Bigger than Thunder over Lakers, at least in Serbia

It’s nothing like the Thunder beating the Lakers. In fact, it’s bigger — at least in Serbia.

Thunder center Nenad Krstic and his Serbian teammates took out an NBA-laden Spain team headlined by Laker postman Pau Gasol — and Ricky Rubio (see above) — in the European world championships. This account of the victory won’t blow you away with detail, but there’s a nice shot of what looks like a baby hook by Krstic.

Krstic scored 17 points in Serbia’s 66-57 win Monday over Spain. And news of his role in a big victory for the Motherland got me to thinking about what role the 7-footer could play for the Thunder this season. Remember, Krstic didn’t sign with Oklahoma City until January, after the Thunder’s 3-29 start.

These old youtube clips of Nenad show what offensive skills he displayed in New Jersey before suffering a terrible knee injury in 2007. Who knows how much of that he can regain and how he’ll benefit from a full training camp with OKC.

Discussions of much the Thunder can improve in 2009-10 typically focus on topics like the evolution of Kevin Durant’s game, Russell Westbrook’s development as a point guard and what kind of a rookie season James Harden can have. But the potential impact of a full season from a healthy Nenad Krstic is an important and overlooked storyline.

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