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For a day, the conversation around Kendrick Perkins has switched from his productivity for the Thunder to when he and Timofey Mosgov are having their first “Blake Dunked On Us Anonymous” support group meeting.
But with Perk, an interesting discussion has been building in the Thunder fan base as to whether or not he’s really earning his keep. The Thunder are paying him well and he’s anchored as a member of the long-term core and starting five, but with him putting up career-lows in numbers, should OKC fans be a bit concerned or even frustrated with the play of Perk?
So let’s play some 3-on-3 on the Yung Hawg.
1. Fact or Fiction: Kendrick Perkins is playing well for the Thunder. Read more…
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Losing Eric Maynor for the season is a major blow to the Thunder. No matter what happens, any time you lose a player of his caliber, it hurts. But you have to move on and you have to keep playing. But without a major rotation player and one with a good amount of playoff experience, the Thunder are going to have to keep going. How should they handle it though? Keep it in house, go outside or get creative?
1. Who should back up Russell Westbrook now?
A. Reggie Jackson
B. Royal Ivey
C. James Harden
D. Free agent
Royce Young, Daily Thunder: A. Not just because he played well in his first game, but you have to at least give Jackson the chance. You never know, you might have a diamond in the rough. You might have the next Eric Maynor. You draft players to develop, to build depth and to have ready when needed. Jackson is needed now and it’s time for him to play. Sure, I’m concerned about a rookie possibly playing 15-20 minutes in the Western Conference Finals, but you just have to hope he’s ready. Read more…
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It’s a shame that this season isn’t 82 games because the Thunder’s 50-win season streak will almost assuredly come to an end at two. (The Mavs’ is at 10, I think.) But it’s time to take guesses on how this thing will shake out. It’s time make a prediction on Oklahoma City’s record, seed and the scene when the final buzzer sounds on the season.
1. How many games will the Thunder win?
Royce Young, Daily Thunder: Put me down for 47-19. Through 66 games last season, the Thunder were 43-23. So Oklahoma City will be four games ahead of that clip and on pace for 58 or 59 wins if this were a normal season. Which sounds just about right to me. They should be better, but I don’t see any reason to be THAT much better
Patrick James, Daily Thunder: The Thunder will win 46 games, a slight improvement on last year’s winning percentage. I don’t buy many arguments that say the compressed schedule will have much of an effect because it affects all teams, but it may affect the young Thunder a little less. I think Oklahoma City will display a nice killer instinct this year and bring solid focus throughout the entire season.
J.G. Marking, Daily Thunder: I say the Thunder go 50-16. The Northwest Division simply isn’t what it used to be and given the Thunder’s depth and youth, I honestly think they are more suited to succeed in a compacted and brutal schedule than any other team in the league. Read more…
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When the NBA officially re-opens for business on Dec. 9, the Thunder will have work to do. Russell Westbrook needs and extension, a decision needs to be made on Daequan Cook and the front office can start surveying the free agent crop. So what should, or will, the Thunder do come Dec. 9?
Fact or Fiction: The Thunder should be players in free agency.
Royce Young, Daily Thunder: Fiction. I’m on record as saying that I’m a fan of the idea of going after Shane Battier, but with so much to take care of in the future with Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka (and even Maynor), committing to players that you don’t necessarily need isn’t wise. And we all know that Sam Presti pretty much sticks to what is wise.
Patrick James, Daily Thunder: Fiction. For who? There’s no one out there who makes sense from a basketball and financial standpoint who will be better than the young players Oklahoma City still has to lock up. A veteran offensive presence like Jamal Crawford or defensive guy like Shane Battier would be nice, but those guys will likely command the kind of money, and maybe years, that could hinder re-signing James Harden or Serge Ibaka.
Joe Newell, Daily Thunder: Fiction. The roster is essentially set. There wouldn’t be much benefit from what is available in Free Agency. Granted there are some very nice players available (Nene, Chandler, Afflalo etc.) outside of one or two, most aren’t upgrades for us. Guys like Shane Battier or Mike Dunleavy would have a small role on the team unless there was an injury. So, with a handful of guys ready for extensions within the next year, I say keep your powder dry. Read more…
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Surely you’ve seen the 5-on-5 series on ESPN.com. Well, it’s branching out (and by out, I mean down) to the TrueHoop Network. Three questions, three answers. Pretty simple.
We haven’t seen him play yet, other than 10 meaningless minutes in a charity game. But Reggie Jackson, the Thunder’s first-round pick this year, is a bit of a mystery man. Nobody knows exactly where he’s going to play, what his role will be, how much he’ll play or if he was taken as a future replacement for an existing player. Is he trade bait? Just Sam Presti taking a gifted player to develop? What’s the plan with Reggie Jackson, you know, when there’s a season?
1. Will Reggie Jackson be a rotation player this season? Read more…
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Surely you’ve seen the 5-on-5 series on ESPN.com. Well, it’s branching out (and by out, I mean down) to the TrueHoop Network. Three questions, three answers. Pretty simple.
It’s a hot little discussion around every team: If you could cut one player, no questions asked, who would it be? The Thunder are in a unique position in that they don’t exactly NEED to axe a player off their salary cap, but still, how would the proposed amnesty clause fit in with OKC?
1. Who should the Thunder use the amnesty clause on?
A. Nate Robinson
B. Thabo Sefolosha
C. Someone else
D. Nobody
Royce Young, Daily Thunder: D. There’s really no sense in waiving Nate Robinson because his $4.5 million contract is more valuable as a trade piece than using it to cut into OKC’s cap space. No reason to cut Thabo because despite the frustrations that come with him, he’s still a good player to have on the roster and he’s not all that expensive. So be patient and don’t do anything just for the sake of it. You know, the Sam Presti Way. Read more…
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Surely you’ve seen the 5-on-5 series on ESPN.com. Well, it’s branching out (and by out, I mean down) to the TrueHoop Network. Three questions, three answers. Pretty simple.
The lockout sucks. It’s wiped out all of November and if things don’t get moving soon, we could go without basketball for the rest of 2011. I’m super tired of talking about it, but then again, what else is there really?
1. Fact or Fiction: A shorter season helps the Thunder.
Royce Young, Daily Thunder: Fiction. But that’s just because a shorter season helps everyone. Veterans like Perk play fewer games. There’s less of a chance for injury because there aren’t as many opportunities to get hurt. A compact season with 78 games piled up could benefit OKC compared to a veteran team like San Antonio, but these are professional athletes — they’ll do what they have to do.
Patrick James, Daily Thunder: Fact. Unless something crazy happens with the schedule and the Thunder miss out on some patsies and have a lot of games against contenders. You’ve got to think a young team like Oklahoma City will be better prepared to handle the physical grind of a compact schedule. Would you rather rather do five games in seven days on the strength of Kevin Durant’s knees instead of Kobe Bryant’s?
Clark Matthews, The Lost Ogle: Fiction. Assuming they actually cancel games, rather than condense the season, that actually works to help older, more veteran laden teams who are don’t have the burden of 82 games to wear them down. Even a condensed season wouldn’t necessarily give OKC an advantage. In that scenario, the likelihood of a major injury (particularly since there will be little-to-no training camp) is much larger and the Thunder have benefitted from none of those in the past two years. Read more…
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