It took exactly one quarter to expose the chink in the Lakers' armor. While most of Oklahoma City fought their nerves, Russell Westbrook took over using his best asset: speed. Now all the Thunder have to do is keep Los Angeles from finding a way to slow down Sonic.

Derek Fisher may be able to hit a big shot, but he has no chance of stopping his opposite number. Depending on how OKC's other weapons are faring, Phil Jackson may have no choice but to start doubling the UCLA product.

Westbrook looked right at home slicing and dicing his way through the LA defense on his way to making Sam Presti look even smarter for his draft strategy. While the pieces are there for a repeat performance, Jackson is sure to have some new tricks up his sleeve. Here are the two most likely ways that the Thunder will need a Plan B.

1) Clog the lane -- realistically this the most likely scenario since the Lakers have a huge advantage inside. By having Gasol and Bynum focus on the middle, RW0 will have to knock down his shots or find his open teammate. Either way it would be a change from Game 1, something I'm sure LA fans would like to see.

2) Kobe's problem -- because KD will have to prove he can shake Artest, Kobe will be tasked with trying to get in the way at least. Not to say any one player on roster can truly slow down Westbrook, but Bryant is their top backcourt defender. If this is the chosen method, expect Scott Brooks to try and get his shooters open on the wing more.

Well there you have it and Silver Screen and Roll agrees for the most part.

I tried to make it difficult but the truth hurts for the defending champs. They can't find any positives from Game 1 in trying to change things up for tonight. Kevin Durant and Co. have a huge opportunity to bring the series back to Oklahoma tied, and the home court advantage may very well be in Westbrook's able hands.

On the brink of what is shaping up as THE Opening Round Series (a tad dramatic yes), my thoughts of finishing up a look at the Lakers hit a speed bump. I wrote up pieces on Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, and Pau Gasol. My final shout out about Kobe Bryant seemed flawed as well, since is there really anything that can be said about that guy?

So really I was left with one last avenue to travel , and it is funny how things work out that way...

This series will be historic, no doubt, but the final piece of the puzzle was there all along. I believe it was during a chat with Zorgon that the Derek Fisher/RW0 match-up came into view. Sure it is far more sexy to talk about KD and Kobe squaring off or interesting to look at the mash unit that makes up the LA bench.

But will any of those angles overtake talking about the guys that handle the rock?

Westbrook v. Fisher for the PG Title seems a little off to me, but I do feel that is the key to winning. Fisher will need help in containing the UCLA product, especially since he will be amped up at 'home' on the road.

At the same time, Fisher has made so many key shots over his career. That will certainly be the look Silver Screen and Roll chooses to run with, even if it is not correct. Less than 30 minutes until game time, hope everyone is ready for war!

With the media storm brewing, it seems Phil Jackson is trying to put pressure on Oklahoma City. What he should be doing instead is checking with his medical staff for better news. Los Angeles may have needed to take a page out of LeBron's book and rested up for what is sure to be a hard fought repeat attempt.

Instead the Lakers prepare for the Thunder at less than 100 percent, and that is how we begin our look at the First Round keys for LA. Kobe Bryant belongs in his own category, so we'll mention him briefly but mainly focus on three of his teammates.

On the bright side, a big key to the inside game for the defending NBA Champions keeps making progress in the right direction. I watched ESPN2 this morning with the consensus being that Andrew Bynum would be ready for Game 1 but most likely not starting. This provides a big boost for the Lakers, who need a strong presence in the middle to slow down Kevin Durant and crew.

Just how much of the game plan will go through the 7-footer remains to be seen, but that will all depend on how much rust Bynum shows in the next couple of days. He missed the last 13 contests due to a left Achilles strain, and the Thunder will look to test him early.

If it seems like the Lakers have more problems on the inside, my gut reaction is just the opposite. Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic help take the pressure off Kobe by spreading the defense but are both hobbling. Farmar should resume a bench role against OKC, but the real news concerns Vujacic.

The sharpshooter now looks to have suffered a similar injury to that which sidelined Chris Paul and that means trouble for the ones wearing purple. LA may not have Vujacic for possibly the majority of April and maybe into May.

Even the best teams need their specialists this time of the year, so my question is where do the Lakers look now? That question and more will be debated throughout the day while I encourage you to check out Silver Screen and Roll for more Playoff Preview action.

Enjoy your Friday Thunder fans, this weekend will be a first for all of us!

Poll

Which injured LA player will be the key for OKC to prepare for?

52%

Bryant

77 votes

41%

Bynum

61 votes

2%

Farmar

4 votes

3%

Vujacic

5 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

Could there possibly be a better time of year for all who follow the NBA? Oklahoma City gets to join the fun of the best playoff format in sports, and I get to to fulfill a goal by joining the best Thunder site running today! From now until Sunday, it will be all about KD and Co. prepping to slay the Lakers with the world finally getting to see what we already know. Los Angeles hosts OKC but really the Thunder are playing with house money.

Kevin Durant leads the unknowns with a scoring title under his belt, but it seems that not everyone is a fan. While the rise to the 50-win mark was surprising, the criticism surrounding the MVP candidate is astonishing on many levels. The story will raise the attention around the LA/OKC series, and that can only help the underdogs say hi to the rest of basketball fans everywhere.

Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook you say? Hey that James Harden is only a rookie! Expect this and much more Sunday as 2010 only marks the beginning of what is to come. It's a whole new ballgame with Scott Brooks leading the way and anything can happen. Stay tuned for an inside glance at what the Thunder are facing in taking on Kobe's crew and thanks for reading.

To really get to know him. Joe Smith wasn't a part of the Thunder future, and he will no longer be part of the present -- http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3944828

Not a big loss since he hadn't been a part of the rotation, but it still hurts since Smith acted like he wanted to be in Oklahoma City. Cleveland now has the upper hand to sign him with Ben Wallace going down, but do we really care now?

While I like one of the deals made, the other only makes sense if Malik Rose is following the Joe Smith method out of town. Rose was a Spurs' sparkplug back in the day, but I forgot he was even still in the league.

Smith didn't get traded again, and Chris Wilcox got his wish. To 'make' room for new guard Thabo Sefolosha, OKC waived Sene -- officially labeling yet another first round pick as a bust.

Sene wasn't playing at all, but it is still a curious move when other players could have been cut. The Thunder needed some new life, and there is only one way to do that in today's NBA. 

My hope is that D.J. White is almost ready to make his debut, and Thabo finds a home in the starting five. Not too much to ask, right?

GM Sam Presti has his hands full. I didn't even know what to write over at After The Lighting. Once the shock wears off, it will be time to get to business.

Where do the Thunder go from here?

Some options are still out there, but are any of them as good as Tyson Chandler...

I think there are a few desparate GM's that want to make a splash, but it should be a fun day of playing 'Guess Which Rumor is True!'

Someone is finally starting to take notice of what we already know. The NBA made a great decision today, and it is time to put my DVR to work.

H-O-R-S-E

Might be my new favorite game to watch! KD is going to own All-Star Weekend as long as we find a way to get him in the game on Sunday -- who's got a crowbar?

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2009/news/story?id=3896766

You all want drama...how bout our own little soap opera down in Springfield?

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Props to the Cards on renaming the Press Box after two Hall of Fame writers -- Bob Broeg and Rick Hummel. As I was reading Bernie's column on the announcement, a certain blurg caught my attention.

Many St. Louis fans, including myself, have been wary on Keith Law's views of the Cardinals. I'm not sure where he is getting his info from, but here is one more tidbit for the rumor fire.

'On a chat on ESPN.com, baseball analyst Keith Law gave more airing to the rumors that Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa are leaving after the season. "Both in Cincinnati (next season)," Law said in response to a question. "(Jeff) Luhnow takes over as GM." ...

Thoughts?

While over at Future Redbirds, I found that first-round draft pick Peter Kozma still had not played in a game. Not knowing where he would be starting his Cards career, I did a little hunting.

He wasn't listed on the Johnson City or Batavia rosters, and I knew that Q-C was out of the question. Sure enough, wearing 41 for the GCL Cardinals is Peter Kozma. The game yesterday was rained out, but hopefully he will see some action this weekend.

Tyler Henley signed as well and will be playing in Batavia next week so all that is left for the front office is to pony up and get Russell playing ANYWHERE in a redbirds jersey.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=1370

Today's main post got me thinking of the big picture for the rest of this year and for 08. TLR will have a much harder choice than he has had in the past. Sounds like the team is leaving it up to him, and I think that is the right decision.

You take the good with the bad, the quirks and commitments when LaRussa is your manager. He is a smart guy, and most of his moves have paid off before this year. I really feel he lost this year's team in ST with the DUI, but it could have been leftover feelings from the problems with Rolen and Edmonds.

But this season has turned from hopes of a repeat to finger-pointing and name-calling. Is it any one person's fault -- highly unlikely. I listened to the pre-game interview with  H.G. Bissinger during the Philly series, and that got me thinking about his book with Tony.

Everyone knows he is one hell of a manager, and we couldn't have won the WS without him. After reaching that unexpected high last October, there was bound to be a drop-off.

Whether or not he comes back for next year is probably going to be a combination of things.

1. Will Carp pitch next year? Without a true ace, the rebuilding process will be big as the Rasmus watch takes center stage.
2. LB has pointed out that unless some contracts are traded this month, the team has very little money to throw at anyone after the year.
3. Would Duncan stay if LaRussa left? That is something I have been curious about.

More than likely I see him coming back for one last run with this core group. 2009 is the target year for most of the youngsters, and Walt is under contract for next year as well. But hey, what do I know -- the Cardinals only get to the WS when I'm in Iraq, and I'm not ever going back.

Not a Simpsons post, but that is how I feel. I found the article about Brett Zawacki in an Illinois newspaper that recently (as in today) took down the link. Since I don't want to subscribe to their online service to read it, I will summarize it.

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(WARNING -- Crazy thoughts about to begin)

Okay, now that's out of the way. With the firing of Jerry Narron, the door is now open for the rumors to start flying. I know the P-D did a story on WJ and his 'disinterest' in the Reds' GM job, but I can't help but think the three-headed beast of WJ, TLR, and Dunc could be brought in together somewhere.

Add in the fact that the Reds ownership group has a lot of St. Louis tie-ins, and it becomes almost believable. Yes, Cincy has a good GM now, but in today's era of baseball -- what have you done for me lately is the norm.

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While at work tonight, ESPN radio mentioned that the White Sox don't want to give Buerhle a no-trade clause. If the other figures are correct (4 years/56 million), Chicago has no excuse. Give him what he wants and move on to dealing away other players.

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After everything else that happened in tonight's game (good and bad), I looked over at my fiance and said time for 13's first home run. Her favorite number is 13, and we are big on our numbers.

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In honor of his first Cardinals' start, I found this link on mlbtraderumors.com. It isn't one of my favorite sites and provides more laughs than anything else (something about the Cubs comes to mind). But it does have some good links. Enjoy and good luck to our newest hurler.

http://www.marothbaseball.com/blog.asp

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Per Rosenthal's last column, The White Sox aren't going to trade Buerhle with a three-day window. That shoots down any hope I had for the trade. Let the Mets have him now, and we'll try during December.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6949304?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

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Was going to post something about Bradley getting the boot by the A's when this caught my attention. Better to give props than talk about head cases.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070619&content_id=262266&vkey=news _milb&fext=.jsp

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Probably just my imagination, but Troy Cate looked like a big-league pitcher last night. Maybe because it was the Royals or maybe because they were all tipsy like Mike Shannon. I know he didn't have much success at Memphis as a starter (and by much I really mean any), but choices are running out fast for the big club.

Ohka....scary....Wells....yikes....Franklin....team says he is staying in the pen.....Percival....not funny.

Poll

Who should make the start on Sunday?

13%

Franklin

8 votes

1%

Percival

1 votes

22%

Cate

13 votes

32%

Ohka

19 votes

29%

Wells

17 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

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Well, it was a novel idea....

    Since tonight's game is playing the Energizer Bunny roll, I started wondering about the Cards' most recent SP?? adition, none other than Mr. Ohka.

   I probably could have just waited for the awesome news.

http://www.roundrockexpress.com/asp/statistics.asp?stats=g_box&gid=2007_06_20_mrbaaa_rreaaa_1

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ESPN radio mentioned Ozzie saying he should be fired as White Sox manager...could this lead to a fire-sale? I know it is far-fetched given Chicago's talent, but the AL Central is stacked this year.

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This is mainly directed to those Cards fans like me who don't get down to St. Louis all that often (rarely if ever). I'm starting to plan my birthday on April 1, and I'll be hunting down my family brick.

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Didn't happen last year, and I don't know why anything would be different now. I have to admit it is a pretty good conversation piece, though.

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I took my dad and brother to a game at Busch III in May before I deployed. I was worried that streak would end this year, given the logistical nightmare that comes with trying to schedule around Iraq. Have no fear fellow BOB fans, all is good now. I bumped up my R & R to late March and just paid top dollar to attend Opening Night on April 1.

Normally I would just be happy and stop here. But no, I am prepared to spend my birthday in style, and I want everyone else to know it. That is right, I am an April Fool baby, and I always hate my day. Whether it was monopoly money or rubber checks, my friends always had more fun than I did. Also probably the reason why I always had my party on whatever day Wrestlemania fell.

So for the first time in my nearly 28 years, April 1 can not come soon enough. Make your requests now for whatever Opening Night stuff you want. I will grab everything I can and take as many pics as my digital camera will hold.

I attempted to add a poll without much success, so please give your own feedback as to which St. Louis game is the most fun to attend. Choices I included were Opening Night, Cubs-Cards, Season Finale, KC-St. Louis, Playoffs, or Bobblehead (other giveaway nights). Enjoy!!

Since we like to discuss things that are never, ever going to happen, here's one that would really be something. If we do let Eckstein walk, we are going to need a lead-off batter. I know the Mariners would be crucified for letting him go, but Ichiro has as good a right as anyone to test the free-agent waters.

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I saw this and immediately thought 'uh oh, here we go again.'

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070109&content_id=1775950& ;vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl

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It has been an interesting week. My replacement went home after he landed in Kuwait, and my vacation to Ireland had to be canceled.

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After the upsetting loss yesterday, it took me awhile to realize that it is fate for the Cards to win today. Not only will Suppan win the MVP (who else could right now...Yadi?), but the Cards are in the same boat as 04 when I was back over here in the sandbox.

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Hey all,

   I just found out I probably won't have TV coverage for a week or so. I'm used to this, having to listen to the 04 playoffs while deployed the first time. Now, though, MLB changed their policy on gameday audio.

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