Is The Thunder Talking Smack?
Excessive celebrations, sure. But trash talk? Not sure that can be pinned on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Raymond Felton has called out the Thunder.
The Denver Nuggets’ point guard, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, says he wants Oklahoma City in the playoffs.
“Hopefully we get Oklahoma City because I feel like we owe them,” Felton said. “Everybody (else) is pretty much whatever, whoever we’ll be ready to go, but I want them though,” Felton said. “They were doing a little bit of trash talking, so I want them.”
This is the point in the program where we say be careful what you wish for, big boy. The Thunder just smacked you at your place and thumped you back in Oklahoma City. Denver’s a good team. But the Nuggets aren’t good enough to start calling out opponents, and a backup point guard who hasn’t so much as won one playoff game should be the last one talking. But I digress.
The real news in this story is that Felton claims the Thunder did some trash talking. That’s not something we’ve heard about this team. And it’s something the organization doesn’t want to be associated with as it attempts to grow a classy franchise. But Nuggets coach George Karl backed up his point guard’s claim.
“There’s no question there’s a cockiness to Oklahoma City that we’re anxious to see if that’s what we’ve got to go through,” Karl said.
Whoa!
There’s no doubt the Thunder is confident. Ask anyone inside the locker room about how this team stacks up against the rest of the league and they’ll tell you they can play with anyone. But cocky? Well, that just seems to be sort of a stretch. Even after the biggest wins of the season — at Boston, at Utah, at Dallas, at home against Orlando, at Miami and against the Lakers in L.A. — the Thunder never poked out its chest, strutted its stuff or bragged or boasted.
In between the lines, in the heat of the moment, there might be a different story. And the Thunder must have said some pretty memorable things for Felton to pop off. You should also suspect his teammates feel the same way. They might be smart enough to avoid supplying bulletin board material, but Felton, you would think, wouldn’t speak out of turn and put added pressure on his team without his teammates’ backing. Even if the rest of the Nuggets don’t admit it, Felton has to know they feel the same way.
Just more fuel on top of what already is a fast-growing fire between these two.
-DM-
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Comments
This is how you talk when you are not in control of your own destiny! Last week Karl wanted the Mavs…AND NOW Felton wants the Thunder? Make up your minds, Nuggs.
Big Deal. I’ve never ever even seen anyone play dominoes without talking a little smack. The only bad part about it when you have to eat your words.
Like Gasol did last nite. (Ha ha)
You know, part of this, at least for Felton, and maybe for some other players on the Nuggets and elsewhere, might have to do with the constant praise the Thunder organization seems to get all the time. We’re always hearing about how they do things the right way, how the players get along so well and how they’re good community members, and so forth. All of which is true.
Still, from the outside looking in, as a member of another team, maybe it just gets a little old. To the point that you want to take them down a notch. Or in Felton’s case, just take them down, period. I’m guessing with that, but it seems like a possibility. Could be that Felton simply gave voice to what some other players are thinking, even if they don’t care to say it as such.
George Karl’s statement on the other hand seems a little surprising at first. But, I’m guessing that he’s just playing a little gamesmanship with OKC, and motivating his own team. Karl doesn’t typically talk smack, but what’s he supposed to do? His team just got beat twice, convincingly, by their likely first-round opponent. He has to come up with something. Restore a little confidence. If putting a chip on their collective shoulder does the job, then hey, latch onto that. Maybe Felton just gave him the excuse, or helped him find the angle he needs.
Plus, OKC is a young team, with little playoff experience. If you think you might be able to get inside their heads, why not give it a try? Especially if they’re clearly the better team. Again, you gotta come up with something.
I wouldn’t worry about what they said. And I doubt OKC will do more than shrug it off. Just like they’ll do if and when they meet the Nuggets in the playoffs. They’ll just shrug them off and move on to round two.
Nothing like a little gamesmanship, right? 
Pretty stupid for Felton to pop off being that OKC just whooped the Nuggetts back to back. No way Denver could hang with OKC in a playoff series and it looks like that’s going to be the matchup in the first round.
You’re a back up point guard, you talk smack because that’s all you can do. “I can’t wait to play the Thunder, as soon as Lawson gets winded or has to tie his shoe I’ll get mine” you’re a joke
[...] Darnell Mayberry on the trash talking: “This is the point in the program where we say be careful what you wish for, big boy. The Thunder just smacked you at your place and thumped you back in Oklahoma City. Denver’s a good team. But the Nuggets aren’t good enough to start calling out opponents, and a backup point guard who hasn’t so much as won one playoff game should be the last one talking. But I digress. The real news in this story is that Felton claims the Thunder did some trash talking. That’s not something we’ve heard about this team. And it’s something the organization doesn’t want to be associated with as it attempts to grow a classy franchise.” [...]
Although they did seem a lot more in-your-face than a year ago or even two months ago, it’s hard to reconcile the team with talking too much trash when they huddle together for a prayer at the end of the game. Sometimes with players from the other team (as per Sacramento).
Our Federal Govt. is operating so far outside of its design parameters that this type of discussion is now futile. In my opinion the place to start is reducing income tax which would force massive reductions in power and programs, bringing the govt. more in line with the founders structure. Only then can a discussion vis-a-vis federal and state govts. become worthwhile.
That’s crazy talk. I’ve never heard the Thunder talk smack or seem cocky at all. They are classy as can be. The Nuggets aren’t helping themselves here.