Kevin Durant was on The Sports Animal yesterday to help spread the word about his Oklahoma City charity game. So naturally he got asked about the lockout, what he’s doing with his post game and how much he hates OU. Via Sports Radio Interviews:

On the players fighting not only for the present but also the future:

“Yeah man, I think we’re trying to get a deal done that’s going to really help what we’ve got going on now, but like you said, the players that will be coming after us too. We’re sacrificing a little bit of time for betterment of both. But hopefully we get something done because  I know the fans are getting anxious or a little upset, but I think we’re doing what we need to make sure the players have a fair deal.”

On what his message is to fans that think the negotiations are still ongoing because of players being greedy:

“Well first of all, we’re not trying to get more money. We already gave up money, we sacrificed money in our negotiating to try to make a deal. But the owners won’t budge.”

On what specifically he’s working on with his game during the extended offseason:

“Oh, everything — posting up, more play-making skills, shooting off the dribble, everything. I’ve just been trying to watch different guys around the league, try to look at some of their tendencies and try to put that in my game as well. So I’ve been learning a lot, watching a lot of film and trying to grow.”

On what specifically he’s trying to do to improve his post game:

“I’ve always wanted to say this but I have a post up game, it’s just a matter of me…I get double-teamed a lot, no team in the NBA is going to allow me to post up and have three or five seconds to do what I do before sending a double-team. So for me, why would I always post up when I know I’m going to get double-teamed and put myself in a bad position and get turnovers. So I try to get in there and score quick and get some post moves in, but why would I always go down there when I know a double-team is going to come where I get most of my turnovers? A lot of people get that kind of confused in thinking I don’t have a post game when I know I have a good post game. It can get better, of course, but I do have one. And every time I go down there, there’s two or three people down there and I can’t make a post move.”

On his Texas Longhorns losing consecutive games to OU and OSU:

“I still hate Oklahoma, but OSU is alright in my mind.”

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.

Following some really interesting dialogue at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference about game experience and the future of live sports, I wanted to talk Thunder Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brian Byrnes about how the Thunder might fit in there. I’ve been saving this conversation for a rainy day and well, thanks lockout, I guess.

First, thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I know you’re a busy man (or at least was when I talked to him).

I always have time to talk about our business.

The first thing I wanted to ask about was that Mark Cuban said the Mavericks sink “hundreds of thousands” of dollars into just video presentations alone at games. I know the Thunder don’t do anything like that, but is the budget pretty substantial for game presentation?

Well, first of all, the answer to the first question that do we spend a good amount of our resources on the game presentation is an overwhelming yes. Mark’s comment I think was more attributed to their video development. I would suggest that we do a fair of that by the way. I don’t know that it’s as much as Dallas does though.

It’s probably one of our biggest investments in terms of business. Obviously I’m not speaking to the basketball side of things in terms of investment in players, but if you think of just the business, one of the more sizable investments we make both from a monetary perspective and a resource perspective is to create the most energetic and compelling game experience we can.

Cuban also said that during big games that the game entertainment kind of lays off and lets the fans produce more of it on their own. Like if the Mavs are playing the Spurs, they back off with the prompts and videos and try to produce a bit more of an organic feel to the experience rather than pounding away with music and stuff. Do the Thunder take that same approach?

That’s a good question. I think that answer is probably more market specific and Mark has a good perspective on the Maverick environment where they market certain games different from others. In Oklahoma City, it’s different.

I think we’ve tried to take the approach that every game is of the same value. We’ve never really tried to say that one game is more important because of the opponent quality or the opponent brand, i.e. a Celtic game versus a Grizzly game. It’s been our perspective that we want to treat every game with an equal level of value.

There are several reasons for that. One is, in a relatively new market we’re still very much promoting the NBA experience. We’re still very much promoting that every game is important to the organizational development of our fanbase. And I think from the team perspective we’ve always had a responsibility to create the best environment for our players and we don’t to suggest that one game is not the same as the other. Because to them, every game is important. So we’ve never really tried to differentiate that with our presentation to our fans. So we may be in the minority, but our approach to provide a consistent game experience to our fans.

What do the Thunder focus more on — the jumbotron or in trying to create that organic fan experience?

It’s a fine line. Clearly, not only is it our third year in OKC but the fifth year for the NBA here. We understand that our fans are becoming more knowledgeable about the pace of the game and the cadence of the game and as the team continues to play well, especially at home, I think our fans are more in tune with the ebbs and flow of the game.

So we’re very conscious of allowing the game to breathe when the fans are really connecting to the experience. Our approach is for the first two and half, three quarters of the game, we’re trying to create a consistent level of entertainment. There’s a lot of video board presentation, there’s a lot of on court promotions during timeouts, there’s constant music being played and it’s all part of creating a sense of excitement and buzz and interaction. But we’re also very conscious of the latter part of the game, where we’ll read and react. There’s times where we need to be more aggressive and there are times when we simply have to step back.

How concerned are you and the organization about TV? I know you make a ton of money off of TV rights, but at the same time it has to be a bit scary to that with HDTV’s and now 3D TVs and the convenience of DVR that staying at home and foregoing the pains of parking and the time commitment, right?

No question. We’re a business like everyone else. So when we go into business planning for any particular year, we start with the same thing every business starts with, a swot analysis. What are you strengths, weaknesses, what are the opportunities and what are the challenges.

And more and more, professional sports teams, just like Cuban articulated, more and more of our teams, when you think about the challenge to our business, it’s technology. The fact you can watch an NBA game on a 105-inch HDTV or a 70-inch 3D TV or your 4-inch iPad, and the quality is terrific, that’s absolutely a competitive threat to our business.

So, what do we do about that? We try to make the game experience so unique and so compelling and so interesting that to a consumer, there’s still a choice to make. While the game on TV might be extremely good, there’s still no substitute for the in-game experience.

One thing the panel discussed in detail was smart phone integration. The example I liked was saying if a movie is good, people aren’t going to be checking their phone for two hours. I assume that’s the same idea the Thunder have with in-game entertainment. One idea I had was maybe like an app that you only can use in the arena where you can hear Scott Brooks mic’d up or something. Do you see the game experience leaning that direction in the future?

Absolutely. And your idea is a good one because I think what it does is it starts the discussion about all  of the different types of content you can provide. I’ll give you a real practical debate that we’re having in our offices now: In the arena, kind of the standard arena presentation on your video boards, you really have it focused on our of town scores, players on the floor, fouls, timeouts, points, steals, all of that. What we’re doing today in 2011 is really not all that different to what teams were doing in 1997, trying to provide those interesting facts to fans.

Well guess what: With a good PDA, you can get all that faster and maybe in a better format sitting in your seat with your smart phone than what you can get in the building. So we have to start thinking about re-purposing some of the real estate that we use for scores and stats and maybe do something different with it because the consumer has different and maybe better ways to access the data.

So maybe those end boards instead of being hustle stats maybe there’s some other unique presentation. Maybe it’s alternate camera angles. Maybe it’s isolation cameras on players or pieces of the playing surface. To your point, maybe there’s apps that are developed that are location based apps where only in the arena you can get streams of information whether it’s the coach’s audio or a player isolation camera or whatever. Because quite frankly, that stuff can be distributed better than what we can do in-arena at least more practically.

I think some fans might suggest a “Thunder Girl cam” but I’m not so sure about that. But what about people bringing iPads to games. Do you think that’s going to become more commonplace in the future?

I do. I think the next generation of fans will have grown up in an era where multitasking is second nature. You don’t see iPads as much as cell phones, but I don’t think we’re too far away from seeing iPads as a device that’s open because people want to see shooting percentages or turnover rate or who has the most offensive rebounds. People expect it in real-time now. They don’t want to wait two minutes for us to display it. They want to see it when they want to see it. I don’t think we’re too far off from that.

I don’t want to use the word fear, but what’s your biggest concern I guess heading down the road? I have no doubt the organization is going to be successful but there has to be things that you guys are always keeping an eye on. Is it ticket sales, on court success, downtown parking, in-game experience? Something else?

The secret sauce for us is instilling an emotional connectivity with fans. I think that’s the holy grail for sports teams anyway, right? How do you have a Cubs relationship with your fans? How do you have a Packers relationship with your fans? How do you have a St. Louis Cardinals relationship with your fans? Where year in and year our, they want to support you, they want to be connected to you, they want to feel like there’s a sense of value to being a fan more important than team success.

So year in and year out, we feel like the fans are valuing the experience of being a Thunder fan and that supersedes what happens on the court. Because on the court, it’s only natural that we’re going to have cycles of performance. That’s a constant in sports. It’s way too early to know, but if we’re looking back 15 years from now to evaluate the Thunder business, we hope that we’ve accomplished a sense of fan value. And that doesn’t necessarily mean the ticket buyer. They could watch the game on TV or go to five games a year, how can I make sure that person is really connected to the experience?

The analogy is to the collegiate marketplace. Why do colleges have such a strong sense of loyalty? More often than not, it’s alumni driven and they spent four or five years at the university becoming immersed in the culture and the identity and the lifestyle of that experience and the environment, so they’re naturally following that football team or basketball team because there’s a sense of participation.

Professional teams don’t have that. You’re a fan because you’re choosing to follow this particular product or service. So we have to create in ways the experience colleges have by having you on their campus for four or five years. I think that’s my fear. My fear is that we have to keep working on developing that connection so that fans value what we provide.

Our greatest challenge is that we’re the smallest market in the NBA. Our biggest opportunity is that we’re the smallest market in the NBA. We have a chance to get this entire community to be really passionate and supportive of our business in such a way that you probably can’t instill that civic pride in other bigger markets because there are too many other things competing for their attention.

Yeah because at some point, that new car smell will wear off. And with the incredible success early, there has to be a worry of fans becoming more entitled and spoiled so when the cycle completes itself and the team starts coming back to Earth that support could waver some.

We think about that every day. That’s why we’ve tried to be so consistent with our advertising, our messaging, our relationship to fans. We’ve really tried to ask ourselves in every instance, is what we’re doing creating long-term value? If the answer’s not yes, we try not to do it.

There have been numerous opportunities where we could’ve taken a short-term approach to a marketing campaign, or a short-term approach to a message or could’ve reacted to a winning streak or a player being named Player of the Month. In those moments, you have choices. You have choices because the success of a player or the success of a team gives you short-term opportunities. We’ve tried to always take a step back and look at the interest of the long-term. Those aren’t always easy decisions and sometimes they’re not always popular either.

The market’s just not big enough to take it all for granted. We have to put everybody in the boat and get them to be inspired to support this team because we’re going to need it to be successful.

The blueprints are there for us. I’ll give you an example. The Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1996. The first year they were there, they won the Stanley Cup. Now think about that level of expectation. For years, probably 10 years, they were sold out every night and it was considered a great hockey team. But underneath that, they only experienced a high level of success. Not just success, a high level of it. But in recent memory, they’ve really struggled. They’ve struggled putting fans in their building, they’ve struggled maintaining that sense of buzz that was there 10 years ago. I really think they’re going through that 15-year ping of looking back and saying, how good is the foundation, how good is the brand? I’m not questioning their business practices I’m just saying as an example, there’s a market that had a lot of success, why weren’t they able to turn that into a long-term foundation.

So for us, to be a relatively good team two of the first three years and starting to have a similar path, we have to be really cognizant of the foundation and not take it for granted that we’re still building something.

An NBA example would obviously be the Kings. So much support during the late 1990s and early part of the 2000s with those great teams with Chris Webber, Doug Christie, Mike Bibby and Vlade Divac. Now they could be facing a move if an arena isn’t in their future. Being a market similar to the Thunder, that has to catch your attention.

We’re going to watch that situation very closely. A lot of people would say that Oklahoma City looks a lot like Sacramento 15 years ago. The NBA popularity, the rabid fanbase — what a great lesson for us to say that how we can ensure that 15 years later we’re more like the San Antonio Spurs and not so much like the Sacramento Kings.

Whatever it is, I would think basketball would be relatively low on the list. And thus, one would assume, making it somewhat odd to be a fan of the NBA in Iceland. Somewhat odd. Not completely out of this world to enjoy it.

But what’s really odd – meaning more than somewhat - is being an Oklahoma City Thunder fan in Iceland, one of the least visible teams in the league. Which brings us to Hlynur Omar Bjornsson, the self-proclaimed only Thunder fan in Iceland. Let me ask it for you: “Huh? How? Why?” So I asked him, among other things.

You know if you look real hard, it kind of looks like OKC's logo.

You are a Thunder fan in Iceland. Simply, how and why?

I‘ve always liked basketball and the NBA. As a kid I started supporting the Sonics. First, because of Shawn Kemp and his monster dunks, but eventually Gary Payton became my favorite player. I‘ve never been to Seattle, but my father used to travel there quite a bit because of his work (visiting the Boeing offices) and he really liked the city, so at least I had some connection to the city.

When the team was sold and eventually relocated to Oklahoma City, I was pretty upset and thought that if there was any time when you were allowed to actually switch your allegiances and become a fan of another team, this was it. So I tried to find a new team to follow but none stood out. I then noticed that every morning when I checked the NBA news or the box score, the team I looked up first was the Thunder. How was my old team doing? How was Kevin Durant playing? I was really excited when the Sonics drafted KD so maybe I was just keeping track of him?

But no, it was not just him. I found out that you can‘t make a concious decision to stop being a fan of a certain team (even if it has a new name and address) and become a fan of another (if I was a Seattle resident I most likely would think differently, but in that case my attachment to the team would be a lot different, then it would be a case of “always support your local team”). I was still a fan of this team that was now located in Oklahoma City, a place I did not know much about but was interested to know more about. So you could say that I just followed the team from Seattle. Continuing to support it just felt right.

I quickly learned that Oklahoma City has really embraced the team and shown that it is a great NBA city. It has a strong fan base, I can find a lot about the team in the local media (thanks to the Internet), the organization seems to be building for the future, with a great arena, top-notch practice facility and Sam Presti is the best young GM in sports: He actually seems to have a plan with a horizion of more than just a couple of months.

How do you watch the games or follow the team?

I mostly follow the team on the Internet. I obviously read the Daily Thunder, I read recaps, study box scores and watch highlights on ESPN.com, NBA.com and other websites. I also have NBA TV International, so there is an NBA game on pretty much every night, but I only got to see three or four Thunder games last season and that‘s not enough. I am checking out if I can get NBA League Pass Broadband, which is supposed to be available here in Iceland and would allow me to see more Thunder games.

Do you have any aspirations to come to Oklahoma City to see a game live and in person?

I‘d love to go to Oklahoma City and attend a game. That would really be great. However it is not on my short term plan right now. Now is not a very good time for Icelanders to travel abroad since our currency (the krona) has taken a nosedive following the banking crash here last fall, so unfortunately my purchasing power in dollars ain‘t what it used to be. You may not know this but the entire banking system here collapsed in October of 2008 (a couple of weeks after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy) and the main banks, one of which I work for, had to be nationalized. So we are slowly digging ourselves out of that mess. Hopefully I can come over in a couple of years and see the team play (maybe even in the playoffs).

Is basketball very big in Iceland? When I think of sports in Iceland, I think of the movie Mighty Ducks 2.

Yeah, I remember those big bad Icelandic hockey players in the Mighty Ducks 2. Believe it or not, that movie was not really an accurate portrayal of Icelandic athletes, or Icelanders in general for that matter. Hockey is actually not that big here, even though the sport has seen a lot of progress, with better facilities and more players.

Hard to believe Gunner Stahl isn't a national hero in Iceland, but apparently hockey isn't that big.

By far the biggest sport here is football (soccer) even though we are not really that good at it. But hey, there are only 300,000 people here so what can you expect? The womens‘ team is actually really good and played in the Euro 2009 final tournament earlier this year. We‘ve had the most international success in team handball and won a silver medal in the last Olympics . Team handball is obviously not a huge sport in the world, but I think it just needs better marketing. It should actually appeal to Americans as it‘s really fast, really physical, with high scoring and you can put in as many TV timeouts as you want J.

Basketball however is only moderately popular here. Interest goes a few decades back. Actually Channel 2 in Iceland was one of the first overseas channels to start broadcasting regularly from the NBA. There was a huge basketball craze during the Bulls‘ first run of titles (1991-1993) before Jordan‘s first retirement. Among kids and teenagers it seemed to be bigger than football for a couple of years. But that craze subsided and around the turn of the century, very few people were interested. (I however have been a fanatic ever since 1989 or even earlier.) These days it seems to be enjoying somewhat of a resurgence with more media coverage and LeBron, Kobe and Wade jerseys visible around town.

One Icelandic player has played in the NBA: 7-2 center Petur Gudmundsson who was the first European to play in the NBA. He played college basketball at the University of Washington and was drafted by the Blazers. He played a few games for the showtime Lakers (even started two games) in the 1985-86 season averaging 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds before going out with a back injury. He then played a couple of years for the Spurs before the injury ended his career.

Let’s hear it: What are your thoughts on this year’s team? Reasonable goals, predictions or anything like that you’d like to throw out there?

I am very excited about the team, not just for this season but for the next few years. It is great to get the feeling that the GM and the organization acutally have a working plan. I didn’t get that feeling the last few years when the team was in Seattle. I never expected them to make a good trade or to sign a big name free agent. Now it’s differet: Presti is highly respected and I think that even if it is not in the biggest media market, players would like to play for the Thunder, because it is a team on the rise and not some dead end perennial lottery team.

I try to keep my expectations for the coming season realistic and not get overexcited about some huge jump in the standings. I have higher expectations regarding individual player development: I want to see Russell Westbrook master the point guard position without losing his attacking mentality; I want to see if Jeff Green can actually become a real NBA power forward, or if he will develop into a first class 6th man (which is actually where I think his real value lies); and of course I want to see Kevin Durant continue to grow into an NBA superstar. I think he will lead the league in scoring this season.

We have more players that can become really valuable this year: James Harden may be our SG of the future, a lot of fans seem to be super-excited about Serge Ibaka’s potential (the return of Shawn Kemp maybe?), Shaun Livingson‘s comeback story is compelling and I actually think that Nenad Krstic has some upside left in him considering he‘s only 26 and his development got a little sidetracked by the injury and his time in Russia. However he‘s not the long-term solution at the center spot since I think we need a low-post scoring threat there who can also rebound and defend, and unfortunately the jump shooting Krstic fills none of those needs.

In terms of team record I don’t think the they will be in serious contention for a playoff spot this season but I expect the win total to be somewhere around 31-36 games, probably closer to 36. Coach Brooks’ winning percentage last season was .319, which over 82 games translates to about 26 wins. Since I expect around 10 game jump in win totals the team could get to about 36 wins. That‘s my prediciton.

Big thanks to Hlynur for taking time to answer the questions and here’s to making it over eventually to see a game.

Daily Thunder: How big was it for the 66ers to move to downtown Tulsa?
Jim Brylewski: For us right now, the growth of downtown Tulsa, by April every team will be playing in downtown Tulsa. So we think it’s instrumental to the growth of the city and we think there’s some synergy now for everybody to be playing essentially within blocks of each other.

DT: And the team is playing in the… Civic Center?
JB: We’re playing in the Tulsa Convention Center. It is in the process of being renovated and will be completed by early November.

DT: Are there any aspirations to ever move to the BOK Center?
JB: Right now, from a financial standpoint, what the other teams pay in rent is not feasible from a cost standpoint.

DT: The Thunder made a slick move when it purchased its own D-League franchise. Why do you think other teams haven’t done this?
JB: I don’t know. I think that Houston just entered into an agreement where they’re handling the basketball operation in Rio Grande Valley. It’s a slow approach but I think once some of the other NBA teams see the value from a developmental standpoint that you’ll see that grow. I think that initial expense may hold back some. But from a developmental standpoint, but for us on the basketball side, if Shaun Livingston pans out the way that it looks like he’s going to, that’s the value of the franchise. So I think once other NBA franchises see that and see the benefit, that you’ll see it slowly turn that way.

DT: The Spurs use an approach in using the Toros as part of their player screening process. They’ll sign a player and then assign him to the Toros as part of an extended interview for their 14th or 15th roster spot. It’s an approach that allows them the opportunity to look at a player’s skill set within their system alongside prolonged assessments of character, basketball intelligence and professionalism. Is this something the Thunder and 66ers do as well?
JB: That’s something that’s handled through Sam [Presti] and on the basketball side. We saw a little bit of that last year and I think you’ll see more and more players assigned moving forward. Things are a little but more established in Oklahoma City than they were a year ago and moving forward I think you’ll see it integrated more and more.

DT: What is the relationship between the two clubs? Do you see it developing into a true Triple A, Big League Club baseball type of arrangement with players being sent down, called up and rehabbing injuries in Tulsa?
JB: Yes. From a basketball standpoint, yes. From a business standpoint, it’s almost like we are another department within the company. We’re an extension in the Tulsa market and moving forward this year, we have somebody starting next week selling tickets for both properties out of Tulsa. We’re slowly starting to integrate both things together.

DT: How do you market the franchise? Do you market it as “See the Thunder’s future stars” or do you look to market it as its own team and own franchise?
JB: We try to use the brand. Really to see future NBA players for as little as $8 a game and the future of the Thunder, but we’re also re-branding the logo and the colors to match. And that will be unveiled in the next month or so.

DT: Will it stay the 66ers? There’s been rumors that might change.
JB: The name is staying the same.

DT: How has the economy affected the team?
JB: It’s been a little tougher. People are tightening their belts but there’s still a good interest, a sold interest. Having the Thunder name associated with us helps legitimize us. You know with us being in that owned and operated situation and being an NBA property now or a division of an NBA property, it puts us in a better situation than in the past.

DT: In a way, can you take advantage of that because the team is a heck of a bargain?
JB: We’re kicking around promotions now that we’ll unveil shortly where kids will be able to come to games for as little as five bucks. That’s the thing about this building because it’s a little bigger than where we played last year it’s going to allow us to be a little more flexible and lenient that way. We were somewhat limited with the ticket inventory in the last facility.

The Tulsa Convention Center

DT: What about more options now with in game entertainment and game production?
JB: A little bit. It will be similar. They’re installing high-definition video boards. It’s going to be one of the better facilities in the league still. Which helps us out. Being an SMG property and essentially the same people managing it that manage the BOK Center is definitely a benefit to us as well.

DT: Are the 66ers a stand alone franchise or does almost all support come from the Thunder money wise? How does that relationship between the two work?
JB: Like I said, we’re a department within the organization. Where there, there is a marketing department, and we’re like the 66ers department.

DT: Within the TrueHoop Network, last year we came up with All-Star Weekend reforms, with one being the All-Rookie team versus D-League All-Stars. How would you like to see the NBA and the D-League work together more to maybe market the D-League better?
JB: I think that’s a great idea, but I don’t know what the thoughts are from the basketball guys. I think anything that helps our league get any exposure is positive. But I don’t know and I can’t speak with the basketball guys about their feeling on that specific thing.

DT: Mike Taylor was the first player ever drafted from the D-League and he’s kind of been the flag bearer for the league and the face of the league as he’s gone forward in the NBA. How excited are you about Shaun Livingston potentially being the face of the 66er franchise in the future?
JB: We were really excited for the opportunity he was here. You could really see when he was on the floor that his passing skills were unparalleled. We’re really excited to see what he can do for them moving forward. If he does pay off, that’s huge for us. Also, the second prong to that from quote “a recruiting standpoint” if other guys see that as a path and an opportunity, you’ll have more players considering the D-League and considering us.

DT: How advantageous is it to have a place like Tulsa just up the road to be able to work between the two franchises?
JB: It’s huge. Austin is similar, but if you look at what baseball has done over the last 15 to 20 years with the placement of Double-A and Triple-A franchises, they try to be in driving distance where it wasn’t really something in the past that was taken into consideration. From a business and basketball standpoint, one it gives us the opportunity to co-brand in both markets. Then from a basketball standpoint, they can see guys, the Thunder player personal guys can be at almost every game here because it’s a short drive. We take our guys there and practice there, occasionally take them to Thunder games… it really becomes an extension where like I said, it’s another department within the corporation. We really are highly integrated.

DT: Like with Moses Ehambe participating in the Thunder Caravan this summer.
JB: It legitimizes us here as a franchise and helps us extend the brand almost 365 days a year, helps extend the Thunder brand here in Tulsa.

DT: In a way when players like D.J. White and Kyle Weaver are sent down to Tulsa last year, is the 66er organization excited about that? I mean the player isn’t really excited to be sent down, but how does the organization see that situation? Do you guys get excited about a player being sent down because of the potential draw and exposure they can bring?
JB: Absolutely and they were great about it too. It was more of a rehab assignment for D.J. and I think Kyle just played a couple of game. You can see the skill level of both of them and we had people from Oklahoma City come to see them and I mean fans. It helps legitimize the franchise when NBA players are assigned and you see other teams in the league do that throughout the season. I think we have something like five or six guys that are actually eligible to be assigned this season.

Again, huge thanks to Jim for speaking with me. Tulsa 66er season tickets are on sale now and you can actually get tickets for as low as $8. Get sum.

Talk a little about bringing in Etan Thomas and trading away Damien Wilkins and Earl Watson Chucky Atkins.

We’re really excited to have Etan. He’s a guy we feel than can contribute to what we’re trying to do as a basketball team. He brings a defensive mentality and physical nature to our and adds more depth to our frontline.

One thing I’ve noticed is that it seems the Thunder has all high-character guys. Is that something high on your priority list? Will you sacrifice a really good player if he has character issues?

We’re looking for guys that we think are going to fit with our team. It’s not necessarily for us to be judge and jury on other people, but we are looking for people that are going to contribute to the kind of environment on and off the floor that we strive to have. And we feel good about the type of guys that we have on our roster in terms of their fit together – on the court, also their fit off the court and their commitment to the organization. We’re looking for guys that feel we can be successful in our system.

Does it factor in at all being in Oklahoma, a conservative state? Does that mean anything in looking for players or trying to find players the fanbase can relate to?

You know, one of the things I said when I first arrived in Oklahoma City about a year ago was that we felt like we as an organization had arrived in a wonderful place because the values that we’re trying to build our team and our franchise with are consistent with the values you find in this state. Resiliency, work ethic, team and commitment to one another. Those are things that we as a basketball are focused on a daily basis and I also feel that those things are in the fabric of the community that we all live in.

You talk a lot about the process and the plan and you refer to the organization as a “program.” Is there any specific reason for that?

I wish I could tell you that there’s a real deep, philosophical, scientific reason as to why we refer to it like that. But I think certainly what we’re trying to do is build a team and an organization that’s sustainable and not necessarily just looking at our work from a year-to-year basis. Certainly we want to be successful every night we take the floor and that’s the goal of our basketball team. But I also have a job to be looking not only at today, but also two, three, four, fives years down the line and balancing those things are important and developing a vision for the team and a direction. I think that kind of rolls into the concept of having a program and having a way of which we’re going to try and see this thing through.

Is there any time whether it be this year or next where you have stop and say, “This isn’t working”?

You’re always evaluating a team and your process. We’ll always be doing that. I feel like we should continue to take steps forward. We like the group that we have and think that is has the potential to continue to grow. Most importantly it has the potential to grow together. We’ve invested in a group of players that are like-minded in terms of their commitment to improving and developing, commitment to being consistent in Oklahoma City, committed to one another. We like that direction. But we have to stay focused on improving those things and staying committed to those things everyday and not necessarily worrying about where the outcome is before we can keep our focus on the daily improvement and the process of getting better.

Kevin Durant recently said the playoffs are a possibility. How are you managing all the building hype and expectation for this team?

Every team wants to make the playoffs. That’s not different. For us, we’ve always said internally, we’re going to focus on the things we think are important for us to be successful. Continuing to play winning basketball, team basketball.  Staying committed to playing both ends of the floor. And bringing great commitment and energy to the floor every day, for each other and for our fans. If we can continue to focus on those things we think that good things will happen. In terms of expectations and things of that nature, those are things we can’t control. It’s flattering that people would say those things and feel that way about our team. I wouldn’t place any limitations about our players but at the same time we have a lot of work to do. And we have a lot of areas that we need to improve. The only way that we’ll ultimately be successful is if we maintain our focus in those areas and not let ourselves be distracted or brought off balance by focusing on things that are external.

You got such a reputation around the league for being a genius and whatnot. Do you read that or notice that type of stuff?

You know it’s certainly humbling when people have nice things to say about you but by the same token we have jobs to do here. We can’t allow ourselves to start looking at things like that. I think to me, I think when somebody has something positive to say about the organization I think it’s really a credit to so many different people that work here. We have a great ownership group that is really supportive. We’ve got a great coaching staff. I have a great group of people that I work with every day that I truly enjoy being around. I really look at it as a group of people that understand that we have a lot of work ahead of us but are committed to the organization and we’re just going to do our jobs every day. We hope that we’re able to put a product on the floor that the fans and the people of Oklahoma City can get behind and relate to and continue to support for many, many years.

I know a couple franchises like in Houston with Daryl Morey have embraced advanced statistics? Do you employ anyone that keeps up with those type of specific stats?

I think if you look in the league now, I think the majority of teams are certainly retaining people that specialize in that area. I think some teams probably use them more than others. But I think everybody now is starting to look to any area to gain an advantage, just given the limitations of the salary cap and the other things that come into play when you’re trying to put a roster together. I think everybody is looking for ways that they can improve their team. You mentioned Daryl Morey in Houston and I think those guys are obviously far ahead of the rest of the league in that area and continue to do great work. And we as a basketball team, we like information. We value different kinds of information. I don’t think just based on one objective piece of information or subjective information. We’re going to try and figure out a balance and apply the information that we think is most impactful for a positive outcome. We’ve looked at those areas, but still we’re trying to balance everything.

The cap dropped this year and is set to drop even more next year. What are your thoughts on that and how does that affect a small market club like OKC?

I think every team certainly is affected when the cap or the tax go down. Every team is trying to manage their payroll in an effective way so they retain some level of mobility and flexibility. For us specifically, we’ve worked very hard to try and create flexibility for ourselves. Now that’s not an easy road in today’s NBA, but those are the realities of being in a league that has a salary cap. We’re in a position where we feel like we have some flexibility to add and grow the basketball team, in addition to the internal and organic development of our players. But we’re also going to be very diligent as we evaluate how we want to use that flexibility and not just look at it and feel that we have to engage in a spending spree right now.

I saw on your Wikipedia page you once took six charges in one game. Is that true?

Yes. I think my college coach would tell you that he didn’t want me to do much else. And that particular night I happened to be in the right place a few different times. I knew my limitations as a player, as a Division III player and tried to find the best way that I could to help the team. A lot of times that meant not trying to do too much.

You don’t strike me as a Twitter kind of guy. Would you ever consider using it?

Not really. To tell you that I know a whole lot about it wouldn’t be accurate. I know that it’s kind of caught fire, but it’s just not something that I’d be interested, at least right now.

Do you have any final words for Daily Thunder readers and Thunder fans in general?

Absolutely. Our experience in Oklahoma has been incredibly overwhelming. Just given the support the passion from our fans, has been just tremendous. Our players and our staff are grateful that we get to represent the city and represent the state, both home and on the road. We’re excited about the upcoming year and we feel that we’ve taken some positive steps this summer. I think having Scott Brooks leading our team on the floor is going to help us a great deal. He’s someone that really coaches towards our values and his identity as a player. I think our fans will be excited to see the improvements that we’ve made. We’re just thrilled to have the opportunity to grow our team and our organization in a place like Oklahoma City. They’ve made us feel so welcome and you really just have to be here for a short amount of time to understand that this is a special place and a special community.

Again, so much thanks to Sam Presti for talking to me and let me tell you people, he’s awesome. Such a gracious, nice person. Which kind of sucks because the team could win four games over the next five years and I might not be able to bring myself to say anything bad about him. Not that they will or anything because as always, I Believe In Sam Presti.

Daily Thunder: With the Sooners and the Cowboys, people are really touchy about The Oklahoman remaining unbiased and objective. But with the Thunder, this is the state’s team. Do you find it harder to try and stay objective or is it easy to get caught up being a fan?

Darnell Mayberry: I’m not a fan. That’s the first thing I think it’s important to realize. I am a fan of the NBA, sure. It’s my favorite league. But I don’t root for the Thunder specifically or have a team bumper sticker on my car or foam fingers in my house or Kevin Durant autographed pictures hanging on my wall. And so I haven’t found my job as the Thunder beat writer any more or less difficult than any other beat in terms of remaining objective. It’s a professional obligation in my eyes. An awesomely fun and enjoyable one, but one that I take seriously and work very hard at.

Having said that, it’s human nature to want to see people do well. Working closely with so many classy people in the Thunder organization, from players to coaches to front office execs, you want to see them do well. But I’m not happy or heartbroken after every win or loss. My approach to my job remains the same whether the Thunder has a 3-29 record through its first 32 games or goes 20-30 over its final 50. I don’t, however, know any sports journalist, myself included, that doesn’t want to cover a good team. It’s both a pleasure and a professional challenge to chronicle the biggest sporting events of the year. So I’m like every other professional sports journalist I know who wants to continually be in that position. But I don’t let my desire cloud my judgment or show up in my work. The one challenge about this being Oklahoma’s team, and the state’s first major-league franchise, is that there is a ton of excitement about the Thunder. And what I’ve found sort of ironic is while many sports journalists live in fear of being labeled a homer, I’m in a position where fans are upset when I’m too critical.

DT: You’ve had the unique experience of covering two NBA franchises in the same city – how would you compare the two?

DM: Similar but strangely different. The Hornets were much more open in terms of access. George Shinn and his wife, Denise, often ate in the media room, for example. You wanted an interview, go grab a plate of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans and pull up a seat. He’d tell you want you wanted to know. Want an interview with Clay Bennett, call, schedule an appointment and get in line. And maybe he’ll take time for your request. Similar examples can be stated about the two organizations at every level. That variance has taken a year to adjust to.

But it’s one the Thunder views as a small step in conducting business that ultimately will produce a more structured and professional environment that sets an example that will lead to positive results on and off the basketball court. I think we all know about the similarities and differences from a basketball standpoint as far as the product, players and results. But in terms of overall excitement, I’ve see much more of a vested interest in the Thunder by a larger segment of the state. And in my opinion the Hornets’ first season felt more like they belonged to Oklahoma City rather than a franchise on loan. Even though everyone knew the latter was the case.

I’d often hear the most elementary basketball questions coming from fans in the stands during the Hornets’ first season. But I’ve witnessed NBA fans here slowly become much more knowledgeable now that the Thunder is here to stay. They’re not as uninformed on the rules of the game and more and more are learning the personalities of the players, coaches and even referees. That continued growth in the fans allows me to write more in-depth pieces rather than explaining basic things, which we were forced to do a lot of while the Hornets were here.

DT: Do you think the Thunder have established their “brand” yet with this state? Or is the team still kind of a novelty act?

DM: I don’t think so. I could be wrong but I would think that if you asked 10 random people within walking distance of the Ford Center what is the team’s mascot, maybe three would stumble upon the right answer. Ask them what the logo is and they’d struggle as well. Much of that can be attributed to the mascot being unveiled so late into the season and the logo being ambiguous and atrocious. But small things like that must seep into the psyche of a fan before a franchise has established its brand. I do, however, think the Thunder has made incredible strides to have been in this city for just more than one full calendar year. It seems fans already expect and identify high-character players, community involvement and a commitment to a fun and family-friendly environment for 41 nights inside the Ford Center as main tenets of the Thunder.

But I doubt anyone with the Thunder would want to be viewed as a 23-win outfit. So while I do think the Thunder has made great strides in only one season, the franchise is very much still a novelty in many ways. In a way, everything the Thunder does, from a player transaction to a player appearance, is the first time most fans in Oklahoma are experiencing those things. While the Hornets did several NBA-specific things, I’m not sure the majority of people paid attention to much of anything outside of their 41 game nights. The microscope is now a lot more intense. Folks are catching on, but I think the Thunder executives would be the first to admit the organization has a long way to go.

DT: Likewise, do you think Oklahoma City people get the NBA yet? I don’t think the Thunder could ever catch the monster that is OU football, but do you think they could get close?

DM: If by get the NBA you mean the games, how the league works and the ebb and flow of the season, I think people are slowly beginning to understand things. I think by this time next year many more people will have a much firmer handle on what to expect, why things happen and what to make of things when they happen. If by get the NBA you mean are converted college fans who previously had no interest in professional basketball, I think that segment is growing as well and will continue to grow. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard, dating back to the Hornets’ days, about a friend bringing a friend to a game and the first-time NBA friend immediately becoming hooked. The action and athleticism, the pace and style and the excitement and entertainment of NBA basketball is contagious in that sense. It’s why basketball has long been my favorite sport and the NBA my favorite league.

Maybe for that reason I think the Thunder can without a doubt compete with OU football. It won’t be easy. But in my opinion and experiences there are thousands of people, sports fans even, in this state who aren’t interested in OU football. Or OSU sports for that matter. I grew up as one of them and know for a fact that those types are eager for something else. Combine that with the OU, OSU and Tulsa fans who have become rabid Thunder fans and I think the Thunder does have a chance to rival the interest in OU football. But it won’t happen before deep playoff runs and one or two championships.

DT: Who is the best interview on the team? Who’s the one guy that you know you can go to and get at least one quote worthwhile?

DM: Nick Collison and it’s not even close. A lot of these guys, perhaps because they’re young, give a lot of clichés but are good in general once they get going. But Collison has a way of breaking down the game that both informs the casual fan and interests the hardcore reader. And just for good measure, he’ll throw in a gem in the middle of it all. “This is the most miserable season I’ve ever been a part of.” Said following a six-point loss to Memphis in mid-December that dropped the Thunder to 2-21. A sports writer’s dream.

DT: Were you surprised when OKC bought out Earl Watson and do you think that was a better move than holding on to him to use as trade bait? And how would you rate the Thunder’s offseason so far?

DM: Not surprised they waived him. I think we all knew something would happen at some point but didn’t know what or when. A trade, it seemed, would have been the first choice. It’s debatable whether waiving him was a better move. But the fact that they did indicates the team knew it couldn’t get anything for him. And if you did try to use him as trade bait this season you’d run the risk of his attitude becoming a problem while hoping something decent comes along. That’s a big hope.

The Thunder took calls and made calls last year to gauge what was out there. Again, the fact that he didn’t get moved indicates there wasn’t an attractive deal for him. Five things to keep in mind regarding Earl Watson: 1) You have to take something back in a trade. 2) That incoming chip has to be something you like. 3) That chip likely could have been a high-dollar contract or a bad attitude. 4) His value wasn’t high. No one wanted him last year. And this goes back to what you can get for him. He was only trade bait because his contract was expiring. Expiring contracts are valuable to teams that are looking to dump salary. The Thunder is not going to trade him to help a team dump salary and take on their dead weight. Trade opportunities like the rescinded Tyson Chandler for Chris Wilcox-Joe Smith-DeVon Hardin deal don’t come along very often. And now that Chandler is limping around on one good foot we see why it was on the table in the first place and eventually rescinded by the Thunder. It would have been wishful thinking to think the Thunder could have gotten a dream deal (a player they like and one that fits) during the season for Watson’s expiring deal. 5) While waiting on that dream deal to present itself, Watson could have become a cancer.

You have to ask yourself if that’s a risk you’re willing to take while waiting on an improbable trade opportunity. As far as the off-season goes I think the Thunder has done a great job so far. You don’t always have to make a big splash and throw away the flexibility that you worked to create and is so hard to get back once gone. Look at it this way. The Thunder got a great complementary player in James Harden, a promising young center in Byron Mullens and have brought over a promising power forward in Serge Ibaka. But the team also will have a full season with Thabo Sefolosha, Nenad Krstic, Shaun Livingston and D.J. White. That’s essentially like seven new players. Krstic’s 46 games were the most played of that bunch. Sefolosha played 23. D.J. White played seven. The importance of that can’t be taken for granted.

DT: You recently had a tweet that mentioned how you thought it was interesting how some “Joe Blow bloggers” have gained locker room access. What’s your take on that and really the evolving world of sports journalism?

DM: There is no doubt sports journalism is changing. I’m sure you and your readers don’t just read my articles in the paper on the Thunder. You’ve seen my mug on NewsOK.com videos (my apologies), read my blog, listened to our podcasts and even seen us break down the Thunder during pre-game on the jumbotron inside the Ford Center (early in the season before we got canned). I even signed up for Twitter last month with the sole purpose of staying with the times and getting information about the Thunder out there much faster. So we live in a different age. The growth of the Internet is largely responsible for changing the way we do things.

Fortunately, The Oklahoman has understood this change and has been one of the few newspapers at the forefront of the gravitation to new mediums, allowing us an opportunity to challenge ourselves by telling stories in a variety of ways and across several platforms. It’s been a learning experience for me. Sadly, in spite of it all, I’m still not convinced newspapers have found the answer that will keep the industry relevant 10 years from now. People, younger ones especially, are simply going to the Web for information. And that has created an opportunity for anyone and everyone to have their voice heard, whether through a self-made blog or YouTube. There are a lot of talented people out there with great ideas and great stories to tell. But that doesn’t mean all of them should be granted access into NBA locker rooms. Unfortunately we’re starting to see things head in that direction, with no real checks and balancing system in place of determining whether someone deserves a credential. There is a difference between blogging and professional writing, ethical journalists and fortunate fans.

I respect, appreciate even, the bloggers who have substance, style and, most importantly, standards. It’s the basement-dwelling, jobless, inexperienced, inconsiderate “Joe Blow Blogger” with no integrity or proper training that I don’t think has any place in or around a professional locker room or clubhouse. Because a fan has an audience we should give him or her a press pass? I don’t agree with that. We wouldn’t let a political enthusiast cover the White House. Making matters worse, some of these bloggers don’t even use their real name. They’re nameless, faceless people who are fans of the league and want to be close to the action because they have a vehicle for delivering “information.” That’s what I meant by “Joe Blow Blogger.” They aren’t held accountable for anything they write. I’ve even heard about bloggers who will have access but aren’t allowed to ask questions, only stand around the interviews and listen. That means I’m doing Joe Blow’s work for him. Thanks, but no thanks.

DT: You haven’t been an NBA beat writer for that long, so who are some guys that you look up to or are your favorites?

DM: There are so many great NBA beat writers, and I’ve been fortunate to have many of them take me under their wing or simply pull me aside and offer insight into how I can be a better NBA reporter. I worked with Cavs writer Brian Windhorst at the Akron Beacon Journal before I came to The Oklahoman and before he moved on to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He’s a great writer and an even better reporter. I’ll never forget walking out of the tunnel of the Ford Center just before tip-off on opening night of the Hornets’ first game back in 2005 and being nervous as can be. Marc Spears, then of the Denver Post and most recently of the Boston Globe but headed to Yahoo! Sports gave me some much-needed words of encouragement. He’s also considered one of the best reporters in the industry. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle does great work both in his paper and on his blog. Other beat guys include: Jason Quick at The Oregonian, Michael Lee at The Washington Post, Ron Tillery at the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Ira Winderman at the Sun-Sentinel, Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee, Mike Wells at the Indianapolis Star and Sekou Smith at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

DT: How do you think the Thunder was received on the road? Do you think Oklahoma City has gained more respect nationally as a viable major league market?

DM: People still ask me if Oklahoma City can support the NBA long term. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, “But what are they going to do when the honeymoon is over?” My response generally is the city doesn’t have to worry about the end of the honeymoon for a long time because there is only going to be more and more interest for the foreseeable future. The Thunder is getting better not worse. Fans support winners, and I, along with a lot of other writers, think the Thunder is developing into a winner.

But I think the ultimate respect will come through winning. Oklahoma City, however, already has impressed those who cover the league by the way the city passed a tax to improve the Ford Center and build a separate practice facility. The city’s support of the Hornets, and now Thunder, has also impressed outsiders who are observing us from afar. I think Oklahoma City’s previous void of professional sports once opened the door for folks to question the market’s viability. But as time has elapsed people are now seeing the benefits of this one-team town thing. On the road, especially early in the season, people didn’t know what the Thunder was. I’d go to the restroom and one guy would be explaining to a buddy that the team moved from Seattle. While I still ran into that as the season went by, I’d hear less and less as April approached. Amazingly, I began seeing a lot of Thunder jerseys in road cities.

DT: The offseason can’t be fun for a beat writer. What do you do with yourself for these next few months?

DM: Take time off. August and September are usually the quietest months so beat writers typically lay low before the grind starts up again from October through July. There will be the occasional story on a free-agent signing or a trade or some other sort of news. But other than that, and perhaps a Main Event or enterprise piece, I generally get away.

DT: So what is it officially at The Oklahoman – is “Thunder” plural or singular? I still haven’t figured it out.

DM: We deem it as singular. Rather than the Thunder are off to a 3-29 start, we write the Thunder is off to a 3-29 start. The Atlanta Hawks traded their star forward, but the Thunder traded its star forward. The Blazers have more than $8 million in salary cap space, but the Thunder has more than $14 million. Weird. I still haven’t gotten used to it. And there are several times a week where I have to catch it in my copy. Sometimes it slips by and makes the paper.

Much thanks to Darnell for taking some time to answer a few questions and also to answer them so thoughtfully. Be sure to follow him on Twitter and also keep up with Thunder Rumblings at NewsOK.com.

1. Simple question: Hasheem Thabeet or Ricky Rubio?

Chip: That isn’t even a question. Thabeet is a nice big man and you can’t teach size but no one believes this player will become anything more than a defensive stopper in the middle. Rubio could be an all-star and a crowd pleasing player as well. If Memphis publicly contemplates taking Thabeet it would most likely be an attempt to get Oklahoma City to buy the 2nd pick for the 3rd pick and another asset. Oklahoma City would be making a mistake taking Thabeet over Rubio in my opinion however. If Memphis moves down to 3rd and Rubio and Griffin are gone I doubt Thabeet would be the player they take at three anyway. James Harden, DeJuan Blair, Tyreke Evans and others have more upside in the NBA the way I look at it than Thabeet. Thabeet is another Roy Hibbert to me.

2.What makes you want Rubio, when Memphis already has Mike Conley? Conley was the fourth overall pick just two years ago and played better in the second half of the season. If Memphis takes Rubio, are the Grizzlies basically giving up on a top five pick just in his third year?

Chip: Every team needs more than one point guard. Rubio is 18 and will take time to adjust to a new country and a new brand of basketball. If Rubio can beat out Conley for the starting role then moves can be made further down the line. Besides, you don’t draft for need. You take the best player available. Drafting for need causes teams to do really dumb things. Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan springs to mind as an example.

3. Reports came out that Rubio doesn’t want to play in either OKC or Memphis. What do you make of such things?

Chip: Agent talk. Rubio hasn’t said anything. You can’t blame his agent for trying to play hardball prior to the draft. After all he gets 15% of every contract Rubio will sign so he wants him in the most marketing desirable hot spot in the country. That doesn’t mean anything unless Rubio actually pulls out of the lottery but I don’t expect that to happen. He knows he can sign the contract with the Grizzlies to get into the NBA and then go elsewhere once he arrives. It would be very silly for him to delay his entry into the NBA simply because he doesn’t like a city that might take him.

4. What’s the Grizzlies biggest need? And are you a “draft for need” or “best available” kind of person?

Chip: The biggest need is starting PF and Blake Griffin would have filled that hole nicely but c’est la vie (or should I say asi’ es la vida since Spanish would seem to be more appropriate than French). As I said earlier I am definitely a best available player kind of person. After PF the Grizzlies really only need a backup PG, backup SG, backup SF and backup C. That is why the team needs to take the best player available and not fool around taking a lesser player to fill a need. The Grizzlies have needs everywhere.

5. Is there any chance Memphis goes a completely other direction with this pick? A trade or maybe a dark horse player?

Chip: You’re talking about a franchise that traded Pau Gasol for future draft picks, scrubs and cash. Is there a chance Memphis does something no one is expecting? Of course there is but I feel that it would be counter-productive to not use the opportunity the Grizzlies have picking 2nd to grab the best talent on the board. Trades rumors are already rampant around the Grizzlies with this pick so that is not really doing something completely out of reason but taking anyone other than Rubio with the pick would be. Chris Wallace isn’t afraid to stir things up a bit so him doing something unexpected should almost be expected.

Huge thanks again to Chip for taking a little time to hopefully educate us Thunder fans on what maybe the Grizzlies will be looking at come June 25th. Be sure to check 3 Shades of Blue often to keep an eye on the pulse of the Grizzlies.