Portland 2-1 or 1-2 in Ford Center?
After finally having a productive night picking NBA games let’s start Saturday with the Portland-Houston game since the Trail Blazers will be in the Ford Center Sunday night.
Portland 95, Houston 93: The Trail Blazers will either be 2-1 or 1-2 when they invade the Ford Center Sunday night, a back-to-back helping the Thunder who had Saturday off. Look for Portland to eake out a win after beating the Rockets in both teams’ season opener earlier in the week.
Philadelphia 104, New York 100: Could be a shootout at Madison Square Garden. The Sixers, coming off a win over Milwaukee, are still trying to figure out how to get Elton Brand more involved. The Knicks are still looking for their first win.
San Antonio 104, Sacramento 88: The Kings actually had a lead late in their game Friday night in New Orleans, but the Spurs should romp after having the incentive of losing at Chicago Thursday night.
Dallas 96, LA Clippers 94: Coming off a dominant upset win over the Lakers Friday night in LA, the Mavericks must guard against a letdown. The Clippers are still looking for their first win.
Washington 94, New Jersey 84: The Wizards’ home opener after splitting road games at Dallas and Atlanta. The Nets have been competitve but are 0-2.
Cleveland 96, Charlotte 83: The Cavs got back on track in Minneapolis and return home. The Bobcats who got their first win in double-overtime over the Knicks. LeBron is close to averaging a double-double during a 1-2 start.
Milwaukee 90, Detroit 86: The Bucks finally got their season started with a road loss. Their home opener is against a Pistons team that looked lethargic against the Thunder without Rip Hamilton, who is sidelined by an ankle injury.
Thunder to start 2-0?
The Thunder’s schedule is difficut the next five games.
Three Ford Center opponents — Portland (Sunday), Lakers (Tuesday) and Orlando (Nov. 
feature last year’s two NBA finalists and the 54-win Trail Blazers. The two road games — Detroit (tonight) and Houston (next Friday) — are more winnable but… they’re on the road.
Since Oklahoma City will be an underdog in all five games, securing one or two wins the next nine days would be a good start for the young Thunder.
After a so-so record making daily NBA picks here is Friday’s predictions:
Detroit 94, Thunder 90: This is a game the Thunder could win but the Pistons were impressive in their 22-point road win at Memphis. For OKC to post the upset (they’re a 7-point underdog), the Thunder must at least break even on the boards and score some points in transition.
LA Lakers 99, Dallas 92: A deeper roster was supposed to take some pressure off Dirk Nowitzki but that wasn’t the case in the opener. Lakers should improve to 2-0 but they haven’t hit the road, yet, even though that shouldn’t be an issue.
Boston 96, Chicago 88: The Celtics have been impressive. The Bulls now discover what the Spurs did Thursday night, that playing back-to-back nights, the second game on the road, is difficult.
Atlanta 98, Washington 96: One of the better games tonight. Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards played well in a road win at Dallas. The Hawks won at home. They win again at home but Washington has a shot.
Miami 96, Indiana 94: The Pacers are a slight favorite but D-Wade finds a way to get the Heat a valuable road win.
Philadelphia 98, Milwaukee 88: The Sixers try to bounce back after losing at Atlanta. Believe it or not, the Bucks haven’t played a game, yet.
Cleveland 96, Minnesota 90: The 0-2 Cavs get a break by playing Minnesota but the Timberwolves are at home. Still, LeBron and Shaq take out their frustration on rookie coach Kurt Rambis’ squad.
Orlando 90, New Jersey 85: Vince Carter’s return to Jersey. The Magic hits the road for the first time. The Nets blew a big lead at Minnesota but this is their home opener. Carter gets the last laugh.
New Orleans 96, Sacramento 86: After an ugly opening loss at Dallas, the Hornets right the ship with a home win over the hapless Kings.
Phoenix 106, Golden St. 98: The Suns posted a solid road win against the Clippers. Their home opener is against a Warriors team that couldn’t beat Houston at home.
Utah 96, Clippers 90: The Jazz are tough at home. The Clippers, a team some say is a playoff contender, are 0-2 and in danger of falling to 0-3 if they can’t post an unlikely road upset.
Toronto 95, Memphis 90: The Raptors looked good at home against LeBron and the Cavs. Memphis was horrible. But at least the Grizzlies are at home. But they were at home Wednesday night, too, and were embarrassed.
New York 98, Charlotte 95: The Bobcats are favored at home but after their dismal franchise-record low point total at Boston the high-scoring Knicks will post the upset.
Cavs 0-2? Time to panic?
The Sporting News, always trying to be ahead of the curve, did a huge story in its NBA season preview issue breaking down a projected Cavaliers-Lakers matchup in the 2010 NBA Finals. They used four pages to comapre the two teams.
Oops.
It’s only two games. The Cavs will be fine. It’s not like they’re going to miss the playoffs. LeBron James’ triple-double in the loss Wednesday night at Toronto was a reminder he’s probably still the best player in the league.
But Cleveland’s 0-2 start is a sign the Cavaliers might not be the Eastern Conference favorite many of us made them out to be, myself included.
Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland’s much hyped off-season acquisition, has been a liability defensively. Opponents are taking advantage by pulling him away from the basket, then driving around him, exposing Shaq on pick-and-rolls.
Shaq appears to be a bad fit for the Cavs, who are at their best when they’re running in transition.
With Delonte West’s current troubles, the Cavs’ depth is thin for the time being.
Panic? No. Cleveland should win 55-plus games, possibly get to 60 again. King James is that good.
But after watching the Opening Night loss, at home, to the Celtics I certainly wish I had a mulligan on my presason picks just three days into the season.
Boston’s aging roster must stay healthy. The playoffs are a long way off. Things can change in a week or two much less six months. But early in the season, it’s apparent the Celtics, not the Cavs, are the favorite to win the Eastern Conference.
Spurs to win on the road
Continuing an early-season trend of picking every NBA game, after showing improvement in my W-L record the second night, look for the Spurs to start the season 2-0.
Spurs 98, Bulls 93: After dominating the Hornets, the Spurs flew from San Antonio to Chicago late Wednesday night. Those type of back-to-back games, flying more than 1,000 miles, is one of the toughest challenges of playing in the NBA. But the Spurs are a veteran team accustomed to the challenge.
This is the Bulls’ season opener. They’re at home. Chicago and Milwaukee are the only teams to have not played a game. But San Antonio was so efficient against New Orleans it’s hard to pick against the Spurs. And it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bulls show a little rust, having gone more than a week without playing a game.
Trail Blazers 104, Nuggets 101: This should be an entertaining game after both teams won their openers at home, two teams hoping to compete with San Antonio, Dallas and Utah for a top four seed.
Portland looked good early but was so-so in the fourth quarter in its opener against Houston. The Nuggets finally pulled away against the Jazz, led by Carmelo Anthony’s 30 points. It would be a huge road win for Denver but Portland is tough at home.
Opening night preview
When the NBA schedule came out nearly two months ago I wrote the Thunder’s scheudle is especially difficult the first two months, that if the Thunder could go 14-18 or 13-19 those first 32 games before the calendar flips to 2010, a young team might stay within sniffing distance of playoff teams much of the season.
Well, tonight we start to find out if a young team is up to that challenge. It’s Opening Night. Game 1 of that 32-game stretch is in the Ford Center, a game OKC should win.
The two most interesting items from shoot-around Wednesday morning, a few hours before tipoff, was coach Scott Brooks’ response to Kevin Durant possibly leading the league in scoring at some point during his career and Opening Night excitement.
Durant finished sixth in the league in scoring last seson. When asked if No. 35 could eventually win a scoring title, Brooks’ final answer was the most revealing.
“Kevin has an offensive game that’s pretty good at (age) 21. But he still needs to continue to learn the tricks and crafts of that position,” Brooks said. “And he has. He did a great job over the summer.”
In other words, Durant’s offensive game still has much room to grow as he gains more experience. That’s why many are predicting the former Texas star might someday win a scoring title.
One stat best sums up Durant’s scoring potential. LeBron James is the only player in NBA history to score more points than Durant before their 21st birthday.
Brooks’ initial response shifted focus to Durant’s desire to be recognized as a player who helps his team win on both ends of the court, not just scoring.
“There’s no doubt Kevin Durant is a special player,” Brooks said. “The thing I really admire about Kevin is he knows he’s good and he can score and score in a lot of different spots. But that’s not his focus. He wants to continue to develop and make winning basketball plays.
“He said it best last year. He had All-Star numbers but felt he didn’t deserve it because we didn’t win enough games, that you should be able to win games if you’re going to make the All-Star team. With Kevin he will develop and get better.”
In response to Opening Night, Brooks, as he often does, spoke about down-the-roster players since that best describes his scrappy career.
“It’s always a good time for a player,” Brooks said. “One, you made the team. Two, you get an opportunity to enjoy playing after all the hard work you put in through the summer (and see it) show up on the court.”
Thunder will win opener
After going an unimpressive 2-2 on Opening Night, thanks to the Wizards and Celtics posting upsets, here are my predictions for tonight’s dozen games.
OKC 96, Sacramento 91: The Kings dominated the final preaseson game but the Thunder played with no emotion. Tonight, the atmosphere will be electric. It won’t be easy but the Thunder starts 1-0.
Cleveland 96, Toronto 93: For the second straight night the Cavs are involved in one of the best games. The Raptors, opening at home, are much improved. If Toronto wins an 0-2 start for the Shaq/LeBron Cavs would be placed under much national scrutiny.
Orlando 94, Philadelphia 88: The Sixers are erratic and sometimes pull off upsets but the Magic is always tough at home.
Boston 98, Charlotte 90: The Celtics overcame an early 14-point deficit and looked impressive in Cleveland. They won’t slip up in their home opener.
San Antonio 96., New Orleans 84: There’s good vibes in the Alamo City following some off-season moves, bad vibes in the Big Easy where Emeka Okafor didn’t practice much all preseason. Spurs win easily.
Denver 106, Utah 97: The Nuggets hope to build on their solid trip to the Western finals last year. The Jazz is tough at home but often struggles on the road. Melo and Chauncey start 1-0.
Clippers 103, Phoenix 100: A coin toss game. I’ll go with the Clippers at home. Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman played well in the opener against the Lakers.
Miami 108, New York 102: This could be the highest scoring game of the night. D-Wade might score 40.
Atlanta 101, Indiana 94: The Hawks are trying to crack the top three in the East. Jamal Crawford makes his Atlanta debut.
Memphis 95, Detroit 93: My upset special. Allen Iverson (torn hamstring) won’t play but Grizzlies still squeak out a win to boost fan morale.
Golden State 110, Houston 104: Another high-scoring, run-and-gun game. The Rockets trailed by double digits much of their opener at Portland.
New Jersey 97, Minnesota 95: The Timberwolves are favored at home but the Nets, led by Brook Lopez and Devin Harris, post the upset.
Griffin’s injury not first for No. 1 Clippers pick
It’s been a tough year for OU stars. First quarterback Sam Bradford, now news that Blake Griffin probably won’t make his NBA debut until after Thanksgiving because of a broken knee cap.
It’s bad timing for Thunder fans. The Clippers’ only visit all season to the Ford Center is Nov. 15, a game Griffin will now miss. OKC also plays at the Clippers on Nov. 11. As a result, the only time Griffin will play againt the Thunder is March 5 in Los Angeles.
One can only hope this is a small setback at the start of Griffin’s career, not a repeat of history of another former star from a Big 12 school that was picked No. 1 overall by the Clippers whose career was plagued by injuries.
Danny Manning led Kansas to a national title but was limited to just 26 games his rookie season after the Clippers selected him No. 1 overall. It would be the first of three reconstructive knee surgeries for Manning.
Manning averaged 22.8 and 23.7 points to earn back-to-back All-Star Game honors early in his career after overcoming his first ACL surgery 20 years ago back when it was more dicey than modern day ACL procedures.
Turns out, it would be Manning’s only two All-Star Game appearancess. Hampered by knee injuries, Manning finished with a 14.0 career scoring average. Instead of leading the Clippers to new heights, Manning ended up bouncing around the league, playing for Atlanta, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Utah, Dallas and Detroit.
I was tempted to pick Tyreke Evans for Rookie of the Year in our annual predictions published on Monday.
The primary reason I considered Evans was he should get a ton of minutes and a ton of shots playing for the Kings while Griffin will share minutes with some veterans and on occasion has suffered injuries because he plays so hard.
But no one could have forecasted Griffin would suffer such a freakish injury. Hopefully, Griffin, a talented player with a great attitude and tremendous work ethic, returns sooner than doctors have estimated and he still plays in enough games that he can compete for Rookie of the Year.
Picking winners could be humbling
I can’t promise I’ll make good on the overall goal that seems a litle overwhelming but it was suggested at one of our staff meetings that I try picking the winner of every NBA game this season.
It could be humbling if my record turns out to be not very good but it could be fun. You can’t have any shot at picking them all unless you start with Opening Night.
Here goes:
Cleveland 94, Boston 90: A high profile opener. Shaq and LeBron open against the Celtics. Both teams have the talent to win it all. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Boston posted an upset tonight but the Cavs were 39-1 at home last season before LeBron sat out the final home game. That’s just too good a home record.
Dallas 98, Washington 92: The Wizards should be much improved and could win 25 more games this season. But Antawn Jamison is out a few weeks with a shoulder injury. The Mavericks started 1-4 at home last season but were 31-5 at American Airlines Center the rest of the season. Dallas simply too tough at home.
Portland 102, Houston 90: Greg Oden looked good in preseason. The Trail Blzaers were 34-7 at home. The Rockets are expected to suffer a major drop off but will scratch and claw under one of the league’s most underrated coaches. And they did beat Portland in the first round of the playoffs last year. But with no Yao Ming and no Ron Artest, Portland wins at home.
Lakers 107, Clippers 88: The story line in Oklahoma is whether Blake Griffin makes his debut or has to sit out with a sprained knee injury. The Clippers should be much improved but no way they pull off a stunner on a night NBA Commissioner David Stern is in the arena and the Lakers are presented their championship rings.
Brooks’ outburst very revealing
Thunder coach Scott Brooks is about as upbeat a coach as you will see. He’s constantly encouraging players and prefers to talk about a player’s strengths instead of their weaknesses.
That’s why Brooks’ late-practice, high-volume lecture to his team Wednesday afternoon at the end of practice was eye opening.
After players half-heartedly completed what’s supposed to be a fast-paced, 100-pass, spacing, ball movement drill, Brooks screamed some unprintable words and then told his team that he and his assistant coaches, all in their 40s and 50s, could go at that speed.
Brooks almost never uses R-rated language but his tongue lashing certainly got his team’s attention. Brooks informed players they would re-run the drill and go at game speed, not just for this particular drill but every drill throughout the entire season. Players responded by running the drill crisply and effectively.
This isn’t a team you need to crack the whip very often. Players showed up two weeks early for training camp. Many arrive early and leave late for practice. They even practice sometimes on an off day.
But Brooks’ vocal outburst was revealing if for no other reason than he refuses to accept half-hearted effort and he will continue to push, prod and challenge a young team to continue working hard to take their game to another level.
Normally self-motivated, players were reminded Wednesday at practice that Brooks is setting the bar extremely high as far as effort, engery and focus.
Thunder tempers expectations
Fran Blinebury, a long-time sportswriter in Houston who now works for NBA.com, wrote Kevin Durant and his Thunder teammates realize there’s national hype about them being a team on the rise but their primary focus is to improve on a daily basis.
Writing a story after the Thunder’s loss Monday night to the Rockets, Blinebury quoted Durant:
”It’s not a question of us not believing in ourselves,” Durant said. “We’re gaining confidence as we gain experience. It’s not a question of how far this team could someday go because the sky is the limit.
“But the only thing that’s going to get us from here to there is to keep our heads down, keep coming to work and getting better one step at a time. Hey, that’s how we got from there to here.”
Brooks said one thing Durant learned in the off-season was star players don’t always have to take the key shot, that sometimes it’s making a good play to set up a teammate, something Durant observed in last year’s playoffs.
The NBA.com article reiterates what coach Scott Brooks, general manager Sam Presti and players have been saying throughout training camp — hard work is their primary focus. If they do that they feel the wins and losses will take care of themself.
