We all heard it. Read it. Saw it. Some even said it. For the Thunder, pretty much all of the 2011 postseason was focused on Russell Westbrook and what he should and shouldn’t be doing.
For most Thunder fans, we were all saying, “What’s the big deal? That’s just Russell Westbrook.” But it didn’t matter. When people saw box scores showing 30 attempts by Westbrook’s name and the fact he took six more shots than Durant, there wasn’t a person in the world that could calm down the harrumphing going about.
Cole Aldrich was the only Thunder player to show up at the facility yesterday. John Rohde of NewsOK tries to locate everyone: “Nick Collison: Getting a haircut. Whereabouts unknown. Nazr Mohammed: Worked out at Legacy Fit in Miami. Eric Maynor: “In a great mood” after a workout. Plans to return to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Daequan Cook: Revealed he has not shaved in at least one month. #NoShaveNovember.” Read more…
UPDATE: It’s official, the Thunder will take on Orlando in Oklahoma Christmas Day at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
The official NBA revised schedule won’t be released until next week probably, but the opening day slate of games on Christmas are becoming a bit more firm. We already know about the Celtics and Knicks, Heat and Mavericks, and Bulls and Lakers. There’s a report saying the last game of the day would be the Clippers at the Warriors.
Unconfirmed and I’ve heard the league will make an announcement regarding Christmas games as early as tomorrow, but there you go. Don’t make plans just yet, because sometimes, things change. No idea whether it would be the 4 p.m. CT game or 7 p.m. game. But I would say the chances of OKC playing on Christmas are very high.
If you missed it last night, KD took on LeBron in a flag football game in which Team LeBron won 70-63. Durant finished the game with a handful of receptions, which included a TD, but also had this 108-yard pick six, complete with a little salsa dance on the end of it.
It was a kind of fun game to watch, and no one was injured, which is great. And watch KD’s long legs cover five yards with each step as he galloped 108 yards was pretty fun.
LeBron’s team topped KD’s in flag football 70-63 in last night’s game. KD’s team came back from a 21-point deficit to tie it at 63-63, which was sparked by a 108-yard interception for a TD by Durant, but it wasn’t enough. Big winner though: Everybody’s ACLs — no injuries. Phew. (If you want to watch the whole thing, it’s right here.)
John Hollinger and Chad Ford break down the long-term impact of the new CBA for OKC: “It just got a lot harder to keep Serge Ibaka two years from now, since the price on the max deals for Durant and Westbrook just went up and I’m guessing Harden will be the first priority from the 2009 class. While revenue sharing will help a bit, it’s hard to imagine this small-market franchise retaining four players with $10 million-plus contracts and a fifth (Kendrick Perkins) not too far away.” Read more…
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