It’s hard to separate emotion from sports, and even harder with a player as polarizing as LeBron James, but try to for a paragraph or two. Remember back to when he was in high school, remember back when Clevland won the LeBron lottery and the home town kid was sent to be a savior for the Cavs.  LeBron was  never meant to be hated. After carrying the weight of a entire city on his back to the finals in 2007, we all knew his ascent to basketball glory was going to happen. Then things started to fall apart. Maybe the Cavs weren’t good enough, maybe he didn’t want it enough, maybe his personality got in the way. No one will really know, but at one point in time everyone KNEW LeBron was going to be one of the best ever.

To me LeBron’s personality is exactly like Westbrook’s game. Both are exceptional and have unique qualities that make them great, and some make you just want to run head first into a wall. With Westbrook it’s often a pull up jumper or frustration foul. With LeBron? It’s the decision. It’s the statements he made about Cleveland. It’s caring more about his brand than loyalty. Everyone has their faults and some are more visible than other. Even with what Westbrook takes off the court with questionable decision making he brings back so much more. No different than LeBron. Some people chose to dwell on these negatives with both athletes, instead of living in awe of their greatness.  All of a sudden LeBron wins a title and it seems all is forgiven. Maybe that is all people really wanted from him? Now it feels like that greatness that we knew was going to happen happened overnight. We knew it was going to happen, just didn’t think it would take this long.

This same theme can be seen in every fiber of the Thunder’s season. No team is supposed to get this good this fast only working through the draft. The Thunder were meant to be a project, not a contender. Just three short years ago no one thought Westbrook could ever become a good point guard. No one thought Harden deserved to be the number three overall pick. No one thought Durant would be able to play physical and play defense against bigger players. No one thought a young coach in Scott Brooks could ever coach on the biggest stages.

After a remarkable season, people forgot everything we knew about the Thunder. After sweeping the defending champs and dismissing the Lakers in five games everyone forgot the doubts about the Thunder personal.

Once again the Thunder faced a mountain no one thought they could climb, the Spurs. No one thought the Thunder would be able to play the style of offense needs to beat the stellar Spurs defense.  People said the Thunder role players would crumble under pressure.  Then the exact opposite happened. It was the Thunder’s role players stepping up. It was the Thunder flying around on defense forcing the very technical Spurs offense into countless mistakes and fast break opportunities. After the Thunder won four games in a row, everyone forgot what we knew about the Thunder being too young, being too inexperienced.

Going into the finals, majority of people were picking the Thunder. Everyone thought both teams were the exception to the rule. Everyone thought the Thunder didn’t need to go through the growing pains that every championship team goes through. Everyone forgot that LeBron was built for championship basketball and could only remember last year’s blunders. Game one only magnified these thoughts. It seemed as if the torch had been passed by LeBron to Durant without ever being lit.

Then everything that was supposed to happen all happened at once. Suddenly the Thunder role players that had played so well started to freeze up. Scott Brooks was out coached by Spolstra after just out coaching arguably the best coach in the NBA in Gregg Popavich. Thunder’s offense regressed back into the ISO offense everyone thought was a thing of the past. Everything that people thought would happen, only a round later than it was supposed to.

At the same time, everything happened for LeBron. For years everyone said if LeBron stopped taking jumpers he would be unstoppable, then he did. LeBron was able to do everything in the series from scoring to passing to rebounding to defense. This was the total dominance that everyone knew LeBron was capable of. Then people started to remember how they used to view LeBron from five years ago, and how Durant was too skinny to play in the NBA. The heat role players that were brought in to make big shots starting hitting shots at a rate everyone forgot they could.  Before we could even catch our breath it was over.

This series seemed to surprise everyone, but if you woke up from a five year coma and this was the only thing you watched on TV you wouldn’t be surprised one bit. A bunch of young kids playing against the best player of his generation came up short and played scared? What is surprising about that? Everything that happened in this series was meant to happen. Thunder are meant to be a finals team, just not near this soon. LeBron was meant to win MVP’s and championships, just not this late in his career. In a few years we will all look back and remember how everything we thought we happen in the NBA happened, just not when we expected it to.

Thunder Side:

As Shaq would say “If the general doesn’t panic, the troops won’t panic.” In the start first quarter, everyone panicked for the Thunder. The Durant hit two big threes that seemed to calm everyone down. Going forward I think the Thunder will come out with less nerves, so this issue solves itself.

Westbrook needs to stop pressing, and let his offense come in the flow of the game. Same story as all season right? I think in the first half Westy pressed the issue a little bit and forced some things. In the second half he played much more controlled and picked his spots much better. Going forward he is going to need to remain patient, as well as aggressive for the Thunder.

Perkins needs to play less going forward. I love Perk to death, but he has little value in this series. If Heat are going to start Battier, he can’t play with Ibaka. I would love to see Harden coming in sooner to go small in the first quarter.

Heat Side:

LeBron can not guard Durant all game, and Wade can not guard Westbrook all game. Post game LeBron talked about being worn down. The Heat scored 40 points in the second half which won’t cut it verse the Thunder. They got away with playing both stars for 46 minutes and guarding the best offensive player in the Eastern conference because no team was going to put up 100 if they did this. Durant and Westbrook are going to get 50 per game no matter what.

Heat need to go further into their bench. This will also help LeBron and Wade not wear down so much over the course of the game. Not sure who they bring in, or if its just playing Mike Miller more, but it needs to be done.

If Durant gets going, he needs to be double teamed on the catch. I was trying to think of how to guard Durant in the 4th quarter, but I couldn’t. Only way I can think is just to hard double as soon as he catches the ball and make him pass it. You have to make Thabo beat you, not allow Durant to beat you.

No need to panic after game one, but some changes need to be made. It will be very interesting to see how both teams decide to play game two.

1) Thunder win. Everyone proclaims the Thunder are the team to beat for the next decade: This of course would be the best/worst situations for the Thunder/Heat. Everyone will claim that Durant is better than LeBron, and that he can never win a title. Everyone will crown the Thunder the elite team in the NBA for years to come, and put the Heat in the background. Talks will come to blow up the Heat, fire the coach, everything that you can imagine.

May 31, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts to a foul call during the game against the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the Western Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Oklahoma City won 102-82. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

2) Heat win a close series. LeBron plays exceptional. Everyone proclaims the Thunder are the team to beat for the next decade: People will finally be able to say the LeBron figured it out and won a title. Unlike LeBron, Durant and the young Thunder will not receive the back lash for not winning a title as LeBron has for the past five years. Everyone will simply point out that the Thunder hung in tough, and made another important stride in team success. I really don’t see how anyone could say anything negative about either team if this is the result. This will only build the desire for a re-match next year.

3) Heat win. LeBron plays average: This would obviously mean Bosh or Wade step up huge, or else the Thunder would win. This really wouldn’t help either team public perception. On the Heat side, again people will say that LeBron faded in the finals. We all know that story. For the Thunder everyone is going to be quick to claim the Thunder aren’t who we thought they were. They need to wait another year or so before they can truly contend for an NBA title.

I basically believe that no matter what the outcome is, the Thunder have made a strong enough statement that they will be contending for years to come, and the path for the title will come through them. No one expected the Thunder to become this good, this fast. The Heat are at their peak, if they don’t win now people will seriously question if this team can ever win a title. I don’t need go talk about LeBron in pressure situations, and from what I can tell, all the pressure is on him.

11:02 – Westbrook doesn’t get back on defense and LeBron finds Wade for an easy pass ahead and the assist. Durant did not look happy about Wade getting beghind everyone.

10:38 – Durant takes it to the hole and gets it stripped, after a couple of bounces it is still OKC ball.

9:45 Durant takes the ball up the court and fails his arms to get the foul in the lane. Caught Haslem reaching. That’s a no-no on Durant.  Durant makes them pay at the line, hitting both free throws.

9:30 LeBron gets the ball at the elbow and has no place to go, good D by Durant

9:10 Durant gets sloppy up top and Wade steals, then on the next possession he misses Ibaka under the hoop. Two quick turnovers for Durant.

8:00 Durant cathes the ball on the inbound and knocks down the 20 footer. Hubie calls him the best catch and shoot guy in the NBA

7:46 LeBron gets fouled going to the rim, comes down awkwardly and turns his left ankles. Looks like on one of the camera people.  Miami fans already bringing out the MVP chant. LeBron hits both.

6:15 Westbrook steals a lazy inbounds pass. Durant drives hard past Bosh and puts Turiaf on a poster.  LeBron is going to have a tough time beating a dunk like that. Highlight plays in this key game will help Durant out if they get the win. Miami timeout.

5:32 Durant breaks up a 2-1 Wade and LeBron fast break. Dont see that often.

4:10 Battier comes in and he is D-ed up on Durant. This is not what we want LeBron, be a man.

3:40 LeBron hits a trailing three from the top of the key. Thunder up 18-16.

2:43 – TV timeout after Ibaka destroys Cole’s layup attempt.

1:58 After another turnover Durant rims out a 30 ft jumper, then on the same possestion Durant gets another dunk attacking the rim for his 8th point.

1:28 LeBron hits a three right in Durant’s face. Durant shows disgust.

:40 Harden finds Durant alone in the corner for the three. Might want to guard that guy.

:29 LeBron going for the two for one just attacks the rim and forces the foul. Makes both free throws.  LeBron has 10 of Heat last 12 points.

— End of quarter —

7:27  Long rest for LeBron and Durant as they re-enter the game with Thunder up 36-25.

6:47 LeBron dribbles right past Durant for the easy layup.

5:45 Perkins with the hard foul on Wade. Teams start talking a bit as they review the foul. Teams are starting to get chippy. Flagrant-one called. This does not make anyone happier.

5:33 Westbrook tackles LeBron on a break away. LeBron made it look alot worse than it was. Westbrook grabbed his left shoulder and LeBron acted like he got shot. Durant talking some major smack to Chalmers while LeBron shooting FTs.

4:09 Thunder zone LeBron on the weak side. It results in a ball reversal and a Chalmers 3.

3:38 LeBron hits a three right in Harden’s face. Only reason Heat are in this game is because of the three point shooting.

3:17 As LeBron misses a three a Westbrook sucks chant breaks out.

2:10 LeBron jumps the passing lane and has a typical run out dunk.

0:00 LeBron hits a 22 footer to end the half. Miami up 50-49. Probably the best regular season game of the year. Amazing defense and intensity.

– Half –

9:16 Slow start until LeBron leaks out and gets a dunk after Durant smacks him in the face. Converts the and-1.

7:37 LeBron fouls Durant before the inbound, Durant to the line for just his third and fourth free throw. Makes both.

5:25 17th foul on the Thunder already this game. Miami in the penalty.

3:54 In a slow quarter, Collison picks up on the foul on LeBron as he drives to the basket. LeBron hits his 28th point.

:45 Durant missed back to back threes on the same possession. Durant has 8 turnovers and LeBron has completely thrown him off his offensive game.

:3 Durant hits a floater on LeBron to end his slump and bring OKC back to only down 7. LeBron has dominated this matchup for the first three quarters. We will see if Durant gets any rest going into the 4th.

–End of quarter–

11:20 Without LeBron in, Durant goes to the high post and shots over Battier.  Maybe Durant can get things going without James in the game.

6:54  After a sluggish start a LeBron pick and roll ends up in back to back Battier threes in the corner. Scott Brooks calls a timeout to make some adjustments. Last shot giving LeBron his 10th assist.

6:13 Durant finally hits a three to bring it to two point game. Durant now with 26.

5:26 Durant gets the ball stripped away for his 9th turnover, he chases LeBron down and Durant blocks the dunk. So I give the posession  a meh.

5:10 LeBron scoring a quick four points. This game is going to go down to the wire.

LeBron out duels Durant in a Miami rematch.

2:33 – Westbrook finds Durant on a back door oop. Durant throws it down hard in what is now a one point game.

2:12 LeBron gets block by Ibaka and gets his own rebound. He takes it out then gets tangled up in what results in a jump ball for Haslem and Ibaka. Ibaka wins the tip.

1:30 LeBron forces Durant into a fall away that hits the side of the backboard.  Thunder still down one.

:43 Durant gets stripped going to the hole by Wade. Three point game and Thunder ball.

:41 Perkins misses two FT’s to cut into the lead. LeBron with the board.

:20 LeBron misses a fall away dagger over Westbrook. Game still at three points with OKC ball. Time out.

:16 Durant misses a three on the inbound. Air ball. Looking like the game as Wade heads to the line up 3.

:00 The Wade FTs seal the deal. 98-93 Miami.

It is fair to say that LeBron controlled Durant from start to finish. Even with 30 points Durant had a career high nine turnovers. He was limited to four rebounds and three assists. Looks like the pair split wins and losses and dominate performances. LeBron took a solid step forward in the MVP race with this performance. He finishes with 34-7-10 and a defensive performance to boast about.

But with a month left for voters to be swayed, who knows what will happen?

What jersey will Dwight be Wearing in a week? Credit: Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The first thing to consider is the Thunders young and very talented core.  The Thunder can realistically only make two types of trade. The first to add a role player. The second move a major piece to acquire another major piece.

The hot topic on the trade wire is Dwight Howard. The Thunder definitely have enough assets to trade for Dwight.  The problem here is that the Thunder have not appeared on Dwight’s list of teams he will resign for. This leaves two options yet again. Convince Dwight to sign and trade to OKC, or gamble and hope he loves winning and OKC in his short stay enough he would resign.  I don’t think the Magic could turn down an offer of Westbrook/Harden, Ibaka, and a 1st round pick. This would obviously mean flipping Perkins, or since he was signed before the new CBA, the Thunder could use their amnesty clause.  Likely-hood of any of this happening? Very very little. But its fun to dream.

Another player quietly on the trade market is Andrew Bogut. His salary for the next two years is only 13 and 14 million dollars a year. When healthy Bogut is arguably the second best center in the league.  I have read rumors that the Bucks are only willing to trade Bogut if they can unload Stephan Jackson in the deal. While Bogut’s contract is very team friendly, Captain Jack’s 10 million dollars next year isn’t. The only positive is Jackson’s contract is only one more year after this. I am not cap expert but I believe the Thunder could offer Perkins, Reggie Jackson and sign and trade Ibaka for Bogut and Jackson. This should still leave enough room to resign Harden also. Would the Bucks take Ibaka, Perkins and Jackson for Bogut and Jackson? I really doubt it.  Harden and Ibaka would be much more interesting….

For a minor trade I would love the Thunder to go after Warriors guard Klay Thompson. Klay would essentually play the same role as Cook/Ivey, but he is shooting 15% better from behind the arc. The Thunder could offer Cole Aldrich. The Warriors might want to add depth to their bigs, with the injury to Kwame Brown and Biedrins turning to mush right before our eyes. Some excellent shooting in both the first and second units would really help the Thunder. I would love to see a small ball lineup of Westbrook, Klay, Harden, Durant, Perkins/Ibaka. Would the Warriors be likely to part with their young three point shooter? Highly unlikely.

My favorite trade that actually could happen is this. Reggie Jackson and Thabo for Luke Ridnour from the Timberwolves. This would have been much more likely a week ago before Rubio tore his ACL. I still think this trade can happen however. Luke would probably be much more suited to start at PG for the Timberwolves than Barea or Jackson, but with a .500 record in the West, Timberwolves playoff hopes look bleak. Why not add depth and a true shooting guard (who doesn’t shoot that well) in Thabo for next year when Rubio comes back? Luke would be the perfect backup PG beside Harden. He is a proven knock down shooter that can set up the offense with the second unit.  This trade has a chance, but still not sure if the Wolves would spring for this one.

Overall, its awesome to speculate about NBA trades right before the deadline. It is one of the things that truly makes the NBA amazing. With less than three days before this deadline, no one knows how teams will look at this time next week. While it seems unlikely the Thunder pursue any trade, the possibility is still looming out there. Will it happen? We will have to wait and see.

Westbrook continues another great year for OKC sports.yahoo.com

The last week in the NBA has been arguably the best week thus far. It has everything that the normal NBA week has, ridiculous dunks from Blake Griffin and a crazy 30-20 game from Kevin Love. Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce breaking huge milestones and the biggest story of the year Jeremy Lin. Jeremy Lin has single-handedly made the Knicks exciting AND relevant in just five games. This great week was capped of with Lin winning the East player of the week award along with…. o ya Westbrook winning it in the West.

With all this excitement Westbrook and the Thunder continue to be second page news. I want to say it right now, I am not taking anything away from Jeremy Lin. The kid can absolutely ball. Not only is he winning, he as made New York exciting. His arsenal of moves amazes me. I saw him crossover, spin. Euro-step, throw oops and drain threes all in one quarter. He absolutely deserved the player of the week award, but so did Westbrook.

Lin tallied 27.3 points, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals and a perfect 4-0 record from Feb. 6th through Feb 12th. Truly amazing numbers from some guy considered a bum coming from the D-Leauge and sleeping on couches to rejuvenate the Knicks. The energy he has brought not only to New York, but to everyone in America is the things they make movies about. If you haven’t watched this kid play yet you need too.

So that leaves us with Westbrook flying a bit under the radar. Westbrook, in his second player of the week award, put up 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals. The Thunder had a record of 3-1 in that week, playing all four games on the road in five nights. Each game Westbrook has at least 28 points providing a very consistent scoring option beside Durant.

Even with Westbrook’s great week you still hear the typical naysayers saying that Westbrook needs to pass more and are slow to give Westbrook his credit. Maybe he does need to make better decisions, but with Ibaka and Perkins starting, the Thunder need more great offensive weeks like this from Westbrook to maintain the best record in the NBA.

Westbrook’s continued growth from year to year seems to go overlooked. The learning curve for someone only playing point guard for four years is extremely step, and many people clamor for a trade. Maybe Westbrook isn’t the best fit for OKC, but all the guy does is continue to work hard every day. The biggest thing is Russ WANTS to be in OKC. In a week where Brandon Jennings said he will sign his qualifying offer, a move almost unheard of by people exciting their rookie contract, we have to remember that keeping stars in small markets is always a big challenge.

So while Westbrook might not be resurrecting basketball in the Mecca, or at the center of trade sending him to the Lakers, he should not go overlooked. Stories will always come and go in the NBA, and all Westbrook seems to worry about is working hard and winning. So maybe it’s time we start giving Westbrook some of the respect in which he has rightfully earned.

A couple less turnovers will result in more happy and akward jumps for the Thunder. zimbio.com

What do you do when your favorite team has the best record in the NBA? Nitpick!  So that is what this article is about.  The Thunder are currently 3^rd in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 14^th in defensive efficiency, but they could be much better. Many teams would love to have the problems that the Thunder have, but this blog isn’t about those teams.  Let me explain my mindset, so you can understand my displeasure in the Thunder’s offense this far in the season.

Results oriented thinking is defined as letting the outcome of the situation affect how you feel about it, instead of focusing on the process to get the results.  This is popular for poker players who analyze statistics during a poker hand to determine their course of action. The idea is to not be results oriented, but to make the correct decision every time.  A basketball example of this is when Westbrook pulls up for a jumper on a fast break. Westbrook is talented enough to make a number of these shots, but the idea is to not focus on the results make or miss. Even if he makes it, statistically it is the wrong shot to take; you have much better odds to run the offense and try to get a better shot. I don’t get upset when the Thunder play well and lose (See Clippers). I get upset when the Thunder play bad regardless of winning or losing the game.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Thabo takes offense a little more serious this year bballmatchup.com

Known primarily as a great wing defender, Thabo is the shooting guard in a starting lineup that has glaring offensive weaknesses.  Perkins and Ibaka are great on the defensive end, and combined pull down about four offensive boards per game, but have a very limited scoring ability on offense to say the least.  The Thunder starting five is also not very good behind the arc either.  Westbrook is taking over 2 threes a game and shooting 26%, while Durant is taking 4.5 threes a game and only shooting 33%. This really creates some offensive problems since teams can help off the bigs down low, and don’t have to worry about any true three point threat behind the arc.

Thabo does a great job of spacing the floor while still deferring to Durant and Westbrook for the majority of the shots.  I am not saying I want Thabo to shoot the ball ten times a game, but just the threat of the improved Thabo gives Durant and Westbrook more space to work.  Thabo has one job and one job only on offense, catch the ball and shoot.  For all his three point shots this year, 92% are assisted.  But unlike most years, Thabo is making them. Thabo is shooting at a blistering 50% from three, a 23% increase from last year.

(more…)

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.

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.

We are currently looking for a lead editor and multiple staff writers for this site. The role requires at least 30 posts per month, and a minimum of 1 post per day.

If you are interested please fill out our application (click here). Feel free to email us at fansided@gmail.com to find out more information about our network.

This is a great opportunity to gain exposure in the sports blogging/writing world!