Game 8 Recap: Orlando 109, Oklahoma City 92

NOBODY INSULTS THE TIE!

Yahoo! Box Score

What can I say? It was quite an unforgettable performance by the Thunder, who were the biggest under-dog in the NBA last night and were able to back it up with a sound thrashing. I mean, all you have to know to grasp the beating was 1) Kevin Durant didn't play, 2) Dwight Howard had his first career triple double, and 3) Both Steven Hill and Mouhamed Sene were in the game.

The whole game is kind of a blur to be honest with you. It was all the same, from start to finish really, thorough domination of the Thunder all the way through. Kevin Durant playing would have made no difference at all. Talent-wise, the Magic dominate us and Dwight Howard was playing like a man possessed. Who really has a triple-double on blocks anymore? Ha, well, Dwight Howard apparently. Without Kevin Durant, this really isn't even an NBA team.

Really, the game itself isn't really worth talking about, even. We all know how the Thunder vomit all over themselves night in and night out; and this game is just more than that times 10. However, one positive of KD not playing is that it takes a shadow off the rest of the team's players. Let's see what we've learned about his anonymous team mates...

If any sort of positive can be drawn from this, it's that we now know that Jeff Green is legit. He was the leading Thunder scorer in the game and despite being the team's new number one option was able to continue his efficient shooting. I used to think that KD was the only real "cornerstone" the Thunder had to work with, everyone else being expendable. Now, I think that Jeff Green can be thought of in the same regard.

What did we learn about Desmond Mason as a starter? Well, we learned he was certainly suitable for the role when called upon. His performance was somewhat redeeming for last games Thunder Blunder caliber play. Still, he should stick to the bench, the only starter who needs replacement is Petro.

What did we learn about Russel Westbrook receiving extended minutes. Well, we learned he can do a variety of things on the floor, with 5 rebounds and four assists. He certainly hasn't gotten any better shooting from the field, but this is somewhat misleading as his offensive style is one where he tries to draw the foul. And in that regard, he was finally able to make his free throws, shooting 8-9.

What did we learn about Damien Wilkins, who finally got extended minutes for the first time since the Pre-Season? Well, uh, I guess we found out it wasn't the pre-season anymore. 2 points off 1-6 shooting and 4 boards. All that in a hefty 18 minutes of play.

Robert Swift's new 'do didn't help his offensive game any

And lastly, what did we learn about the useless 7 footers on our roster? Well, we were able to confirm that they suck. Hill, Sene, and Swift combined for about 24 minutes last night, for a combined 6 points, 12 rebounds, 0 assists, and 2 blocks. Even if you throw Johan Petro's 8 points and 2 rebounds in there, that's still combined for far less that one man (Dwight Howard) had for the magic tonight.

So, for tonight's Thunder Wonder, I'm going with the guy I praised earlier, Jeff Green. 25 points of 7-18 shooting, 10 rebounds, 3-6 from downtown, 8-10 free throws. He is clearly the second best offensive option on this team.

Thunder Down Under is...not Joe Smith for once! No, instead tonight we're going with Desmond Mason, getting some sweet redemption. He had 12 points off 5-11 shooting and 2 rebounds. Obviously couldn't fill the void that KD left, but not a bad performance by any stretch.

Thunder Blunder? God, just pick a player at random and you could almost certainly make a case for it. Sadly I'm going to go with Damien Wilkins. He certainly hasn't played up to potential this year, that is, when he plays at all. Like I said earlier, only 2 points and 1-6 field goals.

I'll give you three guesses at tonight's Thunder Plunderer. J.J. Reddick? Nope. Adonal Foyle? Sorry Zorgon, not him either. Dwight Howard? YEAH! Comeon, one of the best games in what is sure to be a fabulous career for the center. 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots! He was a man among boys last night.

Next Game: Nov. 14 at the Knicks

Game 8 Pregame: Magic at Thunder

The Thunder continue their marathon with tonight's game against the Orlando Magic. It should definitely be a tough test for Oklahoma City, as the Orlando Magic are one of the better teams from the East and probably the best in their division. They'll bring a tad of starpower tonight, with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and last years most improved player Hedo Turkoglu. OKC, on the other hand, will have little to no star power tonight, as Kevin Durant will be a game time decision. Without KD, who's got the best name recognition? Joe Smith? Oh well, names don't win championships. It takes teamwork, defense, and talent. Oh wait, we don't have any of that either...

Backstory: What do the Thunder and Coke cans have in common. The both are crushed under pressure. OKC couldn't keep a lead to save their lives. Fortunately, they shouldn't have to worry about that tonight, because Orlando is far superior, especially without KD. Last I checked, all Orlando starters are averaging over 10 points per game, while the Thunder have yet to find someone to consistently drop over 10, aside from Jeff Green and the Great Longhorned One.

With or without KD, it makes no difference. Aside from last nights insanely good performance, Kevin Durant as been throwing bricks like they were made of tacks. It'll defintiely take some MAGIC, for the Thunder to win tonight (ok, that was bad, I know).

Match-Ups:
Earl Watson vs. Jameer Nelson
Edge: Nelson
I loved this guy back at St. Joe's, and was secretly cheering for him in the Elite 8 while they were playing OSU (I say secretly because my brothers a Cowboy fan). The Hawks dropped that game, but there's no way Jameer loses this one. His assist number are down somewhat, but hey, who doesn't beat Watson?

Kevin Durant? vs. Mickeal Pietrus
Edge: Durant
Well, if he plays, he has the edge. If he doesn't, and Russ Westbrook or Desmond Mason gets the start, Pietrus should handle them defensively and get the edge.

Jeff Green vs. Hedo Turkoglu
Edge: the Turk
He's got such a versatile game. Height, shooting, driving, rebounding. Jeff Green will give him a game, but Turkoglu gets the definite advantage.

Nick Collison vs. Rashard Lewis
Edge: Lewis
Rashard plays all over the court, so he shouldn't be in the power forward slot for too long. Dito everything I said praising Hedo for Rashard, except moreso.

Johan Petro vs. Dwight Howard
Edge: Howard
Let's see...the best center in the NBA or the lowest scoring Thunder starter? I'm noticing a trend of mismatches at this position. Note to Sam Presti: GET A CENTER WHO'S AS TALENTED AS HE IS TALL FOR ONCE!

Battle of the Benches
Edge: Magic
I'll say Orlando. The Thunder have the best bench player of the bunch, but nobody else is doing well. The Magic don't rely on their bench very much, but at least it isn't full of flops like OKC.

Coaching and Intangibles
Edge: Magic
Despite a crowd that's sure to be pumped for the game, Stan Van Gundy is a better coach and the Thunder have no momentum going into the game.

Player to Watch: No KD, eh? Here's a stretch, how about Robert Swift for tonight's player to watch. When facing a player like Dwight Howard, I'm sure P.J. will look to get a center more physical than Petro on the floor.

God of Thunder's Pick: Magic 102 Thunder 87

Robert Swift eats babies

Game 5 Recap: Utah 104, Oklahoma City 97

This is Russell Westbrooks "Sexy" look. P.J. Carlesimo is simply stunned by it's greatness.
Yahoo! Box Score

While the score was much higher than our master predictor had anticipated, the result was still the same.

This game started off with a 8-0 Thunder lead. That's right, an 8-0 THUNDER lead. Then, it turned into a 10-3 Thunder lead. Then, it all went straight to heck.

Don't look so sad, Jerry! Zorgon just gave you props!

Honestly, someone could have a bunch of bums play under Jerry Sloan, and they'd do well. Jerry Sloan has such control over his players, it's unbelievable. While this doesn't make him the most popular coach ever, this leads to wins. The sheer fact that his team performed just as well against us without Deron Williams really says something. While I would never, ever play for him, here's to Jerry Sloan and his 1000 super-jazzy wins. While I hate the current iteration of your team, you we're definately fun to watch getting beat down in the 1996 and 1997 Finals.

Anyway, back to the game. The second half of the first quarter and the second quarter were downright painful to watch if you were a Thunder fan. Just absolute destruction. No more needs to be said.

But, during halftime, something happened. The team came back fighting a 30+ point deficit. Grant Long dismissed it as "They realized that they have to play this team 3 more times this year." Well, it was much more than that. They were trying to win. Lead by spectacular performances from Desmond Mason and Kevin Durant, the team stormed back to single digits in the 4th quarter before the Jazz realized that they had to win. Nevertheless, scoring more than you did in the first two quarters combined in both the 3rd and 4th quarter definately makes a statement.

Look, I know that we're 1-4, and I know that things are looking grim, but we are not, I repeat, are not, playing like a young team. We have been in every single game so far, including against the world champion Boston Celtics. We have been competetive not just in the 1st and 2nd quarter, but in the 3rd and 4th quarters. We have dug ourselves out of huge holes. I may be crazy, but I think we can win over 35 games if we can get our act together. Just a few points this way or that way, and we're 3-2. Just throwing that out there.

On the Jazz side of the ball, nobody was better than Carlos Boozer. 21 Points, 7-14 Shooting, 9 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steal, and 1 Block all amount to a very excellent night. You always hear of a guard vying for a triple double, but when a Power Forward gets this close, it's pretty spectacular and says a lot about the man in general. Thus, he gets the Thunder Plunderer Award tonight.

On the Thunder side of the ball, Desmond Mason led the huge comeback against the Jazz in the 3rd and refused to be benched. Until this game, he was arguably the least efficient and least productive player on our roster. Reguardless, his rapid turnaround of 18 Points, 7-14 Shooting, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, and 1 Block earns him the Thunder Wonder award tonight.

After Desmond, the obvious choice for Thunder Down Under is Kevin Durant. He actually hit his shots tonight, going 9-15 shooting for 14 points. His clutch shooting helped almost as much as Masons did. On top of that, he had a solid 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists, and 1 Steal. Shoutout to Jeff Green with 22 Points, 6-13 Shooting, 3-3 3 Pointers, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists, and 3 Steals.

Playing like a complete embarassment tonight and earning the Thunder Blunder award was Chris Wilcox. When you're a big man, 1-7 Shooting doesn't cut it under any circumstances. A -16 +/- ratio, 6 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, and a whopping 3 Turnovers capped off 22 minutes of hell for Wilcox.

Next Game: Sunday vs the Atlanta Hawks

Game 5 Pregame: Thunder at Jazz

The Jazz have 4 wins in 4 games even without Deron Williams. The Thunder have 3 Losses in 4 games. These are obviously two teams headed in polar opposite directions. Playing at the Lake doesn't help either. God of Thunder does not like their chances tonight. In fact, God of Thunder hasn't been this sure about a game all year. So, get ready for some gloom and doom as yet another Thunder loss is broken down for you.

Backstory: OKC hits the road again, where they're winless this year. Not that the Ford Center has been too nice, but at least it gives them a little more mo' down the stretch, and they'd know that Super-Fan Zorgon would have their backs. It's true that the Jazz will be without Team USA member Deron Williams, but they got plenty of talent outside of that, and how many players anywhere close to Olympic level do the Thunder have? And don't say Kevin Durant. Just because I made an article that said he'd be there next time doesn't mean he's at the level he'll be at 4 years from now.

Match-Ups:
Ronnie Price vs. Earl Watson
Edge: Lil Earl
The Price is wrong in this match-up. Who is Ronnie Price, anyway? Some may be saying the same thing in Utah about Watson, but last year this guy averaged only 3.7 points and 1.3 assists. Earl Watson is obviously superior.

C.J. Miles vs. Kevin Durant
Edge: KD
Has there been a bigger rematch this season. C.J. Miles is very fortunate to be seeing the floor, due mostly to the injuries of AK-47 and D-Will. KD will light this guy up, until they finally bench him for Korver, then KD will light HIM up.

Ronnie Brewer vs. Jeff Green
Edge: Brewer
This was nearly a draw, but I gave the edge to Brewer. He frequently scores in the double digits and takes it to the rack pretty well. Stats are pretty comparable, so really this could go either way.

Carlos Boozer vs. Nick Collison
Edge: Boozer
This one's easy. C-Booz fills the Mailman's shoes nicely, and even if we combined Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox to make some freaky hybrid PF, it'd still be close.

Mehmet Okur vs. Johan Petro
Edge: Okur
Recently, Okur has been way off. Still, a way off Okur is way more productive than Petro. Okur on the inside, Okur on the outside, it won't matter, I think he'll have one of his better nights of the season thus far tonight.

Battle of the Benches
Edge: Thunder
Maybe without the Jazz injuries, it'd be closer. Still, I don't think the Jazz bench is anything to gawk at. Korver is a great sixth man, but the Thunder have several solid guys coming off the bench, including Joe Smith, Desmond Mason, and Westbrook.

Coaching and Intangibles
Edge: Jazz
We're at EnergySolutions Arena, which is going to be tough on it's own, not to mention facing Jerry Sloan, who is so superior to P.J. it isn't even funny.

Player to Watch: Kevin Durant. Should be able to eat up Miles. Korver even more so. If they put Ronie Brewer on him, which they probably will, it'll be a little more of a challenge, but still expect them to feed Durant the ball late, as they should be trailing.

God of Thunder's Pick: Jazz 98, Thunder 85

Game 3 Recap: Oklahoma City 88, Minnesota 85

Halloween may be over, but Pumpkin pictures are cool year 'round!

NBA.com Box Score

Before I start this recap, let me just iterate the genius of my partner in crime. Okluschen (Ben Luschen) of Blue Blitz predicted the score of this game....EXACTLY. Exactly right. Why even go to other sites at all now? You might as well just forget it, captain. We got the experts up here in this crib.

The game tonight was awesome for Thunder fans. The presentation? Not so much. Now that all of the shine and glimmer of the home opener is gone, one realizes just how paper thin the game entertainment is. The drumline (by far my favourite part of the overall presentation) wasn't used during team introductions, and was only used once the entire game. During timeouts, the team really didn't have much to show. There was the Midfirst bank shot contest, but aside from that the entertainment mostly consisted either of looking at crazy fans or watching the emcee give free stuff to some guy who probably paid to get on camera. The music during the game was also horrible. Most of it just contisted of playing "Charge", "De-Fense", or "Everybody clap your hands". I swear, I think I'll have to kill whoever keeps playing "Everybody clap your hands". I mean, they played it literally 6 times, and thqat was only when I counted! Get something new! I think I'll get sick of Thunderstruck by the time the season is through, too.

Presentation aside, you've gotta love this game. The first 3 quarters went by a specific formula. The Timberwolves would get off to a huge lead, make things look like same-old, same-old for the Thunder. Then, the Thunder would come storming back to tie it by the time the quarter ended. By the 4th, the Thunder had things figured out, and a defensive battle ensued.

Needless to say, we we killed by Al Jefferson. Things never seem to change in Minnesota, becuase if you changed "Al Jefferson" to "Kevin Garnett", "Mike Miller" to "Ricky Davis", and "Craig Smith" to "Mark Blount", you couldn't really tell the difference between now and back in the day. But I digress. Al Jefferson with 24 Points, 11-17 shooting, 13 Rebounds, and 1 block easily earns the Thunder Plunderer Award tonight.

On our side of the ball, Kevin Durant had another horrible night with 18 points on just 7-21 shooting. While Darnell Mayberry thinks that his shots will start going in, it's my opinion that we're going to see a lot of off nights this season. About 1 of every 3 games he'll perform, but otherwise he'll stink it up to the extreme and hurt the team. Jeff Green was a little bit more productive, but was hardly deserving of the award with 13 points on 6-14 Shooting. Ditto for Russell Westbrook with 14 points, 6-13 shooting and only 2 assists. Granted, he did play some SG today, but that was for a short period at the end of the game.

Still, nobody had a worse night tonight than our lovable Frenchman, Johan Petro. In 17 minutes he had 4 Points, 2-4 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and a -12 +/- ratio. The closest to him was Nick sollison at -6. He missed a couple of midrange jumpers tonight, and I really think he needs to get in the post more. Somebody give this man a lead pass! Or a screen! Here's hoping to better times, and more Thunder Blunderless nights, Johan,

Thus, the Thunder Wonder award has to go to Nick Collison. He didn't have a totally awesome performace, but he had a solid, liquid, and gas outing with 10 points, 4-8 shooting, 10 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. On top of that, he had a really awesome shot late in the 4th to put the Thunder up by 1, from which they never looked back. There's a reason they sell a "jersey shirt" for this guy.

The Thunder Down Under award is a tough one to decide. Whomever I give it to really doesn't deserve it. Since I'm infamous for hating inefficency, I'm going to give it to, you guessed it, Joe Smith. 6 Points, 3-4 Shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal all in 16 minutes. Early on he was getting burned a bit by Craig Smith, but it's nothing compared to the whopping that Jefferson was doing on Wilcox. He made a lot of hustle rebounds and recovering from steals in the mid 4th that really kept the Thunder in the game. Yeah, yeah, I know you guys are gonna call me a homer for this one.

Lastly, before I go, I'd really like to state that I miss Damien Wilkins. He's been getting next to none minutes, and appears to be stuck in Coach Carlesimos doghouse. Here's hoping he gets some minutes. His Pre-Season performance really makes him deserve a chance.

Next Game: Wednesday vs. The Boston Celtics

Game 2 Recap: Houston 89, Oklahoma City 77

KD was like a Globetrotter Tonight
NBA.com Box Score

This is kind of a quickie recap, as I only saw 50% of the game and am really tired.

This is another game in which the final score was not very telling.

The Thunder left it all on the floor tonight in a hostile environment against a team that both Ben and I predicted to win the NBA title this year. They almost had a lead going into halftime before the Rockets scored a quick basket to go up by 1. It was steady until somewhere in the 3rd, where the score quickly dropped off.

The reason? Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant, and even more Kevin Durant. He went 11-20 for 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. That is more than enough to secure tonights Thunder Wonder. He will definately be on and off all season. Luckily, tonight he was on.

Aside from him, the team thrived on defense, and offensively productivity was very low. That's why I have to give tonights Thunder Down Under to Joe Smith. 20 minutes, 4-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, and 8 points, most of which were gotten during clutch moments where the Thunder needed to stay alive. He's definately going to be a big help when push comes to shove in clutch situations. Green and Petro were okay but not efficent. Earl Watson distributed really well tonight with 8 assists, but his scoring efficency was also dismally low.

The Rockets were also incredibly poor offensively tonight. Nobody really shined, and their top scorer at 22, McGrady, is the only player on the team to have a negative plus minus ratio. Yaos shooting (6-15) was abysmal for a big man, and his 16 point 11 rebound game don't make up for it when you're 7'6". Thus, the Thunder Plunderer award has to go to Carl Landry tonight. He had 27 minutes, 14 points, 6-11 shooting, 14 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Not a excellent line, but games like these never look pretty.

Watching this game made me realise that the Thunder are, in fact, not an average young team. Their ability to play defense really helps them keep things from getting out of hand for too long. If they can perfect this ability, they should learn to be able to keep the game in hand all game long, rather than blow huge leads like some teams would do (the 2005-2006 Warriors, for instance).

Anyway, our next matchup is tonight at 6 PM. I hope you're having an excellent weekend and had an excellent Halloween!

Lakers Preparation

Dear readers of our blog,

First of all, I'd like to remind you to vote for our blog on LA Ball Talk. We're currently in 3rd place, and we'd really like to make a move for first. Even if it's not for us, go vote! We always like to see Thunder blog excitement.

Also, I'd like to inform you that we will NOT be posting a recap for the Thunder vs. Lakers game tonight. I and Okluschen are taking the ACT tomorrow, and we can't afford to stay up doing recaps at 1 AM. Tomorrow is jam-packed too, and so it goes.

In lieu of that, I'd like to run an interview with the Lakers Nation that never got around to being posted. Their "Pre-Season Prespective" column was unpopular, and so I assume they trashed it. If not and they still need to use it, please contact me ASAP.

Otherwise, here it is. Most of the Thunder stuff has been covered before, but there's some nice Lakers and all-around NBA perspective.

All questions were asked by Jonathan Somers-Harris of Lakers Nation.

1. Out on a limb, although backing it up with solid reasoning would be cool too, what do you think the ball park for the Magic's 08-09 regular season record will be, and how do you feel they will place in the Northwest/West?

We'd say it'd be between 10 and 25 wins. Almost every team in the West has improved since last season, and aside from a couple more rookies, Desmond Mason, and Joe Smith, we're not that much better.

As far as the Northwest division, it is split up into 2 sectors. The Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Nuggets are kind of in a league of their own, with the Nuggets being slightly lower. The Thunder and Timberwolves will be in an all-out slugfest for last place in the division, and probably last in the West too, to answer your other question. The only other teams that we'd see it possible for us to beat in the West would be Sacramento and Memphis. But, you should take all of this with a grain of salt, because we said the same about the 05-06 Hornets, and they almost made the playoffs.

2. Again, out on the said limb, what do you think the ball park for the Laker's 08-09 regular season record will be, and how do you feel they will place in the Pacific/West?

The Lakers are definately in the top tier of the West. But, they'll have their hands full with a trio of Southwestern challengers. The Spurs, Hornets, and Rockets could all fessibly challenge them for the West crown. But the Lakers are definately the best in their division, with the downfall of the Suns, the Point Guardless Warriors, and the incompletely talented Clippers not posing enough of a threat.

So, I'd say a record of 55-60 Games, with 1st in the West and Pacific. The Lakers have a life span of only 2-3 more years before Kobe the loser gets too old to be effective enough to stay in the league.

3. How do you feel the Thunder match up with the Lakers over a 7-game series?

Why would you ask such a question? Who would watch that series? When would it occur?

Let's say 0-4. The Thunder are too young to match up with the Lakers effectively. Bynum and Gasol would obliterate Petro and Collison. The only guy with the constitution to match up with them is Joe Smith, but he doesn't have the talent. Kobe would obliterate anybody at Shooting Guard. The only possible places we could beat out the Lakers would be at Small Forward and Point Guard. The Durant-Odom matchup is pretty even, with Durant maybe being slightly better, but I doubt that it would make a difference. Watson is probably better than Fisher simply because he has to distribute the ball, whereas Fisher just shoots and Kobe does all of the distributing. Still, not much of a difference here. A definate 4-0 loss of the Thunder.

4. Lakers fans are split down the middle on Odom; some love his versatility, others hate his inconsistency. As an opposing fan, how do you rate Odom?

Lamar Odom is the modern-day Antoine Walker. Back in the day, he could lead his own bad team, as Walker lead the Celtics and Odom lead the Clippers. But, later in their careers, they became injury-prone, inconsistent sand part of a larger championship puzzle, such as Walker with the Heat and Odom with the Lakers. He's starter-quality, and some days he'll be All-Star quality, but he won't get much better.

5. What do you think of Kobe's decisions to put-off surgery on his injured pinky?

It's a good decision. The pinky isn't an essential part of the basketball body, and he doesn't need time to ressessitate it. Also, this is one of his last years of SUPER stardom, before he kind of fades into general All-Stardom. Good decision for him and the Lakers.

6. What is your perception on Bynum? Lakers fans have him pegged as the next *insert hall-of-fame center*, yet the rest of the league doesn't seem to hold him in such a high regard.

Andrew Bynum is a little bit overhyped. We don't really think of him as Hall-of-Fame, but rather more of a borderline All-Star. When he's put next to Gasol, this will become a bit more obvious. If we had to give him a comparison, we'd have to say....Zyundras Ilgauskas, maybe a little bit better. But, who knows? This could be his breakout season.

7. Kevin Durant already has his starting spot pretty much guaranteed, yet Jeff Green will still have to fight for playing time. Do you feel he should be "baptized by fire" and given the starting role, or should he have to earn it?

Jeff Green should basically be our key sixth man. He's definately a good player, but his talent level at this point doesn't warrant playing him or somebody else out of the position to put him in the starting lineup. In the future he might be good enough, but right now he's just kind of between a rock and a hard place, especially with the coming of Mason. As the season progresses, we might change things up, but for now, he's a bencher.

8. The Thunder have a litany of project big men from a previous era. Do you feel any of them are worth keeping around, or are they a waste of space?

You have to take this individual by individual. But, you could put them in 2 groups. The first, "Like to Keep" consists of Collison and Wilcox, while the second, "Show me something or we'll cut you" consists of Sene, Swift, and Petro. Joe Smith doesn't count, since he's new.

Nick Collison is definately a starter to borderline starter, with Wilcox being a bit worse. They both are unlikely to improve, but both are known quantities and valuable to the team. While it may be impossible to keep both, ideally you like to try to hang onto them. They could be good trade bait.

Sene, Swift, and Petro, on the other hand, have virtually no trade value but filler. Sene looks really offensively horrible. Swift might've been good, but his bum knee will likely keep him from going far. Petro looks hopelessly average. Not average in the Ilgauskas sense, but average in the NBA bench center sense. Since big men generally command a lot of dollars, unless these guys improve a significant amount, we'd let them walk after one season.

9. What are your thoughts on the "player exodus" from the NBA to Europe? Do you think a Kobe or a Lebron would ever seriously consider leaving the NBA?

We think that it will be a small trickle every year. There won't be a "mass exodus" like some people are predicting. Next year, we'll probably see someone like Lamar ODom or Antoine Walker leave, along with various other smaller stars.

A uperstar player probably won't leave the NBA in the foreseeable future. The only way I could see it happening is if a superstar was clearly at the end of his prime. For example, an old shaq going to the Euroleague at 38 or 9 years old is not entirely unfeesible. They'd either do it for money, or pure love of the game.

Down the road, if transportation allows, it's easy to see a joint NBA-Euroleague. It would be easy to say probably not in the next 20 years, and definately not in the next 10. It will be a hard transition though, as there are key rule differences, and the Sponsorship is a lot more prevalent in Europe (think Armani Jeans). It could be kind of like the AL and NL in the MLB. They both play by the rules according to which stadium they're in. They could also have specific times when NBA teams play European teams and when they play domesitcally. But that's all probably very far off.

10. What got you into blogging? How do you feel about it as a news medium?

We both originally got into blogging last year. Ben had looked at CBS Sportsline and other prevalent journalism sources previously, whereas Zeb had been reading the likes of Golden State of Mind and Sports Media Watch. Our original blog, Adonal Obsessed (named after Adonal Foyle, Zebs favourite NBA player) blogged about everything and was a dismal failure. We eventually tired of it and realised that we would need a narrower focus in order to succeed. When the Tuhnder came to town officially, we saw our shot. There were no established blogs yet , and almost 0 Oklahoma City bloggers. We've been going 3 months strong now, and we're enjoying every minute of it.

As a news medium, it stinks. If you want to get the full, unslanted story, you should go to Yahoo, CBS Sportsline, or your local paper (just not ESPN, please). But, blogs are there so you can see what your buddy at the bar thinks. You know, just seeing what they think. Each blog usually caters to different tastes of people. For example, in the Thunder blogosphere alone, you have different personalities. Bend it Like Bennett is there for the Thunder haters. Sonics Central and Supersonic soul are there for Sonics missers. Thunderguru is there for stat freaks. Thunderworld is there for people looking for a bit of professionalism. Blue Blitz is there for a bit of humor and honest opinions. But, this doesn't speak for everybody, and it's entirely possible that bloggers are qualified to be professional sports reporters. That's just how we see blogs. As bar buddies. People you go to see to get their opinion.

11. Is Russell Westbrook the answer to the Starting Point Guard problem for this year, or is he one for the future?

This is an issue where we differ in opinion. Zeb thinks that he is a good future 2 guard, but that you really need someone to distribute the ball to these guys, as Kevin Durant is too big to handle the ball most of the time on a winning team. For now, we should stick with Watson and look for more options via the draft or trade in the future. On another hand, Ben thinks that Westbrook could defintely be the point guard of the future, though not this year. It would be importnat to have a solid defensive point guard like Westbrook in the future, because young point guards (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Mike Conley) ared dominating the west.

Last Note: Just for the record, I hate the Lakers. As a long-time Warriors fan, I'm sick and tired of them trouncing us every year.

The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by the brands of Ebonite International

Via the Printed Edition of Sports Illustrated:

Have ESPN? Love the NBA and Bowling so much that you couldn't wait to see them collide? Well, look no further!

The Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presedented by the brands of Ebonite International will air this Sunday, that's right, this Sunday, at 1 PM EST! ESPN thinks so highly of this event that it would run it in direct competition to the NFL! I mean, you can watch NBA Stars such as LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gay! Who cares that the tournament was actually run September 20th?



Well, at least it will be better than Steve Garveys Celebrity Billfishing Tournament....that wasn't for charity.



If you've never seen Cheap Seats, you need to watch that.

Oh, and it's totally awesome that Chris Paul is doing this for charity and everything....it's just probably going to turn out hilariously bad on TV.

Pre-Season Game 5 Recap: Clippers 90, Oklahoma City 88

Dr. Strangesmell or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Stench
Yahoo! Boxscore
The Thunderworld Recap

Tonight was a night of bad jerseys, bad play, and badass dancing.

When I went to the Ford Center around 5:45, there were more people there than expected. That was good, but what was not good was the fact that there was absolutely nothing to do. It was completely and totally boring. They had the typical food from the World-Famous Slap Shots, and they had the typical lottery stuff, but aside from that everything seemed kind of lame and last minute. There were no activities or anything. There were no signs in the stadium, very little overall theme, and the floor simply read "Ford Center". Still, it's the Pre-Season, so I expect them to have everything in order in time for the Season Opener.

Almost every activity that they had was a copy of what happened when the Hornets were here. T-Shirt throwing, kids slam dunk contest, free throw contest, running around the bat and trying to make a layup, seat upgrades, and the dance cam all made returns. You name it, and it'll probably be copied by the Thunder. Speaking of the dance cam, if you saw a particularly sexy guy in a blue shirt and blue headband doing the "Apache" dance and getting more than 30 seconds of full-fledged camera time, you guessed it, it was me. (Yes, I looked like a total dork.) Oh, and every single time they asked, "Whose ball is it?", I would automatically say, "Hornets ball!!!!". I guess I'm a creature of habit.

One last side note....2 of the worst NBA uniforms were out there tonight. The Clippers uniforms have always totally sucked. The red, white, and blue looks really cheesy and bland. Honestly, I'd rather them just rock the light blue Buffalo Braves uniforms all year. As for the Thunder uniforms, we've already been over that.

Anyway, on to the game itself. The crowd seemed pretty apathetic towards the pre-game lineups, and the first quarter. The first was full of high energy low post manuvers by both teams. Then, in the second quarter, the Clippers bought in all of their subs minus Ricky Davis, and it was a sludgefest through the third quarter. The Thunder had their starters out, but they played like total crap. It wasn't a defensively-minded game, like you would see in a Spurs matchup. Rather, it was just total crappiness and sloppiness on both ends.

Well, every time except this time....

Most of the time, the Thunder would have to rely on Durant or Westbrook pretending that there was a brick wall in front of them and getting "fouled" while having no intention of hitting the shot. I mean, is that even satisfying? Other players I've seen, like Baron Davis and Chris Paul, do it a lot, but they at least make it fun because they actually try. Westbrook, Durant, and more famously Dwayne Wade hardly even try to shoot, and just act like they got an electric shock. I know it's kind of a soapbox here, but it makes the game boring and makes them look horrible on the stat sheet (Durant went 6-18, Westbrook went 3-11). Comeon guys, at least try.

Well, eventually after a total sludgefest, about 1/8th the arena filed out at the end of the 3rd, with half of the remaining people seriously considering putting on their coat. Than, suddenly, the energy increased and the game got intense. Durant was hitting his shots, and everybody else on the floor was contributing well. On the other side of the coin, Mike Taylor played absolutely insane. Who is Mike Taylor? I don't know, but he was incredibly intense. He had a clutch 3 and he got a key steal for a dunk within the last 2 minutes.

Is it the shoes?

Anyway, long story short, we were pretty close going into the final two minutes. Then, Johan Petro got two freethrows and missed them both. On top of that, Mike Wilks got a steal for a dunk. All said and done, we ended up down by 3 with about 13 seconds to go. Durant had a "shades of Atlanta" 3 point shot, but it rimmed out and Houston got the rebound. Ricky Davis sank 2 freethrows, and Russell Westbrook sank an irrelevant 3 at the buzzer. The whole arena was kind of bummed, but they clapped for the team anyway, and it gave me hope that we can cope with losing for a couple of seasons.

Now, for tonights....

Thunder Wonder and Blunder: Johan Petro
12 Points, 6-9 Shooting, 14 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 1 Turnover, 1 Steal

Johan Petro had a super game tonight. I mean, nobody could have predicted this at all. He got some good momentum early with an extreme dunk, and just kept producing all game. Hell, he even hit a 12 footer! I mean, he didn't out step his place, and did what he needed to to help the team. Probably a career Pre-Season game. So then, why is he also the Blunder? Well, he missed a couple of clutch freethrows down the stretch, and that was really the turning point that put us back behind the Clippers.

Thunder Down Under (Honourable Mention): Nick Collison
10 Points, 4-8 Shooting, 8 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 2 Fouls
Not particularly impressive on its own, but considering that he only played 15 minutes, he was extremely productive. Everybody elses play seems far too sloppy to include. 13 team assists?! I mean, comeon!

Thunder Plunderer: Al Thornton
23 Points, 8-13 Shooting, 6 Rebounds, 5 Turnovers, 1 Steal

His turnovers were a bit high, but Al was an absolute scoring beast tonight. He hit a whole lost of midrange jumpers and simply couldn't be stopped, even during the extremely lame-duck quarters.

Thunder Plunderer Down Under: Mike Taylor
14 Points, 5-9 Shooting, 2 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Turnovers, 3 Steals

I don't normally do this, but I gotta give props to this guy. His stats are only good at first glance, but he played with extreme intensity on the defensive end. He very nearly forced a whole lot of turnovers, and the ones that he did force were crucial. He forced the Thunder to be constantly on their toes bringing the ball up, and he even hit a clutch 3 late in the game along with a crucial jam in the final minute. Somebody give this guy a roster spot!

That's it for tonight....stay tuned for the last two Thunder Pre-Season games, Thursday Oct. 24th at the Phoenix Suns, and Friday Oct. 25th at the Los Angeles Lakers!

Bonus!
Fashion Notes:

P.J. made an excellent choice of tie tonight.

Along with that, Mike Dunleavy Sr. is the last guy on the planet besides Mike Morgan to have a fake handkerchief in the right pocket of his suit simply for style. Rock on, man.

Pre-Season Game 4 Recap: Thunder 110 Rockets 104

For some reason Rick Adelman isn't happy to see the Thunder's first win

Yahoo! Box Score

We went to Billings...and got nothin. We went to Sacramento...and got nothin. We went to Oakland...and got nothin. We came to Tulsa to face a playoff team for the first time and expected much of the same. Well my friends, I'm happy to report that we were wrong. Congratulations to the Thunder for capturing their first ever victory!

It didn't look good at first. I was relieved when I heard T-Mac wasn't going to play, but when I saw Nick Collison guarding Yao Ming, probably giving him a good 8 inches, I again had my doubts. My doubts may have been legit if it wasn't a pre-season game, he had 15 points and 16 rebounds in just 24 minutes. Nevertheless, as the game progressed, you could see a certain fight in the Thunder that just wasn't there before...

It started like every other Thunder game. We fell in a big hole early, Durant was struggling from the field, and Wilkins and Weezy were providing the scoring. Wilkins would soon fall off in the scoring department, which would usually be bad news for the Thunder. After all, Wilkins has won the prestigious Thunder Wonder award more than any other player, in fact, he's the only ever recipient.

Thankfully though, Desmond Mason was able to play tonight, unlike what was predicted by yours truly, and gave his best contribution to date as a member of the Thunder. He went 7/10 from the floor with 16 points and 3 boards including a pretty reverse layup before the half.

Before the 4th quarter it looked like the big men would be the story for the Thunder. Both Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison had outstanding games. The highlight of Weezy's game had to be the powerful jam he scored right over Yao. Nick Collison also had a memorable play against Yao where the Great Wall came down with the rebound (as always) and Nick swiped it clear out of his hands. Collison finished the night with 21 points and 4 boards, shooting 60%.

Like I alluded to earlier though, in the 4th quarter it was all Kevin Durant. 20 of his 26 points came in the 4th quarter and he had two blocks and one steal in the final 35 seconds or so, not to mention clutch free throws and a nice fade away to help salt things away.

The star Rocket player played as expected. Like I said earlier, Yao dominated, though he missed constant layups which was really crucial for the Rockets. Ron Artest looked very strong early, but finished with only 8 points. Of course, T-Mac didn't even see the court.


Thunder Wonder: Kevin Durant 26 points, 8/16 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls
KD filled up almost every stat cat today. Really, he won the game single handedly today, and on both sides of the court. Also, don't forget, he went down with what appeared to be a sprained ankle in the second half only to get right back up and not miss any time at all.

Honourable Mention: Weezy 13 points, 6-10 shooting, 14 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls

It was a close call, him or Collison, but Wilcox was able to do more than just score.

Thunder Blunder: Russell Westbrook 5 points, 1/8 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers

Continues to struggle. It's ok though, he still has lots of room to improve. I remember Chris Paul didn't look so hot his first few games either.


Thunder Plunderer: Yao Ming 15 points, 4/10 shooting, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks

Yeah, he shoot terribly, and theres no excuse for a guy that tall to shoot 40%. Still though, he was killer from the line and nearly unstoppable for the Thunder all game long.

Preseason Preview 4: Thunder vs. Rockets

The still all-time winless Thunder finally have their first home game...sorta. It's in the BOK Center (of Tulsa, of course) an arena that is arguably better than the Ford Center, but we don't really want to talk about that. The Thunder will also be the away team tonight, which means they still can't get out of those God-awful away jerseys. Will the Thunder finally win a game? Will Kevin Durant get his game back? How well will Tulsans attend the game? All this and more on the most recent version of Preseason Preview!

Backstory: The OKC Thunder take court in the Sooner state for the first time today. But does anyone in that other city really care? According to my dad, who spent the past week in Tulsa "house sitting" (long story) theres been no Thunder hype up there whatsoever. One of the reasons Stern was so excited about having the NBA in OKC is because he can take advantage of the Tulsa market, too, but from what I've heard, it doesn't look like that's happening. This game will be a big test for that. What will the crowd be like in Tulsa? I'm predicting pretty solid, but maybe a deceiving number. I think Tulsans are more excited about the first major sporting event in the new BOK Center than Thunder basketball. It won't be a sell-out though, mark my words.

Analysis: OK, we know this much, the Thunder have been pretty uncompetitive against some of the league's lesser teams the past few games. In pre-season play, no less! So how will they stack up against a team that some predict (including the minds here at the Blue Blitz) is good enough to win an NBA championship? Well, not well. OK, I know, it's preseason, but the Houston bench is probably better than the Thunder starting 5, it's that bad of a mismatch. We'll once again be relying on Weezy (who I heard may not be starting tonight) and Damien Wilkins to carry the team, while consistantly feeding the ball to Durant who's been struggling shooting%-wise. Of course, theres the problem of stopping YAMs: the three-headed monster of Yao-Artest-McGrady. This is tough for even the best teams, much less one of the worst in recent history. Also, not to be over looked, Luis Scola is having a good preseason, averaging almost 11 points and 5 rebounds.

Player to Watch: Let's see, no Joe Smith, Desmond Mason and Jeff Green are questionable, which in the preseason, means not playing, and Robert Swift and Kyle Weaver are out for sure. That doesn't leave a whole lot. So...I guess I'll put my neck on the line and say that Kevin Durnat will have a solid game tonight. I don't have any basis for this, and TMac will be a tough match-up for him, but perhaps the first kind-sorta home game will inspire him.

Predicted Result: Rockets 98 Thunder 87

Kevin Durant's Q&A with Sporting News Today

Royce Young/Contributing Writer

For those of you that don't subscribe to Sporting News Today, quit reading and do it now. It's awesome. It's basically a digital newspaper delivered to your email every stinking morning and it's FREE.

Today they have a great interview with Thunder star Kevin Durant. He talks about the new look, the new team, his goals and what it's like in OKC. A really great read. (Click it to make it bigger. That's what she said.)



A few interesting things he said:

1. "Your team name is supposed to make people afraid. People are afraid of Thunder." I hate to disagree there Kevin, but who's really afraid of thunder besides six-year-olds? "What was that, dad?" "Nothing son, just thunder. It's only a sound. It can't hurt you." Remember that conversation when you were a kid? Also, who's afraid of the Lakers? Or Mavericks? Or Spurs? Oooh, the Spurs. Are those really terrifying names that intimate opponents before they step on the floor?

2. "I talked to Chris Paul about [Oklahoma City], and it seems like a good, quiet kind of place, a family-oriented kind of place. And he said the fans are great, they're unbelievable. It sounds like it is almost a college atmosphere when you get to game night." Darn night KD. People around the country make fun of OKC about being a small town. They think we have teepees and ride horses to work. But that's fine because if they actually knew what it was like, they'd all be moving here in a heartbeat. Low crime, virtually no traffic, great jobs, great economy, extremely low cost of living, wonderful people and great schools. I think I've said too much.

3. Q: How about the chances of seeing the Thunder in the playoffs? "Oh man, it's way too early to think about that. We still need to jell together, to get better as a group, as a family. Let me think about training camp before the playoffs. Ask me in the middle of the season about the playoffs, and maybe I can give you a real answer." Translation. And the reason he'd rather be asked in the middle of the season is because by then the Thunder will be 12-29 and no one in their right mind will be asking about the playoffs.

It's Never Too Early...

The NFL isn't even through it's second week yet and most college football teams haven't even started conference play, so what better time for NBA Preview magazines to start hitting the shelves!

My favorite sports prediction magazine (Athlon, I've bought all of their college preview magazines for the past 5 seasons) has recently released their NBA preview, so I thought I would share it with you.

First of all, as you can see from the cover, they had to go to print before the release of the actual logo. This results in almost all of the OKC pictures in the mag being from summer league play when they were wearing those generic black unis, except for one of Nick Collison, who's doning a Sonics jersey.

They don't have anything out of the ordinary to say about the Thunder. They spent the entire Thunder intro recapping the story of how they moved from Seattle, a story that I'm sure we're all sick of by now. They also grade all the teams' scoring, defense, rebounding, athleticism, coaching, and intangibles on a scale of 1 to 10. The Thunder got a 2 in scoring (up from 1 last season), a 4 in defense, a 6 in rebounding, a 5 in athleticism, a 4 in coaching, and a 4 in intangibles (up from 1 last season). I can't really argue with any of these. The Thunder are far from being any sort of scoring threat and though in the future I think this will be a fine defensive team, for now 4 is probably about right. This also came before they traded for Mason and Smith, so defense probably would get a boost if they had known about that.

The folks as Athlon also picked OKC to not finish in last in their division, better than some might have hoped. They have the T-Wolves (new jerseys and all) finishing below them. I also found it funny that Russell Westbrook was named our top offseason addition in the magazine, by far one of the more pathetic list of transactions in the magazine. Again though, this was pre-trade.

Athlon seems to be optimistic about the future of the team. They say that, "The Thunder will have one of the most vocal crowds in the NBA, giving them a first-rate home-court advantage" and "Have patience Thunder fans, and a lot of it...Endure the present knowing you will only enjoy the future."

Athlon has the NBA playoffs as follows:
Eastern Teams-
Boston*
Cleveland
Detroit*
Miami
Orlando*
Philadelphia
Toronto
Washington
Boston over Philly in Eastern finals
*-indicates division championship

Western Teams-
Dallas
Houston
Los Angeles Lakers*
New Orleans*
Phoenix
Portland
San Antonio
Utah*
New Orleans over Lakers in Western finals
*-indicates division championship

New Orleans Hornets over Boston Celtics in NBA Finals

Durant a Sure Bet for London 2012?

The United State's highly publicized "Redeem Team" recently was able to live up to their hype and grab a much anticipated gold, defeating Spain 118-107. It was the first time Team USA had been challenged in a game as late as the fourth quarter, however, stars Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant were able to produce clutch plays to cement the team's goal. The point of this post though is not to report on how the Redeem Team fulfilled their own prophecy or how a certain other blogger could have been wrong about some of his predictions, but actually it concerns recent comments about OKC star Kevin Durant's chances at the 2012 Olympic Team.

In today's Sunday Oklahoman, P.J. Carlesimo who was also the coach for the Team USA Select Team, said that he didn't "think that there was any question" about Durant's chances at making the next Olympic team. Also, according to the article, it says that Durant only didn't make the cut for this Olympic team because of his age and lack of experience. Apparently, all the Team USA coaches were very impressed by Durants game.

It's probably for the better that Durant wasn't on this year's Olympic squad. He fills the scorer niche, and on this most recent version of the U.S. Dream Team, that niche was not just full but overflowing. Not to say that that won't be the case for the upcoming team or the next 20 versions of Team USA, but a Kevin Durant 4 years from now could potentially be just as valued as any of the members of the 4-headed monster of Bryant-James-Wade-Anthony were this year.

As for the 2012 games themselves, basketball looks like it will be very interesting. Some teams, like Argentina, look as if they won't be as good as they were the past decade. However, with China's game developing and the fact that the U.K. seemingly has gotten commitments from natives Ben Gordon and Luol Deng for their national team, we could have new powers in the works...

Olympic Basketball Preview

I'm quite sure that all of you are really psyched for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. While I don't nessessarily like the decision to have it in China, I'm also psuched for the Olympics. Since this is an NBA blog, I thought it would be only fair to preview the Basketball portion of the games.

First off, lets review who out of the City will be participating in the games:

None.

Yeah, we don't have any players who will be going to Beijing. P.J. Carlesimo coached the practice squad which had Kevin Durant and Jeff Green on it, though. Sear Sene probably plays for Senegal, but they didn't qualify. Francisco Elson (who is technically still on our roster) is Captain of the Netherlands team, but if Elson is your Captain, you probably don't make it very far in international play. (He's the second best Dutch basketball player ever, next to Rik Smits.) The last international player we have is Johan Petro, who is not good enough for the French national team, which is itself not good enough for the Olympics.

Now that we have that out of the way, lets discuss format.

12 teams are split into 2 groups (A and B) who play the other teams in the group once each. The teams ending up in the top 4 of each group will be seeded into a tournament single knockout format, in which the teams knock each other out until they compete for the gold. Confused? Click here for further Wikipedia explanation.

Now, I'll break down each of the teams rosters, followed by predictions.

Group A: Argentina
NBA Players: Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, Luis Scola, Fabricio Oberto, Carlos Delfino

Argentina is probaly the best South American team, and a powerhouse in international basketball. They won the gold in the last Summer Olympics, and there's no reason to think that they can't do it again with many NBA players at the peak of their prime. And don't think that the rest of their team is a pushover, either. They have many vets from Euroleague and local teams, and their roster is largely intact from their 2004 run. A certainly formiadale team that has been together for a while.

Australia
NBA Players: Andrew Bogut (Patrick Mills plays for Saint Marys College)

Contrary to popular belief, Australia does have it's own basketball league, and it is actually quite popular. Sadly, it really isn't that good. For comparison, Mark Price (my homeboy) went over to Australia to coach an expansion team (the South Dragons), and brought former teammate Todd Fuller to play with him. Fuller, considered an NBA failure with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds for the team in 6 games, before getting sacked by Shane Heal, who had also just sacked Mark Price, citing "lack of work ethic". Reguardless, the Australian team used to be one of the few teams who could hold a candle to the United States "dream teams", but they frequently got beat by 20-30 points. But this is not the Australian team of old, as they no longer have Australian Legends Shane Heal (yes, the same Shane heal who sacked Mark Price and Todd Fuller) and Andrew Gaze. It remains to be seen whether the Australian team can live up to their former potential.
Croatia
NBA Players: Roko Ukic (He plays for the Raptors)

This is a total Euroleague team, and a bit of a wildcard in the Olympics. To be honest, I don't know much about them except for the fact that Toni Kukoc used to be their best player. But, I wouldn't expect this team to win a medal with the extremely fierce competition that's been going on lately.

Iran
NBA Players: None

Iran has no NBA players, and no shot at a gold. Honestly, they only got in because they're the best in Asia, which doesn't say much in the Basketball world. I mean, if I played them, I'd probably get owned, but on this high scale, they don't stand much of a chance.
Lithuania
NBA Players: Linas Kleiza (Sarunas Jasikevicus is a former Warrior and Pacer)

A usually pretty good basketball team that is looking below par this year. They do have good players in the Lavrinovic twins, Jasikevicus and Kleiza, but they are missing a lot of good players in Zyundras Ilgauskas (who couldn't play because the Cavaliers wouldn't let him), Arvydas Macijauskas (a former Hornet and Euroleague superstar who had a back injury), and Darius Songaila (also has a back injury). There are other players I could name, but the fact of the matter is that in a weak group A this team will most likely advance, but don't expect them to get far. If you need proof, look at their 30-40 point exhibition blowout against the USA.
Russia
NBA Players: Andrei Kirilenko (J.R. Holden is a former Bucknell star who went directly to Euroleague)

After the Soviet Union dissolved, it remained to be seen if the Russian National basketball team would remain as a force in international basketball after the loss of players from Soviet Republics. Well, they certainly weren't as good as their former self, but they were pretty damn good, and this year they look better than ever. With several strong players from local Euroleague clubs CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, and Spartak St.Petersburg that won them the 2007 European Championship, this team looks to be a strong contender in the Olympics and a virtual lock for the tournament.

Group B Angola
NBA Players: None

Angola is probably the most screwed team here. They sneak into seemingly every Olympics and FIBA tournament because they're the best team from Africa, but on a golbabl scale they're pretty bad. They did defeat Panama, Japan, and the New Zealand Tall Blacks (lol) in the most recent FIBA tournament, but against most of the other teams they hardly stand a chance. Put that fact on top of the fact that they are in an extremely powerful Group A, and I'd expect an 0-5 record.

China
NBA Players: Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian (Wang Zhi Zhi used to play for the Mavericks, and Sun Yue was drafted by the Lakers)

China is usually a moderately strong team, but if you look beyond the four players listed above, the team is pretty bad. China is a factory athlete-wise, but if you think about it, Asians aren't the best basketball players, just by natural ability. Now, I'm not being rascist, but, on average, Asians are much shorter, so there you go. So, really only a lucky few are actually good on this basketball team, while the rest of them like to run around and brick 3s like Marco Bellinelli. If you think about it, a former Liberty Center (who they like to call Jason) is an All-Star in the Chinese Basketball League, whereas here he'd be a D-League scrub. So, this team will be good (and probably would have soundly beaten Iran had they not automatically qualified as host), but it will be extremely hard for them to advance out of a powerhouse Group A.

Germany
NBA Players: Dirk Nowitski, Chris Kaman

This team is lead by the twin towers of Nowitski and Kaman. Historically, Germany has always had a few good players from their team, and this year is no different. Beyond the twin towers, they're good, but not great. They'll probably duke it out with China for the final spot in the tournament. Rookie Guard Bobby Brown, a NBA reject, lead ALBA Berlin to the German championship, and will be fighting for a roster spot in the NBA this year. They're really only here because of Kaman, and probably won't get beyond the first round of the tournament.

Greece
NBA Players: None

Greece may have no NBA players, but these are cream of the crop Euroleague players, and they've been playing together for a long time. They defeated the United States in the 2006 FIBA Championship Semi-Finals before losing to Spain in the finals. There's not much else to say other than the fact that they play a really good European brand of basketball together, and are cetrainly Gold Medal contenders.
Spain
NBA Players: Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez (Juan Carlos Navarro used to play for the Grizzlies)

Spain is a recent powerhouse. They defeated Greece without Pau Gasol in the finals of the 2006 FIBA tournament, so this team is for real. With an almost perfect mix of NBA vets and certainly capable European players, this team looks to be a certain title contender.
United States
NBA Players: All

Well, there's not much to say about these guys that you don't already know. The've been together for 3 years now, they're big, they're bad, they're ready to play. However, the team and it's marketing has been incredibly cocky about how certain they are that they'll win and return to the "glory days" of "The Dream Team". What do I have to say to that? Dream on. The world is good at basketball now, and they're here to stay. Hopefully they'll realize this and stop being so nationalistic.

Alright, so now lets see how they'll finish in Group A:
1. Argentina
An easy choice for #1. By and far the best team in Group A.
2. Russia
Somewhat of a distant 2nd to Argentina, this team is still pretty good.

3. Australia
This is where the Questions start for Group A, and no one would be surprised to see any of the 4 remaining teams in 3rd. So I'll go off on a limb and say Australia will get 3rd, since they're pretty unified as a team.

4. Lithuania
Any other year, this team would be duking it out with Argentina. Still, with so many injuries, they'll barely scrape into 4th.

5. Croatia
These guys haven't qualified for the World Championship in a long time, and usually finish around 6th-10th ish in the European Championships. I think Lithuania still has the man power to beat them.

6. Iran
They've had a recent run of success in the Asian Games....but that's the Asian games. With such a weak division they could advance, but don't put your money on it.


Now, on to Group B.
1. United States
This team has been together and really developed chemistry. They've played simply amazing in exhibition games so far.

2. Spain
I just think that this team loses to the United States head-to-head.
3. Greece
3rd place is something to be proud of in Group B, and this team will have chances to get revenge on Spain while also trying to re-defeat the US. They'll do neither, since both Spain and the US have improved since their last meetings.
4. China
Mark it down on your calendar: August 16th, 8 PM China Time. Why? Nowitski/Kaman vs. Yao/Yi. A Twin Towers battle of epic proportions, and it's a shame that only one of the pairs can go to the next round. Yao and Yi are probably a bit worse, but they'll get relief from jump shooting big man Wang Zhi Zhi, and have the hometown crowd on their side.

5. Germany
The odd team out in this group. When the groups were selected, they didn't have Chris Kaman, so that's they're fault. Once they can develop some additional guard talent, they'll make it, and they certainly could've made it in Group A.

6. Angola
Oh, what can I say, dear Angola? You might've had a chance in Group A, but in Group B, you're, quite simply, screwed.

So, the bracket would play out like this:

A2 Russia vs. B3 Greece B1United States vs. A4 Lithuania B2 Spain vs. A3 Australia A1 Argentina vs. B4 China

Without further ado, lets break 'em down:
Russia vs. Greece - Russia
Probably the most even matchup of the first round. Both are pretty good teams in their own right, and it will be awesome to see Kirilenko and Papaloukas go at it. Reguardless, I'll go with Russia in a slight upset. They did win the European Championships in 07, after all!

United States vs. Lithuania - United States
If you saw the exhibition game between these two and the 2006 FIBA game between them, you'd know that this is an old-fashioned blowout. The United States team is simply too quick and too athletic for the Lithuania big slowpokes.
Spain vs. Australia - Spain
This is another no contest matchup. Spain is just too talented for Australia. They might have a bit of a Bogut-Gasol battle, but Spains guards should easily outplay Australia.

Argentina vs. China - China
If you want to pick a big upset in the first round, here's your chance. Chinas anti-drug is swift, quick, and athletic big men (Since Yao, Yi, and Zhi Zhi are all really slow and plodding). Argentina is not that anti-drug, focusing on scoring forwards and guards. The closest thing they have is Luis Scola, who is Yaos teammate. Now, China has pretty poor guard play, which is what Argentina will most likely take advantage of. But if China can focus on total domination on the inside, they can win this game, and I'm banking on that. Plus, hometown crowd!

So, our Semifinal matchups are
United States vs. Russia
and
Spain vs. China

Lets break 'em down!
United States vs. Russia - Russia
Ah, the classic matchup. A lot of people are going to call me a hater for picking Russia, but this team is looking powerful. They beat Lithuania, Greece, Spain, France, and Croatia at the latest Eurobasket. This team is good. So is the United States. This game will be probably one of the best in recent memory, and I'm sure neither team will dissapoint.
Spain vs. China - Spain
And Chinas cinderalla run comes to a crashing end. Gasol domination, not much else to say.

So, we have a Finals matchup of:
Russia vs. Spain

and a Bronze Medal matchup of:
United States vs. China

First off:
United States vs. China - United States

This will probably go down as one of the most one-sided brinze medal games in Olympic history. China really doesn't belong this far up in the bracket.

And now, the FINAL!:
Russia vs. Spain - Russia

This is a tough one, it really is. They each one once against each other in the last Euroleague, with both games being nail biters. Russia is 2007 Eurobasket champions, and Spain is 2006 World Champions. This will be an excellent game, and if it does happen, I'd LOVE to see it. But, I'm going to go with Russia. Why? I don't know, intuition?

And there you have it. Please, enjoy the 2008 Summer Olympic Games!!!!

Player Rankings Volume IV

#4. Nick Collison, 5th Year Power Forward

(Hoop Dreams.)

Best Season: 07-08 with the SuperSonics, 29 Minutes, 10 Points, 9 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 50% FG%, 74% FT%

Okay, this list isn't very controversial, but if there was something to argue, it would probably be Nick Collison going so high. Honestly, he's an average Power Forward, but in todays NBA, that's a blessing, not a curse. His stats have significantly improved every year of his play (and that's not due to increased playing time). You could argue that the team has gotten progressively worse, but theres no arguing that this dude has improved somewhat, and a 10-9 guy with 50% FG% is nothing to sneeze at. Why ahead of Rinour and Watson then? Because, in general, big men in general are more valuable than small men. Pay attnetion to trades and stats, and you'll know what I mean.

NBA Comparison: Troy Murphy without the 3s.

#3. Chris Wilcox, 8th Year Power Forward
Best Season: 2005-2006 with the SuperSonics, 30 Minutes, 14 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 59% FG%, 79% FT%.

Well, there's no doubt that this due is Sonic elite. He's been mentioned in a lot of trade talks, but if you ask me, the dude is still 26, so we should hang onto him. It's hard finding a guy who can score on the inside, so we should definately keep him moving forward. True, his stats have slightly decreased as of late, but it's splitting hairs, and he'll more or less put up the numbers above for the majority of his career. Truely solid big man, and who knows? He might have a Chris Kaman-like breakout year this year.

NBA Comparison: Chris Kaman, David West

#2. Jeff Green, 2nd Year Small Forward

Best Season: 07-08 with the SuperSonics, 28 Minutes, 11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 43% FG%, 28% 3PT%, 74% FT%.

I know what you're thinking. "This retard just decided to put last years picks at the top of the board". Well, if you look at their record in 05-06, you'll know why. This team is utter crap by NBA standards. And Jeff Greens stats, while maybe worse than 2-4 of the above players, are still pretty darn good for a Rookie. The sky is the limit for Jeff, and that's why he's #2 on this list. I mean, he was #5 in tha draft, after all. That's not too far from Durants #2.

NBA Comparison: Younger Tracy McGrady (Good Situation), Younger Morris Peterson (Bad Situation).

#1. Kevin Durant, 2nd Year Small Forward
Best Season: 07-08 with the SuperSonics, 35 Minutes, 20 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 43% FG%, 29% 3PT%, 87% FT%.

Well, what else is there to say but the fact that he's Kevin Durant? A one and done at Texas, he is probably the hottest star to come out of college in the past 3 years (since Greg Odens injury, at least). He has a pretty good game, but it has 2 gigantic flaws. One, he relies a lot on Phantom Fouling. (See: Dwayne Wade.) A large part of his game is getting to the line, and while that DOES work (See: Dwayne Wade) it's pretty ugly to look at, and people tend to respect a player more if he's got actual game. I'm sure he does, while others don't (See: Dwayne Wade). The other big problem of his is that his 3 Point shooting sucks. Sure, we've all seen his amazing buzzer beater against the Hawks, but that was a pure miracle. I actually watched this one live (NBA League Pass FTW), with no affiliation one way or the other, but I jumped up and shouted when it went in. Amazing stuff, but that's beside the point. Most of the time his 3s are ill-advised and go clank. He probably should take some advice from my main man Donyell Marshall on how to get the open 3 and take it. Reguardless, these are little quips on his play, and he'll probably iron them out as his career progresses.

NBA Comparison: Dwayne Wade

Hope you enjoyed my list guys! Any constructive criticism is appreciated! You can put it in the comments below, or email it to me at nbaokc@gmail.com.

Now that you know the players, the next logical thing to do is to sort them out. You know, see who's tradeable/likely to be traded, who we need to keep, and where to put them on the Depth Chart. This will be my next major analysis article. Stay tuned!