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Thunder a major theme in 2010 NBA GM survey

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The annual NBA executive survey is out today on NBA.com and guess who’s winning your 2010-11 MVP? Yep, that Kevin Durant guy. Twenty-eight general managers voted and handed KD 67 percent of the vote. Kobe Bryant was next with 26 percent and LeBron James and Dwight Howard both got a single vote.

The KD over LeBron trend continues.

While everyone will kind of focus on that, the Thunder was mentioned a lot in the survey. A few notes on it:

  • Not a single GM thought Durant was the best small forward in the league last season, but now 29 percent of them do. And he even received votes as the league’s best shooting guard and best power forward.
  • Durant also picked up votes in five other categories where he received none last year: The player who forces coaches to make the most adjustments (11 percent), the best pure shooter (14 percent), the best at getting his own shot (one vote), the toughest (one vote) and the guy you’d want taking the shot with the game on the line (seven percent).
  • The Thunder was voted the most fun team to watch in the league (52 percent).
  • OKC was picked the Northwest Division with 63 percent. Portland was No. 2 with 22 percent.
  • The Thunder was picked as having the third-best homecourt advantage. The Jazz, then Lakers were in front of OKC.
  • Russell Westbrook was tied for third in the “most athletic” category. LeBron and Josh Smith were in front and Dwight Howard was tied with Russ.
  • KD was picked as the third best shooter.
  • Westbrook was second fastest with the ball behind Chris Paul and Derrick Rose who tied.
  • KD tied for second with Carmelo Anthony in “Who do you want taking the last shot?” behind Kobe.
  • Serge Ibaka was tied for third in “International player most likely to break out.”
  • I found it somewhat odd that OKC didn’t even get a vote in the best defensive team category. Thabo did pick up a vote in best perimeter defender though.
  • Though KD was picked for MVP by a wide margin over LeBron, King James was still voted the best small forward by a wide margin.
  • KD was tops in the “Start a franchise with a player” category grabbing 55 percent of the vote.
  • KD was voted fourth in forcing coaches to make adjustments behind LeBron, Kobe and Dwight Howard.
  • Westbrook tied Blake Griffin for the top spot in “Most likely to break out.”
  • Scott Brooks was voted sixth in best at making in-game adjustments.
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@Cpt. C-note
Millsap can't replace Collison, he's too small. He's probably too small to even play long stretches at the 4, whereas we predominately play collison as a 5.

And either way I think if we can get Collison for a reasonable amount we take it. I think he's undervalued, he's a beast and does all of the little things right. He needs to teach all those little things to Cole and Ibaka. And though its impossible to know for sure, I have a feeling he'll be getting less on his next contract than he is earning now.

@f5alcon
Seriously? Now I have to buy it.

@Greg
Look out Miami and Boston!

Toronto up on Phoenix 63-39 in 3rd.

Harden with a game high +10, Aldrich was second with +8. Westbrook -1, Mullens -7, Ivey -9.

http://www.nba.com/games/20101006/OKCCHA/gameinfo....

This shows that Green went 5-7 from 3-point land?! Wow! If that is any indication of what Green can do this year, that'd be aweseome!

On nba 2k11 the announcers talk about when the people from here showed up to the airport when we clinched the playoffs

Westbrook 9 points, 6 assists, 6 turnovers on 2-8 shooting.

Ah that seems more like it. Still, some of those stats are pretty encouraging.

I really hope to see the guys live soon. Given the seriously low minutes by everyone, the box score is hard to use properly. It looks like KD can still score, so that's good. Harden's line was impressive, but I don't know how he defended or what the game looked like for those numbers. Cole's line looks like a rookie seeing his first action, but 4 rebounds in 9 minutes still looks good. Even if he does nothing but gobble up boards, there will be a place for him in the rotation.

what the heck is up with the boxscores?

Agreed. Good win by the Thunder. Bobcats are not slouches. Playoff team. Go OKC!

God forgives.

Stone Cole Aldrich don't.

@Daniel
Justin is right.
Fools gold, I'm afraid.
We'll find out more about this team w/ the eye-test.
Apologizes to Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller. :)

Team looked good. Bobcats are a playoff team. They are a great defensive team. They had already played one game this year. And our roster was gimped. Doesn't mean anything since it's pre-season, but no one should be complaining about anything due to this one game.

@Daniel

Those are not correct.

and Harden has SEVEN steals?!?! This man needs to be STARTING!

In tribute to the Boz :

Stone Cole

I'm a little late to the party here, but I just checked out the box score and WHAT???

Jeff Green has 8 3-pointers and 36 points!

Harden took 18 FT attempts and made 17!!

Aldrich has 11 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls and 3 blks!!!

Wow, I'm pretty damn pleased with those numbers.

LOL. The play by play for this fourth quarter is hilarious.

@f5alcon
I think they do but they want your $$$.

at least soon we can see live, though i have to work cant go to the games, maybe we will broadcast the games, why doesnt nbatv do it

The TO's / missed FTA / Charlotte scoring a lot temper his rebounding for me a little. I wouldn't really know for sure what to make of it without watching the actual game, though.

It seems like he's held his own which is good.

justin :

Ozark :Feelin good about Cole…

He was OK. I wouldn’t say this was a huge success or a huge disappointment.

mmmmkay. Wonder what his rebounds per will work out to tonight? Not that we need that, anyhow.

@justin
Remember, he didn't play Summer League. This is his first NBA action.

justin :

Ozark :Feelin good about Cole…

He was OK. I wouldn’t say this was a huge success or a huge disappointment.

hard to tell either way with no tv.

@justin
Game 1 w/ OKC... I'd say thumbs up!

Ozark :Feelin good about Cole…

He's making a dent tonight. Good sign.

Ozark :Feelin good about Cole…

He was OK. I wouldn't say this was a huge success or a huge disappointment.

Milsap really wants to be on this team.

Brooks isn't going for the win with this lineup out there.

Milsap = Collison replacement?

Maynor with the still. Must have fam in the stands.

@justin
Tired legs or too much good home cookin' at Mama Maynor's house...or both...

Am I counting right does Harden have 5 steals?

13/3/4/5 line for him by my count.

Westbrook really struggled in that quarter.

@dream catcher
I hope Jeff Green is our Scottie Pippen ;)

@f5alcon
I heard dat. Zone-DOG-Fire that fool!

I hope Jeff Green is our Robert Horry

@justin
EXACTLY!! I hope this is his jump.

@Cpt. C-note
on friday he needs to sack lebron

All these threes Green is taking worries me though, I hope for his sake he's closer to that 40% this season...