem there is that the last thing they need is another small forward." - With Joe Smith not playing Tuesday night simply because there just wasn't room for him on the floor, I'm thinking something is going to happen soon.

• Rick Kamla of NBA.com says the coaching axe reminds him of a horror movie: "The Thunder's P.J. Carlesimo was the curmudgeon cop who harassed the young couple having fun in the back of the van. He gets ruthlessly rubbed out early in act one to establish that this boogeyman means business."

• I love these House of Hoops ads by Foot Locker. Here's the Kevin Durant one:

• Trying times for the young Thunder, writes Art Garcia: "The losses continue to mount and so does the frustration. On pace for the worst record in NBA history, with its head coach already fired, can anyone fault the Oklahoma City Thunder for sinking into the depths of basketball depression? Teams go through bad seasons. This is a disaster."

• Russell Westbrook stays in David Thorpe's top 10 rookies: "Being a phenomenal athlete alone is not enough to be a great defensive player in this league. It takes an active mind and a willingness to study. Consider this action by Westbrook in Dallas: He was defending the weakside, with J.J. Barea in his corner and Devean George on the wing, both behind the 3-point line, while Erick Dampier had the ball in the high post. Westbrook cut off the simple pass to George, going for a steal, and left open the corner pass to Barea. Did he do the right thing, considering the corner 3 is the easiest shot worth 3 points (based on distance)? Barea was shooting 40.9 percent from 3 going into the game, while George was at 35 percent. But it would be a mistake to just look at those numbers in the scouting report. Barea was just 1-for-4 from that left corner, up to that point, and George was 1-for-3 from the wing. Small sample sizes, yes, but nothing alarming enough to convince Westbrook to stay with Barea. So the risk was worth it. And even though Westbrook did not get the steal, Barea did miss the shot."

• Tom Ziller writes about Kevin Durant's silent breakthrough: "[Kevin] Pelton has all the numbers, and I encourage you to check them out. It's certainly a promising sign. From the cheap seats, Brooks' 1-12 record makes it seem like there's been no improvement. But quietly, Durant's becoming the player we'd dreamt of. And it's all because Brooks has put some other shooters on the floor with him."

• The Lost Ogle's gives us Peace, Love and Thunderstanding, moral victory edition: "I took a week off from writing a formulaic Peace, Love and Thunderstanding column and instead let Patrick post fifteen ideas for improving the Thunder experience. While that article was well received, the real reason for the delay was hope that the team might give me something to write about if I gave them an extra week to do something. Since the last true P, L & T ran, would anyone like to guess how many times the Oklahoma City Thunder have won a game? Here’s a hint, there have been seven games since that point."

Forecasting the Thunder - well, that depends on how you want to look at it

At this point, if you're a Thunder fan you can look at the current state of affairs two ways - glass half full or glass half empty with a hole in the bottom and leaking fast.

If you're an optimist (like me):
A. This is a young team. The average age is 24.7 years old and the average age of the starting five is 22.4. It's centered around three young players where the oldest is 22. Give that nucleus time to develop and you've got a strong team.

B. Oklahoma City has multiple expiring contracts. So while this current team is a miserable 2-24, it isn't likely this same group will be back next year. And this offseason, there will be some major cap room to play with. After the season, the Thunder will only have about $20 million in committed salary.

C. Just because someone is bad one year doesn't mean they will be bad again next year. Look at the Heat from a year ago. They had 15 wins (15!) and now with a healthy team and Dwayne Wade back they already have 12. The Hornets had a measly 18 in 2004 before drafting Chris Paul and then won 36 and last year had the second best record in the West. The 1992-93 Mavericks, who challenged for the worst record ever, didn't stay that bad forever. They went 11-71 that year, then 13-69 and then 36-46. Now look at them. Sports work in cycles. While some are up and some are down. Then they swap.

D. Basketball is the easiest sport to turn around. It can literally take one player to fix a team. The 1996-97 Spurs are the example with Tim Duncan. Before taking Duncan No. 1, San Antonio went 20-62, but then after taking Duncan, the Spurs went 56-26. Whether it's Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio or a good free agent, this can be flipped around really quickly.

E. Nobody thought this team was going to contend this year. Sam Presti (supposedly) has a plan and he's trying to build a contender from scratch. Maybe OKC is trying to follow the Spurs' model a little too closely. As mentioned, the 1996-97 Spurs went 20-62 with two different coaches. The first was Bob Hill (who has some ties to the Thunder franchise) who went 3-15 before being canned and replaced by then general manager Gregg Popovich - which was Pop's first head coaching experience; just like Scott Brooks. Who knows - this time next year we could be talking about playoff matchups and how amazing OKC's turnaround was and how incredible this city and its fans are. It could happen. You know, the Tampa Bay Rays did go to the World Series this year...

If you're a pessimist:
A. Look at the obvious 2-24 record. The 11 straight losses at home. The highest losing margin in the league. The same problems plaguing the team. The youth and inexperience. The frustrated coaches, players and fans. Lots of reason to be discouraged.

B. What if the young players don't pan out? What if Durant is just a 20 point a game guy that never has "star" power and never can take over a game? What if Jeff Green stays inconsistent and never does better than 14 a game? What if Russell Westbrook was the wrong choice and never understands how to control himself and how to take smart shots and make good decisions? What if OKC doesn't even get the No. 1 pick next year? Even if it does, what if that pick doesn't impact the team? Can OKC stand another horrible season like this?

C. Expiring contracts. What if the wrong moves are made again? The Thunder could end up with a new team but with new contracts and the same misery. If history is any indicator, there's really not much reason to trust management so far.

D. Some say no free agent will want to play in Oklahoma City. Some say no rookie will sign to play here. What if that's true? I don't think people have such short memories to remember how much everyone talked about how wonderful OKC was three years ago when the Hornets were around, but who knows?

E. The economy. A few of the Thunder's owners have taken some hits in the market and some wonder if they will have the money to dish out to prize free agents. Though Oklahoma City has been called "the most recession proof city in the United States" by Yahoo, that doesn't mean the PBC won't be cutting back as well.

So which group do you fall in? I'm definitely in the optimist group because this is the first year in a new city with a young team. A few changes, a wise draft pick, smart offseason moves and the evolution of the young trio and this team can be much better.

Wednesday Bolts - 12.17.08

On the Basketball Jones, Skeets and Tas talk Thunder pain:


Ep. 361: Nowhere To Go But Up from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

• Behind the Box score from Ball Don't Lie: "All five Clippers were in double-figures, and far be it for me to slam these guys, but the only team the Clips could have beaten on Tuesday night is the Thunder. This team is fast becoming my least favorite, matching highly-paid veteran entitlement with nasty, perimeter-obsessed, lazy play. So let's briefly touch on the Thunder, who need to turn the ball over less, and have to get to the line more, and need to talk more defensively. Kevin Durant had 25 and five rebounds in 40 minutes, but he was abysmal when the ball wasn't in his hands. Chris Wilcox (13 points in 17 minutes) had a nice run in the first half, and while Earl Watson had 12 assists off the bench, I swear he's killing this team. He's one of those guys that, if he makes a nice move at half court to get into the lane with a 3-on-2, he thinks he's allowed to keep the ball and make a horrible move and miss the shot. But it's justified because of the behind-the-back move at half court. The Clippers should trade for him." Perfect analysis of Earl. Per-fect.

• Clay Bennett has been named Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today: "No one came close to Clay Bennett as we set about selecting this year’s Oklahoman of the Year,” said Louisa McCune-Elmore, Oklahoma Today editor-in-chief. "His accomplishment presents an extraordinary moment in the life of Oklahoma, probably among the most important achievements in our capital city’s history,” said McCune-Elmore.

• Thunderguru recaps last night and makes a point I particularly agree with: "It’s time to just get it out there: Brooks, take Wilkins and Petro out of the lineup. They aren’t giving you anything. Mason should have all of Wilkin’s minutes, and some combination of Wilcox, Collison and Smith can have Petro’s. If you really need a 7 footer, give Hill a shot, or get somebody up here from the D-League. It’s Petro’s 4th season now, and it’s fair to say that he can’t help this team."

• Game reaction from ClipperBlog: "Tonight’s game is far more agonizing than it needs to be, in large part because the Clippers insist on waging a perimeter battle against a team they should be exploiting inside. After a stellar first quarter during which the Clippers use Randolph down low to engage the Thunder on the block, the Clippers lull themselves to sleep with a procession of long jumpers. Al Thornton starts the trend at the outset of the second quarter when he opts to shoot over Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison — both big defenders whom Al should take off the dribble."

Another one down, 56 more to go

At this point, it's just a mental test to see if I can carry this out for the rest of the season. Because it's pretty difficult to come up with anything to say - much less interesting - when a team loses just about every night and loses because of the same reasons. But here I am and here I go:

I didn't really expect Oklahoma City (2-24) to win tonight. In fact, I saw about a 10 percent chance of it happening. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating. Things like 10 missed free throws, 20 turnovers - eight in the fourth quarter alone - and just overall poor execution can drive a fan insane, sucky team or not. All five Clipper starters scored in double figures, with the lowest man having 12. Los Angeles is playing as good as it has all season, but regardless, this was another opportunity missed. The Thunder hung around for three quarter but failed to play the fourth.

I truly think the weight of trying to over-perform is one of many ailments of this squad. The Thunder is trying so hard to win at home, to break the new losing streak, to get on track and show they really aren't this bad, that they are overthinking and overplaying. All the fans feel it - just waiting for the next thing to go wrong for the game to turn away from the team. And the team definitely feels it. I guess that kind of comes with losing 24 of your first 26. I've said it about 24 times already, but this young group just has no clue how to win.

Look, I know this is a rebuilding year and we all knew it coming in. But there's a difference between rebuilding and this. I'm not giving up though and neither is this city. We're in it for the long haul - even if the Thunder makes history in the worst way possible. We'll wear that as a badge of honor five years from now when OKC cruises into the playoffs - the ones that hung tough can say they rode the ship to the bottom of the ocean. It's definitely tough to try and make yourself care now, but hopefully a fruitful offseason will yield hope.

A few days off before the Thunder hosts Toronto on Friday night.

Need to waste a little time clicking the same button over and over?

Try ESPN's 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft! I know I've done it about 59 times. The last three times I ran it, OKC got the fourth pick and took James Harden. And I cried. Out loud.

It sucks that even though OKC could potentially (and realistically) go 2-79, it would still only have a 25 percent chance of winning. There should be some kind of "total and unbelievable suckage" clause that gives a team at least a 50 percent chance of winning the lottery. And also gives said team 20 or 30 million in "spending money" for the offseason. And lowers the rim to eight feet on the offensive end.

With this draft, whoever gets No. 1 takes Blake Griffin. That hasn't changed yet. But the top five changes almost every time depending on who picks where. OKC has taken Griffin every single time at one. At two, the Thunder has taken Ricky Rubio every time. When Wizards got Griffin at one and Minnesota picked second, the Wolves almost always took Hasheem Thabeet and left Rubio to OKC at three. The lowest OKC ever fell was fourth to which it took James Harden every time. Basically everyone but Minny wants Rubio at two.

A couple of oddities:
- Once, Rubio fell to OKC at four. Washington took Griffin, Minnesota took Thabeet, Indiana took Harden, and the Thunder took Rubio.
- Once, the Thunder took Thabeet at four. Washington took Griffin, Golden State took Brandon Jennings, the Clippers took Rubio and OKC took Thabeet. Which means Thabeet is in front of Harden on OKC's board.

I would say the Thunder's big board (according to Chad Ford) is:
1. Blake Griffin
2. Ricky Rubio
3. Hasheem Thabeet
4. James Harden

OKC never took a player outside of these four. Not once did it take Stephen Curry or Brandon Jennings. According to Ford, one of those four guys will be in a Thunder uniform next year.

One thing to keep in mind is the Thunder's chances of getting Griffin really don't get better with every loss. I think it's pretty clear OKC will finish with the league's worst record. The Thunder will have a 25 percent chance to get him, which is more than anyone else. So now that you've pretty much got the most ping-pong balls wrapped up, how about winning a few boys?

Clippers vs. Thunder: Pre-game primer

vs.

Los Angeles Clippers (6-17) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-23)
Tuesday, December 16
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

The last time these two titanics met, the both ships were sinking fast. But a month later, one has stuck a piece of chewing gum over the hole and the other just appears to have run into another iceberg. I think you can guess which one is which.

The Clippers have patched the hole by making a few moves. They got Zach Randolph from New York and he's been awesome recently (26.0 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game since joining LA). Since acquiring Randolph, the Clips have gone 4-4 and strung together their first back-to-back wins of the season - and they were impressive wins too over Portland and Houston. So the message is: This isn't the same Clips that came to the Ford Center and whooped Oklahoma City a month ago, basically sending P.J. Carlesimo to the bus stop.

In the first meeting between the two squads, the Thunder rolled early but failed to close out the half. The Clippers came back and then blew the doors off OKC in the second. Chris Kamen was a large part of that but he won't be playing tonight. While that's obviously nice, Chris Wilcox or no Chris Wilcox (he's out for tonight), there's probably no way OKC slows down Randolph. The hope is that Los Angeles shoots poorly from the outside and conversely, the Thunder continues to hit jump shots. Because otherwise, hello No. 24.

This is a big game for Scott Brooks. While I think it's clear that the team is more competitive under Brooks, there hasn't been any improvement in the win-loss column. And that's kind of, you know, important. A loss tonight gives him a 1-12 record as head coach - the same record Carlesimo had to which he was shown the door. It has been 44 days since OKC has won at home and the Thunder has lost 10 straight there.

I'm not sure what to expect as far as a home crowd tonight as the weather is bad in OKC and the roads are a iced over. So there may only be 10,000 on hand tonight - but hey, maybe it'll feel like a road game and the Thunder has actually played better on the road than at home.

Forget playing well in the two games in Texas. Forget how well Jeff Green and Kevin Durant played. It's freaking time to win at home. It's no secret that OKC fans are getting very restless. It was obvious the team would struggle before the season, but there's no reason for this. The Clippers are playing as good as they have this year, but they're still beatable. But heck, I've said that before and OKC has choked one away. Russell Westbrook, Durant and Green must play well together and the supporting cast has to chip in. It's the only way. The Thunder has to play a complete game in every way. That's what its come to - a complete, great effort to beat a 6-17 team at home. But reality is real. And the reality is this team is no good and these fans desperately need a win.

Tuesday's Five

1. Currently, the Thunder are 1-11 under interim head coach Scott Brooks. Former head man P.J. Carlesimo was canned with a 1-12 record under his belt. Tonight's game against the Clippers just became huge!

2. During Oklahoma City's two game swing in Texas, The Thunder shot 48.8 percent from the field and 89.6 percent from the free throw line - 4.5 and 13.1 percentage points higher than their season average.

3. Since Brooks has taken over, Jeff Green is averaging 17.5 a game compared to 13.7 under Carlesimo. Kevin Durant is averaging 25.1 compared to 21.2. While scoring is up, defense is down.

4. OKC's next ten games are against opponents that are a combined 118-119. Five of those teams have winning records and are a combined 80-39 (Cleveland 20-4, Denver 17-7, Phoenix 15-10, Detroit 15-9, Atlanta 13-9). The remaining five are 38-80 (LA Clippers 6-17, Toronto 10-14, Washington 4-18, Golden State 7-18, New York 11-13).

5. Kevin Durant is leading the team in turnovers per game with 3.1 giveaways. My guess is over half those turns came because he was bumped on a drive and lost control. He has to get stronger with the ball and just stronger in general.

Tuesday Bolts - 12.16.08

• Robert Kleeman on Bleacher Report about OKC's Texas two-step: "The undisputed worst team in the NBA keeps piling on its already ugly loss total. But two courageous, gritty, and competitive showings this weekend in Texas should give already aching fans a reason to cheer. The Oklahoma City Thunder headed to Texas for games against the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs with a gruesome 2-20 record. The league's newest franchise, uprooted from its former home of 41 years in Seattle, arrived in the Lone Star State with a chance to compile the worst record in NBA history, and that's how the Spurs and Mavericks played them."

• OKC is leading something so far, and that's the Ping-Pong Derby: "Each ping pong ball represents a 1% chance of the team winning the top overall pick in the June draft as of today. Oklahoma City -- challenging for the worst record in NBA history -- has a clear advantage in the Derby after 26 games. But Washington and Minnesota have been just awful enough to remain within spitting distance of the true bottom."

• Joe from Thunderguru sees some irony in the switch from P.J.'s "defense" to Scotty's offense: "When the Thunder opened the season with the same lineup as we currently have now, then coach P.J.’s chosen style of play was an up tempo pace, with a constant barrage of jump shots. There was little movement in the offense, usually just an attempt to get off a shot before the opponent defense was set. If the defense got set, another Thunder player would usually come over and set a pick, giving the ball handler a bit more room to launch a jumper. That was about it. P.J. meshed this offense (or lack thereof) with a fairly decent gimmicky defense that used a lot of zone in different incarnations."

• While the Thunder may have fallen out of relevancy as a team, a few players are becoming very relevant to fantasy owners: "The big two on the team are obviously Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. They are somewhat similar players — long, athletic and dripping with talent. Right now, Durant is the better fantasy player but Green isn’t too far behind. Durant is the better scorer and has better percentage but Green gets more rebounds, assists and steals."

• Joe Smith has been everywhere man: "Joe Smith has traveled so many places he could give Johnny Cash a run for his money. If only Smith could remember his NBA stops as clearly as the late great country music star could rattle off everywhere he’s been."

• Chris Wilcox is a game-time decision tonight: Forward Chris Wilcox said he is ready to play tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers, five days before the earliest possible return date the team gave in its initial 10-14 day recovery timetable from a dislocated left ring finger.

Monday Bolts - 12.15.08

• Ball Don't Lie behind the box score: "The Spurs got out to a huge (26 points) lead in the first half, and while the offense did taper off a bit (44 combined points in the second and third quarters), it was the team's one-on-one defense that looked much worse. Jeff Green (33 points) and Kevin Durant (28) went off, and the Thunder made a game of it."

• I don't really get the point of this, but Oklahoma appears "more favorable" around the country: "Oklahoma securing its own professional team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, was a plus, Zogby said. "Having the NBA never hurts,” he said. "The numbers went up among men.” Success by Oklahoma’s college football teams this season also probably helped with Americans having a better opinion or image of the state, he said."

• The Oklahoman asked Sam Presti three questions: "Nobody’s happy with where we stand right now from a record standpoint. But we feel like in the last weeks we’ve taken steps forward. But we have to play with consistency. I think the consistency in our ability to show improvement each day in practice carries over to game situations. I like the fact that our guys have hung together and continue to work to get themselves righted. There’s an accountability for our slow start for everyone.”

• Thunderguru game reaction: "When we played the Jazz in November (which seems like a loooongg long time ago with this team), we played in a similar fashion as we did in tonight’s game: play unbelievably bad in the first half, but in the second half, come out and play so well you scare the bejeezus out of a title contending team."

Thunder falters down the stretch in Dallas

Two crucial, vital, make-or-break possessions. Two Thunder pull-your-hair-out, yell-at-the-TV turnovers.

How frustrating for Saturday's 103-99 loss to the Dallas Mavericks to end in such a sloppy way for Oklahoma City after playing arguably its best all-around game of the season. Down two 99-97 with the ball, OKC marched up the court with under 30 seconds remaining and a chance to tie or take the lead. But Jeff Green - who was stellar - tried to force the ball to the post to Kevin Durant - who was also stellar - and the pass sailed wide out of bounds.

Then after two Dallas free throws and down four, Damien Wilkins - who had a solid game - lost control of the ball virtually sealing OKC's fate.

And while this goes down as No. 22 in a rapidly expanding string of losses, this one looked good. On the road against an above average West opponent and you lead for most of the game, stretch a lead to nine at one point late and have a chance to win. It's not the "We can build on this" game, but there's no reason to complain. The Thunder played hard for 48, executed all night, rebounded, defended and hit shots. This was a fun game to watch, even with the unfavorable result.

OKC spread the scoring as Green tied a season-high with 25, Durant had 22 and Russell Westbrook clocked another excellent game netting 19, but also had six assists and eight rebounds. As Brian Davis loves to say - over and over and over - that's a glimpse of the Thunder's future. If those three can turn in that type of performance on a consistent basis and you add in two or three role players, this is a contending team. That's a big "if" because all three are under the age of 23, but that's also encouraging because they sky is the limit for them.

But how about Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Those two combined for 74 of the Mavs 103 points (Nowitzki 46, Terry 28). And at times, Dirk was literally unstoppable. There was no one to guard him. Green wasn't long enough to alter his shot and while Durant had the length, he didn't have the strength. That was quite a show from that duo. The next highest point total was eight from Jason Kidd.

Make fun all you want but this was just a good basketball game that OKC came up short in. The Mavs are the better team but the Thunder hung around because of great effort and better execution. It will be tough to match the energy and intensity tomorrow night in San Antonio, but this game was a tiny, baby-step forward. I know it's a loss but considering how the previous game went down (loss at home to Memphis after leading by 21), I'll take it.

And yay for Sam Bradford. Heisman winner No. 5 for Football U. Now on to winning the next trophy.

The game we all want to see: Thunder vs. Tar Heels

As the Tar Heels keep steamrolling and the Thunder keep free-falling, this little pretend matchup is going to pick up serious movement. I've already heard some people talk about it, but let's really and truly break this one down: Thunder vs. Tar Heels - who wins?

All common sense says, Thunder, because they are pros, the Heels are not. This type of debate has been brought up before with the 2004 USC Trojans vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. The consensus was the Bengals would win because pros are pros for a reason, no matter how good a college team is.

A few ground rules -
1. We have to assume both teams play to their maximum effort. You can't chalk up a loss or win for one side based on, "Well, I think OKC would come out flat" or "Carolina would elevate its game because of the opponent." We can't assume the Thunder wouldn't try very hard for one, out of disrespect for their opponent and two, because of feeling disrespected for playing a college team. All things are equal.

2. No home court advantage - neutral court.

3. The teams are as is. Tyler Zeller is hurt, Chris Wilcox is hurt, D.J. White is out. We could speculate what each player could bring but we have to go with what each team would put on the floor tonight.

4. NBA rules. 24 second shot clock, wider lane, three point line, defensive three seconds, the charge halo, jumping on tie ups, 48 minutes, four quarters, the whole bit. I think this is only fair because I view the Heels as the "challengers" so they should have to step up to the NBA rules. And plus, if we used the college three point line, it just wouldn't be fair to UNC because most pro centers can knock down a 20 footer. I said "most" not "Robert Swift."

5. This is just for funs. I know this won't ever happen, but when your team is 2-21 and looks completely inept at times, why not self-deprecate and have a little larf at their expense. This isn't meant to mock OKC, but just to think about a potential matchup between the two and plus, it gives me something to write about other than, "What OKC needs to do better: everything."

First, let's look at the starting lineup matchups:

Ty Lawson vs. Russell Westbrook
Advantage: Westbrook
Ty Lawson is a tremendous college point guard. He's extremely quick, handles the ball in the open court as well as anyone and distributes like a pro. He has wonderful tools and plays good man-to-man defense. And he's the same age as Westbrook. But he's hurt by the fact he's just 5'11" and that Westbrook virtually shut down all other college guards he played against last year. Westbrook has steadily improved throughout this season and against NBA defenders, Westbrook can get a shot just about any time he wants it. He doesn't MAKE it all that often, but he can get it. Westbrook gets the edge because of his outrageous athleticism and superior size.

Wayne Ellington vs. Damien Wilkins
Advantage: Ellington
A total no-brainer. Damien Wilkins has never been anything more than "nice role player" and Ellington has NBA star potential. He's a true scorer that has one of the most refined, sweetest jump shots I've ever seen at the college level. He slashes, he shoots and he defends. Right now, his scoring numbers are down but the reasons are two-fold: 1) He doesn't need to because there's so much talent around him and 2) because he's averaging five less minutes a game because UNC is blowing out everyone. In college, Wilkins never averaged more than 12.6 a game and at the pro level, he's a "do the little things, score when you're open" kind of guy. Wilkins is a pretty good defender, but like I said, Ellington has serious NBA potential. Ellington would simply outplay him. And he'd have to for UNC to have a chance.

Danny Green vs. Kevin Durant
Advantage: Durant
Before we all just say "Durant" and move on, let's consider what Green does well: defends. That's his calling card at UNC and most nights, he gets the other team's best scorer. He's longer than he looks (6'6") and athletic. He's no slouch scoring either putting up almost 14 a game. But the fact is, Kevin Durant is one of the elite scorers in the NBA and not even the most prolific college defenders could guard him at Texas. Durant would probably score 30 easily, 40 if he wanted to and maybe 50 if he pushed it. He'd stretch Green on the perimeter, post him up, shoot over him and score off the drive. Just no contest.

Deon Thompson vs. Jeff Green
Advantage: Jeff Green
This matchup is similar to the Durant/Danny Green one. Deon Thompson is a very nice player that is coming along and could be a solid pro player. But Jeff Green was one of the five best college players his last year at Georgetown. He got tons of consideration for the Naismith and was a first-team All-American. If this game happened, I might actually predict Jeff Green leading the game in scoring - especially with his new found jump shot. He could score in the post, from outside or get to the free throw line with ease.

Tyler Hansbrough vs. Nick Collison
Advantage: Push
Hansbrough is like Nick Collison 2.0. He plays virtually the same game, but harder. They both have a little jumper that's a bit inconsistent but you still have to guard them on it. They both get primarily all their points on the blocks either off offensive put-backs or post moves. And both work hard defensively. Hansbrough is probably the better player right now, but the matchup goes to a push because of Collison having been in the league for so many years and having the knowledge of a veteran. If Wilcox were playing, this head-to-head would go to OKC no doubt. Too much strentgh, too much athletic ability. But as it stands, Wilcox is hurt with a dislocated ring finger and is day-to-day.

Benches:
Carolina: Bobby Frasor, Ed Davis, Will Graves, Larry Drew
Thunder: Earl Watson, Desmond Mason, Johan Petro, Joe Smith
Advantage: Thunder
This is where OKC has the biggest advantage. Guys that never play like Kyle Weaver were college stars. The Thunder's bench would torch the Heels.

Why the Tar Heels could win: Because they are dang talented and most importantly, there are no egos and they play like a team. Not one guy on that squad looks like he's thinking about his NBA future or draft day. They are all committed to the goal and it's obvious. They have tons of talent as most of the team is made up of McDonald's All-Americans. Now, I'm not the knee-jerk, hyperbole guy that's ready to say they'll go undefeated or make them a lock to win it all. Lots can happen in a college basketball season and we all know lots can happen in the tourney. But the fact is, this is the best TEAM.

Why the Thunder should win: Because they are pros. Like mentioned in the matchups, most of the Thunder players were either college All-Americans or the top player in his respective team. But what the Thunder has in better talent and skill, it lacks in team chemistry. These guys are still trying to find how to play with each other and how to win. Right now, they just have no idea had to do either. But there's more athleticism, more skill and just all-around better talent and so OKC should win. But Ole Miss should beat Valparaiso, UCONN should beat George Mason and Iowa State should beat Hampton. Should doesn't mean will.

Final score: Oklahoma City 125, North Carolina 90
Carolina just won't be able to stop OKC. There's too many weapons, too much skill and the bench is way deeper. The Heels could probably score a little because OKC is giving up 100 plus already and UNC averages close to that (97.0) in just 40 minutes. But the extended three-point line may slow down some of Carolina's scorers because that shot is probably out of Ty Lawson's and Danny Green's range while they can hit the college three fairly consistently. But the Thunder is better defensively because of size and athleticism. Durant and Jeff Green would likely be able to score at will and Westbrook would be able to slow Lawson's ability to distribute and drive.

Again, just for fun. And it was. Because it was nice to write things about OKC like, "too many weapons," "deeper bench," "more talent," "better defensively." Too bad we can't substitute "North Carolina Tar Heels" for "Memphis Grizzlies." One day. Maybe.

Thursday Bolts - 12.10.08

• This is a bit old, but I came across a revised opinion from Uni Watch on Oklahoma City's jerseys: "Uni Watch was originally less than impressed with the Thunder's uniforms. And yes, the team name is awful and the logo is a joke. But you know what? But you know what? That home uni looks pretty dang good out on the court. The colors pop, the type is sharp, and the whole thing looks crisp and clean, even from the back and sides. If this uni had already been in the league for a dozen years, we'd be praising it as a minor classic of no-nonsense design. Unfortunately, the road uni has major problems. For starters, the chest insignia is way too plain and top-heavy. Second, check out the side view and compare it to side views of the Knicks, Wizards and Bobcats. Notice a pattern? Finally, why would you use the color of a clear blue sky for a team named after stormy weather? Uni Watch suggests a hasty retreat to the drawing board."
  

• Found via TrueHoop and it has nothing Thunder related, but it's just some really good basketball breakdown: "One of the most memorable lessons George taught me in High School was how to play defense at the end of a game. His exact rules or explanation may differ, but my interpretation was basically to stick to your normal defensive fundamental strategy on the final play of the game. There is a reason that you are NOT taught to trap every possession, to go for every steal, or to try to block every shot. That reason is that it does not work a majority of the time, and it can often lead to fouls or even easier buckets from the other team."

• Some interesting thoughts from Brian Robinson of SonicsCentral.com: "Frankly I just don’t know who would break first. When I look at the situation I can honestly say it would be more horrendous than I had really imagined. I’m thinking crowds of 2,000, losses in excess of $50M. The players union would have seen their worst case scenario come true and would be bitter at everybody, the league, me, the city, you name it. The owners and players would probably be able to point at this specific market as a cause of reduction to next years salary cap. I truly think the situation would have been untenable." Brian is right. In a twisted way for Seattle fans, it's probably better the team left rather than spending a few lame duck seasons there. It could have been truly detrimental to the city's chances of returning the NBA and the image of the city would have been tarnished completely.

• Russell Westbrook is skying up the Rookie Watch rankings: "Westbrook is really coming on as a player, using his jets to fly around the court and hit midrange jumpers (something he struggled with earlier this season). The downside to his recent success is the attention he's getting from defenses. In his past four games, he has 19 turnovers. He'll learn to make easier plays and start anticipating blitzes and stunts as he uses ball screens."

• Ball Don't Lie behind the box score: "I got the feeling that Marc Iavaroni saved his job last night, then I remembered that Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley might not be all that interested in paying for an extended from an interim coach for the second time in three seasons. Either way, the Grizzlies were on pace to get blown out by the Thunder early on, but rallied for the win."

• Another installment of "Peace, Love and Thunderstanding" from the Lost Ogle: "Since the Thunder are such a torturous team to watch play – and an even more torturous team to analyze – I decided that it would be boring to write (or expect you to read) about the team’s failures in my first crack at Peace, Love and Thunderstanding. Instead, I figured it would be fun to list some ways that Thunder management could possibly make the home games more enjoyable, thus improving the Thunder experience."

• David Stern made an appearance on Bill Simmons' B.S. Report's 100 episode. Of the topics discussed, the situation in Seattle (about 17 minutes in): "BS: My one problem is that those guys bought the team with the intent to move it. It seemed pretty obvious from the get-go that they weren't genuinely interested in keeping the team there. Stern: That's not what their actions in my view confirm at all. BS: You investigated this? Yes. They spent lots of money with plans and lobbying and doing all the things that the ownership before them had done, but they did even more and it wasn't to be. And in fact the actual economic opportunity in Seattle with a new building was far larger than any other city that they could have moved to."
  

Let's listen to Coach Brooks and Company try and put together sentences after another excruciating loss:

Thunder continues march to history - loses 108-102 to Memphis

This is just getting plain ridiculous. Two and twenty-one.

This game was the complete opposite of the first game against the Grizzlies. In the first meeting, Memphis (7-15) jumped out to a good lead and surrendered some before halftime before folding completely late in the game. Tonight, the Thunder returned the favor.

Tonight's ball game wasn't lost in the second half or late in the fourth quarter though. Tonight's game was lost in the final three minutes of the second quarter. OKC had ripped off 13 in a row to go up 51-30. But right on cue, Memphis took a timeout, OKC got careless with the basketball and by halftime, the lead was just seven. Memphis outscored OKC 32-19 in the fourth, but like I said, it was the 18-4 run right before halftime that lost this game. The steam and the excitement went right out of the building. When you're already 2-20 and have lost your last 18 of 19, you can kind of feel what's coming.

The Thunder held the lead for the third quarter and finally relinquished early the fourth as the Grizzlies tied it at 85. Foul trouble had the Thunder handcuffed as Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison, Damien Wilkins and Joe Smith all had to fight disqualification.

For once, the Thunder didn't shoot poorly from the field, (51.4 percent), did well at the free throw line (80 percent), didn't get outrebounded (37-36) and took care of the ball relatively well (15 turns). But still lost. Why? Well, other than the aforementioned run, it was the inability to get stops late and the inability to execute. At least it wasn't the same old stuff. Tonight, OKC was pegged for eight more fouls than Memphis (29-21). I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both had nice nights. Durant had 28 on 9-18 shooting and pulled down five boards in 41 minutes. Westbrook netted 15 and dished six assists and didn't have a turnover. But Durant did have six turns. I've mentioned it before, but KD just isn't that strong with the ball. He gets bumped and he loses control pretty easily. He really needs to focus on getting a little stronger in the offseason. And he's trying this weird little standing jumper lately where he faces up and jab steps a few times and then lifts and chucks a quick shot. And I'm guessing, but I'd say he's probably about 0-12 on that shot for the season. He's best off two dribbles and a step back or coming off a screen and popping.

I do want to mention that I was at tonight's game with my buddy Andy and the in-game production and entertainment was far and away better than it was opening night. This had the feeling of a Hornets game with all the videos, numerous T-shirt tosses and other fun things. I counted 17 plays of some form of Thunderstruck and I loved using the riff as a "Defense!" chant. Nice touch. During the pregame video intro, Andy and I joked that there really couldn't be much stock footage of Thunder highlights, with the team being, you know, 2-20. And right as he said that, there was a clip of Earl Watson taking a charge. How perfect. We then wondered what else they'd show - maybe an opponent traveling or a good defensive rebound. Or maybe even practice footage. (sigh)

Oklahoma City makes a quick trip down I-35 to play the Mavericks Saturday night. That should be fun.

Grizzlies vs. Thunder: Don't just play harder, play better

vs.

Memphis Grizzlies (6-15) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-20)
Wednesday, December 10
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

I'll you one thing, I'm sick of this "We've got to play harder" stuff. For a full month, that's been the soundbite from this team. I've watched this group play for a solid two months and "playing hard" is not the problem. That's just an excuse for what's actually the issue, or should I say issues.

A total lack of execution. Poor fundamentals. A misunderstanding of roles. Terrible chemistry. No rhythm or flow to the offense. Awful defense. Bad shooting. Bad rebounding. Bad ball control. Bad talent. Bad players. Bad team.

Playing hard has nothing to do with it. As far as I'm concerned, they are playing hard. But this isn't college basketball. You don't really squeeze wins away in the NBA because you outhustled the other team. Maybe in a match of two even squads, that's a difference maker. But when the talent gap is as big as it is when OKC plays, "playing hard" doesn't mean that much. You have to combine playing hard with all the intangibles that actually make up a decent basketball team. I don't care you dove on the floor 28 times if you shot only 22 percent from the field.

I really haven't watched a game yet where I thought, "Boy, they just aren't trying." I've watched games where it was clear the Thunder were flat or lacked intensity, but it wasn't like they weren't trying.

And as clear as its been that OKC has played better under Scott Brooks, there was a big step back Monday night against the Warriors. Most of the players chalked it up to "not playing hard." When in reality, the Thunder turned it over 20 times (15 in the first half) shot 60 percent from the free throw line, missed easy shots in the lane, played horrible defense, got dominated in the paint and didn't execute outside of giving the ball to Kevin Durant and watching him shoot. Is that "not playing hard?" Sounds to me that's "not playing good."

That brings us to tonight's game against Memphis. Somehow, the Thunder beat the Grizz on the road two and a half weeks ago. How? Because they didn't just "play hard." They executed, made shots, rebounded and made free throws. OKC trailed by 11 at the half but remained focused and stayed within itself. The did get to loose balls and secure rebounds - but that should just be part of it. Those things are completely within your control. Nobody should have to tell you to go get a rebound. You're a basketball player. You're supposed to just know and do that.

I don't know what to expect tonight. I would hope that after Monday's letdown against the Warriors, the Thunder would come out on fire and play its best game of the season. The Grizzlies are a terrible road team (1-10 on the road, 5-5 at home). This is winnable. People are expecting a win. It looks like another losing streak is building and this is a good chance to nip it before it starts rolling again and weighing on their minds. But with this group, who knows.

Wednesday Bolts - 12.10.08

• A first look at Kevin Durant's first signature Nike Shoe, the KD 1: "They feature a bright orange upper which is paired with yellow accents and blue shoe laces, all of which are reminiscent of the Oklahoma City Thuder’s team colors. Some nice details include the use of a speckled design on the midsole, swoosh, and inner lining, along with his KD logo at the ankle area."

• Harlan Schreiber of Pro Basketball News: "While I'm not a huge Carlesimo fan, Phil Jackson or Red Auerbach would stink coaching this team too. As for Scott Brooks, he was a heady player but we have no idea how he'll be ultimately as a coach. In the short term, it seems like he'll be in the exact same boat as Carlesimo, taking lumps with a chance for modest improvement near the end of the year. While Thunder management doesn't really have to worry about being fair to its coaches, this job is rigged for failure in the short term and any deck shuffling is only meant to distract the fans."

• Ask and ye shall receive - USA Today has a statistical look at the Thunder under P.J. and now under Scott Brooks: Under Brooks, OKC is scoring average is up from 88.9 to 97.0, but the team is giving up over three more points a game. Field goal percentage is up six points, but opposing field goal percentage is up six as well. Assists per game are up 5.8 to 21.5, but rebounding is down from 44.7 per game to 34.1. But strangely, opposing rebounds per game are down from 45.5 to 40.5. So it's pretty clear, other than actually winning games, OKC has improved quite drastically under Brooks.

• And because some are oh-so-interested: "In an effort to quell what he believes to be unfounded rumors about Chesapeake's financial stability, CEO Aubrey McClendon first addressed a conference call for analysts and reporters - which he said drew about 600 listeners - then spoke by phone with a handful of media outlets, including The Associated Press. His message: Chesapeake is making money and will continue to do so in the coming years."

• Thunder players offer a hand for those in need: "Jacob Franks raced his bicycle down the aisle with Kevin Durant. An unsuspecting customer leaped back, unaware last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year and Jacob, 6, were test driving bikes at a Target in north Oklahoma City."

• The Thunder has started to hug it out: "In this most desperate time — a 2-20 record and current four-game losing streak entering tonight’s game against Memphis — Thunder players have turned to the most desperate of measures. Hugging."

Tuesday's Starting Five: five things to consider

1. Breaking the Thunder down by quarter:
The Thunder consistently loses the first three quarters by an average of two to four points every night. While it doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you lose the first, second and third quarters by three points each, you’re trailing by nine heading to the fourth. OKC wins the first only 25 percent of the time, the second 23, the third 28 and the fourth 55. The Thunder is actually one of the top 10 teams in fourth quarter scoring margin (0.4 points). Before you get too excited, I think we know the reason why – when you’re down 15 heading into the quarter, other teams tend to let up and lose focus. But if we’re going to flip it positive, at least that means these guys don’t quit.

2. If you had to guess what the Thunder’s most productive five-man unit was, what would you toss out? Westbrook-Wilkins-Durant-Green-Wilcox? Watson-Westbrook-Durant-Green-Wilcox? That would be my guess. Actually, it’s Westbrook-Mason-Green-Smith-Wilcox. Watson-Westbrook-Durant-Green-Collison actually has a higher win percentage and +/- but they’ve only accounted for 21 minutes. The group of Watson-Durant-Green-Collison-Petro has accounted for the most minutes (119) but has a team worst -50.

3. OKC takes 42 percent of its shots 10 seconds or less into the shot clock.

4. OKC takes 61 percent jump shots and shoots about 38 effective field goal percent on those. For comparison, opponents take 59 percent jumpers on OKC but hit 46.6 percent of them.

5. Position-by-position production:
OKC is getting killed by opponent’s power forwards and centers. The average PER for opposing fours is 19.0 and centers 21.3. The Thunder’s position-by-position PER goes 12.1 for point guard, 16.2 at shooting guard, 11.2 at small forward, 14.8 at power forward and 14.5 at center. By position, the Thunder is being out performed at every position by an average of 4.1.

After looking through those, I really wish we could get a split in the stats for the Scott Brooks era compared to the P.J. Carlesimo one. I wonder how different those would be.

Tuesday Bolts - 12.9.08

• Golden State of Mind reaction: "I can't believe that counts as a win. I felt like I was watching a summer league game half expecting Marco Belinelli to go off for 37 points. It was the NBA equivalent of a game featuring the Detroit Lions vs Cincinnati Bengals, somebody has to win, but nobody really cares. It was just two teams playing because the schedule says so. For the Warriors, it was a gift from the scheduling gods to mercifully end their 9 game losing streak. For the Thunder, just another loss, they're used to it."

• John Rohde writes the Thunder "rolled over and played dead": "The 5-15 Warriors came in having lost nine straight and were without starters Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette. Golden State’s best player, guard Monta Ellis, is expected to miss the first 30 games this season. Rather than accepting the Warriors as the get-well card they are, the Thunder remains under the weather (so to speak)."

• Thunderguru knew OKC was in trouble from the tip: "This game hadn’t been underway for very long before I knew we were in trouble. As soon as I saw our guys racing up the floor, and trying to “out-quick” Nellie small ball, I figured we were doomed. It’s very difficult to beat somebody at their own game."

• Try the FreeDarko Russell Westbrook challenge: "No one on the planet can say "Russell Westbrook" four times in a row. Fast or slow. It's the secret to his game, too."

Unrelated to the Thunder, but awesome. After fouling out last night against the Rockets, Darko Milicic walked to the bench and ripped his jersey straight down the middle. This will probably become the basketball equivalent to a baseball player breaking his bat over his knee. I hope this starts happening all the time. Darko must be an Old Testament reader.

• Basketbawful's Worst of the Night: "Holy rusted metal, Batman. The Golden State Warriors, losers of nine straight games, stumbled into the Thunder's home arena without their two leading scorers -- Stephen Jackson (20.1 PPG) and Corey Maggette (19.1) both sat out with injuries -- and it didn't matter. They won anyway. The Thunder are just that bad. The Warriors played eight guys, seven of which scored in double figures...and the eighth guy, Ronny Turiaf, finished with 9. The Thunder were down by as many as 21 in the second quarter and by 19 at halftime. They tried to rally, but of course that rally came up short. Kevin Durant, who played great (41 points, 10 rebounds) against the Warriors non-defense, said: "In this league, when you get down by 20 it's hard to come back." Wow! His basketball IQ is off the charts!"

Kevin Durant wows, but Thunder doesn't in 112-102 loss to Warriors

This was bad. This was just a bad loss. As if the other 19 weren't awful, this one was the worst. I know there was a late push that was pretty good, but it shouldn't have come to that.

Let me break it down this way:
1. Golden State came in to the Ford Center on a nine game skid, sitting at 5-15. In other words, a very beatable team.

2. Golden State was playing without two of its top players, Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson. Oh, in that case, an extremely beatable team.

3. For most of the night, Oklahoma City trailed by double-digits, was down 19 at the half and by as much as 21.

4. The Thunder turned the ball over 20 times, including 15 in the first half alone.

5. And on top of that, shot 12-20 (60 percent) from the free throw line.

6. Kevin Durant did put up a mesmerizing 41 and we'd like to welcome Nick Collison back (15 and 10), but other than that, everyone flopped. Jeff Green had maybe THE WORST shooting performance I've ever seen. By my count, he airballed five times and barely caught the front of the rim once. On one of the rimless shots, I swear he missed it by a solid two feet. It was like it slipped out of his hand or was throwing an oop to Casper.

7. The first half was a very P.J.-esque performance. No intensity. No fire. Terrible, terrible defense and just an overall lack of basketball competency.

8. After playing his best game as a pro against Miami, Russell Westbrook made me want to run face first into my television tonight. Funny how rookies can do that to you. He was 4-13 from the field, had six turns and on top of it, he missed multiple key shots that could have pulled OKC within a real possibility of winning.

9. This is your home court. You're supposed to be better here, not worse. The momentum was building for a solid home win. The crowd could feel it with the tip. But then for three quarters, OKC tosses out a real stinker.

10. The Warriors shot 50.6 percent from the field and for much of the game were over 60 percent. Oh, and also had SEVEN players score in double figures.

No improvement talk tonight. We have already broken the Oklahoma State Cowboy record for most moral victories in a season. Scott Brooks said enough of those. I agree. The game is at home and you're supposed to win. And you lose. No excuses for this one. It's time to man up and win sometimes.

This was probably the most frustrating game of the season because I'd seen the improvement leading up and expected a good night. Who was I kidding? There's just a complete failure to execute in the most crucial situations. It's plagued OKC all season long and it will likely continue to plague it.

And for your Brian Davis watch, he said "triggers" or "triggered" 11 times and for good measure tossed in three "Rock-a-bye-babys." I don't even know what that's supposed to mean.

One day off and then one of the two Thunder victims comes to the Ford Center as Memphis plays OKC Wednesday night.

Warriors vs. Thunder: Pre-game view

vs.

Golden State Warriors (5-15) at Oklahoma City Thunder (2-19)
Monday, December 8
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

My apologies on the lack of Bolts today as I'm busy this week (I'm graduating Friday!) and so things are a bit hectic. Hectic in the sense of "I want to make sure I'm actually graduating." Saturday night was a night meant for celebrating OU's third straight Big 12 title and seeing as the Thunder lost - I thought I could skip out on a post game wrapper. Kind of like college: Every now and then you just feel like skipping class, even though I could have easily went. Oh well.

Tonight's game against the Warriors has OKC returning to the Sooner State after a good week and a half spent on the road. Though the losses keep piling up, the team is finally playing solid basketball for four quarters. The pieces aren't in place to win, but it's clear something has changed for the better under Coach Brooks. No more of these 30 point holes to dig out of just to make it respectable.

And how about Russell Westbrook. He played easily his best game as a pro scoring 30 on 10-18 shooting. But lost in that line was his seven rebounds and also the fact he attempted only one three. He finally took smart shots for an entire game, didn't force it to the rim and played within himself. I think this is a sign of things to come from Westbrook.

In the last two games of the road trip, Kevin Durant didn't shoot well at all, didn't assert himself and didn't score. He had just 34 in the two games combined on 11-35 shooting. But even without his contributions, OKC lost by just six and nine, respectively. That's good, I guess. In the sense that the team *tried* to pick up the slack for its off star.

With tonight's game, Golden State wants to run and take quick shots. Under Coach Scotty, the Thunder have done a bit of the same. Jamaal Crawford gives the Warriors a complete other dimension to that run and gun style, because of his athleticism and ability to score in bunches. He's fit right in to the system and is playing well. Though somehow, the Warriors have not. At all. One advantage the Thunder should have is on the boards, especially with the return of Nick Collison. He played extremely efficient against the Heat and adding him back into the rotation could be a big boost. The key is keeping Andris Biedrins off the boards as he pulls down 11.9 rebounds a game and I think the combo of Collison and Chris Wilcox should be able to limit him for the most part. Also, the Warriors play horrid defense, but so does OKC. So there should be some points scored tonight.

Right now, there's just a consistency missing. When the Thunder's playing great defense, they're missing shots. When they're knocking down everything, the defense and rebounding lacks. They're doing enough to stay close for 48 minutes and at least give themselves a chance to win (unlike the first 12 games), but enough of this hanging around. Looking at the schedule, there's some chances to get a few wins this December. The team is without a doubt playing better. It just has to get over the hump and why not start tonight at home against a very beatable opponent. The problem is other struggling teams see "Oklahoma City" on their schedule and they immediately think, "Sweet, here's a chance to get back on track." The Warriors have lost nine in a row. So the Thunder is going to need intensity and effort tonight and good performances and solid contributions from everyone to win this thing, because Golden State is seeing this game as their chance to break it.

Thunder plays better this time around, but still comes up short against the Magic

It doesn't happen very often that a team can go 1-6 under a new coach and you still think, "Boy, they sure are a lot better under this new guy." Clearly, you have to be pretty bad in the first place (and Oklahoma City was) but the improvement under Coach Scott Brooks is obvious.

I know, I know. Another loss for OKC (2-18) tonight in Orlando (15-5), 98-89 to the Magic, dropping the Thunder to a dismal 2-18, but considering the way the first matchup went, this team is different. Completely, 100 percent, totally, different.

The most OKC trailed by tonight was 11 (compare that to the first meeting where the Thunder trailed by as much as 32). The spread was consistently four to eight all night. When you stay close like that, you're going to get some wins. With the way this group is playing under Brooks, there's no way they only win nine games.

The Thunder did some things very well to stay in the game, but also did some things very poorly that cost them.

THE GOOD
1. Forced turnovers - Oklahoma City forced 16 Orlando turns, and cashed those in for 16 points.
2. Did much better against Dwight Howard - Howard still got 21 points and 23 rebounds, but he wasn't nearly the same force he was a month ago at the Ford Center.
3. Russell Westbrook - A complete line tonight for Westbrook: 19 points, nine boards and five assists. He also ripped two steals and I counted, got his hands on the ball eight times defensively tonight (tips, pokes, steals, etc.).
4. Johan Petro - We had a a Johan sighting and he played excellent. 15 points in 19 minutes on 7-9 shooting. Nice work off the bench.

THE BAD
1. Free throws (again) - OKC went 14-21 from the line (66.7 percent). When you're not a good team, you just absolutely cannot give away free points.
2. 16 turnovers - And most of those coming in the second half. Down the stretch there were multiple bad decisions and forced passes.
3. Perimeter defense - The Magic started the game 1-8 from the three-point line, but after that went 12-19. It seemed like the Thunder wasn't getting the hint: Hey, Orlando hits threes. Cover them. Like, get on Keith Bogans. He wants to shoot that.

THE SORT-OF BAD
1. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green - Durant had 16 and shot the ball poorly (5-18), but played solid defense and grabbed 10 boards. Green just never really could shake free and had just nine on only seven shots, but did a nice job on the glass and helping on Howard.

Other than the game itself, I can't help but wonder what's going on with Nick Collison. Last year he averaged 28.5 minutes a game but tonight he saw just four. Against the Bobcats, he had six. He's been completely unproductive this year, so I understand the slash in minutes, but why? Why isn't he playing better? Last season he busted his butt and averaged nearly 10 and 10. Now he's seeing under five minutes a game. Is he disgruntled? Hurt? What's the deal?

Two other things I have to say:
A. Brian Davis makes me hurt. I just can't help it anymore. He's trying so hard, he just overdoes it. First of all, there's no way that is his normal voice. There is no way that when he's blessing a meal or asking for a napkin that he talks in the forced, pretend, announcer voice. Well, it may be his normal voice now, since he's probably trained himself to talk like that, but he seriously sounds like when you or your friends act like an announcer with that thing. Second, enough with saying "Wow." when anything happens. If ANYTHING of note happens that unusual or cool, all he says is "Wow." Bogans hit another three late and he just said, "Wow." The ball got stuck between the glass and the rim and he just said, "Wow." And on top of that, don't say "triggers" every single time someone shoots a jumper. Mix it up. I swear there were four straight jump shots he said, "Durant triggers," "Nelson triggers," "Green triggers," "Nelson triggers." I know it's a catchy, fun and different way to say "shoots" but just mix it up. I appreciate the effort Brian. You're doing your best. I definitely enjoy your upbeatness or upbeatability or whatever you want to call it about the team - but just tone it down a little.

B. I cannot look at Scott Brooks without having a quick, five-second mental debate of "Does he look more like Michael J. Fox or Eric Murphy from Entourage?" You be the judge. I think I'm settling on E.



I'm glad I got those things off my chest. Again, solid effort tonight. I love the way the team is playing under Coach Scotty. Improvement is happening and the effort it better. I think Brooks is making a pretty darn good case to get that "interim" label dropped.

One more game in Florida as OKC takes on the Heat (10-9) tomorrow in Miami - at roughly the same time as the Big 12 championship. I like DVR.

Thunder at Magic: Pre-game view

vs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2-17) vs. Orlando Magic (14-5)
Friday, December 5
Amway Arena
Orlando, Florida
6:00 PM CST

TV: KSBI-52 (Cox 9)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

Anybody else not really that psyched to watch this one tonight? And no, not because I've lost excitement over the team because its 2-17 (though, I'll admit, I have... a little). It's because of what the Man-Child did to us last time. Holy heaven in a hand-basket, he was dominant. Let's revisit that line: 30 points, 19 rebounds, 10 blocks. Moses.

As I wrote in that post game recap, not having Kevin Durant really hurt. At the time he was really the only Thunder player that could hit a consistent jumper (and still kind of is), meaning OKC had to drive the lane over and over only to to see their shots sent back, over and over. OKC was in a 30-point hole in what seemed like seconds and tried to stage a small comeback when the Magic players were already on the bus.

But the bright spot that night was Jeff Green. He had 25 points, including 3-6 from three. That game was really Green's season breakout night. He found confidence and found his stroke and in a weird way, Durant being out that night may have benefited the Thunder in the long run.

Friday against Charlotte, OKC shot 55 percent from the field and hit 7-11 from downtown. That HAS to happen again tonight for there to be any hope. In the first matchup, the Thunder was without Chris Wilcox which hurt because Robert Swift was doing his darndest to contain Dwight Howard. And by "darndest" I mean "I'm being nice because Swift tried hard, but got dominated in every way, shape and form."

(Speaking of Swift, I love this comment from Clark Matthews of The Lost Ogle: "I love to listen the announcers discuss Robert Swift’s great basketball IQ and understanding of the game, while watching him wander around cluelessly in the offense and bump into Kevin Durant trying to get open." When you've only played about 75 games in a three-year span and haven't contributed anything substantial to the franchise that drafted you in the top 10, people have to find something nice to say about you. It's like in little league, with the token worst kid on the team and the coach is going down the line and saying something about each player at the end of the season party and he gets to Melvin and says, "Uh, the thing about Melvin is, uh, he... uh, always comes to practice with a smile on his face. He has such a great attitude that it was contagious. Real hard worker.")

Tonight, Russell Westbrook must play within himself. He's been doing better at that lately, but hopefully he learned a lesson since the last meeting with the Beast. Pull up from eight. Don't take it to the rim unless Howard is on the pine. In the first meeting, Westbrook was 3-19 from the field. Yikes. Just let the game come to you Russell. If it's there, take it. Don't force it. Let Green and Durant hit jumpers if it's not.

It could be a long night in Orlando, but I'm cautiously optimistic. I like the direction of this team under Coach Scotty and if the team can duplicate the efficiency it had in Charlotte, but add the rebounding, the free throws and subtract the turnovers, the Thunder could be in this one. (That last sentence is pathetic - it reminds me of that Seinfeld where Jerry is on the train to Long Island and falls asleep and wakes up and the guy in front of him is naked. They go on and on about the Mets exchanging things like, "No, the problem is they've got no speed!" "No, the speed is fine. They've got no pitching!" "Well, you've got to like their chances." "Oh, I love their chances.") So yeah, if the Thunder can rebound better, shoot awesome, hit free throws, not turn the ball over, force turnovers, shut down Dwight Howard and play tremendous defense, then yeah, they might have a chance to win.

Friday Bolts - 12.5.08

• Still looking ahead to next June, ESPN's Chad Ford says Blake Griffin is separating and Ricky Rubio is falling: "We began our 2009 Top 100 in July with Griffin atop the list. From the look of things, he's staying there the rest of the year. He has absolutely dominated on both ends of the court -- putting up a Michael Beasley-esque performance in the pre-Big 12 schedule this season. Griffin's combination of size, strength and athleticism, along with his growing offensive prowess, makes him the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Right now, there isn't a close second."

• Gary Payton talks Sonics with Ball Don't Lie: "BDL: You said recently that you believe Seattle will have another team by 2011, what makes you so sure? GP: A lot of people don't know why the city took the deal ... the NBA guaranteed [Seattle] that they can get a team back in 2011. They can keep their colors, keep their tradition, and they can keep their name, and gave them 75 million dollars. Most people don't know what was in the deal, and that's why the city took the deal because they knew they're gonna get a basketball team back."

• Stan Van Gundy thinks Durant will be a "nightmare" in the future: "Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy predicts Durant, who faces Van Gundy and the Magic tonight at Amway Arena, will be a nightmare. "The key to being great in this league is you have a defined game of what you do well and continue to do it better and better,” Van Gundy said. "Will he become a better post-up player? Yeah. But if he’s spending all his time trying to become a low-post guy, honestly, I think he’s spending his time the wrong way.”

• Chris Silva of the official Thunderblog crunches some numbers: "One way you can tell the Thunder have given maximum effort under Brooks is by looking at some general statistics. For instance, in the season’s first 13 games, the Thunder averaged 88.9 points per game. In its last six games, OKC’s scoring average has jumped to 98 points per game, which backs up Brooks’ point that the team has done a better job of moving the ball and spacing themselves on the court."

• Raptor blog Cuzoogle looks at what each team wants for Christmas - the Thunder: "Five Kevin Durants, four bruising big men, three three point shooters, two All-Star guards and a partridge in a pear tree."

John Hollinger says OKC won't be the worst ever - but may get close

Is this good news? Like, is this supposed to be encouraging? (Hollinger's column and Worst Team Watch, a delightful little thing ESPN has to track where OKC ranks worst all-time.)

At this point, I guess we take what we can get.

The league's worst ever record is held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, a club that went 9-73. Hollinger writes that OKC is actually one ahead (or behind, however you want to look at it) of the Sixers pace. In one of the 5,000 season simulations they ran, the Thunder finished with just one more win - 3-79.

But here's the key statement: "But all these scenarios depend on whether the Thunder continue to play as badly during the next 63 games as they've played in the first 19," Hollinger writes. "And for a variety of reasons, I don't expect that to happen."

Phew.

One thing I'm happy Hollinger pointed out was the clear improvement under Scott Brooks. While OKC has won exactly the same amount of games under Brooks as P.J. Carlesimo, the team is visibly different. Other than that, Hollinger ticked off a few reasons:

- "Oklahoma City's best players are young. This is important, as they can be expected to improve throughout the course of the season. Although there's the so-called rookie wall, most rookies (and second-year players) play better statistically as the season goes on."

- "The Thunder's veterans have pretty seriously underperformed their career norms, to the point that one has to think they'll bounce back sharply in the next 63 games. Most of these guys aren't old, either -- they're mid-20s types such as Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Damien Wilkins and Earl Watson ... It's possible that all four players suddenly became awful, but it's far more likely that it's just a 20-game fluke and their numbers will return to something more normal. Because those four are likely to see their numbers rebound, and the three youngsters also are likely to put up better numbers as the season goes on, that gives us seven key rotation players who are likely to play a lot better than they've done so far."

So that's good, right? Durant, Green and Westbrook are just going to get better (which they clearly have - just look at Jeff Green's numbers over the last five), the veterans are sure to stop sucking as much as they have and the team *should* win more than nine games. Yay! Thunder basketball! But as deflating as it may seem that our goal is the not be the worst team ever, OKC can play better. And I think it will.

One thing I couldn't help but wonder is why is only Oklahoma City being tossed about in this regard? Why not the 3-13 Wizards? Why not the 3-15 Clippers? Heck, how about the 4-14 Grizzlies who OKC beat last week?

A three part answer: 1) Because of the eye test. Oklahoma City has just looked worse than those other teams. For some reason, whatever it is, it seems like the Thunder have lost with a little bit different, flavor, if you will, than the those other squads. 2) Because of the average losing margin of the four teams; OKC: 11.1, Washington: 4.8, LAC: 8.1 and Memphis: 6.9. And 3) because of the rosters. The Thunder doesn't really have any eye-catching guys that people around the league know are staples. No Baron Davis or Marcus Camby. No Caron Butler, Gilbert Arenas (though injured) or Antwan Jamison. The assumption is those teams can't be as bad as their record shows because they're supposed to be better.

The hope is the team continues to improve under Coach Scotty and that OKC wins a game here or there until February and March when other out-of-contention teams and players start mailing it in. Seven more wins isn't that far off. If the Thunder had blown it and lost in Memphis last week and was sitting at 1-18, I might be a little more worried. But remember, the 2003-04 Magic started 1-19.

And while they clearly still count as losses, the Phoenix game (where OKC led by double-digits and lost by one) and the second Minnesota game (where OKC led by double-digits and lost on a last second shot) were within a hair of being wins. Not to mention the Atlanta game where the Thunder led most the night and last night's game against Charlotte. With a few breaks and a little better play, OKC could be at 6-13. Which is... better. I think. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, though. Decent teams win those. And the Thunder just aren't even decent.

Hollinger wraps up by saying, "Historic awfulness always requires a confluence of factors -- a perfect storm of horrendous play. In this case, it probably would take multiple injuries, as well as trades of several veterans, for the Thunder to truly threaten the Sixers' mark. So far we've seen just about the worst-case scenario for the Thunder. Unless it continues, they'll be able to escape the notoriety of becoming known as the NBA's worst team ever." Thanks John. I guess.

Thursday Bolts - 12.4.08

• David Berri takes on my Russell Westbrook column: "Beyond the issue of how good Westbrook has been is the question of how good Westbrook will be in the future. It’s certainly true that if Westbrook starts to hit his shots that his value will rise. And that might happen in the future. Then again, it’s also possible it won’t happen. Although we don’t know if (or when) Westbrook will become a “good” player, we should all be able to agree that a player shooting 35% from the field is not having a particularly good season so far." Mr. Berri is far and away smarter than I and in a backward way, I'm flattered he even read what I wrote. One thing I want to say to defend myself a little: I didn't say all Russell needed was a jumper and he'd be an All-Star now. I said if he develops a nice mid-range game, he is an "All-Star waiting to happen." There's no denying it - per 48, Westbrook and Rose are very similar. Westbrook is averaging close to 13 a game, almost three steals and is approaching five assists. I realize shooting percentage is not just something to pass over, but regardless, I think that's a pretty good rookie season for a guy that was at his senior prom three years ago.
• Ball Don't Lie, Behind the Boxscore: "Kevin Durant (9-12 shooting, 24 points) continues to improve game by game, but in the end Chris Wilcox (5-11 shooting, five rebounds, 12 points, three turnovers and six fouls) was probably more trouble than he was worth. Because he hustled and gave effort every so often, his game looked a lot better than it actually was. Oklahoma City shot 54.5 percent, but you're not going to get a lot of wins when your two point guards combine for nine turnovers in about 57 minutes."
• As we all are, Empty the Bench is happy the see Kevin Durant move to the three: "The Durantula had been manning the off-guard slot in an effort to protect him from the more physical style of NBA forwards. It was probably a good decision last season as the rail-thin swingman had a lot of trouble banging with the bigger pros on both ends, but Durant is showing that he was ready to make the transition to his natural small forward position. Get ready to see more of that complete player we saw in his lone season at Texas as a result."
• Forbes ranks NBA franchises based on worth and OKC's stock is rising: "Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett resurrected the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, trading in a half-empty arena with a crummy lease in Seattle for a sold-out building in Oklahoma City where he keeps all of the revenues. The value of the Thunder is $300 million, 12% more than last year."
• And the Thunderguru's game recap: "We had very little problem scoring tonight (we shot 55% from the field and 63% on three pointers), but we couldn’t stop the Cats from scoring. Then when we did make a couple of rare stops, we followed it up with Desmond Mason shooting a 16 foot airball with under 2:00. A bit later, we had Westbrook bricking a pull up jumper. We’ve got three guys stroking their jumpers tonight in Joe Smith, Durant and Green, but we’ve got these two guys shooting jumpers in crunch time? Puuuhleeezzz!"
• The Lost Ogle's third installment of "Peace, Love & Thunderstanding" (apparently they aren't Thunderworld readers): "If the Thunder win a game and no one was there to see it, did it really happen? That’s the question the team answered on Saturday of this past week. While everyone in this state was watching a football game, the Thunder played the Memphis Grizzlies in Tennessee. Everyone in Memphis apparently had something better to do, because only 11,000 supposedly showed up to watch. Based on eye-witness accounts, that number had to be fudged."

Thunder shoots lights out, except when taking the most open shot of all

BOX SCORE

You know your team isn't the best in the world when you drop to 2-17 and lose to a 6-12 team but yet, you still kind of feel good about it. Because that was the case following a 103-97 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats Wednesday night. OKC played well for 48 minutes, shot the ball extremely well, played exceptionally hard but just simply fell short. But that's not to say we should ignore the reasons the Thunder fell short. Because they are pretty plain and obvious.

Free throw shooting and rebounding.

Tonight was just another game where the OKC didn't take care of the details. Though the Thunder shot a season-high 55 percent from the field, the group hit only 18-28 (64 percent) from the charity stripe. On top of that, Charlotte had multiple second chances, grabbing 11 offensive boards and scoring every, stinking time on them for 22 points. Those are the type of things completely within your power and the type of things you must do to win. Whenever you shoot 55 percent, you feel like you should win. But when you give away 10 potential points at the line and turn it over 17 times, you need to hit 60 percent. With the way OKC was shooting, you can't turn it 17 times because that's 17 more potential shots. Shame.

But there is one major difference in this team with Scott Brooks at the helm - no big holes to dig out of. Since Brooks took over, other than the Cleveland game, the biggest deficit OKC has faced after a quarter is the 54-43 one at halftime against Memphis - a game the Thunder eventually won. Finally, the team is playing consistently for four quarters.

But let's be positive. Because really, this is the first time this year these guys shot the ball extremely well. On top of the nice field goal percentage, OKC hit 7-11 from three. Kevin Durant was 9-12 from the field and 3-4 from downtown (24 points). Jeff Green was 7-8 from the field and 2-4 from three (18 points).

But I'll be up front about it - Russell Westbrook didn't play all that well. He had 10 on 2-9 shooting and dished five assists, but he had five turnovers and there were numerous plays in the paint where he didn't finish. One thing he really needs to think about more often is maybe not driving all the way to the cup, but pulling up for a little eight footer just outside of the paint. He did it twice tonight and that shot could really do him good. It's a shot Chris Paul has mastered - sometimes using a runner or a floater - and CP also makes passes out of it. Everybody could learn a lot from watching Paul, but Westbrook should really take out a notebook and pay attention.

I am encouraged with the way these guys have played under Coach Scotty. It's hard to ignore to consistency and just the overall chemistry. Two weeks ago, I didn't see it reasonable to win 20 games. But if these guys keep playing the way they are, 20 wins and possibly a few more will happen.

One day off to travel to Florida to meet again with The Beast. Over/Under - 7.5 blocks for Dwight Howard against the Thunder? Did OKC learn its lesson? Just play hard and consistent for 48 and I don't care if Howard sends 20 back where they came from.

Thunder vs. Bobcats: Pre-game preparation

vs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2-16) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (6-11)
Wednesday, December 3
Time Warner Cable Arena
Charlotte, NC
6:00 PM CST

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

Since we're big shots now, you know, coming off a win and all, we get to go into tonight's game against Charlotte feeling good. Instead of the obligatory verbage about the longshot of winning, how much the losing streak is weighing on everyone and how maybe THIS could be the one - we get to talk about the, albeit far-fetched, possibility of winning two in a row.

It's a shame this one isn't at home, because I'd actually feel really good about it if it were. The hometown fans are feeling the collective sigh of relief knowing we're not going to 1-81. And I think the players can feel the improvement under Coach Scotty. It's just winning on the road is tough in any sport. Even if the game is in Charlotte.

One thing to watch (outside of the game in general)
Russell Westbrook vs. D.J. Augustin. I've been really looking forward to this matchup. For one, because as I wrote about, many in OKC wanted to take Augustin instead of Westbrook. Two, because a lot of people are in love with Augustin right now, even though Westbrook has played pretty darn well in his own right. And three, because I really think Russell will outplay him. Yeah, I really do. Westbrook will be starting his second game and he's already improved a ton since preseason game uno. I know Raymond Felton is still "technically" the starter, these two should hook up and have a good battle tonight. I just hope Augustin doesn't make us regret anything tonight. Lock him down Russell.

The Bobcats are clearly improved under the traveling man, Larry Brown, but maybe OKC can catch them napping. It's easy to do that when you're 2-16 and the other group thinks you're a pushover. Last game against the Grizzlies, OKC clicked on all cylinders getting contributions just in the way it needs. Kevin Durant had 30, Jeff Green 22 and Westbrook 13. The bench added perfect support with Desmond Mason doing a yeoman's job off it. More of that and we could be looking at two in a row because the Thunder actually matches up pretty well against Charlotte. I don't see any position other than shooting guard where you go, "Oh, the Bobcats clearly have an advantage there."

Someone will have back-to-back wins after this one as neither team has yet to string together consecutive wins.

Wednesday Bolts - 12.3.08

• John Lorge on Bleacher Report says get ready from some Griffin: "With the first pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder pick the sophomore from Oklahoma, Blake Griffin. Every basketball fan in Oklahoma, and most across the nation are familiar with Griffin. For those who are not, the 6'10" 251 pound Griffin routinely draws comparisons to Carlos Boozer and occasionally Amare Stoudemire. Boozer was a second round pick; the difference between the two is raw athletic ability."

• Not exactly Thunder news, but Oklahoma news for sure. ESPN has a TREMENDOUS feature on Oklahoma legend Wayman Tisdale. "As Wayman Tisdale tells it, there are a lot of love behind his trademark smile. There's his wife, Regina, whom he loved when he first saw her walk into church on April 17, 1981. They were high school juniors attending different schools in Tulsa, Okla., and she'd never heard of the basketball player who was a nationwide prep star. On their first date, he flashed that smile and made her laugh, igniting a romance that's continued through 27 years and four children." When Wayman made an appearance on the video screen at halftime of an OU football game earlier this year, I had tears welling in my eyes. God bless, Wayman. God bless.

NBA.com Top 10 plays of November. And Kid Delicious checks in at No. 5:

• Coach Brooks' quicker lineup is pumping up the offense, writes Mike Baldwin: "Since "going small” two weeks ago when Brooks replaced P.J. Carlesimo, the Thunder is averaging almost 10 more points a game."

• Jeff Green may see some time on Emeka Okafor tonight: Jeff Green will occasionally be matched against center Emeka Okafor." Okafor is a big, strong guy, but it’s a mismatch both ways,” said Desmond Mason. "Jeff can hold his own. He’s a lot stronger than people think. And Okafor will have problems when he has to come out on the perimeter and guard Jeff.”

Tuesday Bolts - 12.2.08

• A nice statistical breakdown by Joe on "valuing the rock:" Coach Brooks took over the team as the interim coach and immediately began making changes to the way this team rolls. The changes were needed because the Thunder were becoming the laughingstock of the league. Last in field goal %, last offensive efficiency, last in wins…you get the idea.

• Mike Baldwin writes the Thunder are finding some rhythm: "We all needed a win — players, coaches, fans, the organization,” Brooks said. "It felt good. But we have to put it behind us. We have to continue to get better at the things it will take to get more wins.”

• The extra work is paying off for Jeff Green: "To Jeff Green, the differences are quite noticeable. Whenever he had the ball along the 3-point line last season as a rookie, Green said opponents wanted him to shoot it. They urged him to."

• OKC Thunder Fans is totally revamped and ready to go: "Sometime in 2001 I drove by the under construction Ford Center with my son and asked, “Do you think there’s any chance we could ever get an NBA team in Oklahoma City?” He looked at me like I was ten years old and said, “There is no way Oklahoma City will get an NBA team.” I have forgotten his reasoning, but it convinced me, I drove on and forgot about it. Fast forward to September of 2005 and Hurricane Katrina. Shortly after that disastrous storm we began hearing whispers in Oklahoma City that the Hornets might play here while New Orleans was being rebuilt, and this time I dismissed the possibility out of hand. I was wrong, obviously, and for two incredible seasons we hosted the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets."

The potential impact of Russell Westbrook

There's no way we'll know for sure if Sam Presti made the right move with Russell Westbrook for a few years. He's hasn't had the immediate, no-doubt-he-was-the-right-choice impact one Chris Paul had with the Hornets in 2005.

But after 18 games, I'm thinking Presti feels pretty good. In fact, I'm thinking he's feeling really good. I've been a Russell Westbrook fan since the first preseason game. I saw insane athleticism and a freakish ability to get to the rim. No doubt he's still raw, but we have to remember he's played 18 professional games and started his first last Saturday night. As for me, I'm sold. I know he's not there yet, but he will get there. He was drafted for his lockdown defensive ability, but I think he can improve this team even more with his scoring and slashing skills.

Let's pause for an incredible Westbrook dunk:


Experts are digging for comparisons and frankly, are either coming up empty or are all over the place. Some are saying Deron Williams without the polished jumper. Some are saying Jason Kidd because of his rebounding ability. Some are even saying Tony Parker with hops. I can see a little of all three, but Westbrook is a player in his own right. I've never seen a 6-3 point guard out-jump and outrebound fours and fives. Kidd got his triple doubles by playing smart - reading caroms, being in the right spot and getting a body on someone. Westbrook is a triple-double threat because he crashes the glass with reckless abandon and skies for boards like Dwight Howard. He goes up and over people. And he's gotten a good amount of points out of it.

I've said it before, but once a jumper comes along, look out. Like seriously, look out. There's a limited few players than can keep up with Westbrook. His cross is lightning quick and he can get in the lane in a blink. Sometimes he's a little weak with the rock and gets caught in the air with no where to go, but those are clear signs of inexperience. In three years, he'll have learned and will be making smart plays.

I remember back in June nobody was thrilled about picking Westbrook. Everybody was very ho-hum after the pick. There was a lot of pining for Jerryd Bayless, D.J. Augustin or Kevin Love. So almost a quarter of the season in, how does Westbrook stack up to the guys some wanted more? (I realize some numbers are inflated or should I say, deflated, because of their role on the team. Bayless is playing on a contender while Westbrook is on a team where playing time is more important than wins and losses.)

Bayless
6.1 minutes per game
1.3 points per game
1.1 rebounds per game
0.7 assists per game
0.1 steals per game

Augustin
29.4 mpg
12.9 ppg
2.2 rpg
4.3 apg
0.5 spg

Love
22.9 mpg
8.6 ppg
6.3 rpg
1.0 apg

Westbrook
26.9 mpg
12.3 ppg
3.3 rpg
4.1 apg
1.78 spg

Now let's just toss in rookie superstud Derrick Rose to compare. But since Rose is averaging about 12 more minutes per game, let's use per 48.

Rose
23.3 ppg
5.2 rpg
7.6 apg
1.26 spg

Westbrook
21.9 ppg
6.0 rpg
7.2 apg
3.17 spg

Interesting, eh? As I was writing this and looking at other players, I think I found my comparison. Russell Westbrook reminds me most of Derrick Rose - as crazy as that is. Rose is clearly on track to superstardom, but Westbrook really isn't getting the pub. And he's having a darn fine rookie campaign. The biggest tick on Westbrook is field goal percentage. He shoots just 35 percent from the field and 26 percent from three whereas Rose hits almost 49 percent from the field and almost 37 percent from three. But like I said, let that jumper come and Westbrook is an All-Star waiting to happen. Mark it.

One more dunking interlude:


The thing about Westbrook is that he didn't specifically fill a need. He's not exactly a point guard and he's not exactly a two guard. That's why there was the outcry when he was picked. And I think that's why he hasn't really made an incredible impact in the win-loss column. He will absolutely make a difference down the line, but he's not a game changer... yet. As Dr. Lawyer Indianchief of FreeDarko said, "Westbrook just has insane Dwyane-Wade-like upside and is fast becoming my favorite player in the league. Now if the Thunder could only dump their supporting cast for better three-point shooters, we would have a serious team on our hands. Westbrook can get in the lane with the best of them, and Durant is JUST STARTING HIS CAREER NOW. In an email to Shoals and the Recluse last night, I officially proclaimed him "freed." Screw Glenn Robinson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. This is the bizarro-KG-Dirk-assassin that we all were watching at Texas. It will take a year still for that player to emerge, but I could finally see the remnants last night, beginning to be reassembled."

Anyone else have to change their shorts after reading that? Kevin Durant's shooting percentage is starting to soar and I think a lot of that is directly relative to the difference Westbrook is making. Westbrook leaped (pun intentional) to the "Royce's favorite player" spot after I caught a glimpse of his awesome ability. And like the good doctor said, Oklahoma City could have a serious thing going in a year or two if a few precise pieces are added. I can't wait.

Monday Bolts - 12.1.08

• FreeDarko weighs in on Scotty Brooks: "The bottom line is that the Thunder already look and feel better under Scotty Brooks, who I must namedrop, as one of the few NBA guys I actually made friends with during my few years working for the Timberwolves. When I was 11 years old and working my first game, Brooks hit me with a $20 bill and actually chatted with me -- I felt a connection with him ever since that point. He was one of the true nice guys in the league, and also was a tough little bastard -- someone that Barkley would go to war for in their Sixers days and someone who played some key stretches during the Rockets' mid-90s title runs. Brooks has been city-hopping for a while, and may in fact be the next great coach. He provides the toughness of Scott Skiles, but also knows when to loosen his grip."

• Start looking over this list and begin coveting players for the upcoming offseason: Among the interesting players - Ben Gordon (Chicago), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland), Jason Kidd (Dallas), Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace (Detroit), Carlos Boozer (Utah).

• John Hollinger's newest power rankings have Oklahoma City sitting at 30 out of 30.

• Ball Don't Lie has OKC is the same spot, but J.E. Skeets can't stop a certain Russell Westbrook dunk.

• Mike Baldwin/Darnell Mayberry says it's finally Westbrook's time to arrive: "Before trotting out Russell Westbrook for his first career start Saturday night, Thunder coach Scott Brooks gave the rookie point guard the same advice he offers to all his players. "You have to play hard before you play well,” Brooks said."