Thunder 103, Hawks 94
Nuggets from my notebook from Friday’s win over Atlanta.
- There was a quick glimpse of Thunder U just before tip-off. With the Thunder unveiling a new pre-game introduction video, James Harden, Eric Maynor and D.J. White stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms around each others neck as they stared up at the big screen. I thought that said a lot.
- Jeff Green got off to a great start. With Marvin Williams out, the Hawks started center Jason Collins instead of another wing player. That left Nenad Krstic to defend Collins and Green matched up with Al Horford. And that’s when Green’s value offensively really showed. Green sucked Horford out to the perimeter and drained jumper after jumper. It was a complete mismatch. Green even held his own on Horford defensively in the first quarter…Then the wheels fell off and foul trouble limited Green to 20 minutes. He didn’t score again after the first quarter.
- Harden is here, folks. Is he here to stay is the question. Tonight, he was huge. He shot the ball with confidence and absolutely no hesitation. He finished December averaging 14 points on better than 45 percent shooting.
- Josh Smith is a lot bigger than I remember. The guy is thick. I can’t imagine how tough of a cover he is for opponents. He’s skilled enough to take you outside and wide enough to have his way inside. There was a possession in the first half when I actually felt bad for Nick Collison trying to defend Smith out at the 3-point line. That was an impossible cover for Collison.
- Smith’s poster dunk on Serge Ibaka midway through the second quarter made me stop what I was doing for about three possessions and try to wrap my mind around what I had just witnessed. Smith is one of the highest fliers in the league. But he was clearly jacked to flush one on Ibaka. That tells me that Ibaka’s name is ringing out throughout the league. He’s sixth in the NBA in blocks per game with 2.21, but Smith’s reaction proves people outside of Oklahoma City are starting to know about it.
- Smith took exception to Ibaka’s dunk with 6.9 seconds left. It was a cheap play for Russell Westbrook to get his 10th assist and his first triple-double of the year. All involved with the Thunder after this one said it was a bad decision on Westbrook’s part.
- Smith actually had it out for Ibaka since the moment they collided midway through the third quarter and Smith had to be taken to the locker room because of bleeding. Smith admitted it after the game and claimed Ibaka bit him.
- I loved what referee Bob Delaney did when Josh Smith had to go to the locker room midway through the third because of blood. Fellow official John Goble, a less experienced ref, was busy checking on the Hawks. Delaney summoned Gable back to the official’s huddle and told him the Hawks were not his concern. Veteran official.
- Joe Johnson’s shot was atrocious tonight. He went 6-for-20 and was three of 13 at one point. But he is fun to watch I know that. Is there a player in the league who plays with more control?
- I’m very close to saying Jamal Crawford has the sickest handle in the league. That guy is a magician with the basketball. His behind-the-back maneuvers are jaw-dropping. How do you split defenders with a behind-the-back move? How?
- The Thunder absolutely botched two-for-one opportunities in the first and second quarter. Maynor was confused on what play to run in the first quarter and threw up a shot that came much too late in the clock for the strategy. And in the second quarter, the Thunder went so early that it gave the Hawks a two-for-one chance. Atlanta threw the ball away, and it the sequence turned into like a six-for-three.
- The shot Westbrook took at the end of the third wasn’t great either. With a foul to give, the Hawks intentionally gave it as Westbrook drove with 3.8 second left in the third quarter. Then Westbrook settled for a heave from the right wing that looked like he was trying to draw a foul. These last-second, end-of-the-quarter plays are going to have to get cleaned up.
- Another sellout for the home team. I think that’s 16 out of 19. Don’t quote me on that.
- The Thunder is 23-11, folks. After all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the ailments and annoyances, that’s a pretty good record.
- Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you all have a great 2011.
-DM-
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Comments
Harden coming off the bench was hashed out last year, and I don’t think anything has changed.
Thabo’s value to the team is to defend the opponents best player, he must start to do that. If he limits the scoring of their best scorer, then that’s like him scoring points.
And the Thunder already have enough scorers in the starting line-up with KD and RW, there won’t be many touches for Harden in that lineup and his role would change.
Coming off the bench, Harden becomes the offense. If KD and RW are on the bench, where are you going to get your offense if Thabo is playing ?
Harden is the Thunder’s Ginobli. Right now, as long as Harden is content with his role, Thunder are solid at the 2 guard.
And in the NBA, way too much is made of being a starter, its more important to get minutes.
And keep in mind, Harden is doing most of his scoring against the opponents bench.
I think this issue has been covered.
But wait a minute, did I say that I love Thunder basketball ?? This is the most fun I’ve had in years.
Happy New Year …. also 
Coming into this season, I thought Harden would be ready to challenge for the starting 2-guard spot by Jan. 1. But despite his play in December, I still don’t think Brooks is ready to insert him into that position. I think he should be starting. He brings great scoring off the bench when he’s aggressive, and that can’t be overlooked or replaced if he cracks the first five. But coaches, more than anything, crave consistent players. And, unfortunately, Harden has yet to prove he’s consistent. -DM-
I don’t see why the dunk was that bad. The hawks got the ball back and scored again, so it was the same margin of victory as if the dunk didn’t happen. big deal. it’s definitely not the same as the jerk NE patriots running up the score a few years ago after they got caught cheating the first game of the season. They were out to show everyone something and ran up the score. They are jerks and i hate their personality. the thunder are nothing like that and to take motivation out of what the thunder did, 2 points, big whoop, is childish. teams have been up on us by double digits and still go out there throwing up 3s at the end of games.
But if they start Harden, then Thabo has no value to the team, and why would they sign Thabo to that contract ? Just to put Thabo in the game as a situational defender ?
And bench line-up of Maynor, Serge, Collison, needs some offense ……… how are they gonna have any bench scoring with Thabo there ?
I also think Thabo to be a better rebounder than Harden, which Barkley says is a weakness 
@ Lynn1 You bring up some good points. But I wouldn’t say Thabo would have no value to the team. Situational defenders are great to have. And even though the Thunder gave Sefolosha that four-year contract, Thabo will still be making less than $4 million in the final year. That’s peanuts (relatively, especially if he continues to perform defensively and develops offensively. The bottom line is Harden will be a starter some day. It’s just a question of when. Again, when he becomes consistent on both ends, he’ll bump Sefolosha to the bench. -DM-
so, yes, Harden is here to stay. and the more i watch, the more i think he is getting to the point where he should crack the starting lineup. do you think they should start him, or are they content with starting Thabo while giving Harden 30ish minutes per game??