John Hollinger of ESPN.com takes Westbrook as a reserve: “Let’s start by taking our mandated two guards. Westbrook has the best recent historical numbers of the group, leads them all in EWA and has appeared to pay a bit more attention on defense this season, and his team in his first place. As much as we’d prefer he didn’t take pull-up jumpers with 14 on the clock, his overwhelming athleticism still makes him an extremely effective player, and I’d say he has the strongest argument of any remaining player for inclusion.”
The Thunder have three players in the top 10 of the 25 under 25 list on ESPN.com with KD being No. 1: “It would come as little surprise if Durant won multiple MVP awards and multiple NBA titles, as his team is built with an excellent blend of youth and role players with good seasons left in their tanks. Durant also set a new trend by signing his max deal for the full amount of years available. He’s a terrific teammate and is as coachable a player as there is in the league.” Read more…
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Perk said before the game yesterday he’s not playing well this season: “I just got to play better. It’s not just the rebounding. My points are down. I’m usually one of the league leaders in field-goal percentage. I just got to play better. It’s nothing else to it. I just got to play better … I don’t know whether it’s my focus or what. But it’s on me. I really don’t care about the points. But I do worry about picking up my field goal percentage and my rebounding. I at least need to be at eight a game. So that’s unacceptable … It’s frustrating for me when I’m looking at the stats and I’m getting like one or three rebounds. I just got to play better. And that’s on me. It ain’t on nobody else. I got to be more productive.”
Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops isn’t sold on OKC: “The Thunder has done a wonderful job of drafting, and Brooks has his team playing at a high level. But OKC is hardly a sure thing. A major step for the Thunder will be winning a playoff series against a team seeded in the top four. They have not yet done that. When they do, I will believe the future has arrived. Until they do, they are a team with potential. And as history has told us, there are significant steps between that and a championship.” Read more…
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A terrific feature from Baxter Holmes of the L.A. Times on Perk: “Through Friday, Perkins ranked 186th in the NBA in scoring (4.8 points a game) and 60th in rebounding (5.5 a game). The only clear way to gauge Perkins’ value? Wins and losses. (Quaint, no?) And since the NBA-best 18-4 Thunder acquired him in a trade with Boston in February 2011, its record is 31-8. “If you didn’t watch our games, you wouldn’t know how important he is to our team,” Durant says. Even if you watch, you have to pay attention, because while Perkins is easy to spot, the way he changes games isn’t. Each time an opposing big man is having an “off night,” notice the defender hounding him on every shot and rebound. Each time a Thunder player endures a hard foul, notice the refrigerator-sized teammate who levels the accused opponent. And each time Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden curls around a screen and finds an acre of wide-open shooting space, notice the equilibrium-rattling pick that set him free.”
Marc Stein of ESPN.com has Westbrook as a West reserve: “The unflattering reviews of Westbrook’s quarterback play from early in the season are gradually starting to fade. Like a lot of us, I’d still prefer to see Kevin Durant playing alongside a more pass-minded point guard, but Westbrook is inching away from his defiant approach and is back to being OKC’s best player some nights. Which means his second straight selection to the West All-Stars is just a formality.” Read more…
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Kelly Dwyer of BDL on KD passing on Griffin’s dunk: “In some contexts, that drive manifests itself as a little ridiculous. When the Thunder lost the Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks last spring, it made sense that Durant didn’t feel completely thrilled for Dirk Nowitzki. But not acknowledging the greatness of a dunk like this one? Really? Did it matter that much? For Durant, it did, because in order to get a psychological edge in a playoff series, he needs to treat everything on the court like it’s a personal issue. The same qualities that make him an admirable basketball player don’t necessarily make sense in a more normal human context.”
Scott Brooks on Reggie Jackson: “See improvement, there’s a learning curve for every player in this league when they come in. It’s a tough position to play, backup point, because you don’t get a lot of minutes. You don’t have time to really get eight, nine, 10 minutes at a time,” Brooks said. “He’s done a good job. He has to keep working, keep improving and he’s done that. He’s working with our coaches. He’s getting better every game.” Read more…
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Blake Griffin’s dunk over Perk got the Taiwanese animation treatment. I remember Bill Simmons used to call it the “Mom Theory” in that if his mom knew about it, that meant it was a huge story. I think the new thing is the “Taiwanese Animation Theory.” If it gets that, it’s a major story.
Sam Amick of SI.com with a nice piece on Durant and Westbrook: “In deciding to give Westbrook a max deal, Thunder general manager Sam Presti all but announced that the merits of having an aggressive point guard with blinding speed outweighed the fact that he’ll never be mistaken for Ricky Rubio. That’s been even more true this season than last, as Westbrook’s assist average has declined from 8.2 to 5.8. Yet while his score-first mentality means that the Thunder offense won’t always be the all-hands-on-deck variety, the potency of this pairing is too often overlooked.” Read more…
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Kelly Dwyer of BDL with an ode to Perk: “And Perk, to his everlasting credit, took a hit of his own. And for that, he deserves a poster. He deserves our plaudits. He deserves — hell, we deserve — a chance to make yet another stand in some seven game series held once the snow melts and football is a distant memory to all save for Chris frickin’ Berman. You know that he at once wants another shot at Griffin, while remaining satisfied with his effort and decision to slide over and attempt to defend that beast. That’s the best kind of attitude, and the best kind of player. A 7.1 Player Efficiency Rating be damned.”
Bill Simmons on Westbrook and Durant: “Still, that doesn’t answer the fundamental question: Can Oklahoma City ever achieve its potential without Westbrook accepting that he’s the Pippen to Durant’s Jordan? Avon and Stringer aren’t the right pop culture analogy anymore; there’s a better one. A New York reader named Yoni explains: “Is it just me or does this whole Durant-Westbrook situation remind you of the relationship between Russell Hammond (lead guitar) and Jeff Beebe (lead singer) in Almost Famous? Just as Jeff could never quite understand how Russell takes the band to a new level with his guitar, Westbrook doesn’t quite understand that KD is a franchise player in a way that he can’t ever be. And if OKC makes T-shirts, Durant will always be front and center, and Westbrook will always be in the background as one of the ‘out of focus guys.’” Read more…
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Kendrick Perkins on Russell Westbrook: “He always gets this label of being selfish,” Perkins said. “He’s not that at all. The one thing about Russ is he’s a scoring point guard, and that’s what we need him to be. That’s why this team has been successful because he does what he does. The thing that bothers me … is Derrick Rose is not a true point guard, he is a scoring point guard, but nobody gets on Derrick Rose like they get on Russ.”
Nick Collison for GQ on rookie hazing: “I’m pretty easy on rookies, and I think it’s because I had it easy myself. There is one thing, however, that I do enjoy doing: Once or twice a year after shoot-around on the road we will empty the entire ball rack by either throwing or punting each ball into the stands, then make the rookies climb the steps all around the arena to get each ball. I’m not sure why, but I really like doing that.” Read more…
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The Thunder will get a injured player exception amounting to about $800,000 to use in a trade or to sign a player because of the Eric Maynor injury. It’s doubtful the Thunder use it, but they at least have the option to browse the market with a little extra flexibility.
A scout’s take on the Thunder: “The biggest thing that stands out for me is their defense. I was totally impressed, especially with [Russell] Westbrook. In the past, without trying to be cruel, I’ve seen him defend more with his athleticism than his brain. He was just using his instincts. But it seemed like defensively OKC really knew what was coming last time I saw them. I don’t think they’ve paid as much attention to the scouting report in the past, but that urgency was there [from Westbrook]. I still don’t like a lot of what he does offensively. I know we’re all looking at these guys with a magnifying glass, but I did see some frustration. Westbrook wanted the ball at the end of the game. [Kevin] Durant wanted the ball at the end of the game. But the guy I noticed the most was Westbrook. His defensive awareness is the biggest improvement I see.” Read more…
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KD was named the 17th most powerful athlete in the world by Business Week: “This young superstar-in-the-making has notched two seasons as the NBA’s top scorer and led Oklahoma to back-to-back playoff berths. He signed with Nike shortly after the draft and has been courted by other blue chip companies ever since.”
Russell Westbrook was 70th: “The dynamic scoring duo of Kevin Durant (No. 17) and Russell Westbrook announced themselves to the NBA two years ago, when their Oklahoma City Thunder nearly derailed the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship run. This year the Thunder have one of the league’s best records (14-3 as of publication), and Westbrook’s quicksilver drives to the hoop and 20-point average are a big reason why. The Thunder rewarded Westbrook with an $80 million contract extension in mid-January.” Read more…
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Eddie Johnson of HoopsHype ranked the top 25 players with Westbrook 12 and Durant four: “I was having dinner with my wife last year, looked up and saw Durant walking outside. Without hesitation I bolted out of my seat to approach him to just let him know that I admire everything about his game and his attitude. True to form, he stood there and soaked in everything I said and said thank you. Not one time in those few minutes did I feel rushed or ignored and it seemed like he was reveling in the opportunity to gain more knowledge. This is why Durant will become one of the best players this game has seen. It is mindboggling that his numbers, already in the stratosphere, continue to improve every year. He is standing alongside Kobe Bryant right now as the best perimeter shot maker in the game. The biggest asset Durant has is his leadership. The way he has handled his teammates, especially Russell Westbrook, has been extremely impressive.”
According to Forbes, KD is the eighth highest earner in the NBA this season making $24.5 million. Read more…
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Berry Tramel writes that Mark Cuban could have a good point for the Thunder: “Cuban could be doing the Thunder a huge favor. Westbrook and Durant figure to be right in the middle of U.S. Olympic and World Championship teams the next few years. And with the Thunder having committed more than $150 million to the duo over the next five years, the health of Durant and Westbrook is paramount. I know, we all want to think of patriotism and playing for love of the game and love of the country. But when you write checks for that much money, you’ve got to start thinking of protecting your investment. If the flood of NBA stars into international basketball subsides, it can only help the Thunder. Mark Cuban might be the one man who talks enough to make the league take a look at the current system.”
CBSSports.com power rankings have OKC No. 2: “I’d harp about their defense like I always do, but I can understand how difficult it is to get mentally prepared to shut someone down when you’re up by 25 points all the time.” Read more…
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Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com gives OKC an A+ for their first quarter of the season: “The slip up against the Washington Wizards was both memorable and regrettable, but OKC has otherwise been clicking on all cylinders to start the season. It doesn’t come as a surprise, given how aggressively Kevin Durant and company attacked the lockout. If you’re handicapping the West, it sure looks like “Thunder or the field” already, which is scary given the youth of their core. Did I mention that they locked up an All-Star point guard for the next half decade?”
NBA.com power rankings: “Despite the loss in Washington, there was plenty of good news for OKC last week. Russell Westbrook got locked up for the next five years and the Thunder started to play some defense. They couldn’t score against the Wizards or Nets, but have allowed just 91 points per 100 possessions over their last five games.” Read more…
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Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “The Thunder, though, can’t be done for this season. Named NBA Coach of the Year as recently as 2010, Scotty Brooks is in the final year of his contract. Doesn’t he need a contract extension, sooner rather than later, to be able to manage the mercurial Russell Westbrook with the requisite authority and freedom?”
Nick Collison with a terrific new post at GQ on NBA travel: “Coach Cheeks told me when he played, teams didn’t have buses. They piled into a few Cadillacs and got to hotels and arenas by themselves. If the guys on our team had to do that—get around all these different cities using an actual map, instead of Google Maps on our iPhones—it would be a disaster. I would get lost and be late to half the games. The only pregame requirement back then was that the players had to be dressed and seated 40 minutes before game time. There wasn’t much scouting; the assistant coach went to games when he could to see other teams. That was all they had.” Read more…
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Zach Lowe of SI.com on Russell Westbrook’s extension: “And so the Thunder did what any smart franchise would do: They locked up Westbrook with a five-year, max-level extension worth nearly $80 million. They’re confident that a guy who just turned 23 will continue to grow into the NBA’s most demanding position — a position the Westbrook did not play until he reached the pros. Westbrook did not push for the pumped-up maximum deal he could have gotten under the new Derrick Rose rule (five years, $94 million), but regardless, the extension means the Thunder have about $48 million committed to just five players for 2013-14. James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Eric Maynor are less than a year away from being extension-eligible, and it’s an open question whether the Thunder can afford their entire core — a question that turns on how fast the luxury-tax level rises, and how healthy the Oklahoma City market is.”
Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie Westbrook: “He’s 23, and he’s absolutely brilliant. With several admiring expletives deleted. Westbrook is well worth this contract extension, his status as a max-contract guy and his ranking amongst the NBA’s elite. He’s also worth your scorn, when he pulls up for an ill-fated 16-footer while leaning toward his right. He’s also worth your patience, as you watch him grow and deliver and earn the money handed to him by what appears to be the smartest front office in the NBA. This story isn’t over yet. No absolutes, no black and white posturing, and no righteous indignation as to Westbrook’s station be it high or low. Just enjoy watching him, as he figures it out.” Read more…
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Via ESPN Stats and Info: “According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time in NBA history a team with at least 12 losses beat a team with at least 12 wins with each team having played no more than 15 games through that date. With the loss the Thunder fall to 12-3 while the Wizards improve to 2-12. Coming into the game the Wizards had a winning percentage of .077 and the Thunder had an .857 winning percentage. Elias also tells us it’s only the fourth time in NBA history — and third time since 1948 — a team won a game at least 10 games into the season against a team whose winning percentage was at least 780 points higher. The biggest upset ever of that kind came last season, when the 1-13 Los Angeles Clippers defeated the 11-1 Charlotte Hornets.”
Danny Chau of Hardwood Paroxysm on James Harden’s superpowers: “The beard is the secret to Harden’s no-look passes. Why? Simple. He dives into the paint. His body is moving one way, his eyes are looking another way, and his beard is pointing up, somehow. There is too much to read. You have a 33 percent chance of making the correct read. That’s an F, my friend. He’s too crafty, and even the defender makes a sound judgment, it’s too late.” Read more…
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