• Kendrick Perkins stole the show. That was hard to do tonight for anyone on the Thunder not named Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden. But Perk again made his presence felt in ways that showed up in the stat sheet and in ways that didn’t. His defense on Darko Milicic was outstanding and his rebounding helped the Thunder control the glass against a tremendous offensive rebounding team. And of course the free throws at the end were what iced this one.

• Three things you need to know about Perk’s game-clinching foul shots. 1) He intentionally didn’t pass to Durant after grabbing the defensive rebound with 3.8 seconds left because he wanted to seal the win. 2) He made the shots with a sprained right wrist he sustained in the first quarter. 3) He stepped to the line thinking of the post-practice free throw game the Thunder plays at the end of each session.

• Check Perk out.

• Perk told me his wrist is fine. He should be a go at Memphis on Wednesday. But the way he sprained it is worth noting. It happened when Perk and Wolves center Darko Milicic mixed it up and Darko pushed Perk to the floor. Perk injured the wrist while bracing his fall. The most interesting part of that exchange came when Perk stared up at Darko and nodded his head like ‘Bring it.’ Darko stood his ground and nodded right back with a smile. And then Darko had the nerve to walk up on Perk and keep it going. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had no idea Darko had a little crazy in him.

• I don’t care what the Wolves’ record shows at the end of the season. This was a heck of a road win. Wolves fans were loud and into the game the entire night. And they know their basketball. For the Thunder to come into a hostile environment and knock off a team playing passionately in their home opener says two things: the Thunder is road tough, and OKC again knows it needs to beat the teams its supposed to beat.

• Make what you will of the offense tonight. Three players scored 74 percent of the Thunder’s points. I’m going to take the glass half full approach and say it’s a good thing when the Thunder can do that and still walk out of somebody else’s building with a win. Not sure that’ll fly in, say, San Antonio. But for tonight, it worked.

• Durant, Westbrook and Harden were 27-for-53 from the field with 12 assists. The rest of the team was 8-for-25 with five assists. When I look at it like that, I want to change my mind to the glass half empty viewpoint.

• Westbrook was up and down again. And after only two games, I’m ready to say that’s what we’ll see for the next 64. It’s just who he is at this point. Key words being at this point.  He’s still only 23. His jumper has clearly improved, but his decision-making and point guard instincts are still lacking. Tonight was the same script as Sunday’s opener. Westbrook had great attacks on the rim on one possession and reckless attacks that ended in charges on the next. He made great passes at times but then followed those with forces on others. I don’t know if those problems are correctable in mid-season. I doubt it. But I know there are 18,000 fans in 28 other NBA arenas that are dying to have a talent like Westbrook.

• Durant had one of those games that made me repeatedly think and say out loud “I love my job.” It is amazing to watch all these guys play. But to see some of the things Durant does live is amazing. I lost count of how many tough shots Durant hit tonight. And he made them all look easy and effortless. That driving, spinning, falling scoop shot he had in the second half? You don’t need your whole hand to count how many guys in the league could pull off that play consistently. Durant is one of them.

• Ricky Rubio is legit. I could stop there and be totally comfortable in my argument. That’s how good the kid is. But I’ll elaborate. He plays with great pace and incredible poise for rookie who just turned 21. His basketball IQ is clearly a notch above, as evidenced by his court awareness and his knack for knowing where to be both when he has the ball and when he doesn’t. His court vision is spectacular, so good that it reminds me of Chris Paul as a rookie. And he’s a true, pass-first floor general. If there is a good shot to be had on the court, Rubio is going to get it for you. If you don’t believe Rubio’s got game and think he’s all hype, that’s your right. Personally, I can’t wait to see more of the kid.

• It was a strange, strange sight seeing the Thunder’s young guns all of a sudden playing the role of veteran bullies against Rubio. on his first possession, Rubio waited for the ball to be inbounded and had Harden intentionally bump him body to body. Eric Maynor then fouled him as he attempted to play Rubio physically on defense. Westbrook attacked Rubio as much as he could and clearly wanted to get the best of him. Rubio can expect much more of that. I haven’t asked anyone this but I imagine it’s a lot of guys around the league who are going to test Rubio in similar ways this season. But I guarantee you Rubio got the Thunder’s respect tonight.

• Scott Brooks on Rubio: “I’ve been hearing about him for six years and I saw him for the first time 30 minutes ago and it was like, ‘He is real,’” Brooks said during his pre-game interview session with reporters. “He’s like a folk hero.”

• Minnesota coach Rick Adelman needs to stop wasting everyone’s time playing Luke Ridnour. I’ve long been a fan of Ridnour, but it’s clear Rubio needs to be the captain of this ship.

• Russ embarrased poor Luke.

• Durant had a play at the end of the first half tonight where he dribbled down the clock before looking to make a play for a buzzer beater. This particular possession ended with a missed Nick Collison jumper. But it was a decent look if not a great one (it was at the opposite end from my seat). If you notice, Durant is becoming extremely effective at driving and dishing in those late-clock situations, whether it’s a kick out for a jumper or a dump off for a layup or short hook. More of that probably needs to be in the team’s playbook. He commands so much attention that it’s rare Durant will not get a good look for himself or somebody else.

• It took the Thunder too long in the fourth period to get the ball to Harden and let him make a play. When Westbrook got a tad out of control and KD couldn’t get one to drop, Harden should have had the ball in his hands. I understand Westbrook had Rubio on him and that’s a matchup that absolutely needs to be exploited. But everything is just so much easier when Harden has the ball. The Thunder finally did it on one possession and Harden drove and kick, but Thabo Sefolosha was the recipient on the wing and the Thunder eventually came up empty on the possession.

• Why did Brooks sub Sefolosha back in for Daequan Cook at that point anyway?

• I thought it was a interesting move by Adelman to not call a timeout on his team’s  second-to-last possession. With two rookies on the court in Rubio and Derrick Williams, Adelman let things play out rather than settle them down and set something up. He explained afterward that he didn’t want to give the Thunder a chance to set its defense and switch on everything. That’s why he’s Rick Adelman and I’m some dude blogging.

• Someone asked me on Twitter last night whether we should be concerned about Serge Ibaka. My answer was yes. Something’s not right with him. He doesn’t look like the up-and-coming force we saw last season. It’s much too early to draw conclusions, but it’s definitely worth keeping your eye on. Unlike last night, Ibaka’s intensity was at least there tonight. He was trying, which is more than I could tell he was doing against Orlando. But he just looks lost and confused most times and complacent at others.

• There was tons of miscommunication tonight, with Ibaka seemingly at the center of it all. He got into whatever is a step below a shouting match with both Perk and Westbrook on separate occasions. At one point, it looked like Ibaka and Westbrook had to be separated by Nazr Mohammed. That’s two games in a row now that we’ve seen Ibaka basically beef with either teammates or coaches. I noticed Ibaka and Perk talking about something after the game and it looked like everything was cool. It’s a must that those guys get on the same page, though, because together they could be one of the most dominant defensive frontcourt tandems in the league.

• Our old friend Byron Mullens scored 10 points in his debut with Charlotte tonight. Just thought you should know. Best of luck to Mullens. Here’s hoping him all the success he can handle.

-DM-

The Thunder has traded center Byron Mullens to Charlotte for a 2013 second-round draft pick.

Mullens, the 24th pick in the 2009 draft by Dallas who was immediately acquired by the Thunder, averaged 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.3 minutes in only 26 games over two seasons.

The 7-footer out of Ohio State faced long odds to crack the rotation this season playing behind starter Kendrick Perkins, veteran Nazr Mohammed and second-year center Cole Aldrich, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 draft.

The deal frees up a roster spot for the Thunder, which now has 15 players under contract, including guard Nate Robinson who has agreed to not join the team this season and is expected to officially part ways with the team in the near future.

Because the Thunder is not taking back a player, league rules allow Oklahoma City to also receive a trade exception of approximately $1.38 million, which is Mullens’ $1.28 million contract plus an additional $100,000.

-DM-

Yep, it was that kind of night for Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 106-92 preseason opening win at Dallas.

Nuggets from my notebook from Sunday’s 106-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

• Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd sat this one out. Let’s get that out of the way now, because nearly everything that comes next must be digested with that detail in mind.

• The Thunder’s defense was great at times and terrible at times. In the end, the effort was there and it was effective enough to hold a high-powered team (take note of the first nugget) to 92 points and 38 percent shooting. Regardless of the breakdowns, and there were plenty, the Thunder can be pleased with how it performed defensively.

• As I wrote for Monday’s paper, Kendrick Perkins was the key. He wasn’t ready to say he’s back, and neither am I. But he clearly is a different player than the one we saw last year. He still communicates extremely well on the floor, but now he’s able to get in proper position, too. He’s nimble again after shedding 30 pounds and coming back in great shape and it showed in his activity level. I’ve said that a healthy Perk perhaps is the biggest key to the Thunder making a run at the title, and seeing this first glimpse tonight of what he brings when fully capable of doing his thing only confirms that.

• I’m a little concerned about Perk’s offense. Not in the traditional sense of it being a question mark. But more so in the sense that Perk might now try to do too much. You can tell he’s regained his confidence with the ball in his hands. But already we’ve seen Perk try moves that he probably doesn’t have any business doing. Taking Shawn Marion off the dribble, for example. It’s something to keep an eye on.

• The turnovers were brutal at the beginning and carried on throughout. OKC had eight turnovers in the first 10 1/2 minutes as Thunder players were clearly following coach Scott Brooks‘ message to share the ball better. But they were trying too hard and passing to the wrong colored jerseys. In time, it’ll get resolved. But it’s a good sign that they were trying to have better ball movement.

• If the Thunder truly wants to learn how to pass the ball better the coaching staff should pop in a tape of the Mavs. It’s unbelievable how well Dallas shares the rock. There was a possession in the first half where the backups were swinging it like it was second nature. They had to have made at least seven passes on that possession. And even though it ended in a Jason Terry missed 3, it put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Thunder’s defense.

• It was the halfcourt offense that was the problem for the Thunder. When OKC was able to get in transition, it was a thing of beauty. It’s amazing how good this team is on the break. Just a joy to watch. The Thunder scored 18 fast break points, converting all five of its chances. Look for that to be a theme this season. When the Thunder plays like that, OKC will be tough to beat.

• Another thing that stood out in the offensive department was the 3-point shooting. OKC went 10-for-21 from deep and saw five players make a trey. For a time, the 3-point shooting kept the Thunder from getting blown out of Dallas because of those turnovers. Daequan Cook was 4-for-6 tonight from deep and was feeling great about it afterward. After making eye contact with him in the locker room, I said ‘What’s up?’ He responded, “Just putting on a shooting clinic.” That he did. I swear he hit one from what seemed like 30 feet.

• Brooks played 15 guys tonight. The only two that didn’t play were Byron Mullens and Anthony Goods. I’d suspect Mullens will get some burn Tuesday night.

• Rookie guard Reggie Jackson played six minutes and finished with three points, two assists and a rebound. He didn’t do anything to stand out but he looked confident and comfortable in what he was doing.

• James Harden was as aggressive as he was in Friday’s scrimmage, which is a great sign. As I said before, you can only hope he keeps that up. He took seven shots, got to the stripe six times and didn’t hesitate to let it fly. He just played with more of a bounce in his step and a clear confidence that I’ve never seen before. Very promising so far.

• But here’s what I liked most about Harden’s game tonight. He took a charge! I can’t tell you how many times he flinched and all but ran away from contact last season. It drove me crazy seeing that. But tonight, he stood in there against Mavs center Ian Mahinmi. That took guts and turned out to be very impressive.

• Not a good debut from Serge Ibaka. He picked up three fouls in 4 minutes, 20 seconds and never really had an impact after that. And Dirk didn’t even dress this time. Makes you wonder how much Ibaka will be in foul trouble this year now that he’s the full-time starter.

• Nick Collison took three charges tonight. Are you surprised? Of course not. What might surprise you though is that he said he hadn’t drawn one all camp.

• Perk was in regular season form tonight in more ways than one. After drilling a jump hook over Lamar Odom, Perk stared down a ref and repeatedly screamed “That’s an And one!” until the ref acknowledged him.

• The Thunder has new warm-ups this year. They’ve added more orange to make them more bright and colorful. I think you’ll like them.

• Cole Aldrich had two really nice offensive moves in the low post. And he had seven boards to boot. Nice showing by the second-year center.

• Lazar Hayward played 16 minutes and showed some nice poise. He put the guns back in the holster after taking target practice in Friday’s scrimmage. He took just three shots. I was impressed most with the pace with which he played offensively and the tenacity he showed defensively. After the game, Hayward was escorted somewhere with the team’s medical staff. Not sure what happened but I’ll keep an eye out.

• Slowly, Russell Westbrook is showing his jump shot really has improved. He worked on pull-ups prior to the game and was taking and making them with a controlled form that was free of drifting. He even canned a 3 tonight. Now if he can work on the overpenetrating that got him into one too many jams tonight.

• Kevin Durant made it to the line 14 times tonight. So much for the new Rip move rule limiting his trips to the stripe.

• It was only a preseason game, but I’m wondering how the Mavs will bounce back. They’re still an extremely talented team that plays incredibly well together. But a part of me thinks they might be too cocky after winning the championship. They’re old and they’ve had turnover. Now, they could be a satisfied bunch. That’s not a good mix. Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.

-DM-

Here’s five things that stood out from tonight’s Blue-White scrimmage.

1) Kendrick Perkins is back. Everyone hasn’t just been blowing smoke this preseason in speaking so highly of Perk. He looked great. No more lumbering up the court. No more lackluster moves in the post. Perk has regained his athleticism and explosiveness. When he caught the ball, he was confident. And when he made up his mind to make a move he was actually a threat. On an early possession, Perk picked off a Russell Westbrook pass and dribbled three-quarters court for a layup. On another trip, Perk ran the floor hard in transition, caught a pass and dunked with authority. And for perhaps his best move, Perk started on the left block, turned, dribbled twice and scored on a driving layup. He also showed a willingness to take a 15-17 footer, which he’s said he’s worked on. I thought it was a great showing by Perk. Thunder coach Scott Brooks did, too. And Brooks said after the game that Perk will get some touches in the past this season so be on the lookout for that.

2) James  Harden is more aggressive. Just what we need to see. The team’s best third option (at worst depending on the day) finally acting like it. Harden had the ball in his hands to initiate the offense throughout much of the three-quarter scrimmage and was the primary point guard for the blue team in the second period. Just like we saw last season, Harden was a surgeon while working off high ball screens and consistently found a way to put pressure on the defense. He was at his best in the drive-and-kick game, setting up Serge Ibaka and Daequan Cook on several occasions off his penetration. Harden also played as if he is now certain that he has the green light.  He’ll need to maintain that mentality. That’s going to be important going forward.

3) Russell Westbrook is unstoppable. OK, so that is some extreme hyperbole based on one scrimmage, I know. But, really, it’s not much different than what we were saying last season. Westbrook was in full destroyer mode tonight, toying with his defenders and making tough plays look easy. He turned it over a bit too much (but so did everybody), but looked calmer and more in control. Westbrook didn’t really show off his allegedly improved shooting all that much because he was busy getting to the rim whenever he wanted. He also backed down Eric Maynor a few times and made great decisions out of the post, firing passes on two occasions to Nick Collison and Kevin Durant for wide open looks. It was only a scrimmage, but Westbrook did try to thread the needle on a few possessions. No telling if that will carry over into the season but it could be a problem if it does. I counted 10 points and four assists for Westbrook on the night, but I could be off. But he was by far the best player on the floor.

4) Kevin Durant is comfortable. This was the most relaxed I’ve seen KD at the start of a season. And it’s not even close. He looked decent at times last preseason taking on more of the load offensively, but tonight he looked like it’s what he was supposed to be doing. Again, we’ll see how it translates. But it was clear that Durant was more interested in working on some things he’s been drilling on in camp rather than dominating as he could have easily done. Durant went to the post a few times, misfiring on a turnaround jumper over Daequan Cook and missing a bunny in front of the rim after James Harden flopped in search of a charge. KD also brought the ball up on several occasions, even with Russell Westbrook on the floor with him. The most impressive play KD had was right before the first half buzzer. He had Lazar Hayward guarding him just past halfcourt. He waived off a screen by Byron Mullens and decided to go one-on-one. And just when you thought you’d seen this show before, Durant did something unexpected. First, he went left, not right. Then he drove past the 3-point line without pulling up. He made his way to the free throw line and collapsed the defense before firing a pass to a wide open Ryan Reid on the baseline. Reid went up and got hacked to go to the free throw line. I swear nobody else in the gym even saw Reid in the vicinity. But KD found him. It was the type of play superstars are routinely expected to make.

5) Serge Ibaka’s hands haven’t gotten better. I really didn’t want to include this. Matter of fact, I was hoping to not have to mention this big ugly elephant at all this season. Unfortunately, Ibaka returned with the same problematic paws we saw last season. He just struggles to catch the ball on the go. I can’t explain it. James Harden had to be disgusted with Ibaka tonight. Because Ibaka blew at least two pretty feeds from Harden out of the aforementioned drive and kicks. Why does this matter so much? Ibaka could become a nice weapon in the pick-and-roll game if he could snare the ball cleanly. He’s a fantastic finisher but his fumbles make him a liability. If he could figure out how to catch it cleanly on the move it would only add to his offensive arsenal and turn him into a pick-and-pop and pick-and-roll threat. Right now, though, it appears dumping it to Ibaka on the move is just a turnover waiting to happen.

A few nuggets…

• Forget Perk’s offense. What about his defense, right? Well, it was hard to get a good sense of where Perk is defensively. Check back on Christmas night after he goes up against Dwight Howard. Tonight, it was Nazr Mohammed and Cole Aldrich, who aren’t exactly low-post scoring threats and didn’t really get any touches on the block.

• I know Eric Maynor was good from 3-point range last year. But for some reason he hoisted two really deep ones. One might have been at the end of the shot clock. I couldn’t really see from my seat. (The clock was on the floor at both baselines.) Just a strange sight.

• Lazar Hayward is a gunner!!! OK, so that was just tonight. I’m sure he’ll settle down and play his role once the games start. But my man was firing away tonight. The first time he touched it, he put it up. He did, however, score it on a nice two-dribble pull-up. He finished with five points by my count, including a nice looking stroke from 3.

• Coach Scott Brooks on Hayward: “I think Zar is going to bring us some toughness. Right now, we’ve only been together for a couple of days. But he brings toughness. He brings effort. He brings a competitive spirit every day in practice. I don’t know what the minutes are going to be like for him. But the only way you can get minutes is by working hard in practice, and he’s a guy that does that.”

• Rookie guard Reggie Jackson sat out tonight while his groin injury he sustained last week continues to heal. He practiced today for the first time at the team’s light session this morning. But the team is proceeding with caution so there are no setbacks. Brooks didn’t sound like he would play Jackson on Sunday in the preseason opener, although Jackson hoped to be well enough to get some tick by then.

• It was only a scrimmage and still KD was overheard complaining about coming out when coach Mark Bryant replaced him for the first time with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter. The guy just loves to play.

• The Thunder waived Marcus Dove tonight. Not sure about the timing, but it had to happen at some point. Maybe Dove has another opportunity, whether it’s with another NBA team, the D-League or overseas. Or maybe the Thunder just didn’t want to take 18 players to Dallas.

• Thabo Sefolosha finished with 11 points by my count. He had some nice cuts to the baskets and did a nice job working his way to the foul line. But for those scoring at home, he made a 3 and air-balled another from the top of the arc.

• Serge Ibaka had the highlight of the night when he posterized Nazr Mohammed with a dunk from the right baseline. I was disappointed in Naz. He’s a vet. By now, he should know better than to challenge Ibaka.

• Brooks mixed up the teams a bit in the third quarter. But for the first half it was Maynor, Cook, Harden, Ibaka, Perk, Mullens, Hayward and Anthony Goods on the blue team and Westbrook, Sefolosha, KD, Collison, Mohammed, Aldrich Ryan Reid and Ivey on the white team. In the third quarter, Westbrook, KD, Cook, Ibaka and Perk were on the blue team and Maynor, Harden, Sefolosha, Ivey, Collison, Mohammed and Aldrich were on the white team.

• According to the official score, the white team won 51-37.

-DM-

Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (left) would not be with the Thunder if GM Sam Presti didn't once trade for Kurt Thomas.

Everyone wants to, or has been asked to, weigh in on the vetoed Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Emotions have ranged from outrage to downright distrust.

While expressing his opinion in an interview with a San Francisco radio station, TNT analyst Steve Kerr sounded off about his anger. Kerr, a five-time champion during his 15 NBA seasons, called the nixed three-team deal “a great basketball trade.” He then admitted that, generally, that’s not the case throughout the league. The most interesting part came when Kerr confessed that even he pulled the trigger on one of those not-so-great trades in basketball history back when he was president of the Phoenix Suns.

There are so many trades made these days that are lousy trades that are made for financial purposes. I mean, I made (when he was Suns President) one of the worst trades in NBA history. I traded Kurt Thomas and two first-round picks to Seattle for nothing, to save $16 million for our organization. Where was the NBA then to veto that trade for basketball reasons?”

That was then-Sonics GM Sam Presti at work. I’ve written about the creativeness of this deal and its impact on the present day Thunder roster on several occasions.

First and foremost, Presti was able to acquire Thomas and his $8.1 million contract only because he jettisoned Rashard Lewis to Orlando in a sign-and-trade rather than agreeing to give him an albatross contract of $118 million over six seasons. Many Seattle fans at the time swore not re-signing Lewis was a part of a grand plan to blow up the team so it could move to Oklahoma City. But Presti used part of the $9 million trade exception he obtained from Orlando in that sign-and-trade to take on Thomas (and essentially pilfer to two first round picks, one in 2008 and another in 2010) without giving up anything more than a conditional second-round selection.

Presti then shipped Thomas to San Antonio at the trade deadline that same season for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round pick.

In the end, it was a work of art.

The 2008 first-rounder turned into Serge Ibaka, once an unknown prospect and now the Thunder’s starting power forward.

The 2009 pick from San Antonio became Byron Mullens.

The 2010 pick was packaged to land the Thunder Cole Aldrich.

-DM-

It gives the Oklahoma City Thunder slightly more than six weeks to hammer out an extension for All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook. If no deal is reached by then, Westbrook will become a restricted free agent next summer, meaning the Thunder would have the right to retain him by matching any offer he might receive.

Westbrook and Thunder management, however, have both expressed their desire to get a deal done, and negotiations are not expected to spill into next summer.

Under new collective bargaining rules, Westbrook is eligible for a four-year extension that would kick in at the start of the 2012-13 season. The new rules, though, allow teams to designate one player who is eligible for a five-year extension at the maximum salary, which would be 25 percent of the salary cap. But Westbrook could be eligible to earn up to 30 percent of the salary cap if he is named to one of three All-NBA teams for the second consecutive year this season.

Prior to the lockout, teams had until Oct. 31 to extend rookie contracts before players would hit the market as restricted free agents in the following summer. The league will revert to the Oct. 31 deadline next season, when Thunder players James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor and Byron Mullens will be up for extensions.

Other prominent players from the 2008 draft class who are now eligible for extensions include Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Danilo Gallinari, Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert and JaVale McGee.

-DM-

Forget the dangers of Kevin Durant playing flag football.

That’s child’s play compared to how Thunder center Byron Mullens has spent part of his time during the NBA lockout.

According to an ESPN.com story, Mullens has been mixing it up with felons, balling in the big house with convicts, playing hoops with hoods in the pen. After visiting juvenile detention centers in high school to help teach basketball clinics and talk to troubled teens, Mullens recently rediscovered his fondness for jailhouse hoops. He’s been playing occasionally at Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio. The assistant warden is a friend of Mullens.

Something tells me that’s a little more risky than strapping up for charity games throughout the country. Take this gem, for example, from one of the inmates itching to go head-to-head with the former first-round pick:

One of the prison’s best point guards, Janes, was a teammate of Mullens in the inaugural game. But he was really looking forward to his first game against the NBA center. “I was excited and nervous because I wanted to see where I was at as far as skill level,” Janes said. “I wanted to rough him up, but not hurt him.”

The writer quickly explains how Mullens is being protected from bullies and bad boys. The prison’s recreation director has established leagues sorted by skill level and age. Only the lowest risk, highest level competitors have been picked to play with Mullens.

The guys are on their better behavior when Byron is here because they know everyone’s watching,” said Justin Patrick, a former Shawnee State basketball player and the prison’s recreation director. “I don’t pick the dirty guys to play against him, just the good-character guys.”

Forgive me if I come off as holier than thou here, but, hello? We aren’t talking about Boy Scouts. Mullens is dealing with some seriously dangerous dudes, most of whom are doing hard time for a real reason. One inmate who was incarcerated in August 2006 explained why he is currently paying his debt to society only by describing his actions as “a mistake after I got involved with the wrong people.” Not exactly the kind of cat I’d be looking to post up, you know what I’m saying? Of course, there’s all kinds of security protecting Mullens from the inmates and the inmates from themselves. But things happen. Imagine if Mullens dunks on the wrong guy and the peanut gallery, which is said to have been close to 300 inmates during one visit, jeers the joker on the wrong end of the posterization. Seems to me that’s all it would take for tempers to flare and fists to fly. More has happened because of less in far safer places for pickup games.

Thankfully, Mullens said in the piece that he doesn’t feel like anyone is trying to injure him, and he said he hasn’t sustained any injuries. Mullens said he wants to use the pickup games, which consist of three 20-minute periods, to work on his ball-handling and perimeter shooting. It’s certainly a unique way to improve your game.

“I know people have their own opinion that if they’re in prison, they shouldn’t really get that freedom,” Mullens said. “But they’re doing the time for what they did, so the way I see it, just coming in here and playing basketball with them … I could be anywhere else but I’ll be in here playing. Basketball is basketball.”

-DM-

Kevin Durant plays flag football at Oklahoma State on Halloween night. (Photo courtesy KT King)

Evidently, Kevin Durant has accepted LeBron James’ challenge to a flag football game. It was on Twitter, so it must be true:

@KDTrey5: Set it up! My team ready RT @KingJames:@KDTrey5 Team KD35 vs Team King James do I hear? Flag football.(Done deal! Date soon)

On Day 123 of the NBA lockout, Durant was at bored at his OKC home on Halloween night and asked via Twitter if anyone locally was playing flag football. What transpired was one of the coolest impromptu events ever to hit Stillwater.

The play-by-play of Durant’s escapade is detailed here and here.

OKC Thunder coach Scott Brooks and general manager Sam Presti no doubt cringe at the thought of their franchise player (due to start a five-year extension whenever next season starts) challenging the 6-foot-8, 260-poundish James on a football field. Doing so on a basketball court is crazy enough. The dude could start next Sunday for the Cleveland Browns … um, the Miami Dolphins.

Durant claims he has his flag football team ready to go. Thunder players organized four-day workout sessions this summer in Austin, Texas, and Lexington, Ky., so it’s not outlandish to think they would gladly huddle up as a flag football team to pass the time.

Here is a breakdown of the OKC Thunder flag football roster, with positions:

Kevin Durant — WR/FS: With Durant’s 7-foot-5 wingspan, every pass attempt should be a fade route, even from the Thunder’s own 10-yard line. If there’s a jump ball, offensively or defensively, it’s his. Boring, but effective.

Russell Westbrook — QB/CB: Best athlete on the field, including LeBron. A Michael Vick type. (Did you know Westbrook writes left-handed?) No matter how many completions he has, national media will complain Westbrook should have passed the ball more to Durant.

Kendrick Perkins — DL: Only non-platoon player on roster because of fragile knees. Ndamukong Suh’s attitude. Most penalized player in flag football.

Nick Collison FB/MLB: Instead of taking charges, Collison finally gets to knock some people down. He excels playing two physical positions. When you least expect it, Collison erupts (think Trey Millard 61-yard TD run vs. Kansas State).

Thabo Sefolosha WR/SS: A physical presence on both sides of the ball. Covers a lot of territory. Always helping out teammates. Good blocker. Outstanding receiver on underneath routes. Unsung player, but vitally important.

Thabo Sefolosha (right) became the second Thunder player to agree to a deal overseas. There's a good chance Serge Ibaka could be next.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has temporarily lost its second player to an overseas club.

Starting shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha has agreed to play in Turkey. A Swiss television network first reported the deal Tuesday night. Sefolosha’s agent, Guy Zucker, confirmed the report to The Oklahoman.

Sefolosha will join the Turkish club Fenerbahce Ulker and is expected to sign as early as Wednesday. Because Sefolosha is under contract with the Thunder, his deal will contain an out clause with Fenerbahce that allows him to return to the NBA whenever the lockout is lifted.

Zucker said he had been in talks with Istanbul-based Fenerbahce for awhile, but Monday’s announcement that the NBA regular season’s first two weeks would be canceled made it an easy decision.

“These lockout talks are going nowhere and Thabo did not want to spend the whole season or most of the season sitting at home. He wanted to play,” Zucker said.

“It’s extremely difficult to predict if we’re going to get a quick solution or if it’s going to become a much more protracted battle with the owners regarding the new CBA. We wanted until the last moment and then that moment passed. Now they’re beginning to cancel games and this could last for quite sometime. So Thabo wanted to play and this was too good of an opportunity to pass up on.”

Fenerbahce, which competes in the Euroleague, has won back-to-back Turkish Cups and is considered one of the top organizations in Europe. The team’s new coach, Neven Spahija, is a respected coach who has won the Turkish title, Spanish title and Eurocup title with the Spanish club Valencia.

“He wasn’t going to play anywhere, but this opportunity was the best of both worlds,” Zucker said. “It allows him to play at the highest level of ball in the world right now while staying in shape and staying ready.”

Sefolosha, who resides in his native Switzerland in the off-season, joined several of his Thunder teammates for a voluntary mini-camp in Lexington, Ky. last week. Sefolosha has since returned to Switzerland.

Zucker said Sefolosha’s background and familiarity with the European style of play should help him adjust quickly.

“I don’t think that he will face the same adjustment that a lot of big name American players are,” Zucker said. “His adjustment period will be significantly shorter than it would be for someone who has never played in Europe before.”

Byron Mullens became the first Thunder player to circumvent the lockout by signing overseas. But the 7-foot center returned to the states after less than a month in Greece playing for Panionios. Mullens said he “felt out of the loop not being here with my team.”

Starting power forward Serge Ibaka, according to one report, is now interested in signing overseas and playing immediately. But Ibaka, who helped the Spanish national team win the gold medal at the European Championship last month and played a season in Spain before joining the Thunder, has experience competing overseas.

The growing interest in making the leap across the Atlantic, however, perhaps is a telling sign of where players think negotiations with league owners stand.

“The latest update about the lockout, let’s put it this way, it gave us no reason to pause,” Zucker said of Sefolosha’s decision. “In the past, there would have been a reason to pause. What’s been happening lately has shown us that this could pretty much go anywhere because I think we’ve hit the danger territory where anything is possible.”

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Oklahoma City Thunder center Byron Mullens has decided to leave Greece.

Byron Mullens has returned to the states.

The Oklahoma City Thunder center who last month signed with the Greek basketball club Panionios had a change of heart and decided to come back home.

“Felt out of the loop not being with my team here,” Mullens said via text message after landing in Ohio on Sunday night.

Mullens left for Athens on Sept. 21. But infrequent games in the Greek League, coupled with a desire to participate with his Thunder teammates in organized voluntary workouts helped lead to his decision to return.

Mullens’ contract with Panionios had a termination clause that would have allowed him to return if the NBA lockout was lifted.

“We enjoyed it,” said Mullens, who traveled to Athens with his newlywed wife, Sharissa. “But at the end of the day, it wasn’t worth not being here with my crew.”

Because of his obligations to Panionios, Mullens had missed out on team workouts in Austin, Texas last month and Lexington, Ky. last week. Several Thunder players, including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison, Nazr Mohammed, Royal Ivey, James Harden, Cole Aldrich and rookie Reggie Jackson attended both.

It’s unclear whether Thunder players have organized a third week of workouts.

Durant, however, is planning to host an All-Star exhibition game in the Oklahoma City area in the coming weeks. The event is expected to bring several Thunder players, as well as NBA All-Stars from around the league to town. Following a star-studded exhibition at Florida International University on Saturday night, Miami star LeBron James sent a message to Durant on Twitter saying, “Thanks for coming through homie! Looking forward to the one in OKC.”

In the meantime, Mullens is expected to continue working out individually in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio in preparation for the season.

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