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2009-2010 Hollinger Projections - All Players - ESPN
[Guys we have a new superstar on our hands. Just click the link above and see how Hollinger's numbers put Kyle Weaver above the league's creme de la creme.] The rookie swingman was a poor man's Thabo Sefolosha, showing an ability to defend and handle the ball but displaying an iffy shooting stroke and generally poor offensive instincts. Weaver wasn't half-bad shooting on the rare occasions he launched, hitting 34.4 percent on 3s and 47.7 percent on long 2s, and he made a stellar 59.6 percent in the immediate basket area. But too often he was a wallflower -- only two shooting guards had a lower Usage Rate and he averaged just 10.2 points per 40 minutes. Additionally, for a guy who spotted up for his rare shot opportunities, he was shockingly turnover prone. Weaver's turnover ratio was the third-worst among shooting guards; normally guys like this are in the top ten because they're required to do so little. Although he seemed a good ball handler, his pure point rating also was poor, coming in at 44th at the position.

Livingston Keeps Moving Forward Without Looking Back -- NBA FanHouse
[It is great to see Shaun Livingston get more playing time. Doesn't Jamario Moon and Shaun look like brothers? I hope Shaun gets those hops back.] "There's certainly things that I lack athletically,'' said Livingston, comparing himself to before the injury, when he was averaging 9.3 points for the 2006-07 Clippers and appeared well on his way to being a fine NBA player after being taken with the No. 4 pick in 2004 directly from high school. "Speed and quickness and the initial burst and a maybe a little bit of jumping. But I'll sacrifice a little bit of that just to be able to play the game. I can still play in this league and make a difference.''

Just seeing Livingston on the court serves as an inspiration to his teammates. Forward Nick Collison said he's "really impressed with him with all that he's been through.'' Ollie feels likewise. "To see him being out there playing, you look at a guy who has persevered and gotten through certain things in his career, and he's not given up,'' Ollie said. "That fires up everybody when you see a player who's going through those things and you know he's a better person for it . ... He's continuing to bounce back and continuing to fight and hopefully he'll have success this season and beyond and get back to the position he wants to be.''

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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.

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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

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.

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More photos » by Joe Murphy - NBAE/Getty Images

5 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."

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More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

8 months ago: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant reacts during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Oklahoma City won 96-95. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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Remember of the summer when ESPN's Henry Abbott wrote a little article about our beloved KD. The piece focused on Durant's +/- statistics, and pointed out that statistically the Thunder/Sonics were better with Durant off the court. Well, now Abbott is putting KD up with the league's best and asking for a truce.

Kevin Durant eats plus/minus for breakfast - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
He was one of the very worst players in the league by that measure last season, and now he's second-best. Only Dirk Nowitzki rates better in Wayne Winston's adjusted plus/minus. As of today, Durant's Thunder are giving up 11.5 fewer points per hundred possessions when he's on the floor. And they're scoring 13.75 more. That's unbelievable. (Interestingly, the next best player in the NBA, according to this early-season measure, is Marc Gasol. Then LeBron James and Luol Deng. If those numbers seem a little funny ... it's early yet. Plus/minus means a lot more with bigger samples.)

...

I have been asked if I regret what I wrote. Heck no! I wrote he had great potential, but playing D like that, and taking some of those shots, he had hurt his team in his first two years.

Problem solved.

Hats off to Durant for his hard work. It's a happy story. Take a bow, Kevin!

(And, if you have a free minute, could you tell your fans to stop sending all that hate mail?)

The Thunder spent yesterday afternoon giving $1,000 dollar shopping sprees to 10 families at a local Target. How cool would it be to go basketball shopping with KD?

The Thunder Will Make the Playoffs | Dime Magazine
[Dime magazine give the reasons why the Thunder "will" make the playoffs this year.] The focal point of the team is undoubtedly resting on that kid from Texas’ shoulders, but his surrounding entourage has a bright future ahead. Clay Bennett may not have made the right choice in moving his team from Seattle, but choosing young GM brainchild, Sam Presti, to lead the Thunder was genius. Presti has managed to pull the proverbial rabbit from a hat with many of his decisions.

For starters, the Thunder’s team core is built upon Top-5 Draft picks: Durant (2), James Harden (3), Westbrook (4) and Green (5). Presti also swung deals for Thabo Sefolosha—who has become their definitive defensive stopper around the arc—and 7-footer, Nenad Krstic, to roam the paint in OKC.

The young nucleus of this team, comprised of those four Top-5 Draft picks, is already playing at a high level. Durant is leading the team with over 28 points and 7 rebounds a game. While in the midst of a breakout season—which is strange considering he averaged 25.3 a year ago—Durant is also averaging the most rebounds, assists and steals of his short career.

The 6-9 Green, who’s averaging 14.7 and 6.3, is a solid inside-outside presence and will be very, very good in Oklahoma City for many years. Even at 23 years old, Green has only showed glimpses of what he is capable of doing.

Harden is also playing well and as he continues to loosen up to the NBA game, he will begin playing more fluidly—although he did drop 26 and 9 in a 104-88 win over the Warriors Monday night. With these pieces in place—and help coming from more experience—the Thunder are looking surprisingly composed this season. Wait, did I forget someone?

Oh yeah, that Westbrook guy.

In my opinion, Westbrook is the key to the Thunder’s success. Durant is your go-to-guy and can drop 40 whenever he feels his averages slipping, but Russell is the fire starter. Besides Aaron Brooks and Ty Lawson, Westbrook might be the fastest guy in the League with or without the ball. He clearly has a second gear and dices through defenses effortlessly. Westbrook gives the Thunder a stable point guard that knows—and can—when to score and when to pass (He dished out 15 helpers in a win against Philly a week ago). Westbrook understands the flow of the game and can adapt to what the defense gives him.

Durant On Oden: "I almost drew a tear" | Thunder Rumblings
[KD speaks out about the Oden/Durant debate.] "Once I heard he was having surgery, to be honest with you I almost drew a tear for him," said Durant, who became the no-brainer No. 2 pick behind Oden in one of the most highly-debated decisions in the draft’s history. Durant understands the link he will forever share with Oden and the unavoidable games of "What if?’ some are sure to conjure up. And Oden’s newest hurdle only heightens the historical significance of their selection order. After three seasons, Oden will have played just 82 games, or the equivalent of one full season. Durant, meanwhile, has taken his projected place as the face of a franchise.

He’s on his way to becoming an All-Star and an Olympian. Durant has missed only 10 career games and this season is averaging 28.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals, all career-highs. But in no way does Durant feel vindicated for being passed over, and he said the constant comparisons are pointless. "It’s unfair to him because people don’t know how hard he works every day," Durant said. "But they’re already ready to tear him down. That’s life I guess. But he works hard every day and he does his job every day and people don’t give him credit for that."

Despite their differing levels of individual success, Durant humbly credited the Blazers’ team success and said he doesn’t think Oden should have to worry about living in his shadow as a player. "Those guys are a playoff team and are one of the top teams in the West," Durant said. "Without him they wouldn’t be there. So I guess I’m living in his shadow. He was the No. 1 pick. I was the No. 2. And his team is doing better. I’m just trying to fight toward that with my team. So I wouldn’t say he’s in my shadow."

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More photos » by Laura Rauch - AP

Did you know Byron Mullens is averaging a double-double with the 66ers? How does16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist & 1.17 steal per game sound? Maybe skipping over Blair wasn't that horrible of an idea.

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Plus/minus debate rages around league | NewsOK.com
[The Oklahoman looks into the plus-minus stat.] When Jackson arrived in Los Angeles, Lakers trainer Gary Vitti handed Jackson a packet of print outs that included plus-minus, a daily ritual when Vitti worked for Pat Riley. "I told him to throw it away," Jackson said. "I’ve never consulted those. I know there is some value to it. But to me, it’s an instinct by a coach. ‘This group is going pretty good. I think I’ll leave them in there.’ But obviously there’s some merit to it. You can’t throw it all out."

Riley, now the Heat’s general manager, said he devised his own plus/minus rating 30 years ago. In Riley’s formula, he grades players in all areas, including effort, then shows players their best five games as a standard to shoot for. "We wanted to quantify an across-the-board evaluation," Riley said. "We’d take pluses and minuses over 48 minutes played and used those numbers to motivate. I liked it when a player came up to me every now and then and asked, ‘Coach: How am I doing in plus/minus impact?’" Most players claim they either don’t understand the stat or say it has minimal value. Miami star Dwyane Wade said he was glad when the Heat stopped using Riley’s plus/minus impact rating. Wade said he wasn’t always ranked high and that it sometimes hurt his confidence.

Some of Durant’s teammates scoffed when asked if the stat showed Durant was overrated last season. Nenad Krstic said Durant is a future All-Star. "I don’t understand it," said Russell Westbrook. "I don’t know what they were talking about. It obviously wasn’t anything good they were saying (about Durant). But I don’t know what it meant or what they were trying to say."

Last Night in the D-League; Big Men Run This League - Ridiculous Upside
[Ridiculous Upside looks into DeVon Hardin's development with the 66ers.] This is hyperbole, but DeVon Hardin is killing this Tulsa team. The overall rebounding numbers are there, true, and he had seven last night, but he gets lost on defense and overeager to block shots and allows his man to score too easily (did you see Dorsey's and Harris's numbers in the preceding paragraph?). He also doesn't have the burgeoning offensive repertoire that Byron Mullens does; all Hardin can make at this point are dunks and layups, and even then he blew several layups in this game. I haven't really seen anything from him to justify his starting spot or the 28 minutes-per-game that he's averaging. I've said before that he's talented, but the 66ers have two other talented power forwards, Keith Clark and Latavious Williams, who deserve playing time as well. Williams played just under eight minutes last night, all in the first half, and finished with six points, two rebounds and a steal. He also made both of his free throws, whereas Hardin went 1-4. Even giving Hardin somewhere around 20 minutes a night, upping Williams to 10-12 minutes (consistently, no more of this DNP stuff) and keeping Clark at his 15-17 average (rather than the six minutes he played last night) would help improve all of those players' games in the long run and maybe even send a message to Hardin that he needs to focus.

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CelticsBlog's on Tonight
The Celtics are in the middle of some sort of streak or something (shhhh...lets not talk about that), but these are not your father's thunder. The last time these two teams met, the Celtics beat the Thunder by almost 20 points, and I joke you not, Mikki Moore had a double double. The Celtics are 4-0 versus the Thonics (Sunder?) since the former Sonics tore apart their roster trading away Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. They've made virtually no roster moves since last season's trade for Thabo Sefelosha. Paves the way for a good feeling about tonight right? Wrong! These Thunder are dangerous. Sure, we're winning a few games now, but these Thunder have been shocking people all season long. In just the last month, they've beaten Orlando, San Antonio, and Utah. They took the Lakers to overtime. Kevin Durant is currently 4th in the league in scoring at 27+ per game. Russell Westbrook is playing like a top 10 point guard at 16 points and 7 assists a contest.

Green on KG's potty mouth
All-Star Kevin Garnett has the reputation for being the league's biggest trash talker. "If they want to talk, they can talk," said Jeff Green. "We just have to worry about what we have to do. We can't fall into their little traps of trash talking and them getting in our heads and get us playing out of our (game). We have to continue what we've been doing — sharing the ball and playing defense. "If they want to talk they can talk. If we win the game that will be our talk. We know they'll come in amped (up) and they'll talk a lot of trash. It is mostly Kevin, but guys feed off that. It goes into the way they play. I don't talk at all."

Marcin Gortat isn't happy with Orlando
"I love the organization, but I'm not going to stay here being a back-up player and playing five minutes a game," Gortat said. "I hope people understand that. I know I can have a bigger role on another team." Except that this season he just started a new five-year contract with the Magic. Only a trade can provide a bigger role on another team. Perhaps Gortat's frustration should not come as a surprise. He was less than enthused when the Magic matched the Dallas Mavericks' offer of five years, $34-million this past summer for the restricted free agent from Poland. He likely would have been the Mavs' starting center. Gortat said he isn't delivering a play-me-or-trade-me-ultimatum, realizing his role could change quickly. He said he'll likely meet with coach Stan Van Gundy after the season to discuss his future and direct his agent, Guy Zucker, to talk with general manager Otis Smith. "I really don't think about this now. But at some point, I want to have the chance to sit down with coach Van Gundy and tell him how I feel and where I want to go with my career," Gortat said. "I'm 100 percent sure coach will understand and will do the right thing for me and the team.

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Kevin Durant Next - ESPN
[Durant has been named "Next" by ESPN. Watch out world here we come!! Click the link and read the .PDF article.] Before he signed his sneaker deal with Nike, Durant turned down an offer from Adidas worth $70 million. "That’s a lot of money," he says. But when it came right down to it, he just plain likes Nikes better. He grew up wearing them, and they felt good on his feet. The deal made him happy. For him, it wasn’t a function of addition; it didn’t come down to logic. It came down to hunch. It came down to gut. It came down to instinct. Not a killer’s, but a kid’s.

As Thunder rookie James Harden puts it, "If you grow up too fast, what’s the point? Kevin’s not childish. He’s just different. He just likes to have fun. He’s young, man. We’re all young. But we’re learning when we can joke around and when we have to be serious." Learning the difference between joking and serious, between consistent and dominant, is this season’s homework assignment for Durant.

NBA.com: Durant on big expectations, being skinny and Beyonce

[Who ordered the KD love-fest? NBA.com asks KD some great questions in this lengthy Q&A.]

NBA.com: How do your teammates treat you now that you have a semi-celebrity status?

KD: I put myself on the same level as everyone else. From the first man to the end of the bench. Nobody has a "celebrity status" attitude here. Especially me. I always put the team first and without them I surely wouldn't be the NEXT athlete or talking to NBA.com for articles. Once I step into this building for practice and games, it's all about the team.

NBA.com: Would it be easier if there were fewer expectations for you and you could be a sleeper player in the league?

KD: Either way it's cool with me. I like being the underrated and sleeper guy, too. However, people started recognizing me and it feels good as well. As long as I handle my business here every day as a professional I will have no regrets.

NBA.com: The most constant criticism of you since you were drafted in 2007 is that you're too skinny and need to build muscle. Are we going to see Durant 2.0 with more muscle, or is this wiry frame what we will be working with for a while?

KD: I'm trying my hardest just to get there. It's tough. I'm a lot skinnier then other people, so it's tough for me to make it look like I'm stronger. I feel like I'm getting a lot stronger and bigger. Ask anybody in the organization. Hard work will take care of my fame. In a way, me being skinny makes me who I am and a lot of people are getting used to me being skinny. It's kind of unique that I can say I'm the skinniest guy in the league.

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