Susan Bible of HoopsWorld on the Thunder’s draft strategy: “Presti may elect to trade or package the pick, but for purposes of this article we’ll assume a straight draft pick. Since Oklahoma City divulges little in the way of who it’s working out or eyeing, we’ll first establish apparent needs of the team. The Thunder lacks a reliable backup to Durant; a combo akin to what Jeff Green provided would be ideal. Some might say another valid need is a low-post scorer to complement Perkins. And others may point to a need for a shooting guard to fill a vacancy off the bench once Harden is moved, surely next season, to a starting role.”
How does Jimmer look at the next level? Dean Oliver of ESPN.com: “Superficially, Fredette’s scoring volume has inflated his value to the point where he may be a lottery pick. His ceiling is lower than others because of his age, and his ability to develop into a passer is in question. When evaluating the entire package, Fredette projects better to the NBA as a late first-round or early second-round pick, given his one specialty skill. That way, he can begin to carve out a career as a designated shooter, with a chance to improve his overall game.” Read more…
Kevin Durant and James Harden both made appearances at The Drew League yesterday in Los Angeles. Harden showed off in a big way, dropping 51 points, but it was KD who stole the show with this absolutely ridiculous off-the-backboard crush. Look at how high KD is and then the extension he has with his go-go-gadget arms. Goodness.
All this dunk’s missing is Brendan Haywood standing underneath it.
Good Saturday people. Thank you for your support of DT. Stay fresh.
A top 10 of just awesome Kevin Durant plays? That’s pretty much basketball porn for me. Nobody plays the game prettier than KD. So smooth, effortless and fluid. Even his nasty dunks have a bit of poetry in them. Most of these plays are just dunks but if I was choosing, I must just line up 10 of his prettiest jumpers from this season. Which of course would be tough, because there are about 400 to choose from.
Don’t forget to call your dad Sunday for Father’s Day. Your dad may be cool, but he’s not as cool as my dad. That’s no slight on your father, though. Just goes to show how awesome mine is. Happy Father’s Day, Dad.
Anyway, this seems like an appropriate time to explore the best “Who’s your daddy?!” moments from the 2010-11 Thunder season. Oklahoma City may be one of the youngest teams in the league, but that doesn’t stop Thunder players from occasionally physically dominating opponents to the point of embarrassment. And the run to the Western Conference Finals shows only Dallas has regional bragging rights over the Thunder. Everyone else is looking up to the Thunder, hoping to ascend to the same height next season — but also fearing, one might think, that OKC is set up for a potentially long run as the West’s daddy.
So let’s take a look at the top five moments from the season when a Thunder player made an opponent look like a helpless child. Read more…
The Painted Area looks at if Bismack Biyombo is the next Serge Ibaka: “Clearly, Biyombo is the best defensive big in this draft. Biyombo can immediately pay dividends on the defensive end in the NBA and projects to be a major defensive force in the future. Biyombo is simply a monster shot-blocker–led the ACB in blocks, even with his limited playing time. No doubt he will be a helpside terror like his compatriot Serge Ibaka.”
Dean Oliver of ESPN.com: “As a related note, it really is time to lay off of LeBron James for his performance in the Finals, and this is why: Russell Westbrook. Remember Westbrook? Against the Mavs in the Western Conference finals he got absolutely ripped by outsiders for taking too many bad shots against the Mavs’ defense and not getting the ball to Kevin Durant more. In the Finals, the Heat’s main creator off the dribble, James, got absolutely ripped by outsiders for doing exactly what people said Westbrook should have done — defer to their other great player.” Read more…
Chris Mannix of SI has OKC as his favorite next year: “Every core player can improve. Kevin Durant will be better at creating space against a physical defense and playing through contact. Russell Westbrook will continue to mature as a playmaker. Kendrick Perkins will come back 20 pounds lighter with healthy knees that make him a lot more mobile. James Harden’s Manu Ginobili-like game will put him in the hunt for an All-Star berth. With a full season as a power forward, Serge Ibaka will be a better one-on-one defender. This isn’t guesswork: Oklahoma City’s rise has been rapid, and having the league’s third-youngest roster coupled with the return of its top eight players means this conference finalist will get better.”
Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher who has the better dynasty shot, OKC or Miami: “Bucher: The very guy you doubt — Westbrook — is the biggest reason I like the Thunder going forward. He has taken an absolute beating from critics since he entered the league and simply keeps coming. Whether it was P.J. Carlesimo not playing him after he was the fourth pick in the draft or that 3-29 start in OKC or this recent playoff run where so many suggested (falsely) that he was sabotaging the Thunder with his aggressiveness, I’ve yet to see Westbrook show any signs of self-doubt or fragility. He looked at the league’s leading scorer and basically said, “I’m not going down waiting for you to get yourself open or take something more than a 28-foot off-balance 3.” Me, I like that attitude. The pro game isn’t about being liked or magnanimous; it’s about taking the opponent’s lunch, by any means necessary. Dynasties can’t be built on cornerstones faint of heart anymore than a skyscraper can remain sturdy with a milk crate in its foundation. I’ll take my chances with the guys who, so far, are bloodied but unbowed.” Read more…
As proud as the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise is about the 55-win season, Northwest Division title and appearance in the Western Conference Finals, its ranking in ESPN the Magazine’s “Ultimate Team” standings is probably right up there.
The Thunder placed sixth overall in the magazine’s annual rankings and second out of all NBA teams, only behind big brother San Antonio. The five organizations ahead of OKC are the Packers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Angels and the Spurs.
Last season the Thunder came in 25th overall and fifth out of NBA teams.
The criteria the magazine uses is “Bang For The Buck” which is wins over the past three years per revenues from fans, “Fan Relations” which is “openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management,” “Ownership,” “Affordability,” “Stadium Experience,” “Players” which includes the likability of the roster, “Coaching” and “Title Track” which is championships won or the expectation of one in the near future. Read more…
Daequan Cook’s agent — Mike Conley Sr. — says he’s already taken a bunch of calls from teams interested in Cook for next season, according to a report. Cook is slated to be a restricted free agent (assuming the Thunder extend a qualifying offer). But he says he wants to be in Oklahoma City. Via the Dayton Daily News:
“That’s where I want to be,” Cook said. “That’s where I fit in. My gut feeling right now is that’s where I’m going to end up. I had a great season there. I helped out a lot. (They like) my habits, becoming not just a better player on the court, but better off the court. It all starts there.”
Sam Presti, Scott Brooks and the Thunder were definitely fans of Cook in OKC. They loved the fact the despite starting the season slowly that he kept working and eventually cracked the rotation again and best of all, produced. That scores high marks with this organization.
It’s a numbers game for Cook. He made $2.1 million last season and depending on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, he’ll probably fall in line somewhere around there. He’s nothing more than a role player that will see 10-20 minutes a game, so he’s not going to demand a big contract. The Thunder really value a player like him that can stretch the floor and hit a 3 when called upon and Cook did that well this season.
OKC will have some sort of 3-point specialist on the roster — it’s just a matter of whether it’s Cook or not. The team signed D-Leaguer Robert Vaden at the end of the year likely to take a good long look at him as a potential replacement if things don’t work out with Cook.
I’m like Cook though — my gut feeling says he’s back next year too.
Henry Abbott of TrueHoop had an interesting post today talking about a player and what his offseason improvement should really be. Most have said this player needs a post game, but Henry makes a very good argument that really what would make this player the most lethal player — especially in the context of his team — is a consistent 3-pointer.
Who is he talking about? LeBron James, of course. But in reading it, naturally I felt like if this were an NBA Mad Libs post, you could easily have inserted Russell Westbrook in and it would’ve made the same exact, excellent point. Read more…
Michael Kimball of the Oklahoman says the Thunder could move into the new practice facility in August: “The Oklahoma City Thunder’s new practice facility may be about a year behind schedule, but it’s under budget and should be ready for the team to move in by August, city officials said Tuesday. The practice building, located north of Britton Road at the Broadway Extension, was originally slated for completion last August. But the interior should be ready for the team to move in by Aug. 15, and perhaps as soon as the middle of July, said Wayne Courville, Project Director for the city’s Public Works Department.”
ESPN.com 5-on-5 which includes an interesting take on building a team from Rob Mahoney: “The value of nontraditional team construction. Some stars are easy to build around, but Dirk Nowitzki is not one of them. It took Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson some time to figure out what worked, what was needed and what was possible with Nowitzki at the core of this team, and once those things were established, they acquired the pieces they needed, convention be damned. The Mavs’ talent on paper isn’t overwhelming, but the pieces click perfectly in this system with this context, and for the purposes of building a champion, that’s all that really matters.” Read more…
Thunder fans go to bed at night dreaming of one day being like the Spurs. But in light of recent events, I think most of us would be OK with being like the Mavericks.
Is it even physically possible to wipe the grins of the faces of Mavs fans right now? When was the last time you saw an NBA fan base revel in a title like Dallas is in this one?
The ceiling for the Thunder, and the highest hope of most fans, continues to be a Spurs-like decade with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest in uniform. The comparison is an easy one to make. The Spurs are in a smallish market, have an all-timer as the roster’s centerpiece, added a couple of stars around him and rotate in (and out) supporting cast members. San Antonio contends pretty much every season and brings home a title every few seasons (although none in the last four). Read more…
I’m sure he’s been working on his game some, but by the looks of it, Eric Maynor has spent about 92 percent of his time at the tattoo parlor. He tweeted this picture today:
Here’s what Maynor looked like during the season: Read more…
NBA.com with five challengers for the Mavs: “Forget about the criticism that he takes too many shots and isn’t a good fit with Kevin Durant. The fact is Russell Westbrook isn’t going anywhere. The pair of 22-year-olds first shocked everyone by reaching the Western Conference finals ahead of schedule and then was flogged by some for not being ready for prime time. The experience of being in the spotlight and taking hits will ultimately be beneficial as Durant learns to be more assertive and Westbrook learns to pick his spots. There is no question that the Thunder need a third scorer in the starting lineup. That could be Serge Ibaka, but more likely it’s James Harden. He can get to the basket, hit the outside shot and is learning to become a better defender. Maybe just as important, he can also play minutes at the point guard position, allowing Westbrook to slide into the “2″ spot at times and fill that need to be a scorer. When Harden makes the inevitable move into the starting lineup, OKC will need to find a scorer off the bench. But it’s only a matter of time before they rule the West.”
Darnell Mayberry says his his gut say Nate Robinson won’t be back: “I think he has value now as an expiring contract next year. And teams know he can be a big-time spark offensively off the bench. But he also has a reputation of being a knucklehead, and some teams are turned off by that and may consider him unworthy of the risk. At this point, I’m not sure the Thunder can get much for him. But I learned a long time ago never to underestimate Sam Presti and the Thunder when it comes to trades. My gut says [we won't return to OKC].” Read more…
This is subject to change because of offseason movement and whatnot, but according to the Vegas oddsmakers, the Thunder have the fourth-best chance at taking home the 2011-12 championship.
Oklahoma City is behind the Heat (5/2), the Lakers (11/2) and the Bulls (6/1) and the Thunder are installed with 8/1 odds.
Sounds about right to me. The Thunder were in the Western Conference Finals and with the age of the roster, they should only be better next year. They’re behind the Lakers though because well, it’s the Lakers and that’s just life.
This year’s champs, the Mavericks if you didn’t know, are right behind the Thunder at 10/1. And if you like playing longshots, the Raptors are last with 150/1 odds. Funny to think though how three years ago, the Thunder were right in that same territory too.
Pretty happy for the Mavs. Dirk earned that championship and that organization is extremely well run. Plus, it always feels a little bit better to know the team you lost to eventually ended up being the best one. That’s two years straight the team that eliminated the Thunder won the title. I guess OKC is sort of the Buck Showalter of the NBA.
David Thorpe of ESPN.com on the West next season: “I have no idea what Dallas will look like. Here’s what’s intriguing: They were by far the West’s best in the playoffs, and they have plenty of young talent in the pipeline. Corey Brewer has a bright future. Dominique Jones is a great scorer, almost in the Jason Terry mold with tremendous confidence, almost cockiness. J.J. Barea’s best basketball is ahead of him, if they can sign him. Rodrique Beaubois has a ton of potential. And on top of all that, the Mavericks have the draft rights to Nick Calathes, who has blossomed into a very strong player in Europe. I’d say Oklahoma City and Dallas enter the season as the favorites.” Read more…
Susan Bible of HoopsWorld on the Thunder’s draft strategy: “Presti may elect to trade or package the pick, but for purposes of this article we’ll assume a straight draft pick. Since Oklahoma City divulges little in the way of who it’s working out or eyeing, we’ll first establish apparent needs of the team. The Thunder lacks a reliable backup to Durant; a combo akin to what Jeff Green provided would be ideal. Some might say another valid need is a low-post scorer to complement Perkins. And others may point to a need for a shooting guard to fill a vacancy off the bench once Harden is moved, surely next season, to a starting role.”
