May 13, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) in game four of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis defeated Oklahoma 103-97 in overtime and lead the series 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

There are always positives to take out of a bad and negative situation. Oklahoma City beginning their off season a tad bit early was heartbreaking, and hard to take in.

But when you sit down and just think about how the playoff run helped the Thunder long-term. One thing comes to mind: Reggie Jackson.

Sam Presti always talk about the words growth, development, process, maturity and youth. And that is what Jackson has done. He was drafted in 2011 with the 24^th pick out of Boston College, and many questioned: Why another PG? What is Sam Presti doing?

But, in the end, it all worked out. Maynor went down with the ACL injury, and Jackson had to step up. He didn’t. Jackson turned the ball over too much, played at a bad pace, and just didn’t fit in with Harden and the second unit. The Thunder brought in Derek Fisher before the playoffs, and he produced. Jackson played in the summer league in Orlando with Mark Bryant, and just looked like a whole new PG. He looks mature on the floor, and basically ran that summer league team, and what do you know, this year the Thunder dealt Maynor at the deadline to Portland, Westbrook went down in the opening round of the playoffs, and it was Jackson’s opportunity again.

This time, the kid just took the opportunity to heart and didn’t look back.

During the season, he only averaged 5.3 points a game, in about 14 minutes of time on the floor a game. When he was given the chance to play big time minutes with Westbrook out, Jackson exploded on the scene.  14 points a game to go along with a solid five rebounds and a good four assists in 33.5 minutes a game. But, the stat that really jumps out at me is that he shot 47.9 percent in 11 games.

Jackson did all he could. Jackson showed all the things Presti talks about with his amazing growth. I would even but him in the contention as one of the best back-up point guards in the NBA right now along side Norris Cole, Andre Miller and Eric Bledsoe.

And for what’s next? Jackson seems excited. Real excited.

“I’m ready to flash forward to camp right now,” he said.

May 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson (15) grabs a rebound in front of Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) during the second half of game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Thunder 88-84. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder thought at one point like they would have a perennial Sixth Man of the Year Award winner on their roster for the next decade.

Remember when we actually envisioned James Harden might stay with the Thunder, continue to embrace his role coming off the bench and win multiple championships with this team?

That obviously didn’t happen and when Harden left last year, replacing him in the Sixth Man role was Kevin Martin, who overall did a pretty good job. Martin wasn’t Harden by any stretch but averaging 14.0 points per game and shooting 42.6 percent from behind the three-point line was still a solid season.

Martin was in the last year of his contract this season making over $12 million. The Thunder have a decision to make on whether or not to re-sign him this season. How much do you want to pay a Sixth Man putting up the kind of numbers Martin did?

Making matters more interesting is the emergence of Reggie Jackson this season and in the playoffs. Those who watched the Thunder closely all year, saw Jackson progress all season and look like a completely different player than he was as a rookie, in terms of confidence and everything else.

In the playoffs after Russell Westbrook got injured, Jackson stepped into the starting role and averaged 15.3 points, 3.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 36.2 minutes per game while also shooting 47.2 percent from the field.

As crazy as it may sound, Jackson actually resembled Harden at moments this season. They both are very adept at getting to the rim (with the eurostep) and finishing. The Thunder ran some of the same exact sets that they did for Harden with Jackson this season. Jackson was a monster in transition just like Harden too.

Jackson’s play looks to really be on the rise and the idea that he could fill the Sixth Man role may make the Thunder think less about re-signing Martin.

Martin would really need to take a severe pay cut to remain with the Thunder. OKC can probably only realistically offer him $5-6 million per year and they may not even want to pay him that much.

There’s also the Jeremy Lamb factor. He hardly played this season but was very good in the D-League. If he improves similarly to how Jackson did after his rookie season, then the Thunder may have another solid player for their rotation to make Martin even more useless.

The Thunder will have a lottery pick in the upcoming draft too. There may be some wing players available like Victor Oladipo or C.J. McCollum that the Thunder could pick to help replace Martin too.

What we’re going to see with the Thunder next season will likely be a team with two of its players in the playoff rotation this year gone. Derek Fisher and Martin will probably not be on the team. So who will replace them? Lamb seems the most likely then maybe Perry Jones, III as well.

The Thunder have a lot of options coming up this summer and we will get a better idea of what Thunder team will be taking the floor next season soon.

Jan 6, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) talks to forward Serge Ibaka (9) and guard Reggie Jackson (15) against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Thunder beat the Raptors 104-92. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s dynamic duo was broken up this postseason after Russell Westbrook’s injury in Game 2 required knee surgery.

It’s the second break-up this season that the Thunder have had to endure. Their amazing trio that included James Harden was also broken up right before the season.

OKC has had their problems adjusting without Westbrook in this series vs. the Houston Rockets and it’s resulted in them losing the last two games.

Amazingly, Westbrook’s replacement, Reggie Jackson, has produced along with Kevin Durant’s new production very close to what KD and Russ did in the regular season.

Take a look at this:

Durant and Westbrook regular season
73.4 minutes per game
17.2-36.4 field goals (47.3 percent)
14.0-16.3 free throws (85.9 percent)
51.3 points per game
12.0 assists per game
13.1 rebounds per game
6.8 turnovers per game

Durant and Jackson the last three games
75.7 minutes per game
17.7-36.0 field goals (49.2 percent)
16.3-19.4 free throws (84.0 percent)
55.6 points per game
8.0 assists per game
13.0 rebounds per game
7.0 turnovers per game

As you can see, the Durant-Jackson duo has actually been slightly better than Durant-Westbrook were in the regular season in a lot of areas including scoring and field goal percentage.

Ironically, the area of Westbrook’s game that the Thunder miss the most is his passing. The Durant-Jackson duo is averaging just eight assists per game combined while KD and Russ got 12 per game in the regular season.

This totally confirms what we’re seeing in this series. The Thunder are relying on isolation more than ever before. Durant is basically playing point guard for most of the game. The Thunder are ending up taking way more terrible shots than ever before. The spot-up shooters in Kevin Martin, Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka have not stepped up. Only Derek Fisher has.

The other area that this doesn’t take into account is Westbrook’s defense. This was the one area that we thought Jackson could do the best job replacing. It’s not as much that he hasn’t either as it also is that the Rockets are going small and the Thunder would have had trouble with this even with Westbrook in the lineup.

It feels like the Thunder are right now in the worst shape they’ve been in a long time. The Rockets have stolen all of the momentum in this series and look like they may actually have a legitimate shot at winning this series.

The big thing that needs to change for the Thunder is the ball movement, which is tough when you basically don’t have a point guard anymore. The Thunder did do a better job of this in Game 5 and have made at least a tiny bit of progress over the last three games.

Just to keep up with Houston, Durant has been playing out of his mind the last three games. If he lets up even a little, the Thunder may not have a chance.

Game 6 is tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.

Apr 27, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) drives the ball around Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) in the first quarter during game three in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Phew. Can I breathe now?

Wait. Give me a second.

Ok. I’m good now. Well, I’ll just give you a run down of how this game went real quick. The Thunder looked dominate in the first half leading by as much as 26, blew the lead, were down, and somehow came out on top to take a 3-0 series lead. And, yeah, Kevin Durant was something else. He finished with 41 points, and 14 rebounds. Someone said something about him stepping up without #0?..

The first half could not of gone any better for the Thunder. To open the game, the Thunder went down 7-1 in early going. However, after the slow start, the Thunder responded to take a lead 16-9 with 6:18 to go in the first as they went on 13-0 run. Durant’s slam over Asik was the talk of the first quarter. At the end of one, the Thunder led the Rockets, 39-19. Durant was the high scorer with 17.  Oklahoma opened the second quarter on fire as they led 46-22 with 9:36 to go in the quarter. At the time, Houston was shooting 1-11 from deep. The Rockets showed spurts of life with big production from Francisco Gracia. Houston went a 14-6 run to end the half, but the Thunder still had a demanding lead going into the locker room, 66-49. Durant had 27 points at the half.

In the third quarter, the Rockets rallied themselves right back into the game. The Thunder led by 17, 73-56 halfway through the quarter. However, the Rockets went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 13. Then, all things went South as the Rockets cut the lead to 9 with a Chandler Parsons three.  Francisco Garcia’s three made it an 11-0 run for the Rockets, but Durant’s three ending that run (his only points in the quarter). Heading into the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City led 80-76. In the fourth, the Rockets stayed in the game in the early going. The Thunder led by 2 with 7:49 to go in the game. The Rockets took a one point lead with 3:30 to go for the first time since the 9-6 lead in the first. Durant’s three with 20 or so seconds to go gave the Thunder the lead back by 1, and Derek Fischer’s two free throws gave the Thunder a three-point lead with 12.5 seconds to go. Harden responded with a quick two, but Reggie Jackson’s two free throws sealed the deal as the thunder survived, 104-101.

When Durant was asked what adjustments he had to make without Westbrook, he said, “Well, I gotta do whatever Coach needs me to do.”

Like I said, a win is a win, and the Thunder are up 3-0 in the series. See you Monday night for Game 4 as the Thunder try to bring out the broom and sweep the Rockets.

Feb 20, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Nick Collison (4) signals to a teammate during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Thunder 122-119. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

When watching the Thunder two things stick out in my mind. The first is how much isolation basketball they play, and the second is how successful they are at doing it. In general you don’t want to see a basketball team just hand a player the ball and say “take this guy”. Normally it just does not work very well. However, most teams also do not have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at their disposal. These guys are so good with the basketball in their hands that it makes it alright to play one-on-one basketball. At times it seems that the Thunder can get through a whole game just by setting Durant on the high post or Westbrook at the top of the key. Durant is a mismatch for pretty much anybody in the league, even the one guy that seems to have a shot at guarding him, Lebron James, still allowed over 30 points to KD in the finals last season. The same type of thing applies to Westbrook. While he does not present the amount of problems as Durant does, Russell is a mismatch for pretty much any point guard that tries to guard him in the NBA. The combination of his athleticism and his ability to pull up in the mid range game is extremely deadly.

With this being said, when these two guys check out of the game the Thunder bench comes on the floor and, at times, really struggles. There is nobody on the second unit that can win the one-on-one match-ups as consistently as KD or Westbrook can. Kevin Martin is a superb player, but he is not on Durant’s or Westbrook’s level in terms of making his own shots. The one guy that may have a possibility of breaking down his defender one-on-one is Reggie Jackson. I really likeJacksonas a player, and I think if Westbrook weren’t on the squadJacksonwould definitely be starting for OKC. However, Jackson is a young guy and really is just beginning to realize his talent.

In my opinion the Thunder bench has to do one thing and one thing only to improve their production when they are on the floor. Pass the basketball. It is as simple as that. Because they lack the individual talent that KD and Westbrook have, they will need to rely on each other to score the basketball. They have the capability of doing it as well. As I said before, Reggie Jackson is a great young player that can get to the basket, and he has shown that he has the presence of mind to kick it out to Martin for a jumper. Of course you have to mention Nick Collison when talking about non selfish basketball. Collison is the epitome of playing for teammates as he demonstrates that every game with his willingness to pass and take charges. Overall, we have seen the Thunder bench do great things this year, but not nearly as consistent as they did it last year. Obviously that has to do with the departure of James Harden, but if the Thunder hope to get back to the finals and maybe defeatMiami, then they will need their bench to produce.

I am not saying that the Thunder bench has to all of a sudden turn into the best bench in the league. All I am saying is that they need to hold their own while KD, Westbrook, Ibaka, and the rest of the starters get their rest. When they go up against a team like the Spurs, who have a ton of depth on their team, KD and Westbrook can’t carry them for the whole game. The Spurs can just keep rolling out new fresh guys that know how to score the basketball while the Thunder keep relying on Durant and Westbrook. If the Thunder’s second unit can move the basketball and create open baskets for teammates, then I think they can take out the Spurs in 5 games or less.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson (15) looks to pass the ball against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

With a few questions lingering around the Thunder organization and fans, questioning why the Thunder weren’t playing well, those remarks and questions were all answered this week. A four game win streak that included wins in Los Angeles beating a talented and deep Clipper team, at home to play the “revived” Lakers, and in the one the toughest environments to play in beating the Knicks.

Being that it’s only the regular season, you can’t take too much out of Oklahoma City’s recent success. But, you can pick apart the little details that will make this team unstoppable come playoff time.

The Thunder’s bench has been absolutely brilliant as of late. Scott Brooks has had a minor change to rotation, as Hasheem Thabeet has not been playing as much as of late, with zero minutes against the Knicks. Also, Derek Fisher has virtually became Oklahoma City’s seventh man, backing up Westbrook. A big thanks to Oklahoma City bench success has been Reggie Jackson. He looks as if he’s a seventh year veteran on the floor. Directing, playing with a whole lots of confidence, and being the player Presti saw in him. Jackson hit timely three’s in the Knicks game to help the Thunder hold off the Knicks.

Another big key as of late has been the production of Serge Ibaka. Minus the stupid play on Griffin late in Los Angeles, Ibaka has been playing really well. He went for 12 and nine against the Knicks, and had 16 points against Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

Finally, most of this credit has to go to Russell Westbrook. We’ve heard the Kobe Bryant comparison that ESPN.com did, and it looks as if that jump started him on this streak. Westbrook seems “guardable” beating his guy to the rim every possession. He put up 37 points and 10 rebounds against the Lakers, 29 against the Clippers, and a solid 21 points against New York.

Now, here comes the second tough stretch for Oklahoma City. Today against Boston at home, in San Antonio (big one) on Monday, and a tough Jazz team at home on Wednesday. If Miami streak can come to end, the NBA needs to then take a look at how well the guys in the blue and yellow has been playing. Look out!

Nov 2, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Eric Maynor and Thunder head coach Scott Brooks talk during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

With the trade dedline coming up Thursday at 3 PM EST, NBA fans have been on the ESPN trade machine all day trying to figure out ways to make their favorite team better and GM’s have been on the phone all day. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, there hasn’t been too much buzz, but we all know Sam Presti has something under his sleeve.

Here are some possible deals the Thunder could make before Thursday’s deadline:

According to Chris Broussard, ESPN.com, OKC is “aggressively” shopping PG Eric Maynor.

Well, its amazing how times change. Two years ago, we were sitting here talking about how Maynor is the best backup point guard in the league. Then, he goes down early last year with an ACL injury. After healing, comes back this year and disappoints and gets his spot taken by Reggie Jackson. And now, the Thunder are shopping him. Time to look at some possible ideas:

Maynor, Perkins, 1st round pick from OKC and 2nd round pick from Charlotte for Demare Carroll and Al Jefferson: Jefferson would give the Thunder more scoring and more quickness. However, losing Perkins would get rid of championship experience.

Maynor, Perry Jones III, and Daniel Orton to Utah for Derrick Favors and Kevin Murphy: With the Jazz needing a backup point guard and Maynor being in Utah before, this trade works. This would be a decent deal for Oklahoma City as the Thunder have been looking for an inside scoring presence for a while.

Rodger Sherman of SB Nation: “So who will move for Maynor? Berger mentioned the other team he’s played for in his NBA career, the Jazz, who are on the lookout for a backup point guard with Mo Williams still hurt and Jamaal Tinsley’s primary backup Earl Watson. Maynor would certainly be an improvement over Watson – and perhaps even Tinsley – but the Jazz might not have the pieces to land Maynor, for whom Broussard reports the asking price is high. Besides, Berger reports the Jazz’ front office is still torn up about whether to deal either Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap.”

So, send over the trade ideas. I do think the Thunder will deal Maynor before Thursday’s deadline because to be honest, as of now, he is no help to this team. Sititng on the bench supporting his team is great but doesn’t necessarily help the Thunder win a ring.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have only tinkered with one part of their rotation this season and that’s the backup point guard position.

Eric Maynor began the season as the team’s backup point guard but over the past week, the job has been second year pro Reggie Jackson’s.

Jackson is bringing something different to the floor than what Maynor did. He is far more athletic and head coach Scott Brooks sees him as a better defender that can aid in the versatility of the Thunder defense that they like to take advantage of.

Jackson has done a great job rebounding so far in the past few games and has even created for others fairly well too, nullifying any advantage Maynor would have over him by doing that.

But which point guard is the right fit for this Thunder team?

This is an important role for the Thunder who often need some sort of changeup in their ball handler from the 100 mph fastball Russell Westbrook is always bringing to the floor.

Last year, James Harden was essentially the backup point guard and was the team’s best playmaker and passer. This year, the hopes were that Maynor would return from injury and make up for what the Thunder were missing in Harden.

Maynor has been a disappointment so far shooting 31.3 percent from the floor and even struggling to handle pressure defense at times. Maynor was still pretty decent racking up assists averaging 6.6 per 36 minutes so far this season.

The passing and playmaking is an area where the Thunder don’t want to take a step back at. Last year, the Thunder were last in the league in assist ratio and turnover ratio. They have improved those numbers this year but swapping Maynor for Jackson could hurt that.

Jackson still has a lot to learn and isn’t a true point guard. He is a scoring point guard as seen by his dominance in the D-League this year. Another scoring point guard is not what the Thunder need right now.

Instead, the Thunder are hoping and relying on Jackson’s progression this year. He will be playing out of his element a little bit trying to set up more than score for himself. OKC could still use some scoring from the position and Jackson will try and do that as well, but the playmaking is far more important.

Being so close to a championship, you want to try and limit as many question marks as possible on your roster. Right now, the Thunder still have one in the backup point guard spot.

Is Jackson the answer? Will Maynor come along? Does Westbrook need to play 44 minutes a night?

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest additions for the Oklahoma City Thunder this year was supposed to be the return of Eric Maynor.

Maynor was known as one of the best backup point guards in the NBA a season ago before suffering a knee injury that would make him miss the rest of the 2011-12 season.

Rookie Reggie Jackson took over for him last year and did so poorly, the Thunder went out and signed Derek Fisher who took over the role.

Maynor’s return this season has been a disappointment so far. No one really expected him to come in without missing a beat but there just haven’t been many signs of him returning to his old form.

Maynor looks slower than before. He’s small and weak and has trouble getting past his defender and initiating the offense. His shooting hasn’t been great either as he is shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from downtown. He also isn’t a great defender so he becomes a liability in that way as well.

That’s why Jackson hasn’t gotten a chance these past few games. He’s gotten the bulk of the backup point guard minutes against Minnesota and Miami while Maynor has been riding the pine.

So far, Jackson hasn’t wowed or anything but he does look vastly improved from a year ago. He’s hesitant at times but still more aggressive and he is a great athlete that has no trouble handling on-ball defense and getting his own shot.

Jackson just isn’t a true point guard in the way that Maynor is and the Thunder would now be without a true distributor if Maynor is scratched from the lineup. This was an issue against the Heat as OKC finished with more turnovers than assists in the game.

The decision to go with Jackson instead of Maynor is not finalized or anything at this point. It may have simply been for matchups these past two games. But the job is definitely up for grabs and Scott Brooks has decided to give Jackson another look with Maynor struggling.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder were in trouble last night trailing to the New Orleans Hornets for most of the game.

It was their first game in three days and they didn’t look quite into the game. The precision on offense wasn’t there and a hungry Hornets team was looking to pull off a major upset on the road.

OKC needed a spark and head coach Scott Brooks turned to his bench in search of one. It came in the form of second year point guard Reggie Jackson.

Jackson came in for an 11-minute stretch beginning at the end of the third quarter and gave the Thunder just what they needed to win the game. He hit a three right after checking in, played with tons of energy and helped OKC win the game.

It was a big time game from Jackson who might start to see more minutes now after come in and doing his job perfectly last night.

The Thunder aren’t exactly thriving in the backup point guard department this season as Eric Maynor has really struggled so far this year. Maynor is playing 13.4 minutes per game this year, shooting 31.0 percent from the field and averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 assists.

Before the season started, Brooks said that the backup point guard job was an open battle between Maynor in Jackson. He also said recently that he’s not looking to change anything rotation-wise as long as the team keeps winning.

Last night may make Brooks rethink that as Jackson could prove to be a better option than Maynor, at least at times.

Jackson is a far better athlete who can impact the game more on defense. He’s not nearly as good of a distributor which could be a problem but it’s not as if Maynor is thriving in that area anyway.

Jackson can create more for himself off the dribble which in time will translate into creating for others as well. If he starts getting more run now, maybe that time will come this season.

Chances are, Brooks isn’t going to overhaul anything right now. He will probably stick with the same rotation consisting of Maynor as the backup point. Maybe he will give Jackson a few more chances but it will probably be instead of extra Thabo Sefolosha minutes rather than replacing Maynor.

It’s a good sign for the Thunder that at the end of their bench, they can find a player when the team is in need to come in and provide a much needed spark.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have settled on a 9-man rotation this season. Everyone else will be spending at least sometime in the D-League this season with the Thunder affiliate Tulsa 66ers.

The Thunder announced yesterday that they would be assigning Jeremy Lamb, Daniel Orton and now Reggie Jackson to the 66ers.

Lamb and Orton have already had short stints in Tulsa this season and it appears they will be bouncing back and forth for the time being.

This is the first occasion Jackson has been sent down and it is a little surprising. Before the start of the season head coach Scott Brooks said the backup point guard job was up for grabs between Jackson and Eric Maynor. Everyone was so impressed by Jackson too but now 20 games into the season he’s only played in half the games with just about all the minutes coming in garbage time.

Clearly, the Thunder just want to get these guys on the court for some actual game time instead of having them ride the end of the bench. And it seems that barring an injury, none of these guys will really get a shot to come in and shine this season.

Jackson was sent down to the D-League just once last season and for only one game where he dropped 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Lamb played three games for the 66ers last week and averaged 26.0 points per game. Orton started in five for the 66ers averaging over 10 per game.

Rookie Perry Jones III was not sent down this time because he suffered an ankle injury a few nights ago with Tulsa.

The Thunder will play the Indiana Pacers tonight at home and will have only 10 players ready to play in the game.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have decided to exercise the third-year option on second-year point guard Reggie Jackson.

Jackson played in 45 games last season for the Thunder as a rookie. He averaged 11.1 minutes per game, 3.1 points and 1.6 assists.

Jackson was thrust into the backup point guard role when Eric Maynor suffered his knee injury just nine games into the season. It was too much for Jackson to handle and the Thunder went out and got Derek Fisher to replace him in that role later on in the season.

Jackson has impressed very much since then with his development. He looked amazing in the Summer League after the season and in the preseason looked pretty good too often entering the game before Maynor did.

The backup point job this season looks like it will be Maynor’s to lose but Jackson will be given a chance too. Jackson also seems to be the Thunder’s guy for the future as he is now guaranteed to make $1.33 million in the 2013-14 season.

Thunder GM Sam Presti said Sunday that Maynor will not be getting a contract extension meaning he will become a restricted free agent next season. Presti said the Thunder would like to keep him but will look at that when the time comes.

Some thought OKC may decide to offer Maynor an extension with Harden now out but having Jackson on the roster as well may very well be the reason Presti did not.

Jackson will get a chance this season especially with Harden gone now too. Don’t be surprised if he is out there over Jeremy Lamb early in the season, even playing beside Maynor as well.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Training camp is underway for the Oklahoma City Thunder and preseason games will be starting next week. The Thunder are returning pretty much the same roster from last season with only a few minimal tweaks.

One position that is up for grabs is the backup point guard spot.

“We have two great choices,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said of the backup point guard position. “I think with those two guys (Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson), it’s going to be interesting to watch.”

By the end of last season, neither Maynor nor Jackson was getting any run for the Thunder. Derek Fisher was brought on shortly after the trade deadline and assumed the backup point guard duties. Maynor was injured for the season after playing just nine games and Jackson failed to impress much in his rookie year.

Maynor is expected to be back and fully recovered for this upcoming season and that is great news for the Thunder. Maynor was thought of as one of the premiere backup point guards in the league before he got hurt.

Maynor averaged 14.6 minutes per game two years ago for the Thunder and averaged 4.2 points and had an assist percentage of 30.3. He also shot 38.5 percent from 3-point land.

Jackson struggled mightily in his rookie campaign last season averaging 3.1 points per game and having an assist percentage of 21.2. He shot 32.1 percent from the field and 21.0 percent from three.

Jackson was only a rookie though and thrust into a role a little too soon. He was not ready to be that guy for the Thunder last year but that doesn’t mean he can’t become that in the future. Jackson is a great athlete for his position with a lot of potential as an on-ball defender. Once he becomes more confident with what he is doing on offense, we could see a huge jump in production from him.

Maynor is most likely in his last season with the Thunder too. Like with James Harden, the Thunder have until Oct. 31 to extend Maynor’s contract otherwise he will become a restricted free agent next summer.

The Thunder are in “win now” mode of course but the fact that Maynor’s time with the Thunder seems like it’s going to end after this season, could mean Jackson will get a better shot at assuming the backup point role sooner than later.

By all accounts, Maynor should win the job and there should be a noticeable improvement to the OKC bench. Harden had to take over much of the playmaking duties last season in Maynor’s absence and did a nice job with it, but adding Maynor next to Harden will definitely make the Thunder bench more productive.

It’s an important role too as the backup point spot is essentially the only point guard on the roster. Russell Westbrook is by no means a true point guard and besides him last season, Harden looked the closest to a point guard on the floor.

Maynor can bring back something to the Thunder equation that was missing last season. It is a very important ingredient. We know this because if you think about the NBA Finals and just how much the Thunder could have used a player like Maynor, especially with Harden struggling.

Brooks can say all he wants that there will be a battle for the backup point guard position but in reality, it’s Maynor’s job to lose.

The start of the 2012-2013 season should start much as the season before. Maynor will have had eleven months to rehab his torn ACL, so I suspect he will be available to start the beginning of the season.  That being said Presti and Scott Brooks might look to limit Maynor’s minuets to reduce the risk of re-injury.  Jackson spending a year in the offense and an off season training should help better prepare him to contribute if called upon this upcoming season.  Unlike Cole Aldrich, Jackson is coming off a well played summer league. He even had himself a poster dunk, which was the dunk of the summer league.  He was able to frustrate opposing point guards, and scored just over 15 points per game in his time in Orlando.

Even with the improved summer league play, Jackson still showed some areas of improvement that were issues last year. In the summer league he only shot 41% from the field. This was ultimately the reason the Thunder pursued veteran point guard Derrick Fisher last year. Last season Jackson only managed 32% from the field, and 21% from behind the three point arc.  To compound this problem, Jackson is more of a Russell Westbrook lead guard, and not a true point guard. With Harden doing much of the ball handling for the second unit, this leaves Jackson is more catch and shoot opportunities that are not his strength. This shows by the fact that Jackson took almost as many threes last year as two point shots. Someone who is as athletic as Jackson needs to be taking more shots at the rim than shooting threes. However, he only shot 44% at the rim last year, so that could use some work too.

I suspect that the improvement we saw in the summer league to carry over to the NBA for Jackson and his NBA season numbers to be closer to what he did in the summer league. With Jackson expected to see very little playing time, it is tough to gage any sort of per game stats. I do expect his averages to be up this year, but still needing work. If Jackson is able to shoot 40%+ from the floor and 30%+ from three that would be a great improvement from last year. I am fairly confident he will be able to achieve these shooting numbers in limited time and should continue to improve over the season. Another stat to look for would be Jackson’s assist to turnover ratio. Last year it was just under 2 at 1.97.  I suspect that number to raise slightly this season and settle around 2.5 this year, which again is an improvement but something that needs some work.

Even thought I suspect Jackson to see very limited minutes this season, I predict we will see improvement almost across the board with his season averages. Jackson continues to be an offensive project for the Thunder. Perhaps the most important issue regarding the development of Jackson is the decision to keep back up point guard Eric Maynor.  Thunder will be looking to keep salaries down if they pursue an extension for James Harden. This could push Maynor out and Jackson will have to be ready for the backup point guard role. Hopefully he will be ready.

Check out the other player previews.

@codybrees

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Jimmer Fredette is the kind of basketball player that should fit in anywhere. But that’s not what’s happening in Sacramento.

In his rookie season last year with the Kings, Fredette played 18.6 minutes per game and just .386 percent from the field. He was a lottery pick but found himself getting less run than Isaiah Thomas who was picked dead last in the same draft.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports says: “Speaking of Kings, Jimmer Fredette would love to go someplace where someone other than just DeMarcus Cousins will pass him the ball. Thunder would love to pry Fredette away from Kings as replacement for Derek Fisher. Kevin Durant is a Jimmer fan.”

There is no indication that the Thunder have openly expressed interest in acquiring Fredette and right now their priorities are elsewhere, mainly contract negotiations with James Harden. But Fredette would be a perfect fit wearing a Thunder uniform.

One of the things the Thunder could use is a deadly 3-point shooter, which Fredette surely is or at least can blossom into. He has unlimited range and would make it that much more difficult to help on Durant-Westbrook-Harden.

Fredette might provide a pretty big defensive liability that the Thunder would prefer not deal with but he could make up for it with his offense and it’s always possible to hide some guys on defense.

The Thunder aren’t necessarily looking for a replacement for Derek Fisher either. Eric Maynor will be back from injury next season although his last season for the Thunder will likely be next year.

Then there’s Reggie Jackson who is coming off a pretty unimpressive rookie season but did show some promise in the summer league.

Fredette would be a welcome addition to the Thunder if it became a possibility. Durant being a fan of his would make it that much better too.

It’s not something that will happen anytime soon but it’s always fun to dream about the future of this Thunder team.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Reggie Jackson had a tough time in his rookie year with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. After backup point guard Eric Maynor went down with an injury, Jackson was thrust into the backup point role.

Jackson wasn’t fully ready for the job and struggled for most of the season shooting just 32.1 percent from the field on the year. The Thunder went out and acquired veteran point guard Derek Fisher before the playoffs and Jackson returned to the end of the bench.

Jackson is looking to make more of an impact for the Thunder next season though and has met and worked on his shot with Boston College coach Steve Donahue and former BC coach Al Skinner, according to The Boston Globe.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the court and help the team,” Jackson told The Boston Globe. “You have to be a leader and understand how to handle tough situations. It’s a different game as you go up every level, and the ones that are confident are the ones that stay around.”

Jackson will come into next season as the third strong point guard behind Russell Westbrook and Maynor but he will still fight for playing time. Jackson looked very good in the Thunder’s Summer League games averaging 15.3 points and 3.5 assists per game.

Jackson is a very good athlete that could easily blossom into a lockdown defender at the point guard position. He played with a ton of confidence in the Summer League and his offense improved in the process.

Jackson has a good knack for scoring inside and finishing with his long arms. Adding a solid jump shot to his arsenal is just what he needs to start getting more run.

Maynor will be in the last year of his contract next season which could make Jackson the backup point of the future is he proves himself.

“The biggest thing last year for me was I was questioning myself about certain things,” Jackson said. “You have to trust in your game. Once I got on the court I was thinking about everything instead of just playing. I’m getting back to just playing ball and having belief in my abilities.”

Reggie Jackson scored 14 points and provided this highlight dunk to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 89-75 win over the Utah Jazz in the final day of the Orlando Summer League. The Thunder finished the week with a 3-2 record.

Jackson looked the best of all the Thunder players this week not only showing off his athleticism on plays like this but also looking a lot more confident than he did during the regular season for the Thunder.

Jackson averaged 15.3 points and 3.5 assists per game in the four Summer League games that he played in for the Thunder. He is more of a scoring point guard than a distributor but is a very good athlete for his position and has a lot of potential on defense.

Perry Jones played in just the first two Summer League games for the Thunder before sitting out the remainder of the week with a sprained ankle. Jones impressed especially in the first game and averaged 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and showed a ton of potential.

Cole Aldrich had high expectations coming into this week and simply did not deliver. He averaged just 5.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in four games. His offense was shaky and his defense was nothing special either.

Aldrich is likely to assume the backup center role with Nazr Mohammed out the door but if he doesn’t improve soon, Jones or the newly signed free agent Hasheem Thabeet could get a chance in that role.

Lazar Hayward was probably the most consistent player for the Thunder this week but won’t get a lot of attention mainly because his game that he showed this week will not translate too well to the NBA. He averaged 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game though and will be a solid player to have at the end of the bench.

The Las Vegas Summer League begins today and will run all the way through Sunday, July 22.

Rookie Perry Jones did not play for the Thunder. He sprained his ankle in the Thunder’s second Summer League game on Tuesday and will not play the rest of the week.

Reggie Jackson led the Thunder with 15 points, five assists and seven rebounds. Jackson continues to look good in these games and has been most impressive with his ability to finish at the rim.

Lazar Hayward had another nice showing scoring 15 points. Garrett Temple also scored 15 points and made two threes.

Cole Aldrich had his best game of the week so far although still has been struggling overall. Aldrich scored 10 points and had seven rebounds but still gets pushed around a little too much and has worse hands then you’d expect.

The No. 9 overall pick from the 2012 NBA Draft, Andre Drummond, scored 10 points and had nine rebounds for the Pistons. Drummond is an incredible specimen on a basketball court and looks to have near-Dwight Howard potential in terms of athleticism.

The Thunder will play again tomorrow vs. the Brooklyn Nets at 1 p.m. EST.

Perry Jones who was very impressive in the first Summer League game was less so today scoring eight points to go with four rebounds and left the game late in the fourth after tweaking his ankle. The injury didn’t look to serious and expect Jones to be fine for the rest of the week.

Lazar Hayward played the best for the Thunder scoring 15 points to go with eight rebounds while Reggie Jackson chipped in with 13 points.

Latavious Williams had a nice showing with 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 28 points and seven assists and really dominated the game. He and Jackson were going back and forth some in the game with Stephenson obviously getting the better of him.

While Jones really looked great in the game yesterday, today was not as impressive but still solid for him. Whenever he scores, they are good moves taking his man off the dribble and finishing strong. He definitely likes to spot-up for that midrange jumpers a lot and you could see him developing a nice shot from there.

Hayward has been nice in both games so far in the Summer League but you don’t take him too serious. He’s just too short and his game will not translate well enough to the NBA where he could be effective with the Thunder. He’s not a bad guy to have as your 12th man though and seems to be a real professional.

Jackson again gave us flashes of his potential. He looks a lot better when he doesn’t defer and the offense goes through him. Obviously that will never really be the case for him in OKC but if he gets more comfortable he could definitely be a solid contributor off the bench.

Cole Aldrich was relatively quiet again. He scored five points, had six rebounds and committed seven fouls. Any excitement with Aldrich possibly stepping up this coming season and being a reliable bench player is going away when he plays like this. He still of course has the chance to become a nice backup center for the Thunder but he’s really just nothing too special.

The Thunder will play again tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST vs. Detroit. Hasheem Thabeet could play in the game if he signs with the Thunder tomorrow morning.

The Thunder lost 73-65 to the Boston Celtics but the final scores of these games don’t really matter.

Reggie Jackson also played well for the Thunder scoring 19 points to go with two assists and Lazar Hayward added 18 points and nine rebounds.

Jared Sullinger led the Celtics with 20 points and six rebounds.

Summer league games are only 40 minutes long and feel a lot like scrimmages. Players can’t foul out and most of the players are trying to make an NBA team so there is a lot of extra effort on every play. It’s not the calm, under controlled game we’re used to watching in the NBA.

Jones stood out from the start simply by his physical presence. He is listed at 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds with a 7-foot-2 inch wingspan.

The first thing you notice with Jones is how well he moves for his size. A lot of players are described in the way Jones is as having “all of the tools” to play in the NBA but when you watch them play you can still notice something wrong with them.

That isn’t the case with Jones at all. He is very fluid and runs the floor like a three. He didn’t get pushed around either although it is clear he is much more comfortable on the perimeter as a stretch-four type.

His first bucket was a follow-up putback at the rim then he scored next taking a big man off the dribble, going between his legs and finishing an and-one layup.

Jones settled for a lot of spot-up jumpers from midrange. The Thunder used him in a lot of pick-and-rolls mostly as a pick-and-pop man with Cole Aldrich being the roller most times. He hit a few jumpers including a three and drove to the rim nicely a few times as well.

His game reminds you a little of Earl Clark or Rashard Lewis with less range. He is a great athlete and should be able to defend will immediately in the NBA. He’s not going to love banging down low for boards but still comes up with some simply from his athletic prowess.

He looked great in this first game and Thunder fans should be excited for him. It could have been a lot worse. He could have looked more unassertive and less skilled but that wasn’t the case at all. Once he is plugged into the Thunder’s rotation and has been with the team for awhile, he should fit in very nicely.

The only other player who really looked good for OKC was Jackson. Jackson was thrust into the rotation last season after Eric Maynor tore his ACL and wasn’t very memorable in his rookie campaign.

Jackson is a very good athlete though and has some NBA skills that will clearly allow him to play in the league for awhile. He is not the best decision-maker yet but looked more decisive in this type of atmosphere as he did not have to defer at all.

Jackson’s arms are so long too and it makes you feel like he could really turn into a great defender who gets a lot of steals like a Mario Chalmers. He also is a pretty good finisher inside with a euro-step and can elevate when he needs to as well.

Jackson is not a great point guard yet though. He only had two assists and rarely makes a great pass. Once he gets more comfortable and improves in that area he could prove to be of some value for the Thunder going forward.

Cole Aldrich was maybe the biggest name Thunder fans hoped would impress in these Summer League games. He definitely didn’t in this first one scoring one point, going 0-for-4 from the field and grabbing seven boards.

The first thing you notice with Aldrich is that he does seem like he needs to get in the weight room more. He doesn’t hold his ground well enough yet on offense or defense.

He does possess good instincts and in the Thunder’s second unit as the backup center could produce some but he still feels pretty far away from much of anything. The Celtics didn’t have a lot of competition out there fOR him and you’re just waiting for Aldrich to step up and he didn’t.

Perhaps this type of less-controlled setting doesn’t suit Aldrich too well. Players don’t care about going over the back or banging over-aggressively since they can’t foul out and maybe that’s why it looked like Aldrich got pushed around.

Aldrich shouldn’t be much of a drop off from Nazr Mohammed as the backup center for OKC next season but after watching this game (and I know it’s only one Summer League game), Perry Jones looks so much better and it will be frustrating if Aldrich gets significantly more minutes than him next season, although understandable and probably expected.

The Thunder will continue to play Summer League games in Orlando the rest of the week. Hasheem Thabeet can sign with the Thunder as early as Wednesday which means he could play in a few games starting then.

The Thunder will play the Indiana Pacers tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on NBATV.

Irving was the Rookie of the Year and averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 assists per game this season in 51 games. He played only 30.5 minutes per game as he was on a minutes cap because of his injury while at Duke. He also shot .469 percent from the field, .399 from three and had a PER of 21.4.

Rubio took the league by storm in the first few months before tearing his ACL. He averaged 10.6 points and 8.2 assists in just 41 games.

Kenneth Faried and Klay Thompson were third and fourth and then there was a three-way tie for the fifth spot on the First Team between Iman Shumpert, Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Knight.

The second team consists of Chandler Parsons, Isaiah Thomas, MarShon Brooks, Derrick Williams and Tristan Thompson.

The only rookie for the Thunder this season was Reggie Jackson who was getting a lot of run as the backup point guard after the Eric Maynor injury and before the Derek Fisher signing.

Jackson played in 45 games for the Thunder and averaged 3.1 points in 11.1 minutes per game. He struggled shooting from the field at just .321 percent and .210 percent from downtown.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The big news these last few days for the Oklahoma City Thunder was the signing of veteran point guard Derek Fisher. Fisher played in his first game with the Thunder last night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were in need of a solid backup point since the Eric Maynor injury and Reggie Jackson hasn’t exactly been exceeding at the job. Fisher brings with him a lot of experience, five championship rings and leadership.

How will the signing play out? The staff at Thunderous Intentions is here to break it down.

We know one area the Thunder weren’t strong at this season was a backup point guard. How much does Derek Fisher help this?

Andrew Kennedy: I think he helps a lot. The Thunder were getting basically nothing from Reggie Jackson’s minutes and it seemed like kind of a weakness for OKC. While I don’t expect much scoring or assists or even great defense from Fisher, I do think it is a significant upgrade.

Cody Brees: Since James Harden will be the primary ball handler with the second unit, the backup point guard for the Thunder is mostly a spot up shooter. Fisher is having a down year only shooting 33 percent from behind the arc this year. But that is an improvement over Reggie Jackson’s 22 percent.

Blake Potash: The impact Fisher may or may not have will not be on the court. I think Reggie Jackson has been better than Fisher this year, especially on the defensive end. Things shouldn’t change much for the Thunder at the point guard position.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

How big of an impact do you think Fisher will make in terms of intangibles, experience and in the locker room?

AK: This is going to be the biggest impact that Fisher will bring to the Thunder. I think having him in the locker room has to help players like Russell Westbrook and I think his experience and leadership will have a positive effect on the entire team.

CB: I believe this will be the biggest impact Fisher makes, if he truly buys into the Thunder team. The Thunder’s best players are still very young, with no real teacher at the guard position. You noticed the impact Kendrick Perkins made on the defensive end on and off the court with his championship experience. Hopefully Fisher can provide some of the same.

BP: I would like to think Fisher is going to help a bit with this young locker room. He has been a part of a championship atmosphere, and knows the mentality of an NBA Finals contender. Generally I’m not the biggest fan of bringing in veteran leadership, it only helps in certain situations, but after last nights’ game, it looks like it may work out.

How many minutes should Fisher play?

AK: This is the area where I am a little concerned with the Fisher addition. I can totally see Scott Brooks loving him a little too much and playing him 18-20 minutes when he should be playing 15 or less. And once the playoffs come around, Westbrook should be playing 40-plus minutes which means unless Fisher is going to be playing alongside Fisher, we shouldn’t see more than 10 minutes a night from him.

CB: Regular season I wouldn’t mind him playing around 15 minutes once he learns the system. I think in addition to the backup point minutes, I would love (really, really love) for him to take some minutes away from Cook when the Thunder play small. Once the playoffs roll around we will see how well he is doing, then decide how much we want him playing.

BP: 10-15 minutes. With Daequan Cook now out for a few weeks, Fisher should take all of his minutes, and some from Royal Ivey and Reggie Jackson. Jackson’s play warrants as many minutes as Fisher, but it looks like Coach Brooks will give the veteran a majority of the minutes behind Westbrook.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Will we see Fisher playing crunch time and will that be a good thing?

AK: I think in some games we will see him playing crunch time obviously when the Thunder decide to go small, which they do a lot in the fourth quarter. Before it was Daequan Cook who played alongside Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka. We’ve yet to really see Westbrook out there with another point and it will be interesting to see if it’s a good match. I personally like Westbrook playing off the ball some and if that is the case with Fisher in, it may be a lineup that works well for the Thunder.

CB: Only if the Thunder go small, and there is an un-athletic guard on the court. The Thunder go small a lot at the end of games, so I wouldn’t be surprised there, but against teams like the Lakers and Clippers with multiple athletic guards I wouldn’t expect to see him much.

BP: Hopefully not. Fisher should be nowhere near the ball with the game on the line, leave that to the Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.

Are the Thunder significantly better with Fisher?

AK: I guess the jury is still out here. They probably aren’t significantly better but are improved overall. I really like the move overall and think it will benefit the Thunder in multiple ways as the season progresses.

CB: I would say no. I am not even sure if they are better with Fisher at this point. Fisher is having a terrible year. He is 54th among point guards in PER. That being said, Jackson is only .5 better. On paper the improvement is minimal. In the locker room will be the most significant improvement.

BP: I would say they are marginally better, at best. The Thunder are a pretty solid team at the moment, and didn’t need to make any moves to remain the favorite in the West. If Fisher can keep the player’s heads in the right direction going into the playoffs, this will have been a successful transaction.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Following the big news that Derek Fisher was coming to town, the Thunder run over the Los Angeles Clippers 114-91.

Durant led the way with 32 points on just 18 shots.

Surprisingly, Scott Brooks gave Fisher 20 minutes after joining the team today, also getting a standing ovation when entering the game for the first time.

The Thunder shot 54% from the floor, and went 21-22 from the charity stripe.

They continue their three-game stretch at home when Minnesota comes to town on Friday.

Kevin Durant- A+     32pts/9reb/5ast/2stl

Another MVP-esque game for the Thunder’s superstar. Durant was very efficient tonight, getting to the line 11 times, making them all, and only taking 18 shots. He had an advantage, due to the Clippers’ lack of defensive ability, with Nick Young having to guard him at times. Durant used his postgame very well, getting fouled and hitting jumpers over smaller opponents.

Russell Westbrook- B+     19pts/3reb/4ast

Russ started off hot for the second straight night, hitting his first three shots, and scoring nine first quarter points. The real story tonight though, was Westbrook’s defense on Chris Paul. He held the All-NBA point guard to just 13 points.

Serge Ibaka- A     15pts/8reb/3blk

I’m really loving Ibaka’s play as of late. He is doing everything right on both sides of the ball. Serge added another three blocks, which isn’t unusual and also helped hold Blake Griffin to his lowest career point total, 7. He is also getting much better on the offensive boards, which helps get some key points in the paint that the Thunder lack.

Kendrick Perkins- A     6pts/8reb/1ast/1blk

Finally, here’s a game where I don’t have anything bad to say about Kendrick Perkins. He played wonderful defense on the Clipper bigs, and made all three of his field goal attempts. I want to see this more often out of Perk. Well I have one bad thing, he got another technical, but it’s Perkins, what can you do?

Thabo Sefolosha- B     5pts/3reb/1ast/1stl

The Thunder got 15 more quality minutes out of Thabo tonight. Sure Randy Foye caught fire in the first half, but you can’t really blame a defender when someone shoots lights out. Thabo added a 3-pointer and two free throws, and you have a solid game.

James Harden- B+     10pts/6reb/5ast/1stl

While James Harden didn’t score that much, he did dish out five assists. He has been a very good passer, maybe the best on the team, and is involving the rest of the second unit.

Rest of the Thunder- A

The bench unit played a great game tonight. Maybe it was because of Derek Fisher, maybe not. They scored 26 points, including back to back Lazar Hayward 3’s, and seven from Nazr Mohammad. Fisher got most of Daequan Cook’s (who has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks) and Reggie Jackson’s minutes, and played some solid ball. Nineteen minutes was a little more than expected for his first time out, but I was not disappointed with Fisher’s play.

Kevin Durant gave his support of the Thunder signing Fisher yesterday.

Fisher played and started in 43 games with the Los Angeles Lakers this season beforing being dealt to Houston for Jordan Hill last week at the trade deadline. In 25.6 minutes per game Fisher was averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 assists per game.

Fisher will fill a void in the Thunder’s bench as the backup point guard and should provide leadership and valuable experience to a relatively young Thunder team. Fisher’s influence is expected to be most valuable on starting point guard Russell Westbrook.

Fisher shouldn’t be playing 25 minutes a game with Oklahoma City but the 12-15 minutes he probably will be giving them should be more productive than Reggie Jackson’s minutes this year.

Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

With this loss to the Utah Jazz, the Thunder are just .500 in their last 10 games following a seven game winning streak wrapped around the All-Star break.

After a combined 23 point first quarter for Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, they went cold the rest of the game, scoring just 18 more points.

They turned it over 20 times, and only had 15 assists, with no one having more than three.

Even after this tough stretch, the Thunder are still 3.5 games ahead of the Spurs for first place in the West.

Kevin Durant- C-     18pts/6reb/2ast/1stl

Durant really struggled to find the bottom of the net tonight. It took him 22 shots to score 18 points, and he added in six turnovers. I don’t know what it was about the Jazz defense, but something got to him that made him miss shots.

Russell Westbrook- A     23pts/4reb/3ast

After hitting his first four shots, Westbrook cooled down a bit, not scoring at all in the 2^nd quarter. It seemed weird that Westbrook only took 11 shots. The way he was shooting, he could’ve taken a lot more and been effective. He deferred to Harden at times in the second half, and it may have been that, that led to his efficiency tonight.

Thabo Sefolosha- B-     1pt/1reb/1ast/1stl

Coach Brooks is still easing Thabo into the rotation, playing just 15 minutes tonight. He looked pretty good on the defensive end, and took just one shot. It was nice to see Thabo out there again.

Serge Ibaka- B+     13pts/10reb/1ast/4blk

Serge put up another solid game for the Thunder tonight. He is getting points more consistently, and was a monster in the paint, as always. Al Jefferson, being a little more mobile than most players Serge guards, was able to score on him a little more than the Thunder are used to. With the picked up offense, his defense has been slacking a little bit.

Kendrick Perkins- B-     5pts/8reb/1ast/1blk

It was pretty much an average game for Perk. Some solid defensive play, with little offense added. The Thunder don’t really need much more from him on most nights.

James Harden- B+     17pts/4reb/2ast/

James made some really nice passes with the second unit, especially to Nick Collison. He put in his usual 17 points, hitting three of six 3-point attempts. The four turnovers by Harden didn’t help the cause, as it seemed nobody could hold onto the ball tonight.

Rest of the Thunder- A

Nick Collison had a really solid game. He got wide open at times, for easy buckets, and played more quality defense. Daequan Cook hit two shots in the 2^nd quarter when the stars were struggling, and Reggie Jackson is making his case to remain the backup point guard, instead of bringing in Derek Fisher. We’ll see what the Thunder do with that situation within the next couple days.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat are the front-runners for signing veteran point guard Derek Fisher.

Fisher was traded from the Lakers after 13 seasons with the team to the Houston Rockets at the deadline last Thursday along with a first-round pick for Jordan Hill.

The Rockets have since waived Fisher making him available to anyone other than the Lakers once he clears waivers on Wednesday.

The Thunder have a sure need for a backup point guard since losing Eric Maynor earlier this season with an injury. Rookie Reggie Jackson has been playing in his place and has been unable to produce very much.

Fisher seems like an obvious upgrade at this spot for the Thunder. Fisher also has the same agent as Kevin Durant now.

The Thunder’s best four players are either 23 or 22. Fisher could definitely bring some leadership and experience to the team with the best record in the Western Conference.

The only concern for Thunder fans would be exactly how much Fisher would play. He averaged over 25 minutes per game with the Lakers this season but would likely be getting 15 or under with the Thunder.

Scott Brooks seems to have an affinity for players like Fisher and may even be prone to play him more. That might not be a great thing for the Thunder. It’s not like they’d want Fisher in their crunch time lineup.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook routinely plays over 40 minutes per game especially with Jackson as his backup. Westbrook really has no problem doing this and when the playoffs come around will probably be asked to play over 40 minutes per game.

It is unlikely that Fisher would do anything to interfere with a title run for the Thunder and may even extremely benefit it tootling Westbrook to some degree.

Imagine a lineup with Westbrook playing off the ball next to Fisher-Harden-Durant-Ibaka. That’s a decent closing lineup if the Thunder can afford to go small. I think I’d rather see Fisher on the floor instead of Daequan Cook in some cases.

I’m just not totally in love with the Thunder closing games by going small and if they add Fisher, I feel they will always do this. I love what Kendrick Perkins or Nick Collison can bring on defense and I don’t know if it is worth it to exchange them for smaller players who stretch the floor on offense.

I’m still more excited about Thabo Sefolosha becoming the fifth crunch time player because of his defense and ability to let the Thunder switch on perimeter players on defense.

We will find out Wednesday if Fisher chooses Oklahoma City. Miami is obviously another place he will consider and would probably be a better fit for him.

From the words of the Nuggets announcers last night: “Add Al Harrington to the list of Kevin Durant posters.”

That’s the kind of night it was for the Denver Nuggets. They just didn’t have the motivation it seemed to come out and match the Thunder’s intensity.

Oklahoma City cruised to a 103-90 win last night never breaking stride along the way.

Durant led the way scoring 24 points. He made all four of his shots at the rim and went 2-for-2 from 16-to-23 feet. Durant’s only blemish was making just 1-of-5 treys.

Russell Westbrook didn’t have his cleanest night with seven turnovers but had nice touch from deep making 2-of-3 threes and 3-of-7 long twos.

Thabo Sefolosha returned to the starting lineup after missing the last 23 games for the Thunder. The Thunder defense returned to their old ways last night too now that Daequan Cook could start coming off the bench again.

Last year, Oklahoma City’s defense was one of the best in the league but they have struggled somewhat in that department this season. It was good to see them show glimpses of their potential on the defensive end last night.

The Thunder may be the best in the NBA at turning good defense into quick-scoring offense. We saw a great example of that last night after a Serge Ibaka block on Harrington quickly turned into a fast break alley-oop from Westbrook to James Harden.

That was Harden’s only bucket at the rim last night as he comfortably lit the Nuggets up from three instead. He made 4-of-6 threes in the game as the Thunder made a season-high 12 threes as a team last night.

Another big component to the return of Sefolosha is the Thunder getting back to their normal rotation. Cook seemed more comfortable coming back off the bench to the tune of making three three-pointers last night.

Reggie Jackson also played well with five points and four assists. There were some rumors just before the trade deadline about the Thunder possibly pursuing D.J. Augustin from the Charlotte Bobcats. The potential deal likely would have included Jackson, who seemed possibly relieved to still be with the Thunder last night and it was reflected in his game.

Tonight we will see the top two teams in the West do battle as the Thunder will host San Antonio. The Spurs made some noise yesterday trading away Richard Jefferson to Golden State for Stephen Jackson.

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had their best start to the season this year since the Kevin Durant-era began. Oklahoma City has the best record in the West and tied for best in the league with Miami at 27-7 this year.

But the Thunder are far from perfect. There are many questions that need to be asked and answered about this team.

The staff at Thunderous Intentions is here to answer these questions for you. Below are the 10 most pressing questions about the Thunder this season and our responses:

What is Oklahoma City’s biggest weakness?

Andrew Kennedy: Post offense. I don’t see it as much of a weakness but rather that they just don’t do it enough. Durant is great in the post but just doesn’t go down their enough. Posting Durant and Westbrook needs to be a staple of the Thunder’s crunch time offense if they’re going to win a title.

Cody Brees: Turnovers. Offensive rebounding isn’t a good area either, mostly because the Thunder like to get out and run and Ibaka tries to flatten every ball that is shot in the paint. If the Thunder can at least limit their live ball turnovers that should give them a better chance to set up the defense being the playoffs become a much more half court game.

Blake Potash: The offensive post play is by far the Thunder’s weakest point. They can’t score in the paint against teams with two above-average big men. Kendrick Perkins is not the player he once was, and Serge Ibaka is still young, and developing post moves.

Are the Thunder going to have the same problems in the playoffs this year as they did last year?

AK: I don’t think so. I’m not as worried about the turnovers this year and definitely not as worried about Westbrook. I think the criticism he got for not getting the ball to Durant was too harsh and untrue. The OKC offense was very stagnant last postseason and has since improved. Durant and Westbrook are great friends too so I don’t think they will have any issues sharing the ball even in crunch time.

CB: Depends on the match up. If the Thunder play the Lakers and Westbrook has to watch Durant try to get Metta World Peace off him for 15 seconds before blowing by Derek Fisher, then yes. Durant has been a lot better at getting to his spots inside the arc which should help him get more shots. But I could see a stronger physical defender still giving Durant a lot of problems come playoff time.

BP: It looks like the ball movement has improved a bit this year, but the offense still seems rather one-dimensional. Still, that one dimension is very good, and can get the Thunder to the NBA Finals, depending on matchups. Westbrook needs to be more of a point guard than a scorer to be more successful when the playoffs come around.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

How much does Oklahoma City miss Eric Maynor?

AK: They miss him a lot. If Maynor never got injured than this Oklahoma City team may have won a few more games already and definitely more this season. There are a lot of games now where Westbrook has to come back very quickly after coming out of the game because Reggie Jackson isn’t Eric Maynor. Maynor was one of the best backup points in the league and the only actual point guard on the Thunder roster. If not for James Harden’s emergence as the second unit playmaker this injury could have been drastic for OKC.

CB: About as much as LeBron misses his hairline. I wrote an article earlier about the struggles of rookie point guard Reggie Jackson and how the Thunder miss Maynor, and unfortunately Jackson hasn’t improved too much. The one diamond in the rough is that this might prevent a team from throwing Mike Conley money at Maynor next year when he’s a restricted free agent.

BP: Eric Maynor was a key part of the bench unit with James Harden, giving the Thunder two options off the bench. Since his injury, the non-Harden bench has been failing to make impacts on games, and Harden has had to dominate the ball when Durant and Westbrook aren’t on the floor. Maynor’s absence may not be the reason the Thunder don’t win the Finals, but he sure is missed.

What would be the best addition the Thunder could make?

AK: The Thunder need to figure out their fifth guy for crunch time. Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka is great but between Perkins, Cook and Sefolosha it may not be enough to win a title. A better spot-up shooter than Cook or athletic slasher of some sort would be great for this team.

CB: Probably Eric Maynor. Once the playoffs start teams won’t be forces to go to their bench so much with actual days off between games. I still wouldn’t mind a 1-2 combo guard off the bench that can shoot. Mostly because Jackson and Ivey have been terrible.

BP: If the Thunder could make a move to get Pau Gasol, their Finals hopes would become a lot more realistic. I doubt they would want to move Ibaka and/or Harden, so all the Thunder can do is try and get a power forward or center that can give them some depth and scoring in the paint. I can’t see the Thunder making any trades though.

Are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the most lethal one-two punch in the NBA?

AK: Yes because they complement each other better than LeBron and Wade. LeBron and Wade basically do the same thing as each other. Durant and Westbrook are a little different. Are they as talented overall as LeBron and Wade? Maybe not yet. But I wouldn’t take any other duo in the league right now moving forward.

CB: I would say yes based on the variety of ways those two can score. They can both get to the rim, shoot a lot of free throws, have a good mid range game and can hit you from deep. The other key reason is LeBron and Wade are shooting 35 percent and 33 percent respectively from the field this year in clutch situations. Thunder in the clutch? Durant is shooting at 43 percent and Westbrook an even greater 50 percent.

BP: In a few years this may be the case, but LeBron and Wade are by far the best one-two punch in the NBA. Westbrook still needs to learn how to work well with Durant during clutch moments. The shot distribution is a little off of what it needs to be to make this a very efficient combo.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Do the Thunder have enough scoring options to win a title?

AK: Yes. I wrote earlier last week how the scrutiny about this was a little harsh. They definitely have enough scoring prowess the only issue is if they can score in as many different ways as may be necessary to win a title this year.

CB: Options? Yes. Balance is what I am not sure about. If you watched the finals last year in clutch time it was give the ball to Dirk and get out of the way. Same should be for Durant this year. The problem might be getting to clutch time without running Durant into the ground. The Thunder are going to need about 50 points a game from Ibaka, Cook, and the bench if they want to be an elite offensive team.

BP: Yes, and no. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden can all put up plenty of points, and take control of the game. That can work getting to the Finals, but if they want to win it, Ibaka will need to show a little more offensive prowess.

What needs to happen for Kevin Durant to win the MVP?

AK: If the Heat slip up some and the Thunder finish with the best record in the NBA then Durant has a chance. It’ll be just like Derrick Rose winning last year. Durant has been on the rise in terms of scoring of late too. If he finishes the year averaging 30 a game then he’ll have to average around 33 a night in the second half of the season. That will be impressive and won’t go unnoticed.

CB: LeBron gets hit by a bus.

BP: LeBron James needs to get hurt, or forget how to play basketball. Surprisingly under the radar, LeBron is having one of the best seasons the NBA has ever seen. It doesn’t look like he is going to slow down any, and unless voters penalize him for being on the same team as Dwyane Wade, LeBron is going to win this year’s MVP.

Who is the team to beat in the Western Conference?

AK: The Thunder are and only because Dallas isn’t the same team as last year. People forget how close this Thunder team was to making it to the Finals last year. They have the best record in the conference and deserved to be recognized as the best team in it.

CB: The Thunder, but not by much. If you made me bet I would still take the field, but the improvements that KD and Russ have made this year with scoring efficiency should really make the difference down the stretch.

BP: The Thunder. With the best current record in the West, the Thunder have control of the conference, and are the front-runners to make the Finals at the moment. Durant and Westbrook can both take over games, and are impossible matchups for the other contenders.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Which team in the Western Conference would be the worst playoff matchup for the Thunder?

AK: Portland. There would be nothing worse for Oklahoma City than having to play Portland in round one. They are such a physical team on defense and when healthy have a lot of tools that give the Thunder fits.

CB: Portland scares me the most. Perkins doesn’t do much since Camby won’t shoot much. Ibaka has problems guarding power forward’s with range. Gerald Wallace is the type of big, strong, athletic defender that could give Durant problems.

BP: The Los Angeles Lakers. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are tough matchups for Ibaka and Perkins, on both ends of the floor. The Thunder big men would struggle to score, and they would have to rely and Durant, Westbrook, and Harden to carry them through the series. Fortunately, the Lakers don’t have a very strong defensive backcourt, and Harden played a great defensive game against Kobe in their last meeting. The Thunder would still be the favorite, but you can never count out Kobe Bryant in the playoffs.

How far will the Thunder go in the playoffs this year?

AK: I think they make it to the NBA Finals. After that it depends who they play if they win or not. I think the Thunder can beat Chicago in a 7-game series but I’m not sure about Miami yet. If I had to pick one team to win the title right now I’d pick Oklahoma City based on the fact that I think they have the best chance of any team in the league simply to make it to the Finals.

CB: As far and Durant and Westbrook take them. Sorry for the cliché answer but it’s the truth. If they are both on their A game the Thunder are unbeatable. Miami appears to be the biggest hurdle right now, but a lot can change before the trade deadline.

BP: The Thunder will make the NBA Finals and lose to the Heat/Bulls. They are just one piece away from taking that next step, but for now, they don’t match up well with either team that will come out of the east. The Thunder won’t fare well against these elite defenses, and don’t have the defense themselves to slow down Rose or LeBron-Wade.

This year the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge will introduce a new format to the game that historically featured the NBA’s rookies facing off against the sophomores.

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal each drafted teams this year so the players are mixed but the pool still consists of just first and second year players.

The best part about this draft has resulted in Ricky Rubio and Blake Griffin being paired together on Team Shaq. Rubio is already one of the best passers in the NBA this season and we all know the kind of things Griffin can do with a lob pass.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie point guard Reggie Jackson will not compete in the game. Jackson isn’t having the greatest rookie season, now getting run with Eric Maynor lost for the year with an injury, but has been better lately and is showing promise.

Jackson has played 28 games this season and is averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 assists in 11.9 minutes per game. In February those numbers have risen slightly and will hopefully continue to rise for the Thunder this year.

Jackson holds a crucial position for the Thunder as their backup point guard. Russell Westbrook isn’t exactly a true point guard and it was always nice when Maynor would come in because he was a true point guard that could run an offense.

James Harden has stepped up this year as the playmaker for the second unit for the Thunder but if Jackson can produce a little more scoring and playmaking then the Thunder will become a much better team.

Jackson’s absence in the Rising Stars Challenge is also in part to the deep talent at his position. Rubio, Jeremy Lin, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Norris Cole and Brandon Knight are all point guards in the game.

Thunder fans will have to wait until Saturday night to see a Thunder player compete at All-Star Weekend with Westbrook in the Skills Challenge and Kevin Durant in the Three-Point Contest.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Five points in 0.8 seconds. The Oklahoma City Thunder gave us a Reggie Miller-like moment just before the first half ended.

With the clock running down, Russell Westbrook pulls up and hits a three with 0.8 seconds to go in the half. Andrew Bynum waits to throw it in to Metta World Peace, while Kevin Durant sneaks in, steals it and throws up a shot just before the buzzer sounded.

After review, the refs counted the shot, giving the Thunder a 46-43 lead going into halftime.

They ran the fast break beautifully all game, scoring 17 points off it, leading them to a 100-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

A big win for the Thunder puts them tied with Miami for the best record in the NBA heading into the All-Star break.

Kevin Durant- A     33pts/4reb/6ast/3stl

Kevin Durant has had a great week. Including with his 51 point game on Sunday, KD has led the Thunder to five straight wins going into the All-Star break, where he will be participating in the 3-point contest, as well as the game on Sunday. Durant’s put together a nice defensive game to go along with his 33 point performance.

Russell Westbrook- B-     19pts/5reb/6ast/1stl

The numbers don’t tell it all for Russell Westbrook tonight. Though he only shot 6-17 from the field, he was taking mostly good shots. When James Harden is playing well, Westbrook can afford these types of nights where he just isn’t hitting his shots. He will be rewarded for his excellent first half on Sunday, when he plays in the All-Star game along with Durant and Coach Scott Brooks.

James Harden- A+     16pts/4reb/3ast/1stl

Days before the All-Star game, James Harden proved why he should have made the team. Even without the 16 points on 60% shooting, Harden played a great game defensively. Guarding one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, he forced Kobe to shoot just under 30% for the game. James grew up today, showing he can be a tough player on both ends of the floor, even giving Kobe a little trash talk towards the end. He is a great asset to the team, and keeps on improving.

Serge Ibaka- B+     11pts/13reb/0ast/3blk

Ibaka took his offensive game outside the paint against the Lakers. With Bynum and Pau Gasol clogging up the lane, he took more jumpers than usual, and saw some success. An improvement in this facet of his game would give the 21(?) year old big man one more thing for opponents to fear.

Kendrick Perkins-C+      3pts/9reb/2ast/2blk

The Thunder tend to struggle against teams with strong front courts. Perkins needs to play like he did in Boston to prevent getting dominated in the post. The post play, on both ends of the floor, is giving people doubt as to whether the Thunder can make/win the NBA Finals.

Daequan Cook- C-     8pts/3reb/0ast/1stl     

Daequan Cook is only a career 36% 3-point shooter, so we shouldn’t expect him to be to the Thunder what Kyle Korver is to the Bulls. Again Cook failed to impress us, as he shot 2-7 from three. All I know is that Thabo Sefolosha better come back soon.

Rest of the Thunder- B

The only non-Harden bench player to score was Reggie Jackson, and he did with style. A minute into the second quarter, Reggie Jackson threw down a huge dunk, getting a nice reaction from the pumped up Thunder crowd. Also hitting four free throws, Jackson continues to make his case for more playing time with Eric Maynor’s absence.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

After a tough loss two nights ago, the Thunder left no doubt this game, defeating the Golden State Warriors 110-87. They ran the Warriors out of the gym, shooting 52% from the field and 41% from three. The only real negative we can take from this game is that Westbrook went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Hopefully he’s not seriously injured and can come back as soon as possible. Let’s give the team some grades.

Kevin Durant- A     23pts/10reb/6ast

Durant had an MVP-like game tonight. Contributing on both ends of the floor, he shot 64% while going perfect from beyond the arc. If the game would’ve been closer, he would’ve had a shot at his first career triple double.

Russell Westbrook- A      18pts/3reb/3ast

The main focus on Westbrook tonight is his injury. If he is out for an extended period of time, the Thunder will either have to rely on Reggie Jackson or make a trade for another point guard to fill his role. His injury is the one dark spot on an otherwise great game for the Thunder.

James Harden- A+     25pts/4reb/2ast

He did everything right tonight. Harden was in control, shooting lights out, and running a quality offense when Westbrook was out. Durant trusted him to take control when he was in the game. He put on a show for the Thunder Nation.

Serge Ibaka- B     9pts/6reb/2blk

Its games like these where you really don’t need Ibaka to play all that well. The Warriors are a shooting oriented team, and Serge did all he needed to for the Thunder to win. Golden State did manage to grab 22 offensive rebounds, which will not go over well with Coach Brooks. A little more effort out of Ibaka should help fix that problem.

Nazr Mohammed- B-     4pts/3reb/1blk

Mohammed started the game, but still only played 17 minutes and managed minimal stats. Cole Aldridge and Nick Collison played the majority of his minutes, and there wasn’t much to take from this game.

Daequan Cook- C     1pt/3reb/3ast

Unfortunately, Daequan did not show up tonight. He missed both of his field goal attempts, and made a few bad plays with the ball. Come playoff time, he should only be used as a 3-pt specialist.

Rest of the Team- A-

All healthy players got at least 5 minutes tonight, and they showed they can play. Royal Ivey and Reggie Jackson played well for the situation. Ivey hit three triples, and Jackson dished out four assists coming in after Westbrook went down. If the reserves can come in and play like they did tonight, the Thunder will be a tough team to beat throughout the rest of the regular season.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

For the second time this month, Kevin Durant had multiple attempts to tie or take the lead in the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately he came up short on all three shots while trailing 96-95 to the Houston Rockets. Russell Westbrook just missed a tip in off Durant’s final try at the basket. The Thunder dropped their third game in the past seven on Wednesday night.

After going 6-for-22 from the field in the first quarter, the Thunder overcame a 16-point deficit to come within one by halftime. Durant, Westbrook, and James Harden then took over for the Thunder offense, combining for 44 of the team’s 51 second half points. Despite their efforts, the poor 3-point shooting and high number of turnovers did the Thunder in for the seventh time this season. They cling to a 1.5 game lead in the West over the streaking Spurs, who have won nine straight.

The two All-Stars on the team continue to put up big numbers. Durant and Westbrook were practically identical this game. Durant took and made just one more shot than Westbrook, going 12-for-26 for 33 points, and 11-for-25 for 26, respectively, and both grabbed eight boards. The inefficiency between the two could be contributed to the early deficit and the late game struggles, they failed to score in the final 2:44 of the game. Adding in Harden (17 points, four assists), the three stars on the Thunder contributed 15 of the 21 turnovers on the game, while only dishing out nine assists.

The Thunder need to get the bench more involved so they don’t have to rely on Durant, Westbrook, and Harden so much. Without Harden, the bench is averaging only 12 points per game in losses, including 11 tonight (eight for Nick Collison and three for Reggie Jackson). Spreading out the scoring relieves pressure from the stars, and gives them a little more room to do their thing.

The Thunder may be able to continue to play a three-man game against non-playoff teams but when the playoffs come along, they are going to need to find more efficient ways to score and stop turning the ball over at such a high rate. It will be hard to overcome 21 turnover games against the top tier defenses in the league when it really counts.

Still the Thunder had multiple shots to win the game in the end. I don’t believe in moral victories but they shouldn’t feel too bad about this loss. They look to get back on track when they return home to play the Warriors Friday night at 7:00 P.M. CST.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder put together a total team effort in their win tonight over the Utah Jazz. The Thunder returned home after a five-game road trip last week and looked very comfortable back in Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins played great games for the Thunder in the win. Ibaka scored 16 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked six shots while Perkins dished out a career-high six assists to go along with seven rebounds.

It was one of those kind of nights again for the Thunder when they just completely overmatched their opponent. The Thunder beat Utah in their last game played on Friday. The Jazz would play two more games in between the meeting while Oklahoma City was off for three nights.

James Harden set the tone for the Thunder bench in the second quarter, scoring 10 points in the first six minutes of the period doing his usual Harden routine controlling pace, getting to the line and setting him his teammates.

Harden led the Thunder with 22 points in the game to go along with five assists and 3-of-5 shooting from downtown.

Kevin Durant poured in 21 points for the Thunder and while I predicted a bigger scoring night from the MVP candidate, Oklahoma City certainly did not need one from him.

That’s really been the story about this Thunder team this year. It’s no longer a team where you wonder “How many points will Durant score tonight?”

They are a great, deep and now experienced roster that goes about their business and wins games. They don’t need 40 from Durant to win games. He has help from Harden and Russell Westbrook and the role players have been stepping up lately as well.

It’s a team where everyone knows their role and where they fit to contribute on the court. The formula is working and should all season and into the playoffs.

In the fourth it was garbage time for the Thunder reserves but it was good to see rookie point guard Reggie Jackson getting eight assists on the night. He will be an important player for the Thunder come playoff time and the more quality minutes he can spell Westbrook for, the better for the Thunder.

Westbrook scored his 5,000th career points on this play and became just the third player in NBA history to record 5,000 points, 1,900 assists and 1,300 rebounds in their first 274 games. The other two who did it were Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson so great company for Westbrook there.

Oklahoma City (22-6) will play at Houston (16-13) in their next game tomorrow night before getting the next five at home.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (2-game winning streak)
105.2 Offensive Efficiency (3rd)
98.6 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
95.6 Pace (8th)

Spurs (3-game winning streak)
103.1 Offensive Efficiency (7th)
100.5 Defensive Efficiency (19th)
92.9 Pace (20th)

The Thunder are coming off a great win last night over the Grizzlies in which they came back in the fourth quarter and Kevin Durant shut the door in the final minute. Oklahoma City beat the Spurs the first time these teams met in Oklahoma City on Jan. 8, 108-96. The Thunder had a great game that night shooting 51 percent from the field as a team and compiling out 25 assists. Durant had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists that night. Russell Westbrook chipped in with 13 points and James Harden had 20 points. Nick Collison also had a big night then with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs are once again having a lot of success this season and doing it in a different way than most teams, especially the Thunder. The Spurs are well balanced and play their bench more than most teams while the Thunder are top heavy with Durant, Westbrook and Harden. This will make for an interesting matchup tonight and possible preview of a playoff matchup later on this year.
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Get well soon Eric Maynor. welcometoloudcity.com

It has been less than a month since backup point guard Eric Maynor tore his ACL.  Maynor’s thrust rookie Reggie Jackson into the role behind Westbrook.  Maynor was arguably the best backup point guard in the league (and if you argue with me you will lose).  This is a lot of pressure to run the second unit on a team with championship aspirations, but this is exactly why the Thunder took Jackson with the 24^th pick in last year’s draft.  Now Jackson only has 19 games in the NBA, and only 10 since Maynor tore his ACL. Is that a terrible sample size to determine how a player is doing after being forced into a role he might not have been ready for? Absolutely. Am I going to do it anyways? Sure why not.

It is important to remember that Maynor and Jackson are different types of point guards. Maynor was a true point, he maintained pace, and his best skill was setting up teammates. Jackson is more of an athletic, score first point guard.  It is challenging to compare two different styles of players because they will each do some things better, and some things worse in the same situation. I am going to present a few different stats to try to best see how Jackson is doing with his new teammates.

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Boston Celtics (4-game losing streak)
101.3 Offensive Efficiency (12th)
100.5 Defensive Efficiency (18th)
+0.8 Differential (15th)
89.5 Pace (last)

The headlines for this matchup are obvious ones. It features the two teams involved in the controversial Kendrick Perkins-Jeff Green trade last season as well as Perkins’ return to Boston. These are also the two teams that lost in the conference finals last season. The point guard duel of Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo will be one of intrigue with both players having been rumored as a potential trade for each other earlier this season.
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That was with a roster of Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Two months later, the Thunder pulled a trade-deadline move to give up two of that starting five in exchange for basically center Kendrick Perkins.

The Thunder went on to make a run to the Western Conference Finals, even though Perkins was largely a non-factor in the playoffs. Nick Collison came back, Serge Ibaka developed and newly-acquired Nazr Mohammed helped on the inside. Perkins was overweight and out of shape, contributing mostly vocal leadership and attitude. So the team shook up 2/5ths of the starting lineup midseason and went to the Western Conference Finals.

Now the Thunder is set with a lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka and Perkins. Once again, the team is considered a favorite in the Western Conference.

It might be time to look at what that trade did to the flow of the Thunder offense. That problem is largely blamed on Westbrook and has been since late last year. The problem more to do with a lineup that is now way out of balance offensively.

Before the trade, Sefolosha was the only starter with limited offensive abilities. Westbrook could run the show, have Durant as a first option, and also have Green and Krstic spreading the floor as offensive weapons. Defenses had to play everyone straight up, with some doubling off Sefolosha to help with Durant. That left the floor open for Westbrook’s drives and cuts and plenty of places to pass the ball when they needed a bucket.

Now, when Westbrook has the ball he only has Durant who can get his shot. Sefolosha can shoot in streaks, but not create offense. Ibaka has a decent jumper, but can’t create offensively like Green. Perkins is a zero on offense, where Krstic was a decent release valve. Suddenly, if Durant is doubled and can’t get a shot, Westbrook is the only player that can bail out the offense and create a shot. Hello Durant-Westbrook conflict.

Now is the time to do something about this lineup. Something has to give to get more offensive threats on the floor.

The obvious option is starting James Harden over Sefolosha. Then you at least have three scoring options, one on each side of the floor to open it up for Westbrook. The Thunder got a look at that last night in the loss to Portland. Harden was the saving grace for the starting five. With Durant and Westbrook both having rough nights offensively, Harden was the only reliable scoring option on the floor. Sure it was a loss, but consider how lopsided that game would have been if Sefolosha was getting those starter minutes. The Thunder would have had zero offensive options in the starting unit with Durant and Westbrook struggling. In the past, Green and Krstic were talented enough offensively to drop 20 points on those nights. Green had enough offensive talent to fill in stretches when Durant couldn’t play. If Durant is out now, Harden has to start out of position at the three.

The trade last year has left OKC with only three scorers on the team. Daequan Cook can help in spurts, but is limited. The Thunder have Durant (26.1 points a game), Westbrook (17.1) and Harden (17.0), then no one until Ibaka’s 7.4 scoring average. Starting Harden helps the starters, but leaves the bench short a scorer. It might be time for the Thunder to look for another trade or a free agent scorer to balance out the floor.

Kevin Durant left all the Thunder fans smiling

Russell Westbrook finally had his moments. Serge Ibaka had a stretch of dominance. But with 1.4 seconds on the clock, Kevin Durant stole the show and added another highlight to his legend in Oklahoma City.

With the Thunder down a point, Durant curled around a screen and nailed a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give OKC a 104-102 win over the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. The shot answered a long three-pointer by Dallas’ Vince Carter that stunned the crowd and gave the Mavericks a late lead. The Thunder were a point behind and only a prayer left, but Durant has a way of coming through in those clutch situations. KD let his teammates have their time, he let the Mavericks think they were going to steal a win, then he pulled the rug out on the Mavs to keep the Thunder undefeated and the Mavs winless.

The shot gave Durant 30 points, putting him over 30 for all four games this season. He added 11 boards and six assists.

Until the last two minutes, the game looked to be a story about Russell Westbrook coming out of his slump. For three and half quarters the living hell of Russell Westbrook’s season continued. Missed shots, turnovers and charging fouls all left him slumped on the end of the bench. Then with one fast-break dunk, the heavens opened. Westbrook took a foul on one arm and still elevated to finish with a dunk to give the Thunder a 93-91 lead and his season the kick-start it needed. In the last 3:17, Westbrook hit three out of four shots, pulled down a rebound and hit a free throw. The pressure seemed to release and send everything back to normal for the all-star point guard. Westbrook finished with 16 points, four assists and two steas. If not for Durant’s miracle at the buzzer, the story of this game would be Westbrook’s late dominance and his return to the good graces of the Thunder fans.

Ibaka also has had a slow start to the season, but came alive in this game after a scuffle with Carter resulted in double technical fouls with 7:44 left in the game. Ibaka came out of that and blocked a Dallas shot out of bounds, hit a 17-footer and a free throw to help the Thunder to a late three-point lead. He finished with 16 points, eight boards and three blocks, his best numbers of the season.

The Thunder move to 4-0 on the season going into a home New Years Eve game against the Phoenix Suns. The defending champ Mavs are 0-3.

Russell Westbrook has been getting some unwanted attention early this season.

The game was supposed to be the first real road test for the young Thunder this season. A matchup against another up-and-coming Western Conference contender that took the Thunder through a brutal 7-game series in the playoffs last year.

The Thunder answered that challenge with a convincing win on the road without ever really trailing, but no one is talking about the game. Instead two major story lines emerged to create drama for the Thunder.

Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant — the Thrilla in M…M…Memphis?

Westbrook and Durant were involved in a major argument on the Thunder bench in the middle of the game. The two had to be separated and were so heated the first few rows of the Memphis crowd stood to get a better look at the throwdown.

Russ was in the middle of one of his worst nights of his career on the court. He finished 0-for-13 from the field. He was beyond frustrated and KD stepping up as a leader didn’t set well with him. Give the two credit for brushing it off and finishing the game strong to get the win. KD was unstoppable and Russ manned up to take the last in-bounds pass knowing he’d have to hit two free throws to seal the game, which he did.

But the two will be something to watch going forward. They say everything is fine, it’s just two competitive guys. That could be true. It could be one or the other will eventually get tired of it also. All the other guys are talented and competitive and we don’t see them getting into yelling matches in the huddle. Makes that Westbrook/Perkins for Howard trade idea seem a little bit better now.

Kendrick Perkins vs. Chris Webber

In his new role on TV, Webber has been opening critical of Perkins’ defensive skills. He’s called him an overrated defender. He’s said his reputation is in the media and not with the players. He’s said he has no lift so offensive players are confident they can get their shot off over him. Webber played against Perkins, so he’s speaking from experience.

Perkins fired back on twitter saying, “and im tired of chris webber hatin on me get a ring first and then i can respect ya comments other wise keep my name out of ya mouth.”  To be fair, Webber was always the best player on those Kings teams that he got pretty close to a ring, while Perk had the benefit of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett at his side to get his one ring in Boston.  Perk should address the comments as a challenge and not distract with a poorly backed insult.

Last season Perkins was overweight and out of shape. He’ll admit that. The knee injury is the reason, but there is really no good reason for that for a professional athlete. Even with a knee injury you can work out and eat right. The team was making a run to the Western Conference Finals. That should have been motivation. He was an non-factor against Memphis and sat on the bench mostly through key stretches, while Collison came in to spark the team in the middle. He absolutely couldn’t finish offensively.

This season, Perkins has lost 30 pounds and we’re told he’s at 100%.  The man in the middle for OKC had four rebounds in the win last night. He’s averaging 5.3 rebounds a game. The guys he was guarding last night at different times, each had 12. He still having stretches where he doesn’t run the floor because he’s out of breath. There aren’t many practices in this condensed season to work on conditioning, so Perk has to address this on his own. It’s not “hatin,” it’s an issue.

Kendrick Perkins defending against Dwight Howard in the game Sunday.

As the season goes on, Perkins performance will get more attention. This is his season to prove things have changed. It’s only three games in, so he can’t expect everyone to be sold just yet. He addressed the issue again this morning on twitter in two tweets saying, “…But to say on TV that I’m not a one on one defender was very disrespectful when I defend night in and night out, one on one…So that’s just it I felt real disrespected about that when I do this every night from my Boston days to my OKC days.”

Perkins has not been a one-on-one defender down low last year or this year in OKC. Not too many people in the NBA are really.

Against the Magic it was a team effort against Dwight Howard as expected. Last night, he was getting double team help with either Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol. Memphis isolated Z-Bo twice late in the game to go at Perkins guarding him, OKC brought help. Dallas helped the cause by getting rid of Tyson Chandler, so tonight it should be a good night for Perk. But he has something to prove to everyone this year. He can do it, or people will be agreeing with Webber as the season goes along.

Russell Westbrook reacts to a Kevin Durant dunk in the Thunder's season opening win over Orlando.

Everyone has seen the spoiled kid at Christmas. All the presents are unwrapped, they are sitting there with every toy on the planet and every electronic gadget known to man. Somehow there is always one thing they didn’t get that has their total attention and ruins their entire holiday.

Today, this blog is that kid.

The Thunder are 2-0 with a foundation of the youngest talent in the NBA. There isn’t one single NBA team right now that wouldn’t trade roster for roster with the Thunder. None.  That said, in the spirit of constant improvement, here’s a few things Thunder fans didn’t get for Christmas:

OKC didn’t try to trade for Dwight Howard
Sure, the Thunder just held Howard to less than a dozen points, but Howard is clearly the best center in the NBA and he’s most likely going to be traded somewhere. Why not OKC? Perk has a reputation as a defender, but Howard is a multiple Defensive Player of the Year. Plus he’s about the same age as Kevin Durant. With Howard, Ibaka, and Durant on the same team the Thunder might have one of the best front court’s of all time and easily the most marketable.

So how do you get Howard in OKC? How about trading Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins for Dwight Howard? Westbrook is a GREAT young player, but Howard is the only player of his talent level at his position in the NBA. Orlando could build around Russ and let him have full control of the offense. He could be their Derrick Rose. Perkins would be an adequate center to replace Howard. OKC could throw in a pick if it helped. If push came to shove, OKC could throw in Thabo and start Harden. Westbrook is already going to be a max-contract guy. Wouldn’t it be better to pay a max contract to Howard? He wants to win, the Thunder would be instant favorites for the next 10 years with Howard and KD on the same team. The marketing of those two together in OKC could draw national-level attention without being a huge market like LA or NY. On the court, a legitimate inside scoring threat drawing attention while KD and the other Thunder shooters camp out for 3s? Unstoppable. It also solves the Eric Maynor issue for the Thunder. Right now, he’ll probably be lost as a RFA at the end of this year. With the trade, OKC signs him long-term as the starter. He’d be hard pressed to find a better position.

Of course, the thought is that the Thunder have a young team and just need to hold steady and let them develop. No need for upgrades. Don’t mess with chemistry. That’s exactly what fans thought before the trade for Perkins. No one wanted to mess up the starting five of Krstic, Green, KD, Thabo and Russ. Where would OKC be with that lineup right now? Not the expected top seed in the West. Trading for Howard would make OKC the favorites in the NBA, not just the West. Every other team the Thunder is competing with has attempted to upgrade. Trading for Howard might be the only way to keep him away from the Lakers or Mavericks also. That’s another huge benefit.

No Free Agents were pursued, except OKC free agents
With Durant getting a bump up in salary from the the new CBA the Thunder were up against the salary cap. Guys like Shane Battier, who Durant actively recruited on Twitter, were never called by OKC. Thunder fans can be glad Battier isn’t in Memphis anymore to hassle Durant in the Western Conference playoffs, but now he’s waiting in Miami if both teams live up to expectations and make it to the NBA Finals. Battier ended up being a bargain for the Heat with his three year deal for a total of around $9 millon. Having Battier would have been a nice luxury, but with the Thunder depth he might not of had an interest. Maybe if the Thunder were involved with the talks Miami would have had to pay more. Any chance to stick it to the Heat or Lakers should not be skipped.

Cell Phone Service in The ‘Peake is still horrible
According to a report in NewsOK.com, the Chesapeake Energy Arena installed a new antenna to boost cell phone service inside. AT&T is lagging on hooking into the antenna, so everyone with an iPhone is still out of luck. For an NBA arena, this should not be an issue. If it’s the arena’s fault, the cell phone company’s fault or the Thunder’s fault, it really doesn’t matter. They each should be pushing each other to make this happen before the end of the home game with Dallas. There is no reason it can’t work. The arena went through millions of dollars of improvements in the off-season and all the talk is about not being able to text.

The Thunder have such great community relations outside the arena and on the court, then the fans are frustrated in their seats with no way to text, facebook, or tweet about the amazing experience. It’s good word-of-mouth advertising completely missed and replaced by frustration. Wi-fi could be set up TODAY if they made it a priority. If the cell phone companies are the holdup, then the Thunder should push The ‘Peake to do that now. At least as a stop-gap and keep it up while they see if the additional antenna works. In today’s world, fans expect to be able to stay connected and it benefits everyone to make sure that is the case.

Here’s a break down of the Thunder roster that has many experts picking OKC to be in the NBA Finals this year against the Miami Heat:

Starting Five

PG: Russell Westbrook. No one takes more grief for the Thunder losses in the playoffs. For the most part, it’s undeserved. Sure he has some bad plays. Every PG in the league does. Westbrook is one of the few starters who can get a shot whenever he wants one, so that puts him creating shots more often than some people would prefer. It’s perfectly fine with the Thunder players and got him to be All-NBA second team in just his third season in the league. Expect him to be even more reliable, fewer mistakes and better defensively this season. Russ is a bonafied superstar.

SG: Thabo Sefolosha. The most questionable of the Thunder starters and the one backed up my a rising star in James Harden. Thabo will need to improve over last year to keep his spot. He built is starting reputation on great defense for a team that had other scorers in the starting lineup. Now, with Nedad Krstic and Jeff Green no longer scoring for the starters and replaced by weaker offensive options in Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, Thabo’s defensive only spot is more glaring. The defense improved with the change, but a shooting guard that doesn’t score puts you behind the curve in the NBA. Fans didn’t want to replace Krstic and Green in the starting lineup, but sure didn’t miss then when they left after seeing the improvement. Thabo is the same type of starter. Harden is an instant upgrade just waiting to happen.

SF: Kevin Durant. The cornerstone of the franchise just keeps getting better and better. The Thunder get by with basically three defensive players in the starting lineup thanks to the offensive brilliance of KD and Westbrook. KD is set up to lead the league in scoring again, first team All-NBA again, and if the Thunder contend for the top playoff seed in the West he’ll be in the hunt for the NBA MVP. Al while being one of the most fan-friendly players in any pro sport. It doesn’t get any better than KD. Now if he just didn’t like the Longhorns.

PF: Serge Ibaka. A great fit at power forward, all Ibaka needs is a little more offense to start getting all-star attention. Young, athletic and hard-working, Ibaka could be the catalyst for the Thunder improvement this season. All the young players are expected to improve and help the team, but if Ibaka brings more offense to the inside to go with his shot-blocking and transition offense, the Thunder take a huge leap.

C: Kendrick Perkins. The third player in the Thunder starting five that fans either love or question. Perkins dropped 30 pounds over the off-season and does look slimmer. The question is how was he, as a leader, ever 30 pounds overweight to begin with last season? He has ground to make up to show he’s more than just a yeller and a scowler. In the playoffs last year, the Thunder was better when he was on the bench. He struggled against Denver, Memphis and Dallas on defense. Now, he’s slimmer and that isn’t going to happen. At least that’s what we’re told. Chris Webber recently called him out on NBA TV for being an overrated post defender. If center brings little to no offense to the table, he better be an anchor in the middle. Perkins has this season to convince the fans. Everyone is optimistic his work ethic will show benefits. Plus, he’s excellent on twitter. Could he even venture to all-star level thanks to the weak crop of centers in the West? Boom or bust type season ahead.

Bench:
James Harden. He shouldn’t be in this spot for long or at least be getting starting minutes as the sixth man if he is still not starting. Harden has shown maybe the most improvement of all the Thunder players in the preseason. He’s been more aggressive offensively, the low three’s have been rolling, and he’s always fiesty on defense. Harden, along with KD, Russ and Ibaka, also fits in with the athletic young group that loves to run the floor and finish with a dunk over anyone in the way. He’s a legit starter currently on the bench.

Nick Collison. He was missing part of last season and his return sparked the Thunder to a run up the West standings. His defense in the middle saved the Thunder in the playoffs when Perkins was a non-factor. The guy does everything you need him to do to win. Nearly perfect bench player with a great contract situation for the cap.

Nazr Mohammed. The only guy that’s been in the NBA more than 8 years to show the youth of the Thunder team. Nazr bounced around the league some, but in OKC he’s dropped into a great role. He’s not going to score many points, but that’s not expected. He is a 6′ 10″ big man coming off the bench to provide solid defense when Perk sits down. He was just as important as Collison in the playoff run last season. Every team in the league could use a guy like Nazr on the bench.

Eric Maynor. Maybe the best backup point guard in the NBA. Either way, he’s solid off the bench enough to be starter quality on some teams. He’s a RFA after this season, so it might be the last year to have this luxury.

Daequan Cook. Why are the Thunder favorites through a short, condensed season? This is 10 players deep with solid players an almost all of them young and improving. Cook is another player with a great role for OKC. He won’t be a starter in the league, but as a guy coming off the bench to shoot three’s, he’s as good as anyone. If he’s hot, it’s a bonus on top of the other offensive weapons. The more often he’s hot, the more dominate the Thunder offense will be this year.

Cole Aldrich. The tallest player on the Thunder roster and a former lottery pick, Aldrich should be about to emerge as a solid player for the Thunder. Actually last year before Perkins came back from the injury, Aldrich got some minutes and played pretty well against the Clippers for one. If he can follow his fellow KU alum and be a Collison type player off the bench for the Thunder at center, things keep getting better in OKC.

Reggie Jackson. This year’s first-round draft pick hasn’t seen much playing time in the NBA yet and probably will struggle to break this rotation this year. The most minute against NBA talent he’s seen was in KD’s charity all-star game in OKC. He had some moments there and showed the athleticism expected of the Thunder guards. Get him spot minutes, let him develop and he’s ready to cut into Cook or Maynor’s minutes next year.

Lazar Hayward. Doesn’t expect to get much playing time, but will be an athletic young player with potential. The Thunder traded for him, so you never know when Sam Presti might be finding a gem. Maybe he has Byron Mullens’ spot, which is maybe a push with better upside.

Ryan Reid. A rookie behind Ibaka, Collison, etc. at the power forward spot. He might get some trips to Tulsa for the 66ers if the Thunder follow how they treated Aldrich and Byron Mullens last year. All upside that just needs time.

Royal Ivey. Saved him for last on purpose. Seems to be a great guy, but not sure how he fits on the Thunder. This will be his eighth year in the league, He’s not going to get minutes over any of the Thunder guards. He doesn’t have upside to develop. It seems like another young player with potential should be in this spot. Maybe OKC should cut him or trade him to see if he can get to play somewhere else before he gets too old? Maybe he’s a veteran influence on the young players that you don’t see on the court. If he’s the Nate Robinson this year, that’s an improvement.

Kevin Durant and the Thunder will need defensive stops like this on the road to rise to the next level

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play this NBA season is a newly remodeled Chesapeake Energy Arena.  Legends aren’t made in the cozy confines of home though in the NBA. Wins in The ‘Peake may make Loud City even louder, but on the road is where the Thunder will stake its claim for greatness. They earn their reputation when they walk on someone else’s floor and come away with wins, consistently.

Here’s a look at the top ten Thunder road games in chronological order:

1) December 28 @ Memphis: It took the Thunder seven games to eliminate the Grizzlies last year in the playoffs. This season the two rising young teams should be battling again in the playoffs. Memphis gets O.J. Mayo back and has a OKC-level home court advantage. This might be a bigger challenge than the Magic at home on Christmas night.

2) January 2 @ Dallas: The NBA seems anxious to get this OKC-Dallas rivalry fired up for the new season. With two preseason games and one game at OKC in December and opening the new year with this early road trip, we should know just how the two Western Conference favorites shape up.

3) January 16 @ Boston: Only Kendrick Perkins remains from the trade between these two teams last year with Jeff Green sidelined with the heart condition. Perkins against his old team, KG talking junk, Rondo vs. Russ…it all makes for an interesting game for a TNT national audience.

4) January 30 @ Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers are the buzz of LA as much as they will be the buzz when they show up in OKC. The Thunder need to prove they can beat teams on the road. Winning against the Clippers and Grizzlies will also be good statements for keeping the best young team in the NBA label.

5) February 10 @ Utah: The Jazz may or may not be contenders in the West this season. What makes this game one to watch is it finishes off a stretch of five road games in seven days. A brutal trip from San Antonio, across the West coast, then to the Jazz. The Thunder’s young legs will be tested there for all to see on a Friday night national ESPN telecast.

6) March 1 @ Orlando: By this time Dwight Howard might be a New Jersey Net for all we know, but if he’s in Orlando this is a big game for the Thunder to prepare for the playoffs. No one has a big guy like Howard. If they can handle him on the road, the interior defense is ready for the playoffs.

7) March 29 @ Los Angeles Lakers: Two road trips to the Lakers in basically the last month of the season. The NBA either helped the Lakers out by giving them a better chance to finish strong, or hurt the old folks with the Thunder running them ragged. Winning in LA is a statement the Thunder need to make.

8 ) April 4 @ Miami: The capstone of one of the toughest stretches on the Thunder schedule is the only trip to Miami for the Heat. It’s fine to beat contenders at home, but you make your name winning on the road. This late in the season a win here could possible make the Thunder the favorites for the title going into the playoffs.

9) April 29 @ Los Angeles Clippers: Maybe it’s overkill putting two Clippers games on the road list also, but with the talent the Clippers have put together they should be a solid playoff contender. Every NBA fan in Oklahoma will be watching this one with Blake and CP3 playing the hometown favorites.

10) April 22 @ Los Angeles Lakers: A Sunday afternoon ABC game against the Lakers. It doesn’t get any better than that outside of the playoffs. This is the Thunder’s last road game and a huge opportunity to capture the nation’s attention. Look forward to a Kobe smirk on national TV while the Thunder wrap up the top seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook will have plenty of tomahawk dunks for Thunder fans at The 'Peake.

The evil NBA lockout is over. The preseason tease is over. Now Oklahoma City fans are sitting around like kids staring at packages under the Christmas tree waiting for the December 25th home opener at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

It’s a perfect storm for anticipation. The Thunder is coming off the trip to the Western Conference Finals last year. The NBA lockout stretched out the wait. Now, two preseason wins over the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks have the Thunder fans primed to get this season started.

Here’s the top 10 OKC home games on the schedule in chronological order:

1) December 25th vs. Orlando: The Thunder’s position as a marquee team in the NBA is solidified with opening night prime-time ESPN game against the Orlando Magic. Some of the luster of this game was at risk in recent weeks with the Magic attempting to trade all-world center Dwight Howard. Now he appears to be starting the season on the Magic roster, so Thunder fans get to watch one of the most entertaining players in the NBA to start the season. With Howard, the Magic are a contender in the Eastern Conference. It should be an early statement game with the entire country watching.

2) December 29 vs. Dallas: The defending NBA champs back in OKC to set the tone for who will be contenders for the #1 seed in the West. The Mavs won the war last year, but so far OKC has won the battles this year with the two preseason wins. Now Dirk will be back playing, Kidd won’t be sitting on the bench and the Thunder will have to prove the preseason wasn’t a fluke. Dallas lost Tyson Chandler and that pesky JJ Barea in the offseason. They added Khloe and Lamar Odom and some E! TV cameras. Odom looked like he brought his LA attitude to Dallas in the preseason games. When the games count this rivalry might spark to new levels. The biggest question of the night will be if since it’s the TNT primetime game, if Charles Barkley will make his appearance in OKC with the crew. If so, someone arrange a horse and buggy to pick him up at the airport please.

3) January 8 vs. San Antonio: The Spurs were one of the top four teams in the West last season, but that isn’t what makes this game one to watch. Thanks to the crammed schedule this is will be the Thunder’s third game in three nights. The stretch starts with a home game against Houston, then the Thunder fly to Houston the next night, then fly back home to take on the Spurs the next night. Not only three games in three nights, but two flights included. That should help the aging Spurs against the young Thunder legs. Interesting the Thunder’s only other home game against the Spurs is the night following a road game at Denver. The schedule makers made the Spurs games as tough as possible for OKC.

4) January 14 vs. New York: The only OKC appearance of the New York Knicks since trading for Carmelo Anthony. In Denver, Anthony got a lot of credit from the national press for winning his matchups with Kevin Durant. The only appearance ‘Melo has made in OKC since the trade was for KD’s charity game during the lockout. Now with the Thunder as contenders and the Knicks looking solid in the East, the two young superstars will battle it out again for bragging rights.

5) February 3 vs. Memphis: The Grizzlies gave the Thunder a severe test in the opening round of the NBA playoffs last year. Both teams are young and loaded. Both brought all their key players back. Both are set to contend in the West again. This late in the season the Thunder will have already played twice in Memphis, but now the home crowd in The ‘Peake gets its chance to see the two fight it out. It’s the ONLY home game for OKC from January 26 through February 13th stuck between eight road games. The players should be elated to be home and the crowd should be starved for NBA basketball.

6) February 23 vs. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers only appearance in OKC this season, compared to two Thunder trips to LA. By this time of the year the aging Lakers will either be walking dead or killing teams like basketball zombies. With Kobe, Gasol and Bynum still around the Lakers are still the Lakers. By this time of the year, they might have traded for Dwight Howard for all we know. Thunder fans would prefer they just be showing their age and take a beat-down. The NBA scheduled a break for the Lakers here too, giving OKC a home game against the Celtics the night before and the last of four home games in five nights.

7) March 21 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Finally the best team in LA makes a trip to OKC. Besides Blake Griffin returning home, it’s now a dual homecoming with Chris Paul returning to OKC where he played for the Hornets. The Clippers superstars once owned OKC when they played in the metro area. Now they will get some fans and some applause, but it’s KD’s town. This might be the hottest ticket of the season actually with Blake/CP3 back in OKC. It could be an important game in the West too. The Clips look to be contenders this year. This game starts off the most important stretch of the schedule for the Thunder. In the eight games, the Thunder has the Clippers, Twolves, Heat, Blazers, Lakers, Bulls, Grizzlies and Heat again. Put up a winning record through that stretch and the Thunder are playoff favorites.

8 ) March 25 vs. Miami: The only two games with the Heat are in this 8-game stretch. The one time the Heat play in OKC for the season is a Sunday night national ESPN game. Right now it’s the two teams most experts are picking to play in the NBA Finals. It’s the best of the West against the best of the East.

9) April 1 vs. Chicago: Another game in the defining stretch, the Bulls make their only appearance in OKC for the regular season. MVP Derrick Rose in OKC for April Fools Day. This was last year’s marquee season opener for the Thunder. Now it’s Russell Westbrook vs. Rose for a Sunday noon ABC national audience.

10) April 11 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers second meeting in OKC. OKC fans would probably rather see Blake/CP3 than even the Heat. This game versus the Clippers is the last big home test, followed by road games against the Clippers and Lakers. The Thunder’s late season schedule should set up some wins with three games against Sacramento in the last two weeks of the season for example. Maybe the last home game against Denver jumps up, but that has more potential to be a rest game than an important game for playoff seeds.