Friday Bolts – 11.6.09
Shaun Livingston could see time tonight: ”Point guard Shaun Livingston could soon make his season debut, 
Brooks said Thursday. “I like what he’s done the last two practices,” Brooks said. “I can’t predict the future, but I’m confident if I put him in he’s going to be ready. I believe in what he brings to our team. But he has to be ready to play when his number is called and it definitely will happen.”
The Tulsa 66ers took Latavious Williams with their first round pick, making him the first high schooler ever to enter the D-League instead of going overseas or to college. Also, Tulsa took Mustafa Shakur, a former point guard from Arizona. For a full rundown, click here. (Cowboys JamesOn Curry and Marcus Dove were also picked, as well as former Sooners Lawrence Mckenzie and Deangelo Alexander.)
The Thunder set some TV records: “Fox Sports Oklahoma’s Lakers-Thunder telecast on Tuesday earned a 3.9 rating, the network’s best Thunder rating and three times last season’s average. Last season’s high was a 2.8 for a Celtics game on Nov. 5. KSBI-52’s record is a 4.3 for last season’s opener against Milwaukee.”
The Thunder’s Holiday Assist program starts Saturday: “The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today it will begin its second annual Holiday Assist community initiative this Saturday, Nov. 7 when players and Thunder staff will be giving out 400 ready-to-cook Thanksgiving dinners at the Salvation Army Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Command. The two-month long Holiday Assist is again being presented by Cox. This year’s program spans from this Saturday through the Thunder’s New Year’s Eve game in the Ford Center on Dec. 31, and will include a variety of community outreach events involving Thunder players, coaches and staff, as well as the Thunder Girls and Rumble the Bison. During this season, the Thunder will provide Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of Oklahomans, collect food and toys at home games, take families on a holiday shopping spree and make the holidays brighter for area families. More than 3,000 people were impacted during last year’s Holiday Assist.”
Not Thunder related but somewhat state and area related: ”Dallas police say they expect the number of prostitutes in the region to sharply rise for this February’s NBA All-Star game and again for the 2011 Super Bowl XLV, both of which will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. At the National Prostitute Diversion Conference today, Sgt. Louis Felini said between 50,000 and 100,000 prostitutes could be in the metroplex for the Super Bowl. Felini noted that there is no way to truly predict the number of women who will come to the area for the purpose of prostitution.”
James Harden: “I love all of my bros..I’m happy I got drafted here!!”
For any of you concerned DT readers out there wondering where your weekly podcast is, know that last week the guest I had lined up had to re-schedule and this week, well, I haven’t had a chance. Maybe one tomorrow, maybe Saturday. I’ll get it lined out and more consistent, I promise.
Great stuff here from Darnell Mayberry on KD: ”It wasn’t until Thursday morning that Durant recuperated from the repulsive feeling of what he later realized was the toughest loss of his young career. “I had the game in my hands twice — and I didn’t come through,” said a more talkative Durant on Thursday, after also being tightlipped to reporters following the game. “But people told me that great players have a short memory. So that’s what I have to learn how to do.”
It will be hard to give him time tonight – Brooks is way to fast for him, and Lowry isnt slow by any stretch . . . there is no room at the two , and we don’t need a backup three on this team . . .
the previous post refers to Livingston . . .
Just record yourself chanting “Thunder Up!” over and over while playing the keyboard. I’d listen.
We know where the Video Vigilante will be during All-Star Weekend.
@kev
I guess if he deserves his minutes, then it’s time to let him play. If Brooks and Lowry burn him, back to the bench.
My guess is that Brooks does that lineup deal where he plays 3 combo guards at once, with Livingston being one of those.
You know who has experience guarding and slowing down Aaron Brooks? Kyle Weaver.
Seriously though, is there any reason for Weaver not to be playing in the D league in a couple weeks? If Livingston AND Ollie are ahead of him in the rotation it might be better to get him playing time at Tulsa. Anyone have any word on whether he’ll see game time soon?
In that Durant article, it talks about how much more tired he is at the end of games because he is playing tough defense. Maybe he shouldn’t be playing 45 minutes a game….. What is the problem of putting White in there in to rest Green, then Green can come back later and sub for Durant? White hasn’t seen the floor yet even though he showed flashed last year of being decent. With Green shooting so well from behind the arc, Brooks should find a way to get him more time at the 3, so when the bench players come on, its either green or durant playing the 3, but letting White take some of the 4 minutes at times when the other starters are in. Hopefully Brooks doesn’t keep running the starters so much, they will all be tired out by the all-star break.
@Dan
That’s a very good point.
I would think Weaver would get some run in Tulsa, and I don’t see think we’ll see him much in OKC this year. I don’t think he’s even been on the active 12-man roster yet. Between Thabo and Harden, there’s just no room at the 2, and it looks like Brooks and/or Presti didn’t see enough from him to give him minutes at the 1.
As far as Livingston, Brooks is quoted in that article as saying he has to “pick and choose” between Ollie and Livingston. So I would assume he’s going to be playing one or the other based on matchups, feel, hot hand, etc. I think he should/will be doing the same thing at the 5, with Krstic getting more minutes tonight (against a Rockets team that really has no true center) and Thomas getting more run against teams with a more traditional post-oriented center.
I’m just glad that we are finally hearing something about Livingston…
Also, Russell got a Not Top 10 play for a missed dunk vs Detroit. Sad day…
I would hope that he doesn’t, and I would think Brooks is aware that playing KD 42 minutes a game is not going to work for a 100+ game season (remember, we’re going to the Finals this year). I think part of the problem is that our bench has had so little scoring punch that Brooks has left KD out to give us some sort of scoring option with that backup five. As Harden matures, and perhaps Livingston takes over for Ollie, then maybe Brooks will have the confidence in the bench to give them solid minutes on their own. It seems that right now he doesn’t have that confidence.
OTOH, Durant averaged 39 minutes a game last year, so maybe Brooks thinks he can handle it. I do agree that I would like to see it closer to 36-37, both for Durant and b/c it means that the rest of the roster is growing as well.
The difference comes from playing hard defense, in the Lakers games, Durant admitted he was fatigued. I have no problem playing greend and durant with the backup to keep up the scoring pace, I just think that durant and green don’t have to play so much together, using White was just an idea, but Brooks needs to be a little more creative when it comes to using durant and green, so they are ready for the 4th quarter push. The Portland and LA games, were easily within grasp, but our starters seemed a little gassed, they couldn’t elevate their game. Maybe this is specific to defensive games, Houston is another great defensive team so we’ll see.
re: Mayberry’s piece
We knew it all along, but I am glad Durant admitted that he didn’t go all out on defense his first two years on the league. Still, you have to worry about his conditioning – again, his minutes need to be reduced if he doesn’t have the legs to hit a shot at the end of the game!!!!
Another thing – Thabo is long enough to play a lot of 3s – that’s even more (possiblle) time for Durant to sit . . .
So a player has to go to college or overseas for a year before being drafted to the NBA, but a player can be drafted straight to the D-League out of High School?… What?
@kev
I would like to see a lineup of Ollie-Harden-Thabo-Green-Krstic at times. I think that would work against Houston. Some good firepower, and Krstic is big enough to handle Chuck Hayes.
KD’s defense has been much improved, but by far his biggest asset is his scoring ability. We don’t want his newfound intensity on D to detract from his effectiveness at the end of games.
I would absolutely love to see more White and Weaver.
I realize why Kevin Ollie plays. He’s played 62 minutes so far this year, and only has 2 turnovers. Compare that to Russell’s 135 minutes and 22 turnovers, and you can easily see what the staff is wanting Russell to learn.
I also realize that Shaun is, by nature, a pure point guard. His health has slowed him to a place where he can’t produce like he once could. That has lead me to assume that he is not playing because he can’t hold his own on defense. That’s just my assumption, there is no official word one way or the other. But that’s what bugs the heck out of me about Weaver. Kyle Weaver is the second best defender on the roster, and he can play some backup point guard. I’ve seen him do it last year, and he wasn’t half bad either.
Maybe my assumption about Shaun is wrong, and he can’t see the floor for other reasons. But if I’m right, and we still have Shaun ahead of Weaver, that just bugs me. The only thing I can think of is that Kyle must be caught in limbo between PG and SG, where he doesn’t know the offense well enough to run as a PG, and has too much talent ahead of him at SG to see time on the floor. I don’t know.
I do know that I miss his game and would like to see him play.
good post . . .
Durant’s defense is better – but he still has a ways to go . . . I like that lineup as well . . . hopefully Brooks gives us some different options on the court . . .
@AD
He will have to play a year in the D-Leauge then he can declare for the NBA draft.
My question is what if he doesn’t declare. Can we call him up from the 66ers?
excellent post, especially the TO comparison between Ollie and Westbrook . . .
I also miss Weaver on the floor . . .
Brooks needs to sit the starters more when we are up by double digits, in our wins they played when we were up big on kings and pistons. harden is starting to score better, and white and livingston are good scorers as well. when we are up no reason to stick with the standard rotation, less risk of important players getting hurt.
I have a feeling that we are about to see a lot more 3 guard sets with with Thabo and Livingston getting a little time at the 3 spot.
I don’t that that it’s a coincidence that Brooks is ready to Livingston some playing time after he wore out is star player against the Lakers. It will be interesting to see if Livingston comes in at the point or at SG/SF like he did during the preseason.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
That is my assumption as well about Weaver, who is one of my favorites because of his energy…
It could also be the fact that he is a little turnover prone when initiating the offense. He’s a slick passer though and is solid on D at both G positions.
@KingGondo
That lineup would be nice, I’d like to see who Harden and Thabo play together.
Would be nice to see Weaver/Harden/Thabo work as a set as well.
Man… I need more coffee. Can’t write worth a damn today
Off topic, but one guy I really feel sorry for is Kevin Martin. He’s a darn good shooter, but he’s having to carry the entire Kings team almost by himself, and he has been getting injured because of it. He reminds me a lot of Michael Redd. Lower draft pick, good character guy, but is stuck on a bad team with no chance of winning. Martin is much better suited to be the second best player on a team. Somebody should try to pull a Pau Gasol type trade and get him out of Sacto and on to a winning team where he won’t have to carry the whole load.
Can somebody explain the TV rating #s for me?
Either way, it’s neat to see that more people are watching already.
Going to the Thunder/Magic game sunday. 1st game of the season for me, taking my girlfriend. Any suggestions on parking? Pre-game and post-game fun?
I like what I’ve seen overall from the Thunder this season:
JG looks awesome.
KD & RW will be more consistent as the season progresses.
Etan is a badass.
Need some Iblaka.
Would like to see DJ White get some minutes.
THABO! THABO! THABO!
@Rhett
I prefer to park at Harkins/Toby Keith’s because I’m obsessed with free parking. Pretty much everywhere else, you’ll have to pay. It’s a little bit of a walk, but Toby Keith’s is a good place to eat dinner before and have a drink afterwards.
each rating point corresponds to a percent. So a 3.9 means that almost four percent of the nation watched that game . . .
@Rhett
The lot south of 1-40 from the Harvey exit heading east (we live in Yukon) is the absolute easiest to get out of after the game! We have season tickets with parking included, and I still made the argument the other night that it cost me the same $10 in babysitting to park in the free parking that it took 30 minutes to find an on ramp from going west and get home from. If you are not in a hurry to get home and pay the babysitter you have MANY good options.
Cheapskates like Royce might also try the lot west of that little mexican restaraunt on Sheridan it is a closer walk than Toby Keith’s and they make great margarita’s!!
Thanks Royce & girlballer!
I know Ollie only has 2 turnovers on the year but who is bringing the ball up the court when he is out there…. let me give you a hint it usually isn’t him. Of course he never turns it over the only time he touches the ball is to dribble 14 seconds of the shot clock, under no pressure most of the time, before starting the offense.
I would LOVE to see a Weaver/Harden/Thabo combo myself.
I can see why Harden likes this team. They are building chemistry.
http://www.twitvid.com/6DD97
While I do like what undercoverbrother (Weaver) brings to the table, I do not see how we give him minutes ahead of Thabo/Harden at the two, or Westbrook/Ollie/Livingston at the pg spot. I get that Ollie is a nice security blanket who won’t hurt us with his minutes, and entirely forgive coach for opting for his miniscule down-side in favor of Livingston’s much greater potential up-side, but I can’t imagine puting Weaver ahead of Shaun as well in a PG rotation. Show us some of what Livingston can do- and a little White- and a little Ibaka. I don’t mind snaking a few minutes away from Collison or the two headed beast that is Thomic. Green and KD could absolutely use some relief from they heavy minutes they have been getting. I just don’t see where there is any PT available for UCB.
I think against Houston, I try some small ball with J.Green at Center and Durant, Thabo, Harden and RW.