I’ll be honest. I really, really wanted to avoid having this discussion.

Not because I’m afraid of the discussion it’ll start or because I have some weird love affair with Jeff Green. (Though I really do love the guy.) It’s just something you’d rather not have to talk about. In some ways, it’s good because that means that Serge Ibaka is playing fantastic basketball and could possibly be worthy of starting.

But the other side is, that means that Jeff Green hasn’t played well enough to keep that starting spot. That means Green goes to the bench and the Thunder rotation really gets a complete makeover. Which is something we’re not used to, seeing how the same starting five played in 76 of the 82 games last season.

But the question is just unavoidable now. Oklahoma City is 3-0 with Ibaka starting and after his career-high 22 points to go with 11 rebounds and four blocks against the Jazz Monday night, Ibaka has forced his way into the discussion. I mean, with that jumpshot, those athletic abilities and that size, Ibaka is nearly a perfect, prototypical starting power forward. Which is what we all want, right? Plus, he’s not even begun to scratch what he can be.

So who should start the remaining 72 games? Jeff Green or Serge Ibaka?

But let’s think rationally about this. Shaking up the starting five 10 games in because Green tweaked an ankle seems a bit, I don’t know, over-reactionary. Green has been mediocre this season and actually, has been pretty good if you just look at traditional stats (18.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg). But we all saw him overmatched by LaMarcus Aldridge and we’ve seen him struggle from 3 and we’ve seen him have issues in the post.

Look at Ibaka’s though. Serge is averaging 12.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 2.5 bpg in eight fewer minutes a night than Gree. Uncle Jeff has a PER of 15.4 right now while Ibaka’s is soaring at 21.3. Ibaka is currently sixth in the league in field goal percentage (58.8) and 85 percent from the line. When you compare the two, Ibaka has been better than Green this season, no doubt.

At the same time though, how can we forget the huge plays Green’s made? The save against Portland. The big driving layup against the Pistons? The big first half against the Bulls opening night that carried the Thunder. Green’s done his part to help this group win. But now it’s a question of where can he do that same part most effectively? As the starting power forward or off the bench?

I’m about halfway through writing this and honestly, I haven’t made up my mind. I do think the sample size might be a bit small to completely make this call. But I definitely have one foot firmly on the “Start Serge” wagon. I’m pretty outstanding at straddling a fence if you haven’t figured out by now.

The problem is once you do it, you can’t really go back. It’s a big call to make. And if you make that call after four starts for Ibaka, it almost seems knee-jerky. Brooks has shown that he’s completely content to trot out a consistent starting five and then work in a rotation off that. So if he makes the call to start Ibaka and use Green as a sixth man, it has to be for the long haul. There can’t be flip-flopping back and forth. At least I don’t think so.

It’s interesting because the better Ibaka plays, the less and less money Sam Presti probably feels like he has to offer Green. Obviously Uncle Jeff has value and can be a solid contributing player on this team, but if Green wants to be a starter and be paid starter money, Ibaka could be cutting into his pay. At least if he’s staying with the Thunder. So in other words, Ibaka may be making Presti’s decisions a bit easier.

Then again, on the other hand, the better Ibaka plays the more money he’s going to require. One of those rock and a hard place things here.

And don’t give me the nonsense of starting Ibaka in place of Nenad Krstic. Ibaka is a natural 4 in the same way Jimmy McNulty was natural poh-leese. Plus, a frontcourt of Green and Ibaka hasn’t been successful in the past and that just seems like a solution to try and make everyone happy while probably hurting the team. So let’s toss that option.

But think about the rotation if Ibaka is a starter. Green could still absolutely see plenty of time at power forward, but could also spell Kevin Durant at small forward. There’s no reason Uncle Jeff couldn’t still play 30-35 minutes a game and depending on matchups, still see those occasional 42-minute nights. Plus, the Thunder bench would have two really stout weapons off it in Green and James Harden. Jeff Green could be a really killer sixth man.

Really, the scenario that has Ibaka starting makes all kinds of sense. But two things hold me back. 1) Are we completely sure Ibaka is ready for this. I know we’re fired up about his game Monday and really about how well he’s played this season, but again, the sample size is rather small. We don’t want to be making a change back the other way come New Year’s. And 2) Do we feel entirely comfortable trifling with a lineup that was consistent through last season and saw the team win 50 games? I think we already know Scott Brooks’ opinion on that.

People ask me a lot to pick the Thunder’s three most untouchable players and that answer is easy every time for me. Durant, Westbrook and… Ibaka. There’s no doubt. Ibaka is like a cross between The Birdman, Tyrus Thomas and Amar’e Stoudemire. There’s so much raw skill there that’s being develop right before our face. It’s not just about how he impacts a game with his blocked shots. But watch how guards have to float their runners just a little higher, how guys hesitate in the lane, how people score less at the rim with Ibaka. He’s a defensive force and he doesn’t even completely understand how to play defense. Ibaka is the type of talent that literally improves every second he’s on the floor.

The question you’ve got to ask is, “Will starting Ibaka make this team better? Will the Thunder win more games as a result?” If you think the answer to that is yes, it’s a no-brainer. If you’re not totally sure, I think you hold off and take a longer look at it. And that’s kind of where I sit. I’m not sure.

In the end, it’s all about wins and losses and what players make those things happen. But at this point, it feels too early to decide that. But that’s probably just me. Because if not now, when? Do you wait until Green is really stinking it up and then you crush him by removing him from the first five? Do you wait for a five-game losing streak and try and shake things up? Do you wait another month to just see what happens? Or do you do it now, taking Green’s job away while he’s hurt, but also while morale is high? Tough questions to answer.

So for me, I’m going to ride the fence just a little bit longer and hope someone else figures out the right answer.

The two sides had quality negotiations and good talks, but as the time got closer to actually hammer out something specific, it kind of all fell apart.

“Signing a player to an extension is certainly a positive, but has become more unique,” Presti told The Oklahoman. “We explored the concept and had positive dialogue, but we will have to re-visit the discussions in the future. As we have consistently stated, drafting Jeff in 2007 and watching his development over the last three seasons has furthered our appreciation for his team-driven contributions on and off the floor.”

Green said he’s happy this out in the open so now he can move on and hopefully will stop getting questions on it.

So how’s this sit with you? Do you think Green should’ve been extended? Is this smart? My feeling is that it’s a very Presti-ish move not to extend Green because with the new CBA coming and the potential for players in Green’s salary bracket to get their money dropped significantly, Oklahoma City might be saving some good money here. Plus, now Jeff Green has got to prove his worth, something he really hasn’t done yet. Monetary motivation is always a good thing.

But at the same time, it’s a risk. I know the jury is still out on Green, but I want him here in OKC. Maybe not as the starting power forward (I still haven’t made up my mind there), but on the roster for sure. Now though, Presti takes the chance of letting some moron general manager out there offer up $60 million over four years to Green. And if Presti doesn’t match, then we say goodbye to Uncle Jeff.

If there weren’t so many moron GMs out there, I wouldn’t be worried. But since there’s more than enough to go around, Green could get scooped up.

However, at the same time, there’s potential for us to settle on Green’s true market value. I’m sure Green’s camp is overvaluing him right now. Maybe they’re asking for $10 million a year while Presti only wants to do $8 million per. Now there’s a chance for the open market to sort that out. Again, there’s risk in that, but this is an opportunity to determine what Green might really be worth to another team and to the Thunder.

My feeling is that Jeff Green says with this team in the future. But I could be wrong there. There have been lots of guys that have gone to restricted free agency and returned to their teams. It happens as much or more than players signing extensions. So the fact OKC didn’t ink Green isn’t a huge deal. For instance, Rudy Gay last summer. Or Al Horford this year. It happens a lot. So we’ll just have to wait and see what turns out.

In his notes, Darnell Mayberry talked about how it was a one-or-the-other type performance from Green, with Uncle Jeff either chucking a 3 or driving to the rim. All the in-between, mid-range stuff didn’t work. And Mayberry wondered what Green’s career looked like from mid-range. So I looked it up.

	AT RIM	<10 FEET	10-15 FEET	16-23 FEET	THREES
2008	61.0	43.0	26.0	32.0	27.6
2009	61.0	40.0	39.0	32.0	38.9
2010	64.6	48.2	32.4	33.0	33.3
TOTAL	62.2	43.7	32.5	32.3	34.8

It’s pretty obvious that on long 2s, Uncle Jeff isn’t good. A long 2-pointer is the worst shot in basketball, but it doesn’t mean it’s always a bad one. Sometimes you’re open. But for Green, a player like kind of likes to hover around the 3-point line, settling for that long 2 instead of maybe driving or going into the post, isn’t the smartest thing.

For instance, let’s look at how the Thunder used Green last season via Synergy Sports:

Green had 158 plays in transition meaning he runs the floor well, but in terms of posting him, running him off screens or having him cut, OKC does little of that. Clearly it’s about spotting up and clearing out for Green. And when you’re a good shooter, those things are great. When you’re hitting 5-7 from 3, it’s beautiful. But Green hasn’t proven that kind of consistency from deep and he’s shown he’s a really good finisher at the rim.

In post-ups for example, Green scores almost 45 percent of the time. In spot-ups, he drops to 37 percent. In isolation, it’s 40 percent. And in terms of how Green’s getting those 3-point attempts, 71.6 of them are on spot-ups (he shoots 33.1 percent on spot-up 3s). Only five percent came off screens, but Green hit 52 percent from deep on those. Kind of a small sample size there to draw a ton of conclusions, but interesting nonetheless.

Jeff Green just isn’t a mid-range player. Some might say he’s not really a 3-point threat, but one season of nearly 40 percent says he at least deserves a little more time out there. But it’s all in how he’s getting his looks. As he showed last night against a good defensive team, when called upon, Green can score the ball.

A lot of times he fades into the background offensively because he can. With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant handling most of the duties, Green looks to sort of hover and wait for spots to score. Which is absolutely fine with me, as long as he cranks it up in other areas and stays consistent with what he’s good at.

Well this is the end of our five part look into the things I’d personally like to see happen next season for the Thunder. Much like the previous four installments, this one has been a hot button issue for the fan base and I suspect it will continue to be until the players involved settle the debate organically by how they play.

But without further ado, here is Part V…

I want to see Serge Ibaka emerge as the Thunder’s starting PF.

I know a lot of people are going to see this as a shot at Jeff Green and it’s not. Not at all. The fact of the matter is that I have always and will always continue to believe that Jeff Green has a very important role for this team and the Thunder franchise (and yes, that role is on the court and not some weird KD BFF or “calming presence in the locker room” nonsense. Jeff Green is better than you probably think he is, trust me).

Now obviously I’m not one of the people who want Green dealt or dream up trades where somehow he gets traded for an All-Star caliber PF despite those very same people saying he stinks and somehow equating “stinky player + picks or expiring contracts” = “trading for an All-Star PF.” Fuzzy math is fun, just not very logical.

But I digress…

What this is really about is what kind of role Jeff Green has on the Thunder team and, no matter what you think about Serge Ibaka or Jeff Green, I think we can all agree that the PF position for the Thunder is relatively unsettled. The people who love Jeff Green readily admit to the fact that he has to get better on the block, at rebounding, etc, etc if he’s going to make a career of being a stretch PF in the NBA. This fact is typically not disputed.

On the contrary, the people who aren’t in love with Jeff Green want him to either move to the bench and become an all-purpose Sixth Man, usually spending time at both forward positions, because his versatility and unique skill-set would make him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams and that role seems almost tailored for him specifically or, well, they want him traded as soon as possible for that mythical stud big man.

But don’t you see the common thread in both these camps? The whole, “Jeff Green has not looked like the long-term answer at PF for the Thunder if they want to take that next step” part that both sides seem to agree upon? No matter how much they love or loathe Green?

That is why I, barring an unforeseen improvement in Green’s shooting percentage from outside (you can’t really be called a stretch 4 when your outside game is not actually stretching the defense any because you’re not making a high enough percentage of three pointers to pull other PF’s away from the basket) or his offensive post play/rebounding, I think that about halfway through the season, or maybe even a bit past that, we will all see this situation resolve itself without any drama or disruption.

Put bluntly: I think Serge Ibaka will be a better PF at some point in this season than Jeff Green is for the Thunder.

And that statement should really come as no surprise since Jeff Green’s skills aren’t that of a PF, his size and style of play aren’t particularly suited for a PF and, well, Green is doing a fairly admirable job playing out of position WHILE not having a center with the skills that could offset Green’s skills in the post.

You see, Serge Ibaka fills a hole that the Thunder have in the post that Jeff Green just can’t partly because of who the Thunder trot out there at center. In fact, you could argue that part of Green’s struggles at the PF spot have just as much to do with the Thunder centers as Jeff Green’s tweener status does.

And Serge Ibaka is a tweener as well. It’s just that he’s between a center and a power forward instead of a power forward and a small forward. And for a team so bent on being a dominant defensive force, the Thunder will continue to lack solid post defense until either Serge Ibaka forces Brooks to give him more minutes in the paint at the 4 or, and this is a best-case/dream scenario, Cole Aldrich turns into Joakim Noah 2.0 and erases a lot of Green’s and everyone else’s defensive troubles at the rim.

But which one of those is more likely to happen?

Jeff Green is entering his fourth season in the NBA and after the expected jump in production from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign, Green’s numbers seem to be fairly easy to pin down if he continues to be played primarily at the PF spot: 15-16 points, 5-6 rebounds, 1.5-2 assists, 1 steal and shooting 35% from 3PT land and 45% from the field in about 37 minutes a game.

Solid numbers, sure. But by no means eye-opening or really assuring from a post player. Especially when the other post player Green is typically paired with is pulling down fewer rebounds and scoring fewer points on average, making it that much more important for Green to be a force at the rim and on the boards.

Plus, I just can’t help wonder what those numbers could look like if Green came off the bench and split time at both forward positions, carrying the scoring load (which he can infinitely better than Ibaka ever could) on the Thunder’s second unit, who so desperately needs a scoring punch, especially if Harden gets pegged as a starter.

You see, when it comes down to it for the Thunder, and Jeff Green, and Serge Ibaka, it’s really all about fit.

To me, Serge Ibaka fits better as a PF with the starting unit, whereas Jeff Green fits better as the all-around, utility Lamar Odom-ish Sixth Man that is a matchup nightmare for second units (and some first units).

Remember, I never said I think Serge Ibaka will become a better basketball player than Jeff Green at some point this season. I just said he’d be the better PF for the Thunder.

And while I don’t think Serge is anywhere near close to ready right now to take the starting PF spot from Green, I think if he continues to progress the way he did during his remarkable rookie campaign (seriously, just go back and check out his #’s, check out his progression from month to month…shoot, watch the footage, too!), I think Serge Ibaka will make this argument moot because everyone will be unable to come up with a reason why he shouldn’t get the lion’s share of minutes at PF for the Thunder.

Even Jeff Green—who I genuinely believe would flourish in the Sixth Man role and possibly mean even more to the Thunder than he does now, which is a lot.

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.

However, before everyone jumps on the gripe-about-Green train, keep in mind he was going against some of the very best players in the league. The fact Green was in contention and on the 15-man roster in New York is a pretty big deal. Team USA is going to play small so Green wasn’t really a fit because he wasn’t ever going to get minutes in front of Rudy Gay, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala or Lamar Odom.

One other interesting note from today’s scrimmage: Team USA won every quarter but lost the last one 17-16 as KD played in an experimental lineup with him at center. Team USA is going to have to make some adjustments because of the issues on the inside and some thought Durant might make a perfect center in a small ball lineup. Evidently today, it didn’t go that great. For the game though, KD scored 14 points total.

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.

There’s two contrasting thoughts typically around NBA fan circles about what role Team USA can play on that fan’s team. These thoughts usually depend entirely on what happens to the players from that fan’s team while they are representing their country, positively or negatively.

Thought A is that the risk versus reward is too great and that only bad can come from it. These are the fans who claim that any actual basketball development or improvement while playing with the Team USA squad and coaching staff will be so negligible that the risk for injury and/or the non-rest that these players experience during the off-season puts them in an unfavorable position heading into the season. They’re either going to be too tired and a little worn down from the games and practices during a time that they are typically resting and recuperating from a long season, thereby making them more susceptible to picking up nagging injuries or to suffer from fatigue earlier in the 82 game haul than usual, or they will actually enter training camp with an injury/still trying to fully recover from one and that hampers their ability to enter the new season in top form.

Thought B is that risk for injuries or exhaustion is minimal for a Team USA player in the contrasting context of an 82 game season whereas the experience of playing with some of your country’s best players/coaches, especially for younger players, can act as a springboard to an entirely different level of mental development as well as physical/basketball skill growth. In other words, risk of injury is a part of basketball so unless a player is known to be somewhat brittle, what’s the difference between them playing a pickup game on asphalt or at an NBA team’s training facility versus playing with Team USA, especially since a few months of games and practices is nothing compared to the 9 months of night in, night out basketball grind that the players go through during an NBA season?

For me, both sides have their points and ultimately it comes down to just one simple thing in terms of the fans’ perspective (after all, for the players this is really about representing your country and wearing that jersey with pride and honor…but NBA fans usually aren’t nearly as worried about that part).

That one thing is this: Will there actually be development and improvement?

Cause if there’s not, there’s definitely too much risk and not enough reward for Thought A to not overpower Thought B since the only other component of Thought B’s argument is that, well, injuries happen all the time in basketball so why not just let them play. That kind of thinking, without being coupled with an “Oh, and they can get even better for the coming year” is going to fall flat to almost any NBA fan if we’re thinking strictly about Team Celtics, Thunder, etc instead of Team USA.

But the funny thing about Thought B is that, judging by the last Olympics, that improvement can be seen and it most assuredly makes an impact.

Everyone seems to forget this, but Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and all-around commitment to improving until the day he retires had such an impact on the Redeem Team’s youngsters that many, MANY individuals credited that experience as the starting point when someone like, say, Lebron James, saw what he could be if he (as he intimated himself) stopped selling himself short and started showing up as early as Kobe did, put in the time and effort to become transcendent instead of just top five, and made that unrelenting commitment to defense, chasing down every fast break like a locomotive instead of letting them get an easy dunk/lay-up, filling the defensive lanes, etc, etc.

Another example, though not one that applies to the Thunder’s young trio, is the rejuvenation Charles Barkley experienced after the 1992 Dream Team regarding his career.

So improvement can happen, sometimes in staggering degrees, but since Kevin Durant will undoubtedly be the best player on this USA squad and there’s no Kobe, Lebron, etc for him to get a good glimpse of in terms of what he could improve upon (especially since KD already seems to possess all the work ethic a human being can possibly handle), the jump in development will most likely not be tremendous for him but hopefully impactful and more maturity centered nonetheless. Now concerning Jeff Green and, especially, Russell Westbrook, there is more to be optimistic about regarding improvement.

So here are the individual aspects of improvement I’d like to see each Thunder player bring to this upcoming season (and beyond) from their time with Team USA.

Kevin Durant – Become a facilitator more than just an unbelievably amazing scorer

The reason I’d like to see this from KD is because I think being the alpha dog on Team USA will almost demand this next stage in development for Durant’s game. There is no doubt who is the best player on this squad and who is the biggest offensive threat on the floor no matter who the USA plays against. KD will be wearing a red, white and blue bulls-eye, which is precisely why he can become that much more effective and lethal of a player if he can continue to progress as a passer and creator of offense for the team than just for himself.

Obviously I’d add dribbling, slashing while in traffic and a few other nit-picky things if I could since he already does so many things well, but the day Kevin Durant can become as much of a threat as a creator as he already is as a scorer, well that’s the day he becomes not only unguardable, but unstoppable.

And I honestly think he can do that quickly, which is the scary part since he’s still only 21 years old, folks.

Russell Westbrook - Improve the skill that got you drafted

Russell Westbrook was drafted to play lock-down, suffocating defense. To apply so much pressure in the backcourt and on the helpside that opposing guards/teams could never take a play off and always had to execute under tremendous pressure, thereby freeing up easy baskets and transition offensive opportunities for a young, athletic team to take advantage of every game.

Thus far in his career, Westbrook has shown flashes of that ability but has never managed to put it all together either out of a lack of focus and understanding or out of a lack of desire (which is a little hard to believe coming from someone famous for effort).

But this might actually be the biggest potential improvement that the Thunder could see via Team USA as Coach K and numerous Team USA sources continue to rave about Westbrook’s defensive ferociousness and acumen, especially since the presence of Rajon Rondo seems to be something of a spark plug for Westbrook’s defensive prowess.

If this translates to the upcoming season and the defensive monster that we saw at UCLA and, apparently, can be seen at Team USA practices and scrimmages takes the court for the Thunder over the span of 82 games, then every Thunder fan should send Rajon Rondo a gift basket of the finest beefs and cheeses.

Jeff Green - Use your strengths and matchup advantages instead of simply settling

I think the versatility and all-around skillset that Jeff Green possesses is easy to overlook but I think Green is probably the one responsible for this slight as much as anyone.

Jeff Green is very, very talented. He does almost everything either above average or really well…but he doesn’t do any one thing at an elite level. And while that’s both a compliment and a bit of a criticism, what it really should be is a license for Jeff Green to understand that he will never be a better rebounder or post presence than most low post, banging power forwards and he will never be as fast, as skilled a slasher or as good of an outside shooter as most stretch power forwards.

But he will be better than most at almost every other aspect of the game.

I can promise you that Jeff Green is better than either of the aforementioned, specialized group members when it comes to two or three of those traits, if not infinitely superior in some. If he’s up against a banger, Green needs to draw him out and use his quickness to his advantage and attack by going by him. If he’s up against a slashing, outside shooter, Green needs to use his size and physical superiority to back him down and force the double-team or shoot more close-to-the-basket shots that he’s obviously improved upon.

In short, Jeff Green has got to start maximizing his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses, thereby capitalizing on the one thing he has that most forwards in the NBA don’t have: a versatile, all-around game. Green should be exploiting the fact that he doesn’t fit the mold of a typical forward, not having to excuse it or defend it.

This is where it’d be really nice if Lamar Odom could just really go all out and show Jeff what mismatches can really do for you if you exploit them.

So those are my top three things and while I don’t expect all of them to come to fruition (if only), I honestly do think Thunder fans will see improvement from the trio when training camp opens. The only question is, how much?

(Please welcome new DT contributor, Patrick James. Patrick is a Thunder season ticket holder and about as die hard a fan as you’ll come across. Plus, he’s really smart. So that’s good. He’s going to contribute some columns here, which I’m excited about. He starts out the way any Thunder fan should – by expressing slightly awkward man love for KD and Uncle Jeff.)

Kevin and Jeff,

Let’s go ahead and hit the pause button and keep it pressed down, because this is pretty much a love letter to you guys.  Thunder fans want you to stay. We want to grow old with you.

We love you, men.

You ARE the Thunder, along with the core group of your teammates who took us for a joyride last season that ended only minutes from May. More than that, you ARE basketball in Oklahoma City. We had a fling with the Chris Paul and the Hornets during their stay, but it becomes clearer with each passing day that the best gift they gave us was the possibility of you. We showed everyone we could be an NBA city, we voted to pay for the arena and renovate it ourselves to show our commitment capacity, and the basketball gods delivered us the team we want to … marry?

That could be best way for us to put it. That’s how we feel, in a fan-to-a-team sense. We want you on the Thunder until retirement do us part — or at least until a victory lap in DC do us part in a dozen years. MJ got one and he wasn’t even from there. But we want to be there with you as partners and adventurers, for better and worse, for as long as you both play ball.

Just about everything we’ve learned about you on the court and off, from the media and social media, makes us like you and your teammates more. The fans see energetic, humble young men who are active in the community, and we swoon. That you’re all friends makes it our own cheesy sports movie. We’ve got the team everybody wants to have, and we know we’re lucky.

You’re the captains of the team that got its playoff baptism when we did. You saw, felt and heard what happened in the Ford Center all year and in the playoffs. We’re ready to eat nails for you. You already know we’ll show up in ice storms if we have to, and if you’re plaing in May soon we’ll brave hail storms and tornadoes too. (We do need to sit down and talk about what to do during severe weather soon. For now all you need to know is to turn on Gary and if you hear the siren, go stand outside and look for the tornado with your neighbors, who will also be standing outside.)

We know we’re not the only factor. The pie is only so big, and we don’t have any say in how the Thunder organization treats you and your teammates when it’s negotiating time for them. But we’re confident they’ll do the right thing because you’re confident too. The Thunder organization has earned our trust along with yours, treating the fans right and building a winning team right away.

But the Thunder has also built a team that can win for a long time, and that’s why we think we’re the perfect match for you. Lots of guys on the roster who won’t get max offers could probably find an extra dollar or million from another team, and we know bigger markets could bring more exposure. And while it’s easy for us to say “What’s a few million more?” when wanting you to stay, maybe we have a point: Where else could you go to get something better than what you have here, where you love your teammates and have a chance to win together for a decade?

We’re not scared you may be leaving. You’ve never said you could, and we know you’re serious when you say Oklahoma City is a good place to live because we know it too. But moments like today are when we have to talk about the future. We think you’re cornerstone players for a franchise that could be the team of the next decade, with more hard work and some good fortune. We think we’re a perfect fit as a city — and we’ve showed you we’re head over heels for you.

So maybe it’s not a sports marriage we’re asking for, but something different. We think the two of you, along with your teammates and our community, can achieve more together than apart.

Will you be great with us?

- Your smitten fans

When the Thunder have only one shot to take, obviously they look for Kevin Durant to take that shot.  He’s, at minimum, the second best player in the NBA right now, and according to the rankings the league’s best scorer.  Unfortunately, every team the Thunder plays knows he’s option 1 and 1A and therefore do everything in their power to deny him the ball.  In the end, he either gets the ball somewhere close to half court where he still has to take the shot with a hand in his face.  And if that doesn’t work, Russell Westbrook or Thabo Sefolosha, who aren’t exactly snipers in the easiest of circumstances, wind up taking the games biggest shot.

Not surprisingly, the Thunder are 7-10 in games decided by three points or less.

Maybe Scott Brooks should be drawing up plays to put the game in the hands of option #22…mainly because Jeff Green has actually proved he will come through.  Last season, he banked home a win against Golden State.  This season, with bigger stakes, he has had even bigger moments.  Who can forget Green’s performance against the Hawks on Martin Luther King Day?  His clutch dunk and incredible block sealed the victory over one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams on their home floor.  Soon after, it was another huge defensive play by Green that saved the Thunder from an embarrassing defeat against Minnesota.

When the pressure is on, Uncle Jeff is the man you can count on.  That was never clearer than Tuesday night in Utah.  Even after Kevin Durant shot the team back into the game, it was Green who drilled the three pointer that tied it in regulation.  Then, with five seconds left in OT, Green banked home a runner to give the team a (brief) one point lead.  I was so pumped I re-wrote a classic song in his honor.  Check it out after the jump.

Who’s the 6’9″ guy in the post

that hits the shots when needed most?

Green!

You’re damn right!

When the games on the line

who blocks the shot from behind?

Green!

Can ya dig it?

During overtime with only five ticks

who banks it in in front of all the chicks?

Green!

Right on…

That Green is a clutch mutha–

(Boy shut yo mouth)

But I’m talkin’ bout Green

(Then we can dig it)

He makes a nightly contribution

that gets overlooked by even the biggest fan

(Jeff Green)

I’m sure you’ve all seen this story already, but in case you didn’t, Jeff Green has basically echoed Kevin Durant saying he prefers to stay right where he’s at.

“This is a great city to play in. The basketball atmosphere is great, and it’s a great place to raise a family. So I wouldn’t mind.”

Honestly, Green’s contract situation is probably the most underrated, underdiscussed thing about this summer. More than likely Durant’s extension will directly influence Green’s. I would assume, the more Durant gets, the less Green does.

Now obviously Uncle Jeff isn’t going to get paid like KD. The question is, what’s a fair extension for Green? In his third year, his numbers dipped some from last season, but his team is playing much, much better and he’s a large part of that. Especially as of late in February and March, where he’s picked up his game some. Some have asked what a proper extension would be is. I’m thinking in the area of $7-9M a year is acceptable, especially in the new NBA economy. If Green were up for an extension three years ago, he’d probably have gotten a bigger number. But the cap is set to drop and mid-level players are going to start making less.

Obviously you don’t want to lose him, but you also don’t want to get roped into overpaying and saddling yourself with a potentially bad contract (see: Aldridge, LaMarcus). Green is an extremely valuable piece to the Thunder with his glue guyness, his strong leadership and the chemistry he ties the team together with. You absolutely don’t want to lose him. He’s part of the long term plans for this franchise and part of what’s working right now. I think it would be wise to make a strong effort to keep him, and by the way it sounds, he wants to.