Daily Thunder.com

Rob Hennigan

The Thunder announced today via a release that they have restructured the front office to compensate for the departure of Rich Cho.

Troy Weaver was promoted to VP/Assistant General Manager, Rob Hennigan to Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel, Paul Rivers to Director of Minor League Operations and Basketball Technology and Brandon Barnett to Director of Minor League Scouting and Manager of Minor League Operations. The team added Michael Winger as Assistant General Manager/Legal and Administration and David Vanterpool as Pro Scout.

“We are pleased to continue to promote from within our organization while also bringing in new people who will enhance and compliment our current staff” said Presti. “The promotions for Troy, Rob, Paul and Brandon are well deserved. They are selfless workers who are extremely committed to our organization.” Presti added, “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to also add people such as Michael and David to our team; both will enhance our organization and help us grow in a positive direction.”

Weaver, who enters his third season with the Thunder organization, spent the previous two seasons as Assistant General Manager focusing on roster development and day-to-day basketball operations. Weaver joined the Thunder after spending four seasons in the Utah Jazz front office. The Maryland native began his career as a coach and spent nine seasons as a collegiate coach with Syracuse University, University of New Mexico and University of Pittsburgh before moving to the NBA. Read more…

News

Say goodbye to the Ford Center. The Thunder has announced they are in negotiations for new naming rights for the downtown arena.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has begun the process of negotiating with potential new naming rights partners for the Ford Center arena, team officials announced today. The original naming rights contract allowed the team to terminate the existing agreement should an NBA franchise come to Oklahoma City.

The Thunder entered into discussions with the current naming rights partner, the Oklahoma Ford Dealers, but a new agreement could not be reached. As a result, the Thunder has now officially terminated the existing naming rights agreement and entered into a period of negotiations with other potential partners.

Of course first one would have to think about the big corporations here in Oklahoma City. Big Thunder sponsors Devon Energy, Sandridge or Chesapeake have to be early contenders. Or maybe AT&T, as it owns naming rights to the baseball park in Bricktown. Or what about Sonic, which is based out of Oklahoma City. Oh wait, that’s probably not a good one.

News

FIBA announced its punishment for the Greece-Serbia brawl today and it appears our boy Nenad Krstic has gotten off relatively easy. He was handed a three-game ban, with a fine that comes to about $44,000.

The other three involved got two games with no fine.

I’d say it’s a pretty fair punishment in the sense that Krstic got more than everyone else, plus this doesn’t prevent him from playing in the World Championships. While the fight was definitely a bad thing, it wasn’t THAT bad. Other than toss the chair at the end, Krstic didn’t do anything worse than others. I’m not justifying by any means because the fight was embarrassing for Krstic, his country and the Thunder, but it’s not something that should warrant a massive suspension. I saw some calling for a year ban for Krstic which is just ridiculous. Three games is pretty light, but FIBA hasn’t historically come down that hard on these type of things.

Fights happen a lot in Europe. I remember a game between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos being canceled because of fear for fan rioting and player fighting. Baseball brawls, hockey fights, basketball pushing contests… it’s nothing all that new. If you look back at the 1970′s and 80′s in the NBA, there were fights darn near every game. Players like Larry Bird, Dr. J, Magic Johnson – they all fought.

So in the end, Krstic gets a punishment that pretty much fits the crime. He still gets to play at least two games and he’s a little lighter in the wallet.

News

By now you’ve probably heard that Rajon Rondo was cut/removed his name due to family matters. (Heh, family matters.) And if you’re sharp and on the ball, by Rondo being cut, that means that both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are on Team USA’s final 12-man roster that will be competing in Turkey next week.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty

Westbrook made an extremely strong case for himself in Team USA’s last two scrimmages, showcasing his hustle, athleticism and knack for heady plays. The indication is, by the way Coach K used him against Spain is that Westbrook will be used as a defensive stopper against the crafty guards from both Spain and Greece.

Most thought the final spot would come down between Stephen Curry and Eric Gordon, with Westbrook possibly getting the axe because the U.S. didn’t likely want to point guards that weren’t great shooters. Rondo, who started every exhibition before getting a DNP against Spain, was thought to be a lock. But honestly, Westbrook just outperformed Rondo. Some saw indifference in Rondo while he was on the floor, while Westbrook was as active and hungry as he always is.

One thing that I think is great about Westbrook’s emergence on Team USA, is that Thunder fans are getting a good look at Russ’s ability next to his peers. When you watch Derrick Rose, Rondo, Chauncey Billups, Curry and Westbrook all rotating in and out, there’s not any dropoff when Russ runs the show. Plus, when you watch a guy like Rose defend and then see Westbrook check the same guy, you can kind of appreciate Westbrook’s defense a bit more as well.

As far as rotations and how much playing time Westbrook will see, I’m guessing not a ton. He’ll like be the third point guard behind Rose and Billups but could be the second option if Billups plays primarily off the ball. Heck, Westbrook has seen a good chunk of time at the 2, so he might be ahead of Curry and Gordon there as well.

In any event, two Thunder players are on the U.S. roster, which will make the World Championships that much more interesting for OKC fans.

Commentary, News Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Team USA

With Ron Adams leaving Oklahoma City to re-join the Chicago Bulls, the Thunder had one spot open to fill on their coaching. And that position has been filled with Maz Trakh who will join Scott Brooks, Mo Cheeks, Brian Keefe and Mark Bryant.

Trakh comes to the Thunder with an international resume, as he spent the last five seasons coaching in Asia including a stint as head coach of Fastlink (now Zain) of Jordan where he led the team to the 2005 FIBA Asia Club Championship. Fastlink became the first Jordanian team to win the Asia Club Championship. Trakh’s coaching career spans three decades and includes stints in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), Korea, Lebanon and the NCAA.

There’s a connection to Scott Brooks in there as well. Trakh had an assistant coaching gig with Cal-Irvine, which is where Brooks played college basketball. Trakh played at Southern Utah University.

“I am thrilled to have this group of coaches back on the bench with me for the 2010-11 season,” said Thunder head Coach Scott Brooks in a press release. “Every coach brings a unique perspective on the game and provides a great support for the future development of our team. Maz is someone I have known for a long time and he brings a wealth of basketball experience.”

News

He was always on the bubble, but even with all the big man injury issues, it looks like Jeff Green won’t be making the final 12-man roster for Team USA.

Green didn’t play at all in today’s scrimmage against China and as Chris Sheridan of ESPN reported, didn’t make himself available to the media and also didn’t appear to feature his normally outgoing personality.

When Green was asked by Chris Tomasson of Fanhouse where he stood, he said, “Ask coach. I’m not the guy to answer that question.” Green also said that he’d be willing to travel to Turkey even if he’s not one of the final 12.

One underrated thing behind this is that this could be a nice kick in the pants for Green and extra motivation going into a pretty significant year for him. On a squad that is desperate for a big man and inside help, Green couldn’t make the cut. Now that’s saying something. Read more…

Commentary, News Jeff Green, Kevin Durant, Team USA

UPDATE: It’s Kyle Weaver all over again. Darnell Mayberry tweets: “Contrary to reports, 2nd round pick Ryan Reid has not signed to play in Poland next season, his agent Andrew Vye says.”

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Though Sam Presti raved about him and many were intrigued by the no-name second-round pick, Ryan Reid has signed to play in Poland next season. (via The Hoops Market)

No one expected Reid to make an impact this year anywhere other than maybe the D-League, so putting him away in Europe and letting him get paid is the for the best for everyone. I thought he might get a training camp invite but it looks like the next time we’ll see Reid is summer ball next season.

While at Florida State the 6-foot-8 forward had his best season as a senior as he averaged 6.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg in 22.7 minutes per contest. Still, most were stunned when he was picked late in the second round since nobody had him anywhere near their big boards. But Presti determined he was his kind of guy. Hard worker, smart player, high character guy and someone that could blossom into an impact guy.

News Ryan Reid

I’ll have my breakdown of the schedule here shortly, but here’s the 2010-11 schedule in full. Lots of national TV games (15 with two on ABC) and a fun finish against the Bucks at home.

OCTOBER
Wed 27 vs Chicago 7:00pm
Fri 29 @ Detroit 7:00pm
Sun 31 vs Utah 6:00pm

NOVEMBER
Wed 03 @ LA Clippers 9:30pm
Thu 04 @ Portland 9:30pm
Sun 07 vs Boston 6:00pm
Wed 10 vs Philadelphia 7:00pm
Fri 12 vs Portland 8:30pm
Sun 14 vs San Antonio 6:00pm
Mon 15 @ Utah 8:00pm
Wed 17 vs Houston 7:00pm
Fri 19 @ Boston 6:00pm
Sat 20 @ Milwaukee 7:30pm
Mon 22 vs Minnesota 7:00pm
Wed 24 vs Dallas 7:00pm
Fri 26 @ Indiana 7:00pm
Sun 28 @ Houston 6:00pm
Mon 29 vs New Orleans 7:00pm Read more…

News 2010-11 NBA Schedule

A few schedule notes for the Thunder:

• The Thunder will play Denver Christmas Day at 7 p.m. CT in Oklahoma City. The game is scheduled to be on ESPN.

• Oklahoma City will play Utah Oct. 31 (dress like Tony Brothers for Halloween!) at the Ford Center. That game will be on NBATV and is at 6 CT.

• The Thunder will take on the Lakers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at 9:30 CT at the Staples Center in LA.

• The opening night game against the Bulls set for Oct. 27 will be televised on ESPN at 7 CT.

• KD’s reaction to the Christmas game: “Just found out we’re gonna play a Christmas game against Denver inside the Ford Center at 7 p.m. Games gonna be on ESPN. Big for us! THUNDERUP!”

Obviously the rest of the schedule will be out next week and OKC will have some more national TV dates mixed in there. But there’s a theme here: The Thunder will be one of the most visible teams this year. A major national TV game against Denver, then another against the Lakers, plus part of ESPN’s season kickoff. Good stuff.

News 2010-11 Schedule

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Oklahoma City is opening the NBA season October 27 at home against the Bulls. That means in the Thunder’s three seasons in OKC, they’ve opened at home each year.

Definitely an excellent opening night game that has high potential for national TV. The 27th is a Wednesday and ESPN typically broadcasts that night. A good matchup of new and improved Bulls against the up-and-coming Thunder makes for an especially intriguing opener.

The NBA will announce opening-week and other featured 2009-10 regular-season games for the Thunder and the rest of the league as part of a special  at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday on the NBATV. The full schedule will be released Aug. 10.

News

Team USA announced its 15-man roster that will head to training camp in New York August 10-16 and among the 15 were Thunder players Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook and Durant really were never in doubt for this first cut, but Green may have been a bubble guy. Coach K said of Green, “It’s one of the reasons he’s still one of the 15 is because of his versatility.” Team USA has been hit with a ton of misfortune on the inside with Amar’e Stoudemire having to leave because of insurance issues, Robin Lopez because of a bad back, David Lee because of a broken finger and even Brook Lopez is battling mono. So Green’s ability to flex between positions surely helped.

Oklahoma City has more players on the team than anyone else and Coach K was extremely complimentary of the group saying, “They are the kind of guys that work hard, want to win and just have great attitudes.”

Jerry Colangelo indicated that they may take more than 12 after the New York training camp and use some extra time to narrow down the final 12. He also said that as of right now, probably eight or nine guys are locks.

News Jeff Green, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Team USA

We all knew this was likely coming and as Marc Spears of Yahoo! reports, Kyle Weaver will be waived before August 1. After that day, his contract would become guaranteed. Spears also notes that Maccabi has already offered Weaver a deal.

It’s a shame for Weaver who definitely has some skill. But he just never found a spot for the Thunder. They wanted him to hit 3s. He didn’t. They wanted him to be the third point guard. He couldn’t. They wanted him to defend and score. He could defend but couldn’t score.

When Royal Ivey was signed the writing was on the wall. Best of luck to Weaver who is an intelligent basketball player who is always making smart plays. He just never could quite figure out how to contribute to this Thunder roster.

News Kyle Weaver

The Thunder announced their full tilt of preseason games, with times and locations. The first thing that catches the eye is the October 6 game against the Heat, because that’s the SuperFriends first game. But on October 14 in OKC, the Thunder will take on CSKA Moscow, which is kind of cool.

News

Everybody’s signing up for a long-term ride on the Thunder train.

Clay Bennett announced via a release the Thunder and Sam Presti have agreed on a multi-year extension. Terms were not released.

Bennett said: “We are fortunate to have Sam leading our basketball organization. He is extremely committed to the growth of our franchise, of our players, and this community. He has helped build an identity for this organization that we can all be proud of. I look forward to our continued work together as we experience the challenges of creating sustainable success.”

Presti’s comments: “I am extremely humbled to have the opportunity to continue our work here with the Thunder. Oklahoma City is home for me. We have a committed group of players, excellent coaches led by Scott Brooks, and a support staff in both basketball and business, that is integral to the vision of our organization and I am grateful for their partnership. I would also like to thank Clay for his support and trust. He has been central and unwavering in our efforts to build, enhance and sustain an elite franchise. We are fortunate to work with such a committed ownership group.”

Everyone praises the Thunder organization for making great decisions and doing things right, but it’s honestly not hard when there are great people place that do their jobs better than everyone else. It doesn’t take a lot of brilliance to sign KD to a long-term extension deal or Presti to a multi-year contract. Heck, I think I could even do that. Hey, wait a minute. There’s an opening in the front office RIGHT NOW.

(*sends resume in*)

News Sam Presti

The Thunder have signed free agent guard Royal Ivey to a contract, Sam Presti announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

“We are pleased to welcome Royal to the Thunder organization,” Presti said in the release. “His defensive mentality, competitiveness and well documented professionalism adds depth to our backcourt and strengthens the identity of our basketball team.”

Who said OKC wouldn’t do anything in free agency? Talk about a SPLASH. Last season Ivey played for the Bucks and 76ers and appeared in a total of 44 games. He’s 28 years old and has played in the league for six years. He’s never averaged more than 5.6 points a game and is primarily known for his defense.

He’s likely just a training camp/practice squad player and I’m sure his contract isn’t guaranteed. Nonetheless, I bet KD is happy to have another Texas alum on the roster.

News Free Agency, Royal Ivey