Daily Thunder.com

I know that right now, actual basketball being played on an actual court with actual NBA players is probably pretty far back in Thunder fans’ minds. I think the Thunder fan thought flow right now goes: “Draft-Draft-James Harden-Ricky Rubio-Food–Work–Draft-Sleep-Trades-Food-Draft-NBA Finals-Hasheem Thabeet.” Or something like that.

But the truth is, the Finals are what we all want. I may be totally crazy here, but I’d much rather have won a title than won the lottery. Heck, I’d rather have gotten swept in the Western quarterfinals than been in the lottery. But that’s me. I’d rather be playing than watching and wishing. The Finals are the reason we all care so much about free agency and the draft. Because you know, we want players that can help us get there.

Anyway, so with the Finals starting this week and I was thinking: What can Thunder fans and/or players take out of this? Here’s five things:

1. A superstar is needed, but the other four guys are just as important. Watch the way the Lakers maneuver with Kobe Bryant. He’s the unquestioned MAN of that team, but there’s a reason they are here and the Cavs are not. Those reasons are Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. Kevin Durant is already a fantastic - I say FANTASTIC - player, but he can’t do it on his own. Nor could Russell Westbrook or Jeff Green. It’s got to be five guys working as one. Or at least three or four. Kobe doesn’t have to take every shot. He’s perfectly content scoring 18 on 6-11 shooting. He just waits and strikes when needed. Nobody does it better.

I remember some of my favorite basketball the Thunder played this season was while KD was out (don’t read anything into that). The team swung the ball side-to-side, made crisp cuts and moved the ball everywhere. It was beautiful basketball. They didn’t have the out of KD standing on the wing. They couldn’t just toss it to him and hope for the best. They all had to contribute. That’s the type of basketball is really takes to win, but insert a superstar player into the middle of it and you’ve got something special. It’s harder to figure out than you think though. The Magic understand Dwight Howard’s abilities and deficiencies and adjust accordingly. Same with the Lakers. You have to understand how everything works around your best player. Both these squads have that figured out pretty well. Read more…

Commentary Lakers, Magic, NBA Finals

I’ve been watching the Orlando Magic now with some curiosity. I love the way they play. I’ve often thought that their style of play might produce a lot of wins during the regular season, but flame out in the playoffs. They have great fundamentals on both offense and defense, but they rely so heavily on the three point shot that I suspected the great defense of Boston (pre-Garnett injury) and Cleveland might force them out of their sets and the shots might not fall. But Orlando did a great job of doing what they do, and not letting their opponent derail them. I usually like the underdog, and I was glad to see them put away Cleveland and put an end to the Kobe/Lebron love-fest.

In so many ways the Magic are the anti-Thunder of 2008-2009. First, they have a Superman in the middle, and we have some Clark Kents. Not scrubs, but certainly not able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Secondly, their unbelievable reliance on the three ball, third, efficient offense despite the heavy three ball, and fourth, great perimeter defense backed up by said Superman. Read more…

Commentary

Really all you see streaking up the court is the hair. At least, it’s the first thing you notice. And to many, they see the hair, the flash and the crafty plays and they see someone else. Something bigger. They see something that makes them nickname this guy LaPistola. That’s right, the Spanish Pistol Pete, Ricky Rubio.

Rubio dashes across halfcourt and busts out his signature play, the fake-behind-the-back-wrap-around.  It’s truly a fantastic play that not only brings you to your feet and makes you start clapping out of pure reaction, but also a slick play that helped score two points. But best of all, it’s sexy. It’s flashy. It just looks awesome. And because of plays like that, we’re lured into this young prospect and we don’t even really know why. We watch the mixtapes with the no-look lobs, the between-the-legs dishes and the behind-the-back-wrap-arounds. For the same reason people like And 1 Mixtapes, they like Ricky Rubio. He epitomizes the beauty of basketball. Nothing showcases how breathtaking the game can be like a perfectly executed pass. And because of this, we’ve fallen for this guy, yet we don’t really even know anything about him.

Henry Abbott had a tremendous breakdown of Ricky Rubio this week and it really hit my brain hard. Why are we all so high on this guy? Myself definitely included.

Driving home from the draft lottery late Tuesday I was a little overwhelmed by one thought:

I don’t know enough about Ricky Rubio. I must have heard 100 smart people sing his praises that night. He’s the one player with real buzz. A guard who is almost unassailed as the second best prospect in the 2009 NBA draft.

But what does he do? What are his NBA skills? On what basis do we believe he’s a truly special basketball player? Is he really good enough that he can be picked high without even working out against his contemporaries? What could I see Ricky Rubio do that would make clear how it is he’s a better bet than Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Patrick Mills, Nick Calathes, Eric Maynor, Sergio Llull, A.J. Price, Nando de Colo and the like?

At the lottery, everybody said the same admiring things about his feel for the game, handle, vision, leadership … but sometimes these ideas leap from mind to mind without ever touching ground. I found myself looking around the room and wondering: How much have you even seen Rubio play? What kind of vetting has he had?

Read Henry’s breakdown. He’s basically saying everything I’m saying here, but much better. So if you want to just open a new tab and read Henry’s article and never read another word of this, I won’t be offended. Seriously, go right ahead. But today, Chad Ford dropped this little nugget that’s sure to get people chattering:

“Speaking of Rubio, I encountered a number of NBA GMs and scouts this week who were pretty skeptical about Rubio’s NBA future. They see him as an average athlete who can’t shoot well and who is turnover prone, and wonder aloud why he’s ranked so high.

A few GMs said Rubio isn’t in their top five. While I’ve heard doubts expressed before, the skepticism was expressed much more strongly this week by more execs. I’m going to keep digging. Maybe Henry Abbott struck a chord with his TrueHoop post on Rubio.

In any case, if Memphis and Oklahoma City decide against Rubio and don’t trade either of their picks to a team that wants to move up to get him, it’s hard to see the Sacramento Kings passing on Rubio at No. 4.”

Well then. You have to wonder how much of this is posturing. Maybe Donnie Walsh is saying this because he’s praying Rubio will drop all the way down to him. Maybe Geoff Petrie is running around saying, “Nah, he’s not that good. Seriously guys, he can’t even shoot!” but is lighting Spanish vigils each night before he goes to bed. You can never tell with these guys. They’re all playing the game and they all want their guy. So it may mean nothing and in fact, it probably does mean nothing. Read more…

Commentary Ricky Rubio

How about some random Royce ruminations for this lovely Thursday afternoon?

• We’re all kind of wrapped up in the upcoming draft and what Oklahoma City will do. I understand. It’s kind of a big deal. But for some reason, I wondered to myself recently (very quietly, mind you): Whatever happened to DeVon Hardin? So with the help of this really cool thing called the Internet, I found out. Hardin was the 50th overall pick in the 2008 draft, but didn’t make the team. Though he wasn’t signed to a contract, the Thunder still owns the rights to him. Hardin suffered a stress fracture in his right foot in late 2008 and was released by the Turkish team Mersin BB for not recovering properly from it. He was then signed in February by Egaleo AO, a team in the Greek league and played in 11 games, averaging 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. It’s doubtful that we’ll ever see him, but he’s 6-11, extremely well built and very athletic. He just doesn’t have the whole, “good basketball player” thing down.

• Watching the Lakers literally turn it on in the fourth quarter was like watching Mine That Bird wait in the back and then kick it into high gear to win the Derby. They waited, sitting calmly in the middle of the pack, even letting Denver stretch out a little lead. Then when it was time, they got spurred and boom! they erupted to take the lead. Really something to watch. Bold prediction: The Lakers finish off the Nuggs in Denver this weekend.

• Since everybody is making ridiculous trades, how about Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook for the No. 1, 2 and 3 picks so that OKC can take Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio and James Harden. Just wipe the slate clean and start over with a new Big Three. But seriously, all this trade talk is getting a little ridiculous. Every writer in every market is throwing out outlandish deals that brings Griffin to OKC. And the worst part is, just because someone has a “bright” idea, it then gets regurgitated as a “trade rumor,” when it was nothing more than just talk. But I’ll admit, I spent a solid 30 minutes on the Trade Machine today wheeling and dealing. I don’t plan on posting a trade speculation column, but I’m not making any promises. Ah, who I am kidding – get ready for one. Probably next week. Try not to hate me.

• At this point, I don’t think we’re that far off from someone suggesting Earl Watson straight up for Blake Griffin. People are just nuts with this stuff. On one end they want WAY too much (see: Ted Green of the LA Times) and on the other, they are talking about a bag of rocks for the top pick (see: local sports talk radio callers and hosts).

• Speaking of trade talk, yesterday when I saw the proposed trade by D.J. Foster of Clipperblog that included Thabo Sefolosha, I was actually kind of mad at it. Trade Thabo? NO WAY! My initial reaction to seeing Thabo’s name in a trade told me that I think he’s more untouchable in my mind than Jeff Green. Is that weird? Or maybe crazy? There’s just something I really like about Thabo and I highly enjoy employing a nasty defensive stopper. Obviously, Uncle Jeff is a better player and a much better asset, but I guess I’m just trying to say I’d rather not trade Thabo Sefolosha. Read more…

Commentary DeVon Hardin, Lakers, Rumblings, trades

During a search for stats to answer a question Nix had in the comments (and I still don’t have an answer to that and I doubt I ever will - turned out to be a lot of work), I came across some pretty interesting numbers for Russell Westbrook. We all know his shot selection could be at times very poor and sometimes he didn’t have the look of a point guard trying to set up teammates, but rather a scoring point trying to find his own. And one stat really backs that up.

Last season, Westbrook took 51 percent of his shots 10 or fewer seconds into the shot clock (24-15 remaining on the 24). Compare that to the elite point men in the league – Chris Paul took 40 percent of his shots in 10 seconds or under, Deron Williams 36, Tony Parker 31, Chauncey Billups 41, Derrick Rose 42 and Rajon Rondo 43.  Westbrook was at least eight percent higher than the next closest of that group.

Now it’s easier for a point guard to take shots early in the clock, because they have the ball first. But Russ taking so many shots early shows his “shoot first, pass later” mentality. It’s something that he absolutely has to overcome if he wants to be a successful point guard in this league. I thought the last month and half he was much, much better at looking to set his teammates up first and looking to shoot later, but he sacrificed his ability to score and his efficiency numbers took a hit. He’s a scoring point guard, whichever way you want to look at it. But he can also be a guy that makes players better around him too.

I can’t be sure without looking through every single player, but I think Westbrook might be top in the league in this category. Now understand that pace has a lot to do with this though. OKC was the 8th fastest team in the league and teams like New Orleans, San Antonio, Utah and Boston were very slow. So that’s a factor. Chris Duhon took 50 percent of his shots 10 seconds or under in to the shot clock in New York’s system. But then again, Steve Nash was at 40 percent. In fact, the seven teams that were faster than OKC and their point guards:  Jamal Crawford 49/Monta Ellis 44, Duhon 50, Nash 40, T.J. Ford 45, Billups, 41, Beno Udrih 38 and Derek Fisher 41. Westbrook was higher than every single one of them. Hmm, hmm and hmm. Read more…

Commentary Russell Westbrook

There is not too much going on in the NBA on this three day holiday weekend, unless you have something to say about the 4 teams still playing in the playoffs.

For us Thunder fans, not invited to the post season party, we get to talk and talk about the draft and trades, dream scenarios and all of these “crazy” reports from seemingly nowhere. It cracks me up when “insiders” report….or a “source within the organization” says….

Case in point this morning reading the Sporting News Today there is a bullet about the Clippers and their situation regarding the top pick in the draft. 

The Clippers have said  they’ll take PF Blake Griffin with the number 1 pick.  But several publications have reported that the Clippers will be open to trading down from the top spot. According to the Ft.Worth Star- Telegram, the Thunder are one of the teams expected to go after that pick, using the third pick in the draft and one of their core young players (Jeff Green or Russell Westbrook) as part of the deal. 

ESPN reported that the Clippers will be open to trading that pick if they can secure SG Ricky Rubio in the process. ESPN also reported that a number of general managers “insist” that the Clippers want to move PG Baron Davis and his large contract.

So if you click over to the Star-Telegram article, Read more…

Commentary

If you’re head’s not spinning by now, then you just haven’t been paying much attention. Ever since Tuesday night’s last envelope was opened, the NBA rumor mill and speculation factory (speculation factory?) have been on fire. On fire I say.

Will the Thunder move up? Move down? Take Thabeet at three? Harden at three? Someone else at three? Will Rubio fall to three? Does OKC even want Rubio? Should the Thunder trade its pick for a proven veteran? Who does OKC like? What are the Thunder’s needs? Trade the pick to the Lions so they can draft a wide receiver? Questions, questions and more questions. There’s so much to talk about right now, it’s almost hard to keep up.

Some people love Hasheem Thabeet. And there’s good reason to. He’s 7’3″, can protect the rim, is a raw player that is sure to improve both, is a two-time Big East defensive player of the year and fills a need for OKC. But there’s also good reason not to. Big guys like him are hit and miss. He doesn’t move his feet very well. He has hands of stone. Can he defend more agile NBA big men? You’re banking on an offensive game to develop and it may not.

Some people love James Harden (raises hand). He’s a complete offensive player that can pass, shoot, dribble and make people better around him. He’s a perfect complementary shooting guard for Russell Westbrook. He doesn’t need others to create his offense. But there are defensive questions. Is he big enough? Is he quick enough? Is he athletic enough? Does he have enough range on his shot?

And all this goes on and on and on. You can play this guessing game with every player in the draft. Ty Lawson, DeMar DeRozen, Jordan Hill, whoever. You can play the game with trade options. You can play it all over the place. I know I will. Heck, it’s kind of the point of this here place. To speculate, analyze, discuss and debate all things Thunder. It’s pretty freaking fun honestly. Read more…

Commentary Sam Presti

Hollinger looked at the top five team’s trade options. For OKC he said:

If the pick is Thabeet, then it’s no worries for the Thunder. They would get the shot-blocking big man they were looking for when they made the revoked Tyson Chandler trade in February.

If it’s Rubio, things get a lot trickier. Oklahoma City already has Westbrook at the point, and he had an exceptional rookie season considering his youth and inexperience at the position. It’s not as simple as moving Westbrook to the 2, either. He has the size to play there, but he’s not a good shooter. Since Rubio is a lousy shooter too, it would invite opponents to double- and triple-team Kevin Durant while sagging way off the Thunder’s guards.

Yet the Thunder don’t seem anxious to trade Westbrook either, not after the season he had as a rookie, and not when his aggressive mentality seems to be exactly what the team was looking for as the yin to Durant’s laid-back yang.

So we need to at least ask the question: Would Oklahoma City trade down a spot with Sacramento? The Kings are dying to get Rubio, while at No. 4 the Thunder could snag a much-needed wing sniper like James Harden and earn a few other goodies in the process. As enticement, Sacramento could offer its No. 23 pick and/or Spencer Hawes, or agree to swap Jason Thompson for Thabo Sefolosha.

What an interesting scenario. Really, Sam Presti is going to have a chance to prove his worth come June 25th. At three, OKC is going to have more options than any other team. You can throw out the No. 1 pick – we know what’s happening there. But at two, there’s questions. So depending on what Memphis does, the Thunder could have their phone ringing off the hook. And Hollinger’s trade proposal doesn’t sound bad at all to me. I love James Harden and though I’d absolutely kill for Rubio, Harden may make for a more sound fit. And to be able to pick up a thing or two as a result wouldn’t be all bad either. I just don’t want to give up Thabo. Plus, it would be a little ironic to bring in Spencer Hawes after his little “fashion statement” earlier this year. I don’t think OKC needs another player at 23, especially with a pick at 25, but I wouldn’t object to Hawes or Jason Thompson.

And let’s say Memphis takes Rubio. There’s a lot of teams behind the Thunder that like Thabeet as well. So if whoever Presti pegs as his guy – Harden, DeRozen, Holliday, Hill, whoever – he could work his way to still getting him and picking up something extra. But then again, we thought the same thing might happen last year with Russell Westbrook. Presti’s hand was forced and he had to pull the trigger at four to get his man.

This doesn’t even include the outside trade scenario that could bring in something bigger to Oklahoma City. Toronto has been said to be interested in acquiring picks and possibly moving up. Chris Bosh is reportedly unhappy in Toronto. Put two and two together there.

So the question is, would you pass on Rubio to move down and take Harden and maybe pick up an extra pick or player? Common sense says yes, but the lure of Rubio says no. Tough question to answer.

Commentary Trade options

Where: NBA Entertainment Studios, Secaucus, New Jersey
When: 7:30 CST
Where to see it: ESPN

Tonight that whole lottery thing happens. We finally can quit speculating about if we pick here or if we land there. It will be nice to stop wondering. It all just comes down to those 119 lottery balls and where they land. It’s really all out of our hands now.

Or is it?

You’re probably asking yourself, “But Royce, what can I do to help?” Well here, let me give you some essential things to do today in preparation for tonight’s lottery.

• Buy a custom Thunder No. 23 jersey with GRIFFIN on the back right now. Make sure it’s non-refundable. And one of the $250 kinds. Go big or go home.

• Urge Sam Presti to make a promise to sign Taylor Griffin. Blake only plays with Taylor. Everybody knows that.

• Ask Gary England to make it thunder today.

• Play ESPN’s lottery generator until Oklahoma City gets the top pick 23 times.

• Like Silas in the Da Vinci code, put yourself through Blake’s transgressions: take a shot to the nards, get tripped while running, take a phantom elbow and get a concussion, hit your face on the backboard (ladder/trampoline may be required), get judo-flipped onto your back and make your nose bleed every 15 minutes.

• Promise your husband or wife that you’re naming your first born (or next child) Blake – boy… or girl.

• If you’re already done having children, legally change the name of your first born to Blake. Or just have another one. Whatever’s easiest.

• Make outlandish, over-the-top statements about what you’ll do if OKC lands the top pick. If we get the No. 1 pick, I’ll sleep on broken lightbulbs for a year. Or,  if we get the No. 1 pick, I’ll let someone shoot me in the chest with one of those police bean bag guns. Or, if we get the No. 1 pick, I’ll swim across Lake Hefner… naked. Or, if we get the No. 1 pick, I’ll personally pay Blake’s salary. You get the idea.

• Make out with a picture of Blake. Like MAKE OUT with it.

• Don’t let any “Hey, maybe I’d be OK with getting the No. 2 pick anyway” thoughts creep into your head. I know. I’ve been fighting them too. There’s just something about that Rubio guy that is so dang likable. (But I will take number two David. It’s better than six.)

• Watch the following video 119 times.

• Send a letter to your congressman. I have no idea what that does, but everyone always says to do it when you want something.

• Come up with three totally awesome nicknames for Blake that only work with Oklahoma City or Thunder.

• Remind David Stern about how Blake Griffin is, you know, from here and all. And how that will be good for the league. And how much money that could make the league. And also about that Tyson Chandler deal that we gave back to help NOLA save face. Yeah, remind him about all that.

• Promise to hurt yourself badly if Oklahoma City doesn’t get the No. 1 pick.

• Promise not to cry, NO MATTER WHAT.

• Create a player named “B. Griffin” on NBA 2K9 and put him on the Thunder. See what I did there?

• Ask Randy Roper to sprinkle some holy water on our 119 lottery balls.

Most importantly, mentally prepare yourself for the fourth pick. Convince yourself that it’s probably better to get the fourth slot than the first anyway. Because that’s what’s going to happen. So just get ready for it. Just spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready for disappointment. It should make the let down a little more gentle. I know that’s what I’m doing. I just picked up a THABEET No. 34 Thunder jersey today. Non-refundable too.

Commentary, Riff Raff Lottery

Over the weekend while watching some basketball and such, I had some thoughts. Here they are.

• Shane Battier became a basketball cult hero this season with Michael Lewis’ Moneyball article on him and then with his outstanding defense on Kobe during the Western semis. So it seems to me that other GMs would be looking for a guy to mimic Battier. And so while I was thinking of college prospects that could be the next Battier, one guy popped in my head – Thabo Sefolosha. Both are 6’7″, both are extremely lengthy and both take pride in their defense. Battier has been in the league for four more years than Thabo, but I can definitely see Thabo becoming an elite defensive stopper for this team. And if he develops a nice three-pointer like Battier has, well then color me excited.

• I absolutely can NOT wait for next season. I don’t know what the deal is right now, but watching the playoffs, I just can’t wait to watch my team again. I was excited for this season, but it was more of a shock I-can’t-believe-a-team-is-really-here type of excitement. Now I’m genuinely psyched for basketball next season. Almost as much as college football. Almost.

• I really wish Oklahoma City’s in-game production people would take the Laker approach instead of the Cleveland one. Instead of clips of Kashmir and other rap and rock songs mid-game, I’d much prefer the more classic organ-ish music. I love the way it sounds. It’s much better than hearing the same stinking songs every game. The organ (thing) is so much more classy. And I think that’s the type of organization the Thunder wants to be. So drop “Sexy Back” and bring in an organ version of Rocket Man Benny and the Jets. Read more…

Commentary Rumblings

That’s right, official. Meaning Joe and I got together, spent hours debating, crunching numbers, debating, watching tape, arm wrestling, debating and… debating coming up with this list. It really was quite an ordeal. In coming up with our big board, we weighed Oklahoma City’s team needs along with the best player available. Surprisingly, we didn’t have to do a whole lot of moving around because we agreed a lot on at least the top 15 or so players.

To be clear, this is a draft board, not a mock draft, or a “if we get this pick, we take this guy” list. For those of you that aren’t clear on a “big board,” basically it just a list ranking players that you would take if they are still available. Once a player gets taken, you cross him off, and then you move to the player next highest on the list. It’s like the AP Top 25, but for individual basketball players.

This is part one. We’ll have part two with 13-30 up in a couple weeks, but we wanted to be on record before the lottery dashes our dreams of thinking about No. 1 or 2. We can also just call this “Version 1.0″ as well, because post combine, we may do a little revising. And as always, feel free to tell us how wrong we are in the comments. That’s really what it’s all about. But as Joe said, when in doubt, just go with the guy with the fewest tattoos.

1. Blake Griffin – 6’10″/ F/ Oklahoma (highlights)

Royce: There’s just no doubt. Every scout, every GM, every analyst says he’s No.1. Basically, if Sam Presti had the chance and passed on Blake, Tony Almeida would be hired to release a canister of whatever-the-crap-that-is inside Leadership Square. He fits every need the Thunder has, plus you know, he’s from here. I know some people like the flash of Rubio and they may say a playmaker like Rubio doesn’t come along very often. (Except for Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Devin Harris, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Mo Williams, Rajon Rondo, Chauncey Billups, Derrick Rose and Steve Nash. You know, besides them.) The reality is, power forwards of Blake’s caliber don’t come along very often. Go ahead, name the top 10 power forwards in the league. You’ll be surprised once you get to No. 10.

Joe: The most skilled big man in the draft since……Can we just hand him the rookie of the year award before he even gets a paycheck?

2. Ricky Rubio – 6’3″/ G/ DKV Joventut (highlights)

Royce: Rubio may very well become a fantastic player. But let’s all look at the facts: He averaged 10.0 ppg and 6.1 apg this year in 22 games against second tier competition. Sure he was nice in the Olympics, but his best game was eight points and three assists. Seriously, look over his Olympic stats. People act like he was putting up 20 and 15 in Beijing. He grabbed everybody’s attention at the Games, but was it because of his actual play, or just his flash, style and hype? The thing about Rubio is he’s a relative unknown. We’re all basing what we think about him on some articles and commentary by others. I’ve seen him play a total of six games. I thought he was very slick and a pretty good point guard, but I didn’t immediately think, “Oh yeah, he’s totally Chris Paul good.” He’s absolutely deserving of the second pick, but Blake Griffin stands alone, unquestioned, at the top. Rubio is quite a consolation prize for No. 2 though, no doubt. But I just can not get behind him being picked in front of Blake.

Joe: He makes passes that you just don’t see very often. He reminds me of a long armed, rangy Jason Kidd, mixed with a little Jason Williams “white chocolate” showtime.

3. James Harden – 6’5″/ G/ Arizona State (highlights)

Royce: People have tried to come up with words to describe Harden’s game – crafy, inventive, refined (why is it always the lefties that get called “crafty”?). What they’re trying to say is he’s just a good basketball player. He’s not going over the top of you for a dunk and he’s not going to run past you, but he’s still going to score. But it’s not like he’s some slow slob. He’s sneaky athletic. The type of guy that rises out of no where for a big dunk. And he fits this team in most every way. People point to his poor tournament showing, but Harden was doubled and even tripled at times. One thing that scares me a little about Harden is we don’t know a lot about his man-to-man defensive skills. At Arizona State, he played almost exclusively in a 2-3 zone. Was that to protect Harden from foul trouble? Was it because the team was a bit undersized? Or was that to mask defensive defienciencies? Who knows. What I see is a lefty Brandon Roy. A guy that can handle the ball, pass extremely well, scores in multiple ways and just has that “good basketball player” look. And he’s got a beard. You’ve got to love the beard.

Joe: What I like about Harden, more than any other player in the lottery is his ability to create his own offense. That is a skill that never goes out of style. When the jumpshots aren’t falling, or nobody can get an open look, it’s a good thing to be able to make something out of nothing. Plus, Harden is almost like another point guard with his great court vision, willingness to pass the ball and complimentary style. He’s a very efficient guard with a beefy body that won’t get pushed around. Read more…

Commentary Daily Thunder Big Board, Part I

I’m a big history guy. No, not that kind of history. Sports history. And for some reason, I always convince myself that in sports, history repeats. Trends and patterns can sometimes show us the future. So with the lottery this Tuesday, I figured I should educate myself on some recent lotto history. Especially the history of where the team with the fourth worst record has ended up in the lottery over the last 15 years (the current lottery format was installed in 1994).

Teams with an 11.9 percent chance (or fourth best) have never technically gotten the No. 1 pick. Well, eff. The one time it happened was in 1994, but three teams were tied with a 20-62 record and the Bucks got it. The fourth best chance in that draft was the Bullets Wizards and they wound up fifth. The fourth best chance has landed the No. 2 pick two times in the last 15 drafts. Actually, the pick the fourth slot landed the most was the fifth pick (six times).

2008 – Memphis Grizzlies (3)
2007 - Atlanta Hawks (3)
2006 – Atlanta Hawks (5)
2005 – Utah Jazz (6)
2004 – Clippers and Hawks tied (Clips got third pick)
2003 – Miami Heat (5)
2002 – Denver Nuggets (5)
2001 – Vancouver Grizzlies (6)
2000 – Vancouver Grizzlies (2)
1999 – Toronto Raptors (5)
1998 – Vancouver Grizzlies (2)
1997 – Denver Nuggets (5)
1996 – Milwaukee Bucks (4)
1995 – Philadelphia 76ers (3)
1994 – Washington Wizards (5)

Ok, so that’s not great news. But there’s a first time for everything, right? Especially when you start looking at the past 15 winners and what chances they had. It actually almost seems the less chance you have, the better chance you have. Read more…

Commentary Lottery history

Just a month ago, Blake Griffin was the absolute consensus No. 1 pick. There was just no doubt about it. And it was really the first no question top pick I can remember in a long while. But then Ricky Rubio tossed his name in the hat and in some camps, a little debate has kicked up: Could Rubio be picked in front of Griffin?

NBA general managers say no, but some fanbases say yes. At Sactown Royalty they voted on it and the vote was literally split between Rubio and Griffin. So I guess some folks see reason to take Ricky over Blake.

While some teams may have reasons (the Kings and Timberwolves are pretty “set” in their frontcourts), others just seem to like Rubio’s potential “star” power and play making potential. But what about Oklahoma City? You’ve got native hero Blake Griffin who could plug one of the biggest holes in your squad. He’s humble, he’s tough and he’s a tremendously hard worker. Oh, and he’s really, really good at basketball.

But again, Rubio’s got star quality. He’s got the floppy hair and the Maravich comparisons. He’s a flashy passer with a flashy game and is a potential marketing mega-giant. And he’s the pure point guard Russell Westbrook is not. He’s pass first, score second and sets up teammates. He’s one of the world’s best defenders (supposedly) and has great size (6-4) for his position.

So is there any way Oklahoma City takes Rubio over Griffin if given the chance? Does it make any sense for the Thunder to take the young Spaniard over the bruising Oklahoman? Read more…

Commentary Blake Griffin, Draft, Ricky Rubio

Still don’t have a Mother’s Day gift? Are you standing at Walgreens staring at cards and wanting to jump into a lake of thumbtacks? Do you know, no matter you do, your gift is going to suck?

Then let Ebay help! Because I was bored, I searched “Oklahoma City Thunder” on Ebay. And as I was looking through some of the exquisite merchandise, I thought to myself, “You know, I’m sure I could turn this into a gag column somehow. Hey! Mother’s Day is this weekend!” And here we are.

10. Two tickets to the Thunder-Raptors game that happened over a month ago. Just $20 with free shipping! How could you say no? So what that the game was March 27 and Toronto already won, 112-96. Pretend it’s like live DVR. Go to Air Canada Arena, walk inside and visualize Oklahoma City getting absolutely pounded for four quarters. You better hurry, because I’m staring down that Buy It Now button right now.

9. D.J. White’s rookie card. I’d buy the card for D.J.’s insanely awesome smile and pose alone. Seriously, take a gander at that. I also like that at the time the card was made, OKC didn’t have uniforms, so D.J. was in the generic Adidas warmups. That’ll make it rare in 50 years.

8. Framed Kevin Durant signed picture. For the low price of  $149.99, you can have KD’s signature to look at all the time! How awesome! I’d buy this bad boy just to burn it. In Royce’s “Top 50 Things That Piss Me Off,” a grown man getting an autograph of an athlete ranks right around 42, but a grown man getting an autograph and then promptly turning around and selling it, is definitely in the top 10. I think it should be federal law that if you are over the age of 16, you aren’t allowed to get an autograph unless you have signed documentation proving it is for a person under 16. And also, if you are attempting to get an autograph from an athlete with the intention of selling it two days later, you will immediately be set on fire. I’m sure when KD signed it that person said, “Thanks Kevin. You’re the man. You’re the MAN! Thanks so much!” when they were really thinking, “Thanks KD for making me 150 bucks. Amazing that me standing here and having you scribble something on your picture is going to make me this much money. I bet that dumb kid behind me wishes he was me right now. Too bad he forgot to bring a pen. Idiot. Now I’m going to go kill a puppy.”

7. Wait a second, ANOTHER D.J. White rookie card. Yes!

6. Thunder floor mats for your automobile. I think this item really speaks for itself. You’ve got to love sports marketing. “Uh, what else can we slap our logo on and sell? Can we put it on Bible’s? Can we do that? How about garden tools? You think someone would buy that? Or better yet, people’s lawns. Let’s get a decal that covers someone’s entire yard.” Read more…

Commentary, Riff Raff

I noticed something semi-unique about the Thunder a couple months ago – nobody really had tattoos. I was actually willing to guess that Oklahoma City was the most tattoo-less team in the league. Sure you had some guys that were pretty marked up, but the faces of the franchise – Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook - were as clean as Jim Bob Duggar. Maybe it has something to do with their youth. Carmelo Anthony was relatively unmarked when he came into the league. Same with LeBron. Maybe it has something to do with their personalities. They’re just clean-cut, nice young men. Or maybe it has to do with something else.

 Look up and down the roster. It’s true. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

(Waiting.)

Whose got the most ink? Robert Swift, Chucky Atkins and Earl Watson. Whose got the least? Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. Hmm…

All too shocking, eh? I’m not going to go through every team in the league, but I would doubt that this occurs anywhere else. There’s just five guys on the current roster that have any tattoos at all. Is that something Sam Presti scouts when he drafts? Because he’s never drafted a guy with tattoos. Kind of amazing really. You know who else doesn’t have any tattoos? Blake Griffin. Ricky Rubio. James Harden.

Of course, Jeff Green could be sitting down in a chair right as I write this about to get the Eiffel Tower tattooed on his eyelids. In five years, they all may be covered. I don’t know why this phenomenon is happening here, but frankly I like it. I’m not a tattoo guy myself (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and I kind of think it fits our state and city. Plus, evidently the more you have, the more sucky you are at basketball. At least in Oklahoma City.

How long until the draft again?

Commentary Tattoos