ESPN’s smart guy, John Hollinger, released his 2009-10 player ratings for the season today. He had something to say about every Thunder player, but his comments on Kevin Durant are what most folks are talking about. He said (Insider):
Durant projects to lead the league in points per 40 minutes and to log one of the league’s largest PER increases, a sentiment that most observers would echo based on how he performed in the second half of the season.
The fact he will score is unquestioned; it’s his development in the other phases of the game that will define how high his star ascends. Durant exhilarated observers with his scoring ability last season, but his inability to pass or defend didn’t translate into superstar production. If Oklahoma City is going to turn the corner, it has to start with its marquee player becoming more well-rounded.
Wow. Projects to lead the league in scoring per 40 minutes. Last year, KD averaged 25.6 per 40 minutes (which is basically his average). This year he’s got him at 30.6 points per 40. He’s got his numbers at 49.2 percent from the field, 87.5 from the line and true shooting at 59.2. Rebounds per 40 basically the same, assists about the same (2.8 to 3.1), his usage up to 29.1 and his PER going from 20.85 to 23.50. And as we’ve all said all year long, the second KD rounds out his game (he’s just 21!!!), the second he jumps out of this world. Read more…
Alert: Two days until the Thunder plays competitively against another team. Two-a-days wrapped Saturday with a scrimmage and now the team starts prepping for games. It feels good to almost have the NBA back. Real good.
Susan Bible of HoopsWorld with a training camp report: “Yesterday HOOPSWORLD stopped at Thunder Training Camp in Edmond, OK. The place was absolutely buzzing with trainers working with groups of players on a variety of drills up and down the court. Kevin Durant and Byron Mullens were spotted in a hot competition at the free-throw line – the first one to reach a score of 21 won. Durant won….and we didn’t see him miss a single shot.”
A story about T. Boone Pickens with some Thunderers making a cameo: “Right before halftime, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden pay a visit to Pickens’ suite. The Thunder stars shake hands with Pickens and his wife, who asks where each player went to college. When it’s Durant’s turn, Pickens jumps in. “You went to Texas A&M,” he deadpans. “No, I went to Texas.” “I know where you went.” Read more…
(Hello and good day my friends and family. Thank you for your support of Daily Thunder. Go out and seize the day or some crap like that.)
With a week of training camp in the books, one thing we’ve all hoped for this offseason (and in camp) is for Russell Westbrook to evolve into more of a floor-leading general of a point guard. Become a guy that controls the game. Own the ball. Take leadership in your position. And honestly, I’m not sure how many people out there are better to learn all that from than Mo Cheeks. If he can teach it as well as he did it, then Westbrook will take quite a leap this year. Observe the fantasticness that was Maurice Cheeks: Point Guard. Maybe that was Step 1 for Russ – pop in some game film of coach, grab a notepad and let the learning begin.
Throughout the week some of you drop some brilliant or at least somewhat thoughtful comments and so this is a try at highlighting some of them. Disclaimer: It’s not that I necessarily agree with all of them, but they were interesting and for the most part, well put. Consider everything [sic’d].
I’m so excited, I’m so excited… I’m so realistic. (Jax Raging Bile Duct): The unbridled optimism is rampant every year. I shake my head at the odd ball lineup Memphis will trot out next year, but you know the Memphis fans and the Memphis press who make money selling their opinions to Memphis fans are as optimistic as they can get.
NBA outsiders wouldn’t be surprised to see us win 40 to 50 games. Please. There’s just no way we win 50 games. I have tickets to 41 home games, own two jerseys and 100 thunder t-shirts, check this site daily and even watch u-stream reruns of thunder players reading chat messages in Hong Kong. I’m a huge fan. But I also know that if Lady Luck came down from Nirvana riding on Puff the Magic Dragon and sprinkled us with Tinkerbell dust, so that no one ever gets hurt and we win all our games decided by 3 points or less, we win 40 games. That’s the absolute tippy-top win total we could impossibly expect this season (thank you Lady Luck). But 50 games… 50 games is just silly. Read more…
Of course. It was all the media’s fault: ”While playing in Poland for their respective national teams this summer, Krstic and Gortat began what Krstic described as a friendly conversation in the presence of journalists. Gortat, Krstic said, mentioned that he could see himself playing with the Thunder. “He just said he wants to be here because he thinks he can fit here,” Krstic said. “He actually said he can fit with my game because he can play inside and I can shoot outside. We just talked and they put in the papers that he wants to be here and he’s coming here. It was a mistake.”
HoopsWorld recaps Scott Brooks’s comments from media day: “And not only is Brooks feeling settled in, he seems happy. “I like the city where I’m living. My family likes it. I’m very comfortable with being in Oklahoma City. I’m thrilled,” he said. “We have state-of-the-art facilities, and they are only going to get better. So it just gives all of us a chance to just focus on playing basketball, coaching basketball, so I’m very excited and comfortable to be in this situation.”
Kevin Durant, being awesome: ”Pro basketball star Kevin Durant, who grew up in Prince George’s County and developed his skills at the Seat Pleasant Activity Center, is giving back to the community. Durant, who turned 21 this week and plays for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, donated $25,000 to the center that he started attending 11 years ago and where he participated in the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Xtreme Teens programs.” Read more…
I’m a little late to the party reporting this, but I was watching NBA Real Training Camp which is profiling the Lakers today. Rick Kamla and James Worthy are there talking while the action is going on in the background. I was sort of nominally watching while also reading some story on the internet, and then I saw an old familiar sight: Gelly’s big, long pony tail.
Mickael Gelabale was a second round pick for the Sonics in 2005 but stayed in Europe for another year. He came to the team in ’06-07, which was the last year of the Ray Allen/Rashard Lewis Sonic teams. He got some burn with the team and quickly became a fan favorite. He really got after it defensively which the fans truly loved (especially since the Sonic team from the year before was one of the worst defensive teams of the decade). Gelly is a wing in the mold of Kyle Weaver and so was always looking to get minutes at the same positions as Ray, Rashard and Damien Wilkins.
Gelly came back in ’07-’08 ready to build on his rookie season, but then found himself behind some guy named Durant (and Wally Szczerbiak by the way). Gelly blew out his ACL after sparse minutes in 39 games and he was allowed to ride off into the sunset.
It probably doesn’t matter that much to most of the newer Thunder fans but Gelly was one of those guys who was sort of bridge between the old Sonics and the new Thunder. He played with Ray Allen and Rashard, but also with Durant and Green. He played for Bob Hill, but also for P.J. Carlesimo. He was drafted by Rick Sund but sent to the D-League by Sam Presti.
That’s exactly what’s running through my mind about this upcoming season. On one hand, I’m stoked like a giant bonfire about this year. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green’s third year. Russell Westbrook’s second. James Harden, Serge Ibaka and the new guys. Scott Brooks’ first full season. The hype, the improvement, the expectations.
But those last three things are exactly what also terrify me. The hype. The (assumed) improvement. The expectations.
At media day, there was a running question that bounced from player to player: Are the playoffs a possibility? I was actually kind of shocked people were even asking about it. (I’m about to go exactly where you’d expect.) Playoffs? Don’t talk about playoffs. You kiddin’ me? Playoffs? Did everyone forget about last year? Did we forget this team started 3-29 and while it’s been turned over more than Courtney Love, it’s still basically the same core? It’s still a group of under 24 year olds that are very, very talented, yet pretty unproven. Read more…
I’m going to start firing up a few weekly features for the season in the very near future including podcasts, weekly chats and a few other running things. And also, we’ve got kind of a unique opportunity to extend our coverage a bit more to Tulsa and the 66ers this season. So get happy.
James Harden left the first practice yesterday with a turned ankle, but Scott Brooks said he’s fine. Nenad Krstic was held out just to let him rest. And Nick Collison didn’t practice again due to a sprained ankle. (USA Today/AP)
SLAM previews the Thunder: ”Before I unleash a hailstorm of praise on Sam Presti that’s going to tap dance around the “Man Crush” zone, let me get this out of the way. Clearly I’d be humming a different melody if Portland had gone the other direction with the No. 1 overall pick in 2007. Though Presti’s model might still be effective with old man Oden in place of Kevin Durant, we’d be forced to monitor Oden’s development and birth certificate this season, while Kevin Durant has already arrived in the League’s elite tier.” Read more…
I’m a little late to the party reporting this, but I was watching NBA Real Training Camp which is profiling the Lakers today. Rick Kamla and James Worthy are there talking while the action is going on in the background. I was sort of nominally watching while also reading some story on the internet, and then I saw an old familiar sight: Gelly’s big, long pony tail.
