So, how fun would it have been to have been able to snag Kevin Love in the offseason or last year. He seems like the real deal.  Especially coming off of a very solid FIBA performance. That said, check out these clips side by side.

Cole Aldrich #45 Mix (via RealCollegeBBall)

Kevin Love vs. Oregon Highlights (via 805Bruin)

Ok, I know Love is better AND was just a Freshman.  But, there is something strikingly similar to me about their game (other than both being tall white dudes with shaved heads). There's a very similar toughness, nose for the ball, and outlet passing ability.  Love has a fantastic added dimension in his 3pt attack, but in Minny he seems to do most of his work down low anyway. You've also gotta love Aldrich's 3.5 Blk to K-Love's 1.4 Blk.

My point is, I feel like this could be Presti's way of finding a financially lucrative alternative to a dirty-work and toughness-minded garbage man who's already got polish. A do-over from the Tyson Chandler deal that went sour. We don't need to Robert Swift or BJ Mullens this kid, because he's actually ready. He also has a very complimentary skill set to Kristic in that Nenad is often a perimeter type center and Aldrich isn't at all. He wants to block, rebound, and get put-backs and dunks. 

I'll give one more qualifier, I think Love's game would be a BEST CASE scenario for Aldrich but at worst, I think he's at least a more aggressive Spencer Hawes who gets his 10pts 6reb nightly. Most likely a DeJuan Blair type work  horse, but taller. 

It's very early to say but Aldrich could be an ideal fit for the Thunder's needs. They didn't need a perimeter big, or a thin scoring big, they needed a sturdy, intense, low-block, and active pure center.  Plenty to prove this season for the Minnesota boy, but there's a lot to be excited about.  So not only has the pick grown on me, but in a great scenario he may just be that missing puzzle piece that was under the couch for years that you finally found.  Gotta "Love" that!

Cho & Prichard via assets.sbnation.com

Looks like Presti's "capologist" and resident wizard just got paid.  Sad to see him go based on all the positive thing's mentioned about him.  Yet, such is business and this is how these things go. Presti was an up-and-comer under Buford in San Antonio when Seattle came calling. This is Cho's big shot and I'm sure he'll be a great GM for the Blazers, especially coming from Presti's entourage.  

Let's hope we've got another good capologist whom Cho had passed much of his knowledge on to.  I'm sure Presti already has been planning his next move for quite some time.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) vs Charlotte Bobcats (1-0)   3pm ET

There you have it: http://atdhe.net/20430/watch-charlotte-bobcats-vs-oklahoma-city-thunder

Interesting Matchups for the Thunder today:

Gerald Wallace v James Harden - Wallace sure looked like a beast yesterday, showing glimpses of the guy we all knew and loved from Duke. Harden, didn't lack any confidence, but his shot just didn't want to fall yesterday. Expect better shooting from him today and possibly more distribution.

Derrick Brown v Kyle Weaver - I'm not sure this matchup will offer much fireworks, but Brown had a very nice showing in Yesterday's game (20pts 5reb 3stls) while Weaver had more of a ho-hum performance (7pts 4reb 2 blks).  It would be interesting to see if the vet can contain the rook.

Sherron Collins v Eric Maynor - Interestingly enough, Collins played some solid basketball for the Cats as an undrafted player in his Summer League debut. He was a real asset on the defensive end, badgering the Sundiata Gaines into shooting 2-8 from the field, though his aggression got him into foul trouble in rather short order. Maynor convincingly stepped into the role of floor general and had quite an impressive showing. He went 7-13 from the field and posted an impressive 15pts 5ast 3rebs. Look for Collins to assert his physicality over Maynor, but likely Maynor will have the edge through savvy and experience.

via media.scout.com

Got the live video stream here.  Good luck to the boys taking on Boston Today at 5pm (ET). 

A little bit of added pressure on guys like Weaver and Vaden, they both might be offering their services overseas for the 2010-2011 season.  Though I'm not sure much weight is put on these games by the coaching and management anyway.  Nonetheless, my money is on the Thunder squad to dominate the competition.

Uche Echefu #41 and our boy Ryan Reid #42

I've been really working hard the last couple days wrapping my mind around a couple things the Thunder did the night of June 24th. Before I go any further, let me first say that I appreciate and trust Presti and his team's experience and hard work. They have been extremely busy so kudos for that.

I think I'm starting to understand the Cole Aldrich decision after having given it some thought and mainly just forcing myself to like him. I am also hopeful for Pleiss and really think he might be something special for us in a couple years.

That said, I am still waiting for Presti's press conference with David Stern where he pops up from behind the podium and says "Just Kidding! Ha, I really got you guys! We will actually be taking Ryan Richards at the 48th pick before the Spurs snagged him at 49, we also still picked Magnum Rolle at our 51st pick but at 57th that whole Ryan Reid thing was an especially good joke, we actually got Sherron Collins at 57th to get a look at him with his teammate Cole and still traded Magnum to Indiana. Thanks for coming and I hope you guys got some good laughs...." 

And yet, I'm still waiting for the press conference....

For starters, I have yet to hear an answer as to what the heck they were thinking with Ryan Reid, or who in the world he is! Nbadraft.net doesn't even have a profile on the guy and Givony over at Draftexpress politely said the following,

"Ryan Reid was on his way to making a nice career in whatever field he got his degree in at Florida State. Instead he just got drafted. Wow"

and

"I think Ryan Reid may be the worst player to get drafted since the NBA went to two rounds. Never saw that coming in 5 billion years."

That may be pushing it a bit, but REALLY? We picked at 57th to get a guy who DEFINITELY wasn't going to be drafted? My main question is, why didn't we at least take a chance on Sherron Collins (as mentioned above to see him with Aldrich), Scottie Reynolds, Jon Scheyer, Stanley Robinson or a Brian Zoubek? At least these guys have proven they can play basketball at a high level. I am utterly bewildered and can't wait to be pleasantly shocked by Reid being actually useful. 

Secondly, was the Latavious Williams thing done as an "atta-boy" for his time spent in on our D-League team? He seemed ok, but 11pts/ 8 reb in the D-League isn't necessarily anything to write home about.  I had heard a lot of   chatter about Ryan Richards being a steal in the second round and really had hoped we might take a shot at him. ESPN’s Chad Ford had this to say about him at the combine "'he shot the ball well, was very fluid running up and down the court and showed a sound basketball IQ.' His measurements were just as impressive — he’s the third-tallest prospect at 6'-11¾" tall, 7'-2" wingspan and has a lithe frame that could comfortably carry another 20 pounds. Richards also turned 19 years old on April 24, making him the youngest player in the 2010 Draft. He’s aggressive and intense, something European players are not known for."  The word everyone has been using to describe Richards for San Antonio at 49 has been an "absolute steal." Time will tell.

I'm just struggling trying to like/make some sense of our teams decisions on draft night. I understand the principles our GM and his staff live by:

1.) Sustainability 2.)Flexibility 3.) Good citizens on and off the court  4.)Defensive Identity

All that to say, they did a great job working hard, burning up the phone lines, and turning 4 picks into 6 Players and a future pick. I just think with some tweaking, it could have gone from good to great. My adjusted picks would have been:

(11.)Aldrich (18.) James Anderson (31.)Tibor Pleiss (48.)Ryan Richards (57.)Sherron Collins 

Those picks would have given us 2 potential Centers, a stashed international prospect, another great perimeter shooter and another aggressive scoring option at point.  Granted, not all of these guys might make the cut, but we'd have a heck of a summer league team to look at and sort through.

Again, I suppose time will tell. My grade for Presti: B-  but I'll raise that to a B+ if Ryan Reid does just one good thing this summer.

via cache.daylife.com

I am glad to see Jeff Green finally making some headlines again. It seems in the last couple months his name hasn't been mentioned without being preceded by "...impressive young core of Durant, Westbrook, and..." The D.C. native has shown us flashes of real brilliance and yet, this season, it seems as if there has been something amiss. His stats are down from last year in almost every category (PPG, RPG, APG, FG%, 3P%). In fact, the only reason he's on the ballot for the All-Star game was his his impressive 08-09 campaign. But what happened? I'll get to that in a moment.

With all of the trade buzz humming as we approach the Feb 18 deadline, OKC seems to often come up amidst all the hubbub and the consensus seems clear: the Thunder need a big man. After watching these guys for two seasons now I would agree...in part. Yes there is a massive chasm in the paint where the Thunder is concerned and I honestly can't recall a game that they won the opening tip. However, there has been a surprise this season that I'm not sure Presti or Brooks would even say they saw coming, the emergence of Serge Ibaka. Sure, his raw potential was obvious and the entire management had high hopes, but this. In the nine games where he has been given 24 minutes or more he has logged averages of 9.2pts 8.7reb 1.4blk (25.6min). Compare these numbers to veteran starting centers like Dalembert, Camby, Haywood, Dampier, and B. Wallace and then remind yourself that Ibaka is a rookie.

All that said, I submit a couple key moves for the Thunder's sustained success:

1.) Trade or acquire a Power Forward. A legit "Power" Forward. This role is currently being filled by the aforementioned Jeff Green. He is playing out of position and is actually doing a decent job considering his skill set and background. I recommend a horse like David Lee. Whoever it is, they need to be a young player with a nice inside game who has good basketball IQ to play with this team. Enter David Lee (Bosh is too expensive and they don't need him). I think Presti should find a way to make this happen.

2.)Bring Jeff Green in off the Bench. Make no mistake, he's a gamer and a key to the Thunder's success but he would do much better and probably be more productive coming off the bench as the sixth man and Durant's relief. I think he would fit perfectly as the "Lamar Odom factor." He can bring energy, athleticism, and a mismatch off the bench when used in his true position at SF.

3.) Start Serge Ibaka at Center. Despite being slightly undersized at 6'10" his athleticism and 7'4" wingspan seems to make up for it. I've made the case for him above and at the halfway point in the season, I think it's time to give this kid a shot. He deserves it. Nenad will get over it.

Based on my formula going forward the line-up would ideally look something like this:

PG: Westbrook/ Maynor

SG: Sefolosha/ Harden

SF: Durant/ Green

PF: Lee/ Collison/ White

C: Ibaka/ Krstic

I think this crew, if healthy, would make a run at any team in the association in a 7 game series. And if nothing else, at least Stella will get his groove back... I mean Jeff.