Category Archives: Oklahoma City Thunder

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

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Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene and generally whatever is on our minds. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• Thunder vs Heat. Prime time television. The return of Russell Westbrook. A potential finals preview. This one wrote the story for itself, until it wasn't much of a game at all. LeBron heard all the chatter about Durant. He wasn't letting KD show him up this time. Taking the first 53 shots to start the game and making all of them (ok, that may be a bit of a stretch, but that's what it seemed like), King James set the tone early. He wasn't messing around, this was all business. Durant seemed a bit out of place at times. Maybe he was having a hard time re-adjusting to Westbrook's presence on the court. Maybe it was just an off night. Whatever it was, it wasn't pretty for the Thunder. While I'm still not sure why Brooks insists on starting Perkins vs the Heat, this one is far from Perk's fault. I'm going to write this game off as an anomaly and choose not to believe this is how a finals rematch would unfold.

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• Three Sooner football players were penalized for eating too much pasta during a graduation banquet last year. I don't even know where to start with this one. My initial reaction is to laugh, but how ridiculous is the NCAA? There is a limit on how much food players can eat at banquets? Who is making up these rules? At least Gabe Ikard and Austin Woods are taking it all in stride. Just proves how big of a joke the NCAA has become these days.

• So the NBA trade deadline came and went with barely a whimper. The Thunder did right by holding their cards and not trying to get cute by changing up what has been working great. Westbrook is back and that's all the Thunder need to make a push to the finals. Amnesty Perk? Get another shooter? Those things sound great in theory, but in reality they already have shooters and amnestying Perk obviously isn't going to happen. On the bright side? Perkins will have an expiring contract next season and likely be prime trade-bait.

• Bill Simmons ranks Kendrick Perkins as the 12th worst contract in the NBA. Hard to argue with him. One of Sam Presti's few missteps was giving Perkins a huge contract upon acquiring him from Boston. To Presti's credit, everyone thought it was a major coup for OKC at the time finally getting the allusive "big man" that had so desperately been missing. Count me among the bunch who were thrilled when the blockbuster trade went down, but there's no question I'd rather have Jeff Green back in the blue and orange instead of the broken down big man. And that $8.7 million Perkins is making this year? It makes me sick thinking of the players that could be had with that money.

• Confession: I root for the US in the Winter Olympics about as much as I root for OU women's softball. I'm definitely happy if they do well, but I don't much care to watch. Now the Summer Olympics? That's a different story.

• I always thought it was pretty hokey during a college football game when a player would be flagged for "targeting" and then instantly ejected with a 15-yard penalty tacked on. But wait, if the officials review the play and determine there was no foul then the player is not ejected, but the 15-yard penalty still stands? Looks like the NCAA realized how silly that was and is changing the rule. While I still think a first time offender being ejected is a bit harsh, at least they are amending the rule to where if it is reviewed and determined not to be a foul then the 15-yard penalty no longer stands.

• Haven't quite figured out if the OU men's basketball squad is worthwhile or not yet. College basketball has been stale for so long outside of March Madness, but a legit Sooners run in the tournament could grab my attention again. They're probably just messing with me though.

• Russell Westbrook is back and that's a good thing. Can we please stop with the ridiculous speculation about the Thunder being better off without Westbrook? Please, pretty please. Last night he looked rusty, but still explosive. There may be some growing pains in the next couple of weeks with everyone adjusting to their new places on the court, but this team is better off with #0 in the lineup.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Biggest Competition in the West for OKC

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With the return of Russell Westbrook looming and the Thunder currently sitting atop the NBA standings with a record of 43-12, let's rank their biggest roadblocks in the Western Conference en route back to the NBA finals.

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memphisDark Horse: Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies notoriously bounced the Thunder from the 2013 playoffs not long after Westbrook went down with his original injured knee. Despite every game being close, the Grizz "easily" knocked out OKC in five games. The Thunder are currently 2-1 in the season series vs Memphis, with the sole loss coming in an ugly 90-87 defeat in mid-January. Of course, if the playoffs were to start today then the Grizzlies would be on the outside looking in as they are currently a couple games back from the eight seed. It's not inconceivable to imagine the Grizzlies finding their way into the eight seed and taking on the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. While the Thunder would still be the heavy favorites, the Grizzlies would be anything but an easy out in the first round.

 

houston  #5: Houston Rockets

While the Rockets currently occupy the third seed in the West, I don't anticipate them finishing that high. Despite the off-season acquisition of Dwight Howard and all the hoopla surrounding Harden and Howard supposedly dominating the league for years to come, the results thus far have been under-whelming. At 36-17, the Rockets are obviously not a team to take for granted, but count me amongst the bunch who think of Howard as more of a team cancer than savior. The Thunder have handled the Rockets in each of their two regular season match-ups thus far and I don't see them poising much of a threat to Oklahoma City this year.

 

golden-state#4: Golden State Warriors

Golden State just might be the most dangerous team on this list. While they are a wildly streaky team, when they are on, they are on. The lethal sharp-shooting combination of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson is likely one of the best pure shooting duo's in the league. Not to mention the issues the Thunder have had trying to slow down the Warriors in their three meetings this season. Despite ranking as one of the top defensive teams in the league, the Thunder have given up 116, 112, and 121 points to the Warriors in their three contests. Somehow OKC managed to win two of those games anyway, but none of them came easy. The Warriors will likely enter the playoffs as one of the finals seeds, but will be a dangerous squad to any team they face.

 

portland#3: Portland Trailblazers

Portland has been a bit of a surprise team in the West this season. They are the only team in the league to hold multiple victories over the Thunder. Early on in the season it appeared as though the Blazers simply had OKC's number after consecutive victories. The Thunder bounced back to even up the regular series 2-2 winning their last two encounters to put a wrench in that theory. Portland currently occupies the fifth seed in the West and have cooled off a bit since their hot start, but still remain a talented bunch with lots of depth. Look for the Trailblazers to finish as one of the top four seeds in the West by the end of the regular season.

 

la-clippers#2: Los Angeles Clippers

The Lakers are no longer the premiere club in LA. Boy does that feel awkward to say. While the Lakers sit tied for last place in the conference, the Clippers currently sit in fourth place with a record of 37-18. The Thunder and Clippers have faced off only twice thus far with each team holding court at home. The Clippers are one of the few teams who posses a superior player at the point guard position in all-star Chris Paul. With Blake Griffin improving each year and the franchise committed to bringing in endless amounts of role players, they pose a serious threat in the Western Conference.

 

sa-spurs#1: San Antonio Spurs

Despite being declared "old" years ago, the core of the Spurs have kept this franchise at the top for over a decade. A day will come when Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili will fade off into the sunset of Spurs lore, but they don't seem quite ready yet. The sting of blowing the NBA finals in game six last season likely still remains at the forefront of their minds and they are no doubt set out for redemption. The Spurs and Thunder have faced off three times thus far with the Thunder taking all three contests. Make no mistake about it though, the seasoned Spurs remain the Thunder's biggest roadblock back to the finals.

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• So Blake Bell is apparently in the process of transitioning to tight end. Granted he has a natural frame to be a great tight end, I just wonder how effective he will really be at the new position. Not that there are really any premier players ahead of him on the TE depth chart that concern me, but I'd personally like to see him continue to push Knight at the QB position. We all know that Knight's heavy dose of QB scrambles put him at a high risk for injury and I'm not sure how great I'd feel having to turn the reigns over to another freshman if he were to go down again. I'll give Bell this though, he is one heck of a teammate sucking it up and moving to a position of need as opposed to just taking his ball and going home (transferring).

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• The Thunder have the best record in the NBA headed into the all-star break and are currently the favorite to win it all this year, at least according to a few ESPN writers. Westbrook's injury may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, granting that precious extra playing time and responsibility to the likes of Jackson and Lamb that they likely never would have gotten with a healthy Westbrook. The Thunder were ill-prepared for life without Westbrook last season, but they are a better bunch this time around. Plug a healthy Westbrook back into the lineup and you've got the favorites to win it all this year.

• Tip of the hat to my partner in crime on his fantastic breakdown of the recent Sooner signings this week. While doing my best to keep up with signing day, I still learned quite a bit from the recaps on the offensive side of the ball. If you have any interest at all in the future of the Oklahoma football program, I encourage you to go check it out. You will not be disappointed. Keep an eye out for the defensive players breakdown coming in the near future.

• Is it too soon to crown Kevin Durant the MVP? Nope. While LeBron has won four of the past five, Durant has been vocal about being tired of playing second fiddle. Being the second best player in the world isn't good enough for KD. He's on a mission to be the best and is putting on a pretty good display of those talents lately. Barring King James leading the Heat on another 30-game win streak, this race is as good as over.

• So Mark Schlabach has Oklahoma listed at #5 in his Post Signing Day "Way Too Early Top 25" rankings. This was no doubt based on the Sooners stellar recruiting class off the heels of their Sugar Bowl win over the vaunted Crimson Tide, but there is still a lot of work left to be done in Norman. Trevor Knight is the key to the Sooners success in 2014. If he builds off his fantastic Sugar Bowl performance? OU should earn a bid to the first ever college football playoffs. If he reverts back to the Knight from the 2013 season opener? Well, let's not talk like that.

• Russell Westbrook is still scheduled to return sometime after the all-star break, but the Thunder aren't ready to commit on a specific date just yet. February 20th is still the target date, but it's far from set in stone. Fingers crossed for no further setbacks. I've enjoyed watching this team persevere without their all-star point guard, but I enjoy watching them more with him on the court. And let's be honest, any attempt at making a serious push towards an NBA championship has to include a healthy #0.

• Remember when everyone was so sure that Bob Stoops was going to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns? I believed it about as much as the "Saban to Texas is a done deal" rumors. Stoops is going to finish out his career in Norman, mark it down. There are plenty of reasons to list why, but they are too many to go over in this small space.

• Disagreed with my opinion piece on why the Thunder shouldn't trade Westbrook? Want some substance backing up my take? Sign up for an Insider account and let the big boys do the heavy lifting. The Thunder are "great without Westbrook; better with him."

• Former five-star Oklahoma recruit Trey Metoyer was dismissed from the team last October after being charged with indecent exposure. So what's Metoyer been up to lately? Oh nothing special, just kicking back and enjoying another round of indecent exposure charges. Seems like a lifetime ago that we were drooling over him during spring training and couldn't wait for #17 to explode into the next great WR in Norman. Yet another tale of a sad waste of talents. Metoyer finished his stint with the Sooners with a mere 19 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

• Oh wait, the Westbrook trade rumors were all just made up by some random blogger? Never mind then, move along, nothing to see here. Per Royce Young: "The Thunder aren’t trading Russell Westbrook. Under any circumstance. It’s not happening. Therefore, any subsequent thing that involves his name and the word 'trade' in it should be ignored entirely, unless you just enjoy wild, pointless speculation."

Oklahoma City Thunder

Should the Thunder Trade Westbrook?

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This is a question I've seen floating around the rumor mill lately, so let me go ahead and get it out of the way right off the bat.

No.

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No, no, no, and no.

Not only should the Thunder not trade Russell Westbrook, but there's no chance Sam Presti is even considering it.

"But look how good they are doing without him! Imagine the return they could get for him! A big man? Draft picks galore? The possibilities are endless!"

Oh how soon some forget the 2013 playoffs. Remember that time when the Thunder went from virtual locks for a return to the finals to being bounced in the second round after a mere five games to the Grizzlies? The same Memphis team who was then immediately swept by the Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

There's also that little tidbit about KD having one of the best months in NBA history. Let's not kid ourselves here. Durant is one of the two best players currently in the league, but he's not going to be able to keep up that torrid pace forever.

Here's the simple facts. Westbrook is a top five NBA player. The Thunder were 21-4 to start the season before he underwent the knife yet again.

Oklahoma City is a better team every day of the week with Russell Westbrook on the floor. Let that sink in for a moment.

No amount of imaginary fairy-tale haul in return for Westbrook is going to be better than what the Thunder already have in place.

Ibaka has stepped up his game and playing the best ball of his career. Jeremy Lamb has finally got his first amount of legit playing time and is starting to blossom into the role player they hoped for when acquiring him from Houston last season. Reggie Jackson has filled in for Westbrook better than anyone could have hoped for, but he is no long-term replacement.

So please, let's put this terrible rumor to bed already. The Thunder are not trading Westbrook.

No doubt the Thunder have gone on a tremendous run despite the loss of their all-star point guard, but this should not ignite demands for a Westbrook trade. Instead, think of how much better this team will be with him.

Won't be too much longer now. I can't wait.

Oklahoma City Thunder

And The Thunder Rolls

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The Thunder are the hottest team in the Western conference right now and possibly the entire NBA.  Despite an uncharacteristic loss to the Wizards last week, the Thunder have jumped out to a 14-3 start and blown away even my high expectations.  I'll admit, when all of the NBA analysts and experts were picking the Thunder as pre-season favorites in the West, I became a bit nervous. I wondered how this young team would be able to live up to the hype and if they would really exceed last years Western Conference Finals appearance.  Thus far, I have been blown away.

The condensed season appears to definitely be favoring this young Thunder squad as their legs remain fresh deep into games even in back-to-back-to-back's.  What's even better?  The Thunder are taking care of most opponents early on allowing the starters to rest their legs for the majority of 4th quarters.  That is big when you consider the amount of physical demand placed on these players bodies playing games nearly every night of the week.

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While it is still relatively early in the season, the Thunder appear to be on the fast track to finals so long as they don't let their early season success get to their heads.  The Wizards proved to the Thunder that they can't merely just show up and expect to win despite how terrible their opponents record reflects.  The Wizards had no business beating the Thunder and everyone knows it.  The Thunder are vastly talented while the Wizards are the league's bottom feeders with no real talent outside of John Wall.  The Thunder rolled into Washington with the leagues best record against a Wizards squad who had only won one game all year.  It is pretty evident that KD and crew were not motivated for this game and were running on auto-pilot.  Games like that can happen, they just can't happen on a frequent basis.  

The lone bright spot in the Washington debacle?  None other than Mr. Russell Westbrook himself.  Westbrook has quite possibly outplayed Kevin Durant over the last couple of weeks.  Was the early season contract negotiations effecting his on-court play?  It's a legitimate question considering his incredible turn-around since signing his max deal and playing like a true all-star.  Don't get me wrong, Durant has played very well, but Westbrook is really starting to come on and has been one of the main reasons for the Thunder's success thus far.

Did I mention James Harden is also playing all-star caliber ball?  Last night he lit the Pistons up for 24 points going 5 for 6 from behind the arc and making it look easy. He's averaging nearly 17 points a game with 4 rebounds and 3 assists to boot.  He is essentially doing exactly what the Thunder needed out of him and leading the second unit with precision and determination.  The beard is in full effect and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

Do the Thunder have what it takes to make a championship run this year?  Of course they do, but having all the talent in the world doesn't always equal a championship.  The Mavericks proved last year that hard work and dedication with a little bit of luck sprinkled in is the path to a championship.  The Thunder may not be crowned champions this year, but I wouldn't bet against them this season or the next five.