Thunder: No new playoff shoe design for KD
No new shoes for KD
A photo of some black-and-gold Nikes with Kevin Durant’s KD insignia on them got us believing that the Thunder star might be debuting some new shoes during the playoffs.
I asked him about it today after the Thunder’s morning shoot around.
He told me that he’ll be wearing no new designs during the playoffs.
Bummer.
KD was quite the trendsetter during last year’s playoffs, most notably with the backpacks in the post-game press conferences. This year, there’s been no backpack. No unexpected twist. No new fashion statement of any kind.
I told Durant that I was disappointed about that.
While he made no promise, he said he might bring something out soon.
I’ve got my fingers crossed.
***
If you need a Durant-related fashion fix, check this out. You can go to Nike.com and design your own look for the Nike Zoom KD IV iD. Now, granted, Nike wants you to actually buy the shoes after you design them, but there’s no rule that says you have to do that.
So, just go and have some fun.
Big day in OKC only gets bigger
My column today about this being a day unlike any other in Oklahoma City’s sports history prompted an email from reader Dean Schirf.
I’ll let him explain why:
What a cool coincidence, huh?
Having a couple local guys at the top of the NFL Draft and an NBA team making its home playoff debut is a pretty good way to celebrate Oklahoma City’s birthday. This is a day like no other with a party the likes of which Oklahoma City has never seen.
Will Staples Center bite Thunder?
A snake pit, the Staples Center isn’t.
Still, playing the Lakers on their home court will present a different challenge for the Thunder. When Oklahoma City’s playoff series against Los Angeles opens Sunday, this youthful bunch will discover a level of distraction that is unlike anything else in sports.
Lakers games are where Hollywood types come to see and be seen, so the Thunder has seen the circus during its previous trips. The movie stars. The music moguls. The famous faces.
But what they’ve seen during the regular season is nothing compared to what the Staples Center is like during the playoffs.
“When they go to L.A., they’re going to see more celebrities than they’ve seen in their previous trips,” Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears said.
Maybe the players will be able to block that out, but it’d be difficult to believe that they won’t be wowed a bit by the whole scene. Jack Nicholson sitting just down the row from the visitors’ bench. Justin Timberlake over there. Halle Berry over here. We’re wowed by celebrity; impossible to believe that it’d be much different for Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Co.
“It’s interesting who’s there and how big of a distraction that can be,” Spears said.
That doesn’t even take into account the distraction that comes with being in Los Angeles. There are trendy restaurants. There are popular clubs. There are places to go and things to do that you won’t find anywhere else.
And there are people who will want a piece of the players. Being in the playoffs in Los Angeles, family and friends are bound to flock to SoCal. They’ll want to get tickets. They’ll want to go to dinner. With Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Ollie being from the L.A. area, that will add a whole other level of distraction to the equation.
So will the business types who want to get some time with some of these guys. Durant seems a likely target. Hollywood movers and shakers will be asking to meet with him.
Does Kevin want to talk about this movie deal?
Is he interested in discussing this shoe deal?
Again, it’s possible that the Thunder will be immune to the hubbub. Perhaps they’ll stay in their bubble. Maybe they’ll maintain a steely focus. But the challenge will be significant in L.A.
It’s not Boston. It’s not Utah. It’s not Portland. Those arenas are rowdy and intense and a challenge for every visiting team. The Staples Center is none of those things.
“The Laker thing is a different type of distraction,” Spears said.
Just because the Staples Center isn’t a snake pit doesn’t mean visitors are immune from being bitten.
Phil Jackson wants to complain about calls?
Qs and As about Thunder-Lakers series
Wanted to give you a sneak peek at something that we’re working on as we’re gearing up for the Thunder’s playoff series against the Lakers.
Everyone that’s a part of our NBA coverage team is answering these questions. You’ll see all the answers later today on NewsOK.com and tomorrow in The Oklahoman. But because I know everyone is talking about this series, I wanted to share my answers.
And hey, feel free to post your questions! I’ll try to get to them as soon as possible.
***
Matchup that most favors the Lakers: Anything involving Kobe Bryant. I know Thabo Sefolosha held him in check when the Lakers came to town last month, but this is the playoffs. And Kobe is, well, Kobe in the playoffs. No matter who matches up on him, it will be advantage Lakers.
Matchup that most favors the Thunder: Anything involving Kevin Durant. This might be K.D.’s first playoff experience, but the guy is growing up right before our eyes. He seems to figure out a new way to score every week. He’ll be a handful for whomever guards him.
Biggest cause for concern from the last two games: The lack of energy and defense late in the game. Everyone knows that the fourth quarter is where games are won and lost in the NBA. Yet against the Warriors and the Blazers, the Thunder couldn’t stop anybody from getting to the rim. Too many easy baskets in crunch time is troublesome.
Possible silver lining from the last two games: Motivation. This team has been pretty darn good about bouncing back from bad performances. They have a pride about them that shines after poor stretches. Perhaps they bow up and fight back. Do that in the series opener in L.A., and the Thunder could score a rare playoff road victory.
Why are opposing point guards torching the Thunder?: No doubt opposing point guards are sticking it to this team in April. Deron Williams. Chauncey Billups. Andre Miller. Monta Ellis. All have had big nights. But Williams and Billups are understandable. They’re two of the better point guards in the league. And considering the Thunder followed up games against those two by holding Steve Nash to 11 points, it didn’t seem like opposing point guards were a problem at that point. The last two — Ellis and Miller — are more troubling. They illustrate again that struggling defense. Guys are able to get to the rim with ease, able to get great looks at the basket. When that happens, even the Monta Ellises and the Andre Millers of the NBA will score. The defense simply has to be better.
If Marcus Camby can get 30 and 13 on OKC, what will Gasol do?: I suspect he’ll have some big numbers against the Thunder, but then, I thought that before Monday’s game against Camby and Portland. Pau Gasol is one of the top centers in the league, and in the playoffs, I expect him to be a force. The Thunder will have to use a variety of guys on him, switching from Nenad Krstic to Serge Ibaka to Nick Collison. Give him different looks. Keep a fresh guy on him. It won’t stop him, but it might slow him down a bit.
Should the starters play or sit against Memphis?: Play. Because the Thunder is likely to open its series with the Lakers on Sunday — television will want L.A. then — players will have an extra day of rest. If the Thunder was opening Saturday, resting against Memphis would be more important. But with that extra day, and after a couple of poor performances, the starters need to be out there. Get a win. Get back on track. Get ready for the Lakers.
What’s the more worrisome trend, the Thunder’s late-game defense or inability to get good shots late in games?: Defense, defense, defense. If you’re always taking the ball out of the basket, you can’t get any fastbreak points, any transition opportunities. Those are good shots, and they are shots that the Thunder isn’t getting because its defense has become non-existent late in games.
Which is more easily remedied and how?: It’s easier to get good shots if you’re not always taking the ball out of the other team’s basket and setting up your halfcourt offense. These guys know how to play better defense. They just need to do it. If they do, the easier shots will follow.
Series prediction: Lakers in five.
Thunder playoff scenario has changed
Chat Recap: Jenni Carlson
