Say hello to the 2008-09 season
My Vikings fell to 1-3 today and looked terrible doing it, and I’m getting creamed this week in my fantasy league. But, hey, Thunder media day is Monday so my spirits aren’t too low. The season is here, and I’m excited for it. After a year without the NBA in OKC, we’re finally about to see some ball being played inside the Ford Center again.
News and information on the Thunder will pick up considerably starting Monday afternoon when the players and coaches meet the media for the first time. I’ll post continuous observations from media day here throughout the day Monday, and our Thunder coverage will be extensive in The Oklahoman and on NewsOK.com from here out.
In case you missed it in today’s paper, I had a story on Chris Wilcox’s critical season. I also wrote about position battles to watch as the Thunder opens training camp Tuesday.
In Monday’s paper, I explain why fans should temper their expectations for rookie point guard Russell Westbrook, who isn’t likely to post overly impressive statistics. As you’ll read in the paper Monday, only five point guards in the past 10 NBA seasons have averaged at least 12 points and six assists: Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, Steve Francis, Mike Bibby and Jason Williams. Paul and Francis (co-winner with Elton Brand) won the Rookie of the Year award in their respective debut seasons. Of course, here’s a guy who has the complete opposite take on Westbrook and says he’s going with R.W. or O.J. Mayo to win Rookie of the year.
“Westbrook is a great player and is joining Durant and Green in a young Oklahoma City team. His only competition for the starting job is Earl Watson, a good player, but for a talent like Westbrook is beatable for the starting job. For a team with no real playoff ambition this guy should get all the burn he needs to put up the kinds of stats to be in the thick of the debate for the best rookie.”
We’ll see.
At any rate, we’ll be asking all kinds of questions to everyone with the team at media day. But I want to know what questions you would ask the players and coaches if you could. (Please be serious). I’ll try my best to get those answered as well.
-DM-
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I would ask the players, as a fan, “Where and when is the best time to ask a player for a autograph or to get a pic with them?” I don’t want to be rude or pushy, just would like to be respectful to them and their time. Also would ask, “How a player stays motivated when they know that the team will not be very good?” or “What goals have the players have set for themselves this year?”