SB Nation - Oklahoma City Thunder

Loud Links: 12/15/2009

manifestus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:47:21 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

1 day ago: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, left, loses control of the ball as he goes up for a shot as Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, center, and forward Nene, of Brazil, cover in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Denver on Monday, Dec. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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So today we have articles on Westbrook's well-documented turnover struggles (as well as all the positives) from nba.com, the usual articles from our last few games against the Cavs and the Nuggets, stuff comparing Durant to the rest of the top-tier talent in terms of three-point shooting, and much more.

NBA.com: Westbrook taking his lumps as he learns point guard trade | nba.com
[Yes, same stuff. Glad even Westbrook realizes he's making turnovers. Too bad he's also quoted with the whole, "But other people make just as many turnovers as I do" bit. Comparing to others regarding your own area of weakness is stupid -- fix it rather than explaining why it's not that terrible ... sheesh] Make the basic pass, Scott Brooks tells Russell Westbrook. Westbrook listens and understands and even agrees. "The simple play is always best," he says at another time, when Brooks is not around. This has been going on for months. Brooks using his background to teach Westbrook, and the risky decision playing out. The final major act of the Seattle SuperSonics -- before the most major act of hitting the lights -- was to use the fourth choice in the 2008 draft on a point guard who had never really been a point guard.

Cavaliers: Mo's halfcourt shot had full effect - The News-Herald Sports : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio
[Okay, that shot was great, but I don't know if Mo Williams felt any sort of "arrogance" go out of the arena. What the heck was he referencing here? I'm totally lost. Really.] When Mo Williams' 48-foot, halfcourt shot dropped through the hoop on Sunday night, he said he could feel it deflate the Oklahoma City Thunder. "You could feel the arrogance go out of the whole arena and the bench," the Cavaliers' point guard said. "You just feel it. 'Ahhhhhh.' "

Nuggets storm past Thunder | INDenverTimes.com
Oklahoma City Thunder (12-10) came into Denver (17-7) on Monday night looking to ride their star, Kevin Durant, who has become the leading active scorer against the Nuggets, but left instead with a 102-93 loss. Durant is only 21 and is also the third-leading scorer in the NBA. Oklahoma City is a young, up and coming team. They are a good road team, as they are one of three teams in the Western Conference with a winning road record. They came in sitting in fourth place in the Northwestern Division and four games behind Denver.

Durant, Wade scoring big, but not from way downtown | USATODAY.com
[The later point noted in this article is probably more important -- it's how good of a three-point shot it was that was attempted. That counts for something too.] Two of the NBA's most prolific scorers, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, are shooting blanks from long distance. Durant, third in scoring average (28.3 points), and Wade, sixth (27), are among the worst three-point shooters who qualify for the statistic. They are well below the NBA average of 35%. Wade is last at 24.1% (19-for-79) and Durant sixth-worst at 28.1% (27-for-96) through Sunday.

Durant turns focus from hoops to holidays | USATODAY.com
"That's all it takes. We have a busy schedule but we might be off one day," said Durant, who kept tight-lipped about plans to unveil his new Nike sneakers on Wednesday night. "This is the perfect time to help, especially around this time of the year. Whenever we can give back to the community, that's what we do." A constant stream of people willing to help out kept Durant signing autographs and smiling for the camera for two solid hours, with a line of bags filled with donated gifts eventually spilling out of a back room and into the main area where Durant was seated. "We've been meeting with all the families that have been coming through today wanting to provide Christmas and meet Kevin Durant. They get the thrill of meeting a superstar, and our kids get to have a holiday that they'll remember," said Kelli Dupuy, director of marketing and development for Sunbeam. "It's really a win-win."

NBA teams with their stocking stuffed early | examiner.com
Oklahoma City Thunder: Last year Kevin Durant statistically hurt his team when he was on the floor, having an exceptionally poor PER. This year he has made one of the biggest turn-arounds the NBA has ever seen and, in doing so, has put his team in great position to make the playoffs. Happy Holidays, OKC.

Carmelo Anthony lights up Thunder | NewsOK.com
The NBA’s second-youngest team looked like it was still suffering from a hangover from LeBron James’ dazzling 44-point game and Mo Williams memorable half-court 3-pointer Sunday night as Cleveland beat Oklahoma City in the Ford Center. "We learn so many things about ourselves every game," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "From tonight’s game, we learned we have to come out with energy to start the game. I didn’t think we did. We got away with it in the first quarter.

Mavericks-Thunder Preview | SportingNews.com
Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have made big strides this season after posting one of the worst records in the NBA in 2008-09. Their last two games, however, showed that they still have a ways to go. Durant and the Thunder will try to contain Dirk Nowitzki, who had two 40-point performances against them last season, when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

The Truth: Boston Celtics Edge Out Grizzlies, 110-105

djturtleface — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:56:13 -0000

More photos » by Mark Weber - AP

Marc Gasol channeling his inner Darko. (AP Photo/ Mark Weber)

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The Grizzlies may have lost two of their last three games, but they're still moving up my power rankings.

And while they might not be rising quite as fast as a couple weeks ago, the Memphis Grizzlies are showing a hell of a lot more resilience than anyone expected from this team. This recent run has seen the Grizzlies playing the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Thunder, Heat, and Celtics. That's quite the spread right there.

I don't want to take anything away from the Celtics, because that's not my point. It takes an enormous change in team culture for the Memphis Grizzlies that most people remember as the Memphis Grizzlies to come out on the second night of a traveling back-to-back and play a full-strength, reloaded championship squad down to the wire.

And this game wasn't just down to the wire, it was the Memphis Grizzlies making all the easy plays while the Celtics seemed to make all the hard ones. Don't call it luck, because it's clutch execution since the C's do it time and time again, but I honestly believe that the Grizzlies played better than the Celtics tonight.

A little more post-game plus a return to the awards are on the other side of the jump; CelticsBlog probably has clips of that Ray Allen three if you'd rather just face it now than in your nightmares.

Even a moral victory is a tough loss though, huh? I honestly believed the Grizzlies would pull this one out. They had great contributions from Jamaal Tinsley and Hasheem Thabeet. Sam Young scored a little bit too. In what seems to be becoming the norm here in Memphis, there were three scorers over 20 points on the night.

Everything seemed to go right. Rudy Gay was showing his new aggressiveness, shocking the Celtics by getting to the line seemingly at will in the first half. O.J. Mayo was a rock solid shooter, Zach Randolph was being Zach Randolph, which, as it turns out, isn't so detrimental to a team.

The difference in the game was that the Grizzlies couldn't hit their threes, with a hand in their face or not. Rudy blew it by shooting 0-5 from deep, and OJAM's long ball wasn't exactly splashing tonight -- he shot 1-6. The Celtics, by the way, made 10-20 of their three pointers. Difference maker? I wonder.

Rockness Monster: It's tough, because I really liked O.J.'s game and he defense on Ray Allen, but I have to give this one to Rudy. I don't know if it's Coach Hollins, him just putting it all together, or steal-master Z-Bo's sage advice, but Rudy has finally figured out how to make his agility, awesome hands, and creepily long arms work to start some serious thievery. The 3 steals against Paul Pierce, just like the one's against Prince James, were just a bit bigger than huge.

U-Turn: Hasheem Thabeet posted 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in 18 minutes. This boy's learning how to play the game of basketball.

Bitter Limon: Is plus/minus really one-hundred-percent useful in a single game. No, not really. But after several solid performances, Mike Conley looked pretty mediocre and posted a team worst -12. Jamaal Tinsley tied his 4 assists. The difference is that Ashey Larry only played a third of the minutes and was the only Grizzlies with a positive plus/minus at +7.

Sleeping With the Enemy: Maybe it's my Midwestern sensibilities, but if there's one thing I hate more than the city of Boston, it's their sports teams. Don't care about the enemy. I have nothing to say terrible about the Celtics that I haven't already said a million times about Dancing With the Stars -- they're all fake, way past their prime, and their knees will be shot by the end of the year anyhow.

Keeping a safe distance (Nuggets/Thunder recap)

Nate Timmons — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:56:07 -0000

After a slow shooting start to the game Denver found their rhythm, took the lead and kept the Thunder from ever really being a threat.

This was exactly the type of hope crushing win the Nuggets needed. While the final score (102-93) doesn't indicate a completely dominant performance by the Nuggets, the Thunder were never really in this game after the first quarter. And that's the kind of performance that good teams have against opponents coming from out of town for the second game of a back-to-back set.

Too often this season we've seen the Nuggets give hope to their opponents (especially ones that are not on the Nuggets level) and it's nice to see Denver put on sort of a snoozer, by their standards this season anyway. The Nuggets bench got a bit back on track tonight with some nice efforts from J.R. Smith, Chris Andersen and Ty Lawson.

Smith and Bird each scored in double figures and the Birdman recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds (3 offensive). It was great to see the Bird going strong to the hoop and his best finish came at the 3:45 mark of the second quarter when Billups took the ball towards the foul line and bounced a pretty pass between his own legs right to a streaking Andersen who kept the ball high and threw down a jam over Nenad Kristic. I think Bird went for the strong finish to insure he either made Sportscenter or so he got heavy consideration for the Chris Marlowe special ... the Kuni Lexus Drive of the Game.

It was also nice to see J.R. Smith back on track after a shaky performace against the Suns last Saturday night. As reader TheNoticer pointed out ... Smith wasn't happy after heading to the bench against the Suns, but he made up for it tonight by scoring 19 points. Most impressively, Smith got to the foul line 10 times and was able to convert on 8 of those attempts. I'll forever maintain that with Smith's shooting ability, it's a shame he can't shoot 85% or better from the freebie line.

The starters tonight also put forth a solid effort. Kenyon Martin was a workhorse on the glass, collecting 6 of his 11 rebounds on the offensive end. The Thunder are not the biggest team around, but they work on the glass and seeing Martin's effort just makes me greedy wanting him to come out with the same tenacity every night on the offensive end.

Keeping with good rebounding ... Nene posted 9 boards and got to work on offense as well posting a shooting night of 6-11 for 13 points. When Nene gets going on offense it continues to open up the floor for the rest of the Nuggets. The Brazilian is so tough to guard one-on-one that when he gets going teams almost have to double him and if you have to double Nene your team is in trouble because the big guy can pass the ball and his teammates like to cut to the rim. Nene also got a few dunks in tonight and it's always good to see the "big fella" (Bill Hanz!) get some easy ones.

Speaking of easy ones ... Melo was able to score at will tonight. Melo lost the one-on-one scoring battle against Kevin Durant 31 to 32 respectfully, but his team got the win. I thought the game really started to swing early when Melo made two passes on one possession that resulted in a Arron Afflalo three-pointer at the 5:19 mark of the first quarter. Scott Hastings could be heard on the broadcast saying to himself, "please go in," as Afflalo's three found its mark. That play gave Denver an early 12-11 lead, but seemed to get the team away from one-on-one jump shots and to focus more on moving the ball and eventually getting to the rim.

Billups had a poor night shooting the ball, but he was getting his teammates involved (7 assists) and was active in the passing lanes and overall on defense collecting 4 steals. The task of covering Russell Westbrook didn't prove to be a difficult one for Denver's floor general and that's a good thing because I was pretty concerned that Westbrook could be an X-factor tonight.

Turns out this game wasn't of the exciting brand and perhaps for the team and for us fans that's a good thing for a change. I had just about all I could handle against the Suns in my emotion department and a win like this tonight was again exactly what this team needed.

Random thoughts during the game:

The Thunder have the worst away uniform name plates in the league. Seriously, "Oklahoma City" ... just horrific and don't get me started on their nickname. (Am I still bitter the Sonics are no longer around? Yes! We beat the Sonics in the 1994 playoffs ... not the Thunder!) Funny ... Sonic Boom sounds like Thunder.
Thabo Sefolosha no longer rocks the corn-rows, didn't notice until tonight. Also sort of weird that he's from Switzerland isn't it? I'm not much of a world traveler and I'm probably an idiot for thinking that, but is basketball big in the land of Swiss cheese?
Robert Sanchez of 5280 magazine shows us how Bird styles his hair. With the long hair in the back I propose we call Bird's look the "Mull-hawk" since it's basically turning into a mullet in the back.
With 2 minutes left in the first quarter Scott Hastings said after a Nick Collison dunk that the former Kansas star had speed like a "1928 flatbed ford" ... I'm guessing he probably meant this 1939 version.
After Lawson snuck behind the defense for a wide open layup I finally figured out that if he were a NBA Jam character he'd be those annoying little guys ... the John Stockton NBA Jam type. I loved that game and almost guarantee I'd beat anyone at the original Sega version. Dikembe Mutombo and LaPhonso Ellis can hit 3's on that game!
The reason this game might seem a bit slow paced, a combined 71 free throw attempts. BLAH.

ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons

Photo courtesy of AP Photos: David Zalubowski

Game 23 Preview: Oklahoma City at Denver

Zorgon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:07:21 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

It looks like Nene just woke up to discover that he was dunking a basketball. Huh?

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Altitude Sports

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Denver Stiffs, The Nugg Doctor, Roundball Mining Company

Backstory: After enduring a brutal loss to Cleveland, the Thunder look to bounce back with what would be an extremely major win against the Nuggets. Most would call this game inconsequential, but when you look at the fact that Dallas is coming up and the fact that 3 losses in a row would put us back at .500, the game suddenly has meaning.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets are in the midst of what could become their best season ever. After last year's surprise trip to the finals, it's no surprise. They rely on their extremely proficient scoring and a deep bench to knock out their opponents. And with recent losses against Charlotte and Detroit, there's no way the Nuggets will have the luxury of overlooking the Thunder.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Nene Hilario

Nene has this matchup, hands down. He'll overpower Krstic in the lane, and I don't think Krstic will get many opportunities for jumpers.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Kenyon Martin

Jeff Green faces yet another matchup against a more physical center. Kenyon Martin has lost a lot of his athleticism though, so it's not too far out of the realm of possibility that this could be the matchup where he breaks the trend.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony

Lots of scoring, lots of scoring. Oh my.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. Aaron Affalo

Affalo is a 3-Point Specialist, and Thabo Sefolosha closes out well against shooters. Expect him to have the upper hand, especially against a role player like Affalo.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Chauncey Billups

Chauncey Billups is one of the best scorers, game managers, and defenders in the NBA. He'll undoubtedly use his Better Basketball powers to dominate Russell Westbrook in every facet of the game, no question.

Battle of the Benches:

The Nuggets bench is deeper, and more talented by far.

Coaching and Intangibles:

The Nuggets are at home, have arguably the better coach, and really need this win in order to keep contending for the second spot in the West. I'd say almost everything is in their favour, especially since the Thunder are on the tail end of a road back to back.

Bottom Line:

This game is going to rest on whether Jeff Green can overcome Kenyon Martin, whether Russell Westbrook can have a decent night against Chauncey Billups, and whether the Nugget bench can be kept at bay. A lot of things have to go right for the Thunder to win, and I just don't see it happening.

Prediction: Nuggets 117, Thunder 98

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I might be by during the game to drop my thoughts as well. Go Thunder!

Poll

Who's going to win tonight?

Loud Links: 12|14|09

daddydai — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:21:54 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Lets hope Krstic and Green don't practice their high fives during this game.

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Nuggets experiment by cutting back on shootarounds - The Denver Post
[So the Nuggets decide to experiment a bit before playing OKC. Let's hope their experiment fails. Sounds like Denver doesn't have the gym-rat mentality of OKC.] Morning shootarounds are becoming an endangered species in the NBA, and now the Nuggets are the latest team to tinker with cutting them back.

The Nuggets' practice Sunday served as their shootaround for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver coach George Karl, who was against the trend of not having traditional shootarounds, is now rethinking that philosophy. Sleep studies have been all the rage in the NBA this season, and they are showing that players and coaches aren't getting enough of it. The result is low energy levels for players on the court and decreased focus for everyone.

A reduction in shootarounds, thereby allowing players and coaches to sleep in longer on game days, has been the quick-fix answer for some teams. Karl hopes he will see increased focus and intensity out of his team. "I think we're listening to some needs of players and philosophies of some other teams, trying to get more focus and seriousness into the moments that we're together," Karl said. "Shootarounds seem to be very tedious and nonenthusiastic situations. "There's a lot of different philosophies out there. Some teams have totally gone away from shootarounds, some very good teams. We have a lot of every-other-day games. I think we have an opportunity over the next four or five games to experiment a little bit."

Daily Dime - ESPN
Also, it is not a given that your best player is the leader of the team, but Durant has distinguished himself as the leader of that group. He has stepped up into that role. He has the respect of his coaches and the other 14 guys in the locker room. The main thing he needs to do is learn how to compete on every play on both ends of the court. When your offense is going well, everybody is willing to get into their defensive stance and play hard to stop their opponent. But when you are not making shots, your defense and energy suffer. Becoming an above-average defender is the next step Durant has to take as he climbs the ladder of superstardom.

I appreciate what the Thunder have done as far as building a team through the draft. They have four players who can really play. That is why they are in position, as a young team, to be as exciting as it gets. I refer to Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden as the "Core Four." Westbrook is a combo guard who can shoot and handle; like a lot of young guys, he needs to tighten up his decision-making. Green can switch out and guard four different positions. He is strong and tough and doesn't need the ball to be effective. And Harden is a silky smooth lefty. He is crafty, and he can knock down the 3 or slash and get to the basket.

If the Thunder can get a Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire-type player, they will be contenders in the West. They need a power forward who can draw double-teams, defend the post and rebound his position.

Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " Lion Face/Lemon Face 12.14.09: The Rudolph Harrison Gay Edition
He’s [LeBron] a damn freight train. I mean, he’s a FREAKING FREIGHT TRAIN when he wants to be. I understand that everyone is high on Oklahoma City. And even more people are high on Kevin Durant. He’s the hot new girl in school that everyone wants to be the first to kiss. But we’re forgetting this buxom fellow in Cleveland who likes to put on his little black dress every once in a while to remind us all that he still has the goods. LBJ pounced on the Thunder with 44 points (16/29 shooting!), seven rebounds, six assists, five threes, four steals and the W. He more than trumped Kevin Durant’s 29-point effort. Choo-choo. Choo-choo, baby.

Recap: Cavs 102, Thunder 89 (Or, The Time The Cavs Found A Win Far Beyond The Arc) " Cavs: The Blog
Durant is just so pretty. That little move where Z was keeping him from turning the corner, so he cut back to the middle of the lane and drained the little pull-up? That’s a work of art right there. Durant’s going to get his points, especially when his jumper’s falling, but the Cavs did a great job making sure he didn’t get his teammates involved. Durant recorded 2 assists and 7 turnovers, and actually finished with a game-low -17 despite working his perimeter game very nicely.

Jeff Green appears to have turned that corner. He used to be a guy whose versatility allowed him to get away with not being all that efficient, but now he’s being aggressive and looking to make decisive moves and high-percentage shots wherever he gets the ball, which is the point of the whole endeavor.

What this team needs is a playmaker who can be consistent. Westbrook has all the talent in the world and will be a very solid player in this league for a long time, but he can’t be counted on to be the primary playmaker night in and night out, and Harden isn’t ready to fill that gap yet. If he can come into his own and balance out what Westbrook brings in the backcourt, the Thunder are going to flat-out start humming offensively.

SLAM ONLINE | " Game Notes: Thunder at Grizzlies
[Slam had a nice recap of the Memphis game.] Serge Ibaka, OKC’s 20-year-old from Democratic Republic of the Congo, has the makings of an elite defender. He’s 6-10, wiry and gets very low in his defensive stance. He consistently got his hand right into the face of Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph. Because of his quickness, he was able to body up on Randolph and stifle his jumper, which the slower-footed Kristic wasn’t able to do.

Thunder’s hot start is no fluke | NewsOK.com
"They’re a totally different ballclub," said Cavs guard Mo Williams. "Those young guys are growing up...It’s no secret why they’re winning games right now." When ESPN.com published its playoff odds last week, the Thunder was projected to win 48 games and land the fifth seed in the playoffs. The projection also gave Oklahoma City a 23.3 percent chance of winning the Northwest division. That forecast, however lofty, doesn’t seem so farfetched now that the Thunder is challenging the league’s best. If the Thunder turns a few of these close-call losses into big-time wins, it could mean a playoff appearance this season. While a postseason party still hasn’t quite shifted from laughable to likely, the growing body of evidence proves the Thunder is close to something special.

Five Questions With Tim Legler | Thunder Rumblings
DM: What are your impressions of the Thunder’s start. Through 21 games the team is a surprising 12-9.

TL: I’ve been extremely impressed. Going back to the preseason when I wrote up my preseason previews for the league, I had them right on the fringe of making the playoffs in the Western Conference. I said if everything broke right and they stayed healthy and got maybe a couple of contributions from some guys that they expected I expected them to be able to fight for the last one or two spots in the conference. So they haven’t really surprised me because I expected them to be this good. They may be getting there a little bit quicker. But they’re a team that’s got everything that you want.

They’ve got a dominant go-to offensive machine in Kevin Durant. They’ve got the guy that I picked to be my breakout player of the year in Russell Westbrook at the point who is a future All-Star and a triple-double threat every night. Once he figures out that he can be, he’s a triple-double threat every night. Then you’ve got James Harden, who’s a perfect sixth man for that team. You’ve got offense off the bench. And then Jeff Green, who’s Mr. Consistency, Mr. Solid. So around those four guys you’ve got a little bit of everything you need to compete. And I’ve been extremely impressed with them. It’s great for the league.

I said the other day during a piece when asked to pick any player in the league, take him off the team he’s on and put him on any other team who would you pick for a Christmas wish list? And I said I would take Chris Bosh off the Raptors as a free agent and I would put him on Oklahoma City next year and you would have a team that could contend in the Western Conference every night. If they had a power forward that could help up front with more scoring in the paint and help them on the boards and help them match up better with other teams, that’s the only thing right now that they lack. A little bit of size and athleticism up front. They will be the next buzz team in the Western Conference, the team that’s going to be thrown into the mix over the next couple of years. And it’s good for the league because we need some new blood up there. We’re tired of talking about, as analysts, the same five or six teams all the time. It’s nice to see another team break through at that level, and Oklahoma City is that team. They’re the ones that will make that journey and get up to the top shelf over the next couple of seasons. It’s going to be fun to watch.

Game 22: Cleveland at Oklahoma City

daddydai — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:39:41 -0000

More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 6:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Fear the Sword

Backstory: But first a disclaimer.

When it comes to Thunder basketball, I am an eternal optimist. Positive thought equals positive results, right? So being unbiased is a rough task for me. After the Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic, I feel OKC proved that they can beat any team. So let's continue with the task at hand.

The Cavs added Shaq to their roster in order to "Bring the King a ring". With the extra strength inside somehow the Cavs have already tallied up seven losses. Not to mention losses to teams that the Thunder have already defeated (Washington & Memphis). So should we be encouraged? I'd say yes. Plus we all know that KD and the boys like to step up to the top teams in the league.

Of course Cleveland has plenty of bigs that can contend with our paltry front court. So expect Krispy to jump start his jump shot in hopes to pull the Shaq away from the basket. Cleveland also has a nice outside game that OKC has to be aware of. Expect some nice cuts to the basket by Williams and Lebron. In order for the Thunder to pull this one off shots have to fall and rebounds must be collected.

Since, I'm always bouncing about the internet here are a few more thoughts about the game:

Cavs Hit the Road, Travel to OKC | King James Gospel | A Cleveland Cavs Blog
Cleveland’s starting shooting guard Anthony Parker played basketball in Israel for Macabbi Tel Aviv before entering the NBA and is very accustomed to the celebrations of Hanukkah. And AP comes out hot right from the opening tip. Parker picks up four of LeBron’s seven first quarter assists and pours in 12 early points to lead the Cavs to an early 14 point lead. Cleveland withstands a late second quarter run by the Thunder and goes into the locker room with an eight point advantage, 54 – 46.

The King takes matters into his own hands to start the third quarter and pours in 8 consecutive points and finished the quarter with a game-high 27. After sitting the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, James checks back in with his team

clinging to a four point lead. Kevin Durant tries to steal the King’s throne but LeBron matches him point-for-point. Jeff Green cans two from long distance in the last two minutes and the Cavs trail by 2 with 11 seconds.

LeBron takes the inbound pass from Delonte West and dribbles to his right. Anderson Varejao levels Green on a screen but LeBron runs out of room at the foul line. He swings out to Mo who feeds Parker with a touch pass in the corner. And Anthony Parker celebrates day three of Hanukkah with a game winning tre. Cavs win 103-102.

Cavaliers-Thunder Preview - STATS Senior Writer - NBA - Sporting News
The Thunder are three games over .500 for the first time since 2004-05, when the team was based in Seattle and finished 52-30. Oklahoma City, the second-youngest team in the NBA, has reached 12 wins after needing 50 games to accomplish that feat last season. "They have a very, very good young (group) of basketball players that love to play the game of basketball," James said. "We are looking forward to the challenge. It is going to be a good road test for us against a young, explosive team in their home building, and we have to come out with the same fire we did in the second half (Friday)."

Star Power: Comparisons grow between Kevin Durant and LeBron James | NewsOK.com
At first glance, it’s easy to think LeBron James and Kevin Durant aren’t in the same league. Simply suggesting the two players are seemed silly this summer when the connection first gained steam. Durant’s Thunder was coming off a shameful 23-win season. James’ Cavs, meanwhile, were fresh off yet another deep playoff run. But the comparison now seems credible as the two meet for the first time this season tonight inside the Ford Center. Durant, in his third season, is blossoming into the star many projected him to become and has his Thunder off to a surprising 12-9 start. Durant also ranks fourth in the league in scoring, sitting .1 point ahead of James.

Cavs (16-7)	Matchups	Thunder (12-9)
Mo Williams Some people call me Maurice	Point Guard Tonight's point guard match up will be overlooked since we will have a superstar match up on our hands. Williams is 44% from beyond the arc. Westbrook shoots 66% from three-land while facing Cleveland. One important note, Mo often leaves the ball handling responsibility to LeBron. Slight Advantage: Thunder	Russell Westbrook The Constant Evolver

Anthony Parker Not Tony	Shooting Guard Parker is a legitimate threat with the 3-ball. He has shot over 50% this season. Thabo can contain Parker, but Thabo will likely be spending time helping guard LeBron. Just how much time Thabo spends with James will determine the result of this match up. Advantage: Thunder	Thabo Sefolosha Swiss Army Defender

Bron Bron The King	Small Forward Here it is! The match up we all waited for. The summer long discussions of who is better will be re-sparked if KD can hold his own against Cleveland's Dancing Queen. Unfortunately LeBron is much quicker and stronger than Durant. Advantage: Cavs	Kevin Durant The Kid

J.J. Hickson Ze Son of Hick	Power Forward Hickson's rebounding average is only 3.8 rebounds per game. Green should us this to his advantage, even though Green isn't a rebounding machine himself. Who ever wins this match up will decide the game. Advantage: Thunder	Jeff Green Green Energy

Shaquille O'Neil The Big Question	Center So the Vanilla Gorilla poked Shaq in the eye, and the Big Whateva is listed as questionable. Either way, I don't see Krstic winning against anyone from the Cav's front court. Perhaps Thomas will get minutes tonight? Advantage: Cavs	Nenad Krstic Mr. Comb Over

Anderson Varejao Curly Fries	Bench & Role Players Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison will face off against Curly Fries and Nosferatu (better known as Varejao and Ilgauskas). While Lucky Harden and Shaun Livingston will compete against the really athletic Jamario Moon and gun-toting Delonte West. If Harden's shots fall we will be fine, otherwise I'm expecting Moon to defy gravity. Advantage: Cavs	James Harden Wonder Beard

Mike Brown Former COY	Coach I could be completely wrong, but I believe LeBron won Brown's coach of the year. Brooks on the other hand has done a great job harnessing the Thunder. Oh yeah, don't forget the Thunder also have Mo Cheeks and Ron Adams helping from the bench. Advantage: Thunder	Scott Brooks Next COY
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
	Injuries Shaq might be out with a poked eye. Daniel Gibson injured his finger in Battier's jersey the other night. Of course Leon Powe, Kyle Weaver, and Kevin Ollie are out of commission for awhile.
	Intangibles If the Thunder keep this game close, LeBron will likely wear himself out. Can Sefolosha's defense and Collison's rebounding keep this game close? Will Westbrook maintain his composure?
	Prediction Expected a very energetic game from both teams. In the long run the Cavs will dominate the game with dribble penetration, while the Thunder will rely on mid-range shooting. Prediction: Cavs 98 - Thunder 93

Poll

Who will win tonight's game?

Oklahoma City Thunder

16 votes

Cleveland Cavaliers

13 votes

29 votes | Poll has closed

Loud Links: 12|12|09

daddydai — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:37:32 -0000

More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

4 days ago: MEMPHIS, TN - DECEMBER 11: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks against Hasheem Thabeet #34 of the Memphis Grizzlies on December 11, 2009 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Not much happening, other than another win. Our 12th win didn't happen until February 6th last season. The Thunder has already tallied up half the total number of wins they had last season. Doesn't it feel good?

NBA Sophomore Rankings: Who's No. 1? - ESPN Insider
[Who's No. 1? Well it is not Westbrook. Russ lost his #2 ranking as he slips down to the 5th spot.] Westbrook's shooting woes and poor shot selection continue to hurt him. More than two-thirds of his shots come from the perimeter, where he's shooting less than 40 percent (and just 31 percent from 3). But his energy and athleticism are still having a positive impact. More importantly, he is managing the game better and quarterbacking his team into playoff contention.

Thunder notebook: Russell Westbrook finishes strong | NewsOK.com
Westbrook hit a 10-footer in the lane to push the lead to seven points. He drained a 3-pointer to make it an 11-point lead. He put an exclamation mark on the run with a slam dunk off an offensive rebound. "A lot of point guards are looking for the ball on the outlet on the wing," Westbrook said. "I feel that gives me an opportunity to go to the glass to help my team get an extra possession. Their bigs forget about me. They’re trying to block out our bigs. And there I come over the top."

Thunder blows lead, rallies to beat Memphis Grizzlies | NewsOK.com
After taking the equivalent of a right-hand cross to the jaw in the third quarter, a 17-point lead having evaporated into a four-point deficit, the Thunder answered with a knockout punch of its own to post a 102-94 win over the Grizzlies on Friday night at FedEx Forum. "That shows the growth of this team," said Russell Westbrook. "We did a good job of staying close all the way back to training camp. Especially on the road, that’s where we really need each other. That’s where it really shows."

NBA.com - The Game Happens Here
"I think we are mentally tough,'' Oklahoma City Kevin Durant said. "We still have a long way to go in that area, but we are more mentally tough than we were last year. That was one of the toughest third quarters we have played. That was a test that I think we passed. We came out in the fourth quarter and fought hard against a great team and got the win.''

In a matchup of the NBA's two youngest teams, the Thunder were looking to build on their surprising 11-9 start, while the streaking Grizzlies, who had won eight of their last 12 games after a 1-8 start, were looking for their fourth straight win. Prior to the game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said his team would have to remain focused defensively against a versatile Grizzlies offense if they were to come away with their sixth road win of the season.

And for most of the night, the Thunder did just that, holding the Grizzlies to just 41.3 percent shooting, 22.2 percent from 3-point range. The Grizzlies also cooperated by making just 14 of their 24 free throws. "Going into the game, we knew this was a team that could score,'' Brooks said. "They have been on a nice run lately with a big win against Cleveland, and we wanted to really come out and defend them, contest their shooters. They have three guys that can score 25-30 points in a night.''

THUNDER: Tulsa Report: Brooks visits 66ers; Mullens making smooth transition
[Brooks keeps a watchful eye on the progress of Mullens.] Brooks and assistant coach Rex Kalamian spent the off day with the Tulsa 66ers, checking in on rookie center Byron Mullens and helping the 66ers staff conduct practice. It’s probably something you don’t see often in the NBA. "

I think it’s rare," Brooks said. "But we own that team so we have a lot invested in it. We like the fact that we can go down there and visit, watch their practices, watch their games as many times as we’re able to because it’s only an hour and a half drive. So it was good to see them practice. Byron, like I said, I thought he did very well."

Brooks’ visit to Tulsa was just one of several ways in which the Thunder is staying connected with the 66ers. Brooks and Assistant General Manager Rich Cho are in constant communication with the 66ers front office. Mullens said that most of his Thunder teammates, and Brooks, text message him regularly, and that he picked up the NBA League Pass application on his iPhone so he could keep up with the team. Mullens said that Cho and Assistant General Manager Troy Weaver have come to see him play so far.

"I stay in touch with Sam (Presti), all those guys, Rich, Troy, Coach (Brooks), we all stay in contact," said Mullens, who was in Oklahoma City for Monday's Thunder game against Golden State. "They all come down and watch games and after the games they tell me how I’m doing. During the game I’ll look up there and they’ll give me a thumbs-up. It means a lot, them showing up and believing (in me). It feels great."

Poll

T-Mac is 2nd place among West Coast guards in All-Star voting. Should voting decide the All-Stars?

RECAP: Warriors 91, Bulls 96 – Brick!

Fantasy Junkie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:58:58 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

4 days ago: Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis (8) reacts after missing a shot during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. The Bulls won 96-91. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Final Boxscore | Warriors Web Links | Open Thread (1100+ comments)

With all these young guys playing prominent roles, I guess you have to expect this kind of inconsistency. A blowout win over the Nets followed by a head scratching loss to the Bulls. The Warriors "should" have won this game? I guess my optimism got a little ahead of me. The Bulls, losers of 9 out of 10, maybe aren't as bad as I thought. But I'll still maintain that this loss wasn't so much that the Bulls beat the Warriors, but the Warriors shot themselves out of the game. Plain and simple, the Warriors desire to shoot tons of jumpers instead of getting aggressive and driving to the hole, cost them the game. Hopefully these young guys learn from this game.

Shooting Woes
The Warriors made the Bulls look like a great defensive team tonight. 38% shooting? You realize the last few games the Bulls have allowed 50%, 45%, 48%, and 51%? This is not a bad Warriors shooting team. What was with all the jumpers and lack of drives? Were they saving themselves for the second game of the back to back? 37-97 from the field. 8-28 from 3, 28.6%. Ouch. Oops. Oy.

And what's with the 12 free throws? Monta had 6. So between the other 7 players for the Warriors, they shot a combined 6 free throws. Ummm guys? You're allowed to go inside of 10 feet from the basket more than once a quarter. Corey Maggette usually gets to the line 6-7 times per game - tonight he never made an appearance.

The lack of free throws means a lot of jumpers which means not very many assists and also means lots of rebounds. The Warriors got pounded on the boards 58-44 with many thanks to the twin towers, Brad Miller and Joakim Noah. Yeesh. 14 rebound differential.

I have a beef with Anthony Morrow. 15 shots. 13 three pointers taken! Only 4 made. I can understand the 13 three pointers if he was hot, but like with alcohol, know when to say when. He went a little overboard with the 3's tonight. Every now and then you have to take the ball to the hole if you're not shooting so well from the perimeter. Or maybe take a few steps in for a jumper. C'mon young fella. I guess this is part of the maturation process? For awhile there it seemed like he was varying his offensive game by driving it to the hole, pulling up from 15, and making some decent passes. Tonight was not one of those nights.

Monta was bad as well. 10-26 from the field. At least he had more assists (5) than turnovers (3). Steph Curry was 3-9, Vlad was 4-13. The starting 5 was 24-66 (36%).

Just a bad offensive night for the Warriors. Too many jumpers and not enough drives to the hole. Not the Warriors style of play. Not a style of play they'll be successful at. They were nearly successful but that's because this was against the Bulls.

Corey MEgette
There's not a whole lot else I want to write about this game, so I'll write about Corey MEgette. I like how in Marcus Thompson's interview with MEggette that they make the argument he's not selfish because he takes care of the young guys off the court or buys expensive presents for teammates. THAT'S NOT THE SELFISHNESS FANS CARE ABOUT. Nobody gives a crap if you're a kind, generous person off the court. He may be the nicest guy, helps old women cross the street and rescues kittens out of trees. Again, nobody cares.

The selfishness fans care about is his play ON THE COURT. He's selfish on the court, no matter what Monta says. If you directly ask Monta if Corey's selfish, you really think he's going to say "Yes, Corey's selfish. He's a black hole and dosen't try on defense." Uh no.

Does MEgette work hard? Yes. Does he give up his body on offense while driving to the hole? Yes. Flopping on defense does not count as giving up one's body, that's just flopping and nobody likes a flopper. Nobody's saying he's not trying. I write "MEgette" because he plays like he's never heard the word "pass" before. I'm not asking him to be a point guard but at least make the defense think that you might drive and kick or rotate the ball around the perimeter. The second reason I write "MEgette" is because he doesn't give a crap on defense. He flops all the time and will rarely get a charging call. More often than not the offensive player either makes an uncontested shot or goes to the line. And while guarding guys on the perimeter, he's more matador than defender. Good defenders know that it's all about hustle and desire. If you're not a good defender, you lack hustle and desire.

That said, he had a nice rebounding game off the bench - 10 boards in total.

I think he's a good guy and does some great things off the court. I don't think he should be booed at the Oracle. He's far from one of the bad players on the team. He's just not a team player. He doesn't make anyone better. I don't think it's because he doesn't want to, I think it's because he doesn't know how.

One More Rant
Why is Mikki Moore still starting? When your starting center gobbles in 3 rebounds in 26 minutes, you're in trouble. Except for his revenge game against the Nets, Moore has been bad. He played a combined 19 minutes in the games against Houston and Orlando. Is it any coincidence that the Warriors had legit chances to win those games? Heck he grabbed as many rebounds as I did against the Thunder, except he played 21 minutes. How does your starting center suck so bad at getting 2 hands on an orange ball? If he was a good defender ala Chuck Hayes, I could forgive him. If he swatted shots like Turiaf, then at least he'd have something desireable about his game. But the guy is a non-factor. Can we mix up the starting lineup just a bit? It might be just me, but starting Mikki hasn't seemed too successful so far.

Anthony Randolph may have regressed and has been pretty ugly this season, but he's still better than Moore. He might even find a groove if you change it up and throw him in the starting lineup. I don't care if he hasn't earned it. Neither has Moore. Randolph at least has shown some flashes that you might be able to get something out of the 5 spot if you started him. Might even boost his confidence. What do you have to lose?

Right now, you need to change things up. Keith Smart? Don Nelson? Hello?

Silver Lining
The only silver lining? A better chance at getting John Wall. Nobody will match the Nets and Twolves ineptitude, but that 3rd worst spot is up for grabs. LGW!

No Warriors player deserves this. Nor does any of the coaching staff, front office, or waterboy. So instead I'm going TMZ style and giving it to Elin Nordegren for no other reason than I can imagine her coming after the Warriors with a 9-iron after watching them play tonight. And she's not even a Warrior fan.

And this is just a funny picture. Even Corey is about to laugh.

Poll

For the rest of this road trip, Pistons and 76ers, how many games will the Warriors win?

Some Take, Some Give: Grizzlies beat by Thunder, 102-94

djturtleface — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:41:24 -0000

More photos » by Jim Weber - AP

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Kevin Durant proved why he is the future superstar, while Rudy Gay is struggling to get a contract for the price of a second banana. While Durant exploded on Rudy for 32 points and 10 rebounds, Rudy looked out of place and confused on the way to a night of shooting 25% from the field.

This one appeared to be a first-half blowout, not unlike the Cavaliers game, but the Grizzlies killed it in the 3rd quarter with Zach Randolph getting after it on the boards and solid defense causing even the best Thunder players to turn into habitual shot-missers.

But in the 4th the Grizzlies fell back to playing pretty poorly on offense and terribly on defense, giving up 36 points to the Thunder. Oklahoma City scored 10 straight capped by a three-point dagger from Russell Westbrook that essentially closed out the game.

The positive points were Mike Conley putting up 20 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals and Zach Randolph snagging 20 boards and scoring 19, albeit awfully inefficiently. The rest of the Grizzlies barely made any noise, doing just enough to keep the team in it by shooting an abysmal 41% from the field and 58% from the line as a team.

Stop by Welcome to Loud City to give props, hit up the comment threads to speak your mind, and lets all send Grizzlies a get better soon card -- the next three games, at Miami, back home against Boston, and then on the road against Atlanta, aren't going to get any easier than this one.

Game 21: Oklahoma City at Memphis

Zorgon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:49:46 -0000

More photos » by Lance Murphey - AP

Ryan Bowen gawked at the fact that the Thunder lost against the Grizzlies in the Pre-Season. Kyle Weaver was concerned too, but at least he tried to do something about it.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Fedex Library, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports Tennessee

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): 3 Shades of Blue, Straight Outta Vancouver

Backstory: Just another game, or just another surprise?

Okay, so there's not a whole lot to marvel over or write about when concerning the Memphis Grizzlies.But, contrary to popular belief, they are doing relatively well. Sure, they're only on pace to win 30 some games, but they've won their last 3 games against Minnesota, Dallas, and Cleveland. And the team is showing no signs of slowing down. The starting lineup has had the talent there, but they haven't yet had the teamwork in place in order to win. Until now, at least. With a lean, mean mix of veterans and young'uns in their starting lineup that Garry St. Jean could only dream of, this team is poised and in position to upset the Thunder tonight.

Meanwhile, the Thunder got their anger out when they played the lowly and depleted Warriors, and they're well rested going into tonight's game. They straight up dominated the Grizzlies last season, and history would say that the Thunder could easily be the team to end the Grizzlies win streak.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

Matchups:

Center: Nenad Krstic vs. Marc Gasol

Pau Gasol lite may not be as good as his brother, but he's definitely much better inside than Nenad Krstic. Expect limited minutes and less than 10 points for Krstic, while the majority of the game is spent with battles between Gasol, Collison, and Thomas, with Gasol winning most of them.

Power Forward: Jeff Green vs. Zach Randolph

The story of Jeff Green's season has been his struggles against bigger power forwards, but luckily for Jeff, Zach Randolph is much of a defender. Expect both of these guys to score bucket after bucket upon each other, and for each of them to get their fair share of rebounds.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant vs. Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay is quite the dunker, but history says that Kevin Durant will win this matchup every time.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs. O.J. Mayo

O.J. Mayo is a solid overall shooting guard, and history has dictated that he usually performs above-average against the Thunder. But with Thabo Sefolosha guarding him now, who knows what will happen?

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook vs. Mike Conley

Mike Conley is a solid point guard, but not the best player on the Grizzlies by any stretch of the imagination. He'll provide scoring for them in the pinch, but Westbrook will have a better game.

Battle of the Benches:

For how good their starting lineup is, the Grizzlies bench is extremely thin. A lot of guys will play, and one will occasionally step up and be an X-Factor, but in general, they're all pretty ineffective. The only real notables are this years 2nd Pick in Hasheem Thabeet, and former Pacers PG Jamaal Tinsley. In any case, our bench has this thing covered.

Coaching and Intangibles:

The Grizzlies are at home, but that doesn't make that much of a difference, as it's a pretty quiet arena, and it's where we got our much-heralded 2nd win last year. Both teams are well rested, so all in all, it makes a pretty even intangibles matchup on the floor tonight.

Bottom Line:

I know things have been going well for the Grizzlies lately, but I'm still not convinced. This is a team we beat 3 times last year, and a team without any bench help. They could win, but they'd need everything to go right with all of their starters, and they'd need to put up a good defensive effort. That being said, this team can be dangerous, and they will be able to compete. But, in the end, I'll just chalk this one up as another Thunder win.

Prediction: Thunder 103, Grizzlies 97

Let's rock the library!

How do you think the game will go? Vote in the Poll!

And, again, feel free to drop any comments you might have during, before, or after the game below. I might be by during the game to drop my thoughts as well. Go Thunder!

Poll

SB Nation - Oklahoma City Thunder

Loud Links: 12/15/2009

The Truth: Boston Celtics Edge Out Grizzlies, 110-105

Keeping a safe distance (Nuggets/Thunder recap)

Game 23 Preview: Oklahoma City at Denver

Who's going to win tonight?

Loud Links: 12|14|09

Game 22: Cleveland at Oklahoma City

Point Guard

Shooting Guard

Small Forward

Power Forward

Center

Bench & Role Players

Coach

Injuries

Intangibles

Prediction

Who will win tonight's game?

Oklahoma City Thunder

Cleveland Cavaliers

Loud Links: 12|12|09

T-Mac is 2nd place among West Coast guards in All-Star voting. Should voting decide the All-Stars?

RECAP: Warriors 91, Bulls 96 – Brick!

For the rest of this road trip, Pistons and 76ers, how many games will the Warriors win?

Some Take, Some Give: Grizzlies beat by Thunder, 102-94

Game 21: Oklahoma City at Memphis

Who's going to win tonight?