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Kendrick Perkins chatted on ESPN.com today and while most of the questions he got hit with were pretty watered down — I can’t believe they didn’t let through a bar fight question! — he talked some about the Thunder’s chances of winning big, whether he’s going overseas or not and how he’s feeling.

The most notable answer and the reason for the headline: Perk on the Thunder winning it all:

I think we’re really close to winning the championship. We just lacked a little experience this year. We’re very close. We just have to stay home and keep on with the hard work. The sky is the limit. We have a big scorer in Kevin Durant. We have an all-star in Russell. As long as guys keep working and staying together, we’ll be good.

ESPN Rank had Perk check in at No. 95. So Perk was asked to rank himself:

I rank myself a little higher than that. I have to be satisfied with that, knowing that I came off of injuries to get there. But I would rank myself a little higher.

BIG NEWS: Perk will be playing without his leg armor next season:

I’ve been working hard this summer. They feel great. I’m definitely going to try to get back to my early stages before getting hurt. I’ll be playing without my braces. I’m excited to get back out on the court.

Perk left the door open to potentially play overseas, but it doesn’t sound very likely. Basically, he just said he’s thought about it and will decide if that time comes. In other words: Nah.

I assume Perk was asked about chemistry because of the reported Russell Westbrook clash. Here’s his answer:

It’s something you have to work on. I think we still have a little ways to go. We have to continue to stay focused. It’s definitely hard with a young team. But once you buy into the system and lose yourself within the team, that’s when the chemistry becomes strong.

And clearly the most pressing issue: How do you choose your facial hair?

It’s kinda just how I feel at the moment. Sometimes I go with the beard, sometimes I don’t. I let my chin hair grow out. It’s just in the moment how I feel. If I feel like I had a bad game, and I blame my facial hair, I cut it off.

Commentary, Interview