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

Preseason Pregame 5: Clippers at Thunder

The Thunder racked their first win of many (hopefully) the other night in Tulsa. As I predicted, the crowd was only decent. On the other hand, it was just a preseason game and to my surprise, there was a whole lot of Thunder gear in the crowd. Still though, tonight marks the opening of play in the Ford Center, and look for an even more supportive fans in what may be the most vigorous crowd in preseason history. The era of Thunder basketball in Bricktown had begun...

Backstory: The Thunder are finally in the win column, but how will they cope with this success? Young teams generally respond with winning in two ways, either they get on a roll with confidence, or they become overconfident and suffer greatly. Which will the Thunder choose? Well, neither. This is the preseason, nobody freakin' cares about winning!

Also, Kevin Durant was en fuego in the last game, or actually, the fourth quarter. Which KD will we see tonight? I'd bet on the one from the first three quarters. I expect Kevin to turn it on during the regular season, but really, who can stay pumped for preseason more than one quarter?

Analysis: The Thunder starters continue to improve, along with Desmond Mason. Everyone else, especially Russ Westbrook, seem to either be in park or reverse. Westbrook is shooting less accurately than those random thug guys in National Treasure.

Still though, the Thunder continue to be hampered by injuries. Damien Wilkins was taken out of the fourth quarter of the last game and Jeff Green won't return tonight, not to mention Joe Smith. Actually, it's probably best that they catch the injury bug now, so that they can get it out of the way for the regular season.

Now, back to the game, the Clippers are a better team than the Thunder. However, that didn't stop them when they played the Rockets, a very good team. If Baron Davis or Chris Kaman see much action, it could be tough, but as evidenced by the last game, not impossible.

Player to Watch: OK, it's about time I give it to him. Be on the lookout for Thunder forward Damien Wilkins tonight. He didn't look to spectacular the other night, but I have a feeling his return will be very impressive, and it won't be too long before he's a household name in the metro area.

Predicted Result: Thunder win their first game in the Ford Center (I'm a sap for good stories) 100-94

Pre-Season Game 3 Recap: Warriors 122, Thunder 102

A Season Preview: Kevin Durant and Johan Petro marvel at the floating basketball, while Marco Bellinelli actually goes and gets the ball.

NBA.com Box Score

The Thunder fell for the Warriors trap tonight, possibly injured Jeff Green, and played Kevin Durant and Damien Wilkins 34 Minutes.

Yeah, this is bad news.

The Warriors were absolutely torching the Thunder out of the gate. Bellinelli and Jackson were hitting easy 3s on the fast break, while the Thunder kept trying to low-post the best defensive Warriors, like Jackson and Harrington. But eventually, the Thunder moved into their own brand of the Warriors fast break game. They didn't hike up a lot of 3s, but drove to the basket, and were very successful at it. A hint to Carlesimo about future strategy?


After that, every time Oklahoma City got a little bit of momentum, the Warriors always stole their Thunder. The 3 point line was left far too wide open for the Warriors to possibly miss, and the Thunder would always lose points on ridiculous 12-Footers from Petro and Kevin Durant reverse hooks.

Some hilarious technical problems at hafltime. Brian Davis was barely audible, with a shot of the Oracle Arena ceiling continuing to pan ever-so-slowly right. A technician or Grant Long (don't know which, more likely the earlier) interrupted Brian twice, assuming we couldn't hear him. Eventually, he said, "We'll have more from the Bay City Area where the Warriors lead 70-55, we'll be right back." Right, the Bay City Area.

When they returned, Brian Davis said that the squirrel that runs their microphones went on a coffee break. Ooookay.

John Lucas III came into the game and really brought this team together. Since the guy is playing to survive, it's no surprise. After a great And-1 by Weezy off of the Lucas assist, the Thunder are only down by 8 heading into the 4th.

I think 1 statement can summarize the 4th: A whole lotta sparks, but no fire. The Warriors just kept hitting as the Thunder defense looked hapless and the Thunder offense looked mediocre at best. All of this while we were playing some of our best guys and the Warriors were playing almost exclusively bench.

If I have to hear those KSBI guys say that the Thunder are "brewing the late night coffee pot" or that fans have to "stay up late" to watch the came, I'm gonna break someones crayons. Hi-yah! Oh, and both of the guys just said essentially the same thing, one after the other. And then the dude barely got off the highlights. You know, there is a certain appeal about these broadcasts....I'll just miss the unprofessional hilariousness.

Anyway, now for tonights....

Thunder Wonder: Damien Wilkins
23 Points, 7-14 Shooting, 3-6 3 Point Shooting, 5 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 4 Turnovers, 3 fouls

I know I'm a sucker for this guy. But he's performed in all 3 games this season, and I've just gotta give it to him again. He proved that he can not only succeed in a slow paced, half court set game, but also prosper in a fast breaking, more wide open game. We also got a glimpse of his 3 Point Shooting. If anyone has to compare him to a Hornet, think of him as like....a way better Rasual Butler. Russell Westbrook missed a LOT of layups, and Kevin Durant fired up a lot of bricks himself.

Honourable Mention: Weezy, 15 Points, 6-11 Shooting, 8 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 4 Fouls, 3 Turnovers. He basically misses out because of Wilkins' consistency.

Thunder Blunder: Johan Petro
4 Points, 1-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Fouls

I really don't want to make Field Goal Percentage the main factor for being a Blunder or Wonder, but when you're a Center, 1-10 is baaaad. He looked almost comical on the floor tonight. A lot of missed turnarounds and hooks after posting up, and even a couple of clanked 12 footers. I don't know what he did in practice to get the green light to start doing this, but it better start showing in games. But, there's no harm in testing it out in the Pre-Season, so you can't really blame P.J. or Johan here.

Thunder Plunderer (AKA Warrior Wonder, shout out to my boys at Golden State of Mind!): Marco Bellinelli
22 Points, 8-13 Shooting, 3-6 3 Pointers, 3 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 2 Steals

This is Bellinelli at his best. This is the guy you WANT to see on the floor every night. He could just spot up from anywhere, have perfect balence, and sink the 3. It's as if his colourless shoes have magic in them! He was a great distributor, and scorer. But most Warrior fans are skeptical, as we've all seen this from him before. But, almost every time he's come into a real NBA game, it's been a whole bunch of turnovers and clanks. He'll definately see minutes with Montas injury and Barons leaving, but it remains to be seen if Warriors fans will be experiencing a whole lotta Beli-Swoosh or a whole lotta Beli-Clank.

Honourable Mention: DeMarcus Nelson, 8-10 Field Goal Shooting, 4 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 4 Steals, 2 Turnovers. It was wierd seeing "D.Nelson Technical Foul" or "D.Nelson Steal" on the game log. Still, this guy played his heart out, and don't be surprised if he captures a roster spot on the Warriors this year.

The Thunder's next game is vs. Houston in Tulsa at 7:30 CST.

We'll have an update on Jeff Greens injury later.

Also, just a little poll I'd like you guys to answer:



Thanks for letting us know.

Quick Update: Golden State of Mind has a game thread that I somehow missed earlier. Granted, none of them could see the game, but you can look at how they marvelled at the Yahoo Gametracker. And how they hate Clay Bennett.

Also: Royce's Recap
Joe's Recap

Pre-Season Game 1 Recap: Timberwolves 88, Thunder 82

NBA.com Boxscore

If I had to describe this game in one word, I'd say: throwback.

First of all, the game was broadcast on KSBI-TV, channel 52. Back in the 90s, many teams had no FSN affiliate and broadcast their games on local stations. The presentation here reminded me very much so of that. The cameras were high-school football quality. The graphics were very minimal, and the musical theme, essentailly a thunder clap and a trumpet, sounded hilariously bad.

Secondly, the whole arena looked very old school. There was minimal floor design, and there was no moving advertisements in front of the scorers table. The highlight of the game was probably when Rodney Carney dived for a loose ball and knocked down the banner on the scorers table, and no one ever bothered to put it back up.

Thirdly, the game was a gruelfest. It was a combination of the fact that the players that were good were playing like crap, and the fact that both teams refused to shoot a lot of 3s. It reminded me a lot of those games in the 80s when they had just invented the 3 point line, but most teams were too scared to shoot the shot regularly unless they had Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.

When you get right down to it, this was a really bad outing for the Thunder. I know that it's hard to take anything of value from Pre-Season games, but lets just look at the Field Goal shooting of our starters:
Chris Wilcox 6-10
Jeff Green 1-7
Nick Collison 2-7
Earl Watson 1-7
Kevin Durant 3-13

Aside from the good game of Wilcox, the shooting was horrible. What's even sadder is that most of these shots were from mid-range. All 5 starters shot a combination of 2 3s. Yeah. On top of this, everybody from the starting lineup saw heavy, heavy minutes. You could see that they were tired, but coach Carlesimo didn't show much interest in bringing the signees off of the bench.

The roatation players were a different story. Damien Wilkins looked like he was doing everything that Durant was supposed to do: Actually making his jump shots, goin 7-12 from the floor and scoring 19 points. Russell Westbrook also looked good. He had 13 assists and 3 points, but his game was marred by a whopping 5 turnovers. He really didn't look ready at all to lead the team at Point Guard.

If you're going to take something from this game, here's 3 Key things:

1. The Thunder really, really, really, really need a true point guard. Most of the time, Durant had to create for himself, and he utterly failed. This isn't college anymore, and he needs someone to distribute to him and get him open looks. Watson certainly wasn't proving himself to do that, with just 4 assists in 28 minutes, with a whopping 5 turnovers. Westbrook had almost the same problem. It's painfully obvious that Sam Presti has to make some moves in order for this team to be successful.

2. 3 Point shooting is not our main problem. Teams can survive without scoring a lot, as evidenced by how we kept the game close even after getting so far behind in the first. Contrary to what the Oklahoma City fans want, this team will survive on a lot of defense and 12 foot jumpers.

3. We need to play our other guys. Carlesimo was giving a whole lotta minutes to the main guys. We played only 10 guys, with the only real non-rotationer being Courtney Alexander, who played for a paltry 6 minutes. I'd like to see what the training camp signees are made of.

Anyway, on to our Thunder Wonder and Blunder:

Thunder Wonder:
Damien Wilkins
19 Points, 7-12 Shooting, 1-2 3 Point Shooting, 4-6 Free Throw Shooting, 5 Rebounds, 1 Steal

Have to give the Wonder to Damien tonight. He essentially carried the team through the 3rd quarter after its 2nd quarter surge, and was really the only reason we stayed in the game. Weezy had a good night too, and was a close second.

Thunder Blunder:
Earl Watson
2 Points, 1-7 Shooting, 0-1 3 Point Shooting, 1 Rebound, 4 Assists, 5 Turnovers, 1 Steal

Kevin Durant was close to getting this award, but while he had similar shooting, he didn't have more turnovers than assists as a point guard, and he had no rebounds. Earl Watson was really, really useless today.

Well, there's not much more to say about the game at this point. The good people of Billings, Montana got their fair share of pro basketball, and we got our first taste of what the season will be like.

And as a side note, apologies for the pictureless recap. Pre-Season games aren't covered so well media-wise.

Player Rankings Volume III

Hey Again Guys, and Apologies if I missed your comment earlier. I thought it would automatically forward comments to my email, so I never checked. But, reguardless, your feedback is much appreciated, and much thanks to SoonerAlum for making me aware of the fact that Thunder means Thundering Herd, and could have a buffalo as the mascot. If this is true, I'm all for the nickname, and it probably takes fourth place in my rankings, behind Rough Riders, Marshals, and Bison. Still, that's kind of also ripping off of the Marshall University Thundering Herd.

Reguardless, on to the rankings!

#9. C.J. Miles, 4th Year Shooting Guard

(He got a big check from Utah recently, so I thought it was fitting....)

Best Season: 07-08 with the Jazz, 12 Minutes, 5 Points, 1 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 steal, 48% FG%, 39% 3PT%, 79% FT%.

Okay okay, he' not on the roster anymore, but these rankings are old, and I figured you guys would at least like to see where he stood. I like to think of C.J. as all of Adrian Griffins skill with some of Russell Westbrooks potential. I mean, he'll never be an All-Star, but optomistically he could be a solid starter, or a good backup. Still, the issue is moot now, so my analysis is short.

NBA Comparison: Martell Webster

#8. Donyell Marshall, 15th Year Small/Power Forward

(No, that's not Ben Wallace.)

Best Season: 03-04 with the Raptors, 39 Minutes, 16 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks, 47% FG%, 40% 3PT%, 74% FT%.

By far the oldest grizzled veteran on our team, and my personal favourite player. (He played on my favourite team of all time, the 1998-1999 Golden State Warriors.) He's played on many different teams, with his longest run from 1995-2000 with the Warriors. Some would say he's past his prime, but his game was never all that athletic anyway. He can still hit the 3 and the jumpshot, which is most of what he did back in the day. If you do know him, you probably know him from his days in Cleveland. Most of the time he shot corner 3s, and was an integral part of the NBA Finals team that beat the Pistons in the Conference Finals and lost to the Spurs in the Finals. Otherwise, he started on a bad Toronto team for a couple of years, and did likewise with a bad Bulls team in the mid-00s. In the early 00s he played with Utah, and was called "the future of the team" by Karl Malone. And for most of the 90s he played for a bad Warriors team, and before that he was a rookie on the Timberwolves. And there you go, the saga of Donyell Marshall. Last season he hardly played for the SuperSonics at all, and I don't expect it to improve much this year. In GM Kevin Pritchards eyes, he's a 5 Million Dollar expiring contract, which is valuable as trade bait. But, if he does stay, he'll be a valuable backup, and could help Kevin Durant learn a thing or to about his 3 Point percentage. (Surprising Stat: He had a 92% FreeThrow percentage last year with the SuperSonics.)

NBA Comparison: He's a wierd player....it's hard to find a comparison for a 3 Point Shooting Power Forward....Dirk Nowitski?

#7. Luke Ridnour, 6th Year Point Guard

(He's a NBA basketball player and his wife is taller than him....not just taller, but noticably taller. Creepy. (I have nothing against tall women, just a funny fact.))

(Had to include this pic, too. It shows him in his playing digs!)

Best Season: 05-06 with the SuperSonics, 33 Minutes, 12 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 42% FG%, 29% 3PT%, 88% FT%.

Luke Ridnour is about as average and Pure of a Point Guard that you'll get. However, on defense, a lot of people accuse him of being a Bruce Bowen. If you're unfamiliar with the NBA, that basically means he's a really dirty, floppish defender, which can't be too good for his pocketbook going into this season. He's the longest consecutively tenured SuperSonic. The stats shown above are about his apex, as he should be fully developed at 27. But last year he lost his job to Earl Watson, who is a better marksman, but slightly worse in defending. Still, the Oklahoma City have a very good situation with their Point Guards, as interchangability and competition is never a bad thing.

NBA Comparison: Jamal Tinsley

#6. Damien Wilkins, 5th Year Small Forward/Shooting Guard

(That's what his hair should look like. No flat top is blasphemy in the Wilkins family!)

Best Season: 06-07 with the SuperSonics (07-08 looked very similar), 25 Minutes, 9 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 44% FG%, 41% 3PT%, 88% FT%.

Damien Wilkins is NBA Royalty (according to Wikipedia). He is the son of Gerald Wilkins, a long-time NBA starter, and the nephew of Dominique Wilkins, who we all know as the human highlight flim. But, this is no Chris Simms (OU fan plug!). Yet, he's no Peyton Manning, either. Nonetheless, he can certainly hold his own in the NBA, and is a solid Dunker and 3 point shooter. He certainly has a great future with the SuperSonics, and will be a crucial backup to future stars Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook. You know, someone who can bring energy off of the bench and shoot 3s. If you remember Rasual Butler from a couple years back on the Hornets, then there you go.

NBA Comparison: Rasual Butler

#5. Earl Watson, 8th Year Point Guard
Best Season: 07-08 with Seattle, 29 Minutes, 11 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 1 Steal, 45% FG%, 37% 3PT%, 77% FT%.

Earl Watson is kind of a more ideal Luke Ridnour. None of the bad defensive reputation, and a better shooter. Indeed, he did take the starting job from Luke Ridnour last year, and has been highly coveted by other teams (evidenced by frequent trade talks). Earl Watson was drafted by the SuperSonics in 2001, before going to Memphis and Denver and then coming back to Seattle. Thus, he is the oldest SuperSonic, but not longest consecutively tenured. Anyway, the Seattle Point Guard situation is good. Not great, but good. Two unselfish guys who will distribute the ball.

NBA Comparison: A better passing Derek Fisher

Stay tuned for the relatively unsurprising Top 4, and Strategies for P.J. Carlesimo and Sam Presti to consider!