Can't a guy rep his school while in the backyard of its biggest rival? Some folks don't want Kevin Durant to.

For the first three seasons, it was all fun and games.

Well, to be accurate, to some folks it was.

But now, Kevin Durant is growing into a bigger superstar by the day. His every move is being watched and scrutinized more than it’s ever been. People near and far have begun hanging on to his every word like never before. And locally, nothing seems to rattle folks’ cages like when Durant talks smack about their beloved OU Sooners.

The Thunder star started slinging jabs the moment he stepped foot in town in 2008. At that year’s Thunder media day, Durant said he “loves being in Oklahoma thus far and I’m going to love playing for (the people here).”

Then Durant was asked if he’d ever root for the Sooners.

“Never,” Durant vowed.

Durant then added that Longhorns and Sooners never will get along.

“I like the rivalry the way it is now,” Durant said. “OU hates Texas and Texas hates OU. That’s how it’s always going to be.”

From that day on, Durant has enjoyed jabbing the Sooners and their die-hard nation every chance he gets. He’s added the phrase “Hook ‘em Horns” to each autograph he’s signed at OU football games. He’s sat courtside at OU basketball games and flashed the two-finger Hook ‘em Horns sign. He’s even taken his needling to Twitter. On Saturday, Durant posted a simple but around these parts scathing message: “LSU > OU…”

Today, one of the Sooners, sophomore defensive back Tony Jefferson, fired back.

Kevin durant. Please stop talking trash about the sooners. You play in Oklahoma. Regardless if you went to Texas. We support u #jerk : (

It brings up an interesting question.

Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU?

Jefferson is right. This state supports Durant. And not all, but a good majority of sports fans around here cheer for the crimson and cream. But is that enough to prohibit Durant from being able to rag on OU?

Absolutely not.

Durant has the freedom, like all of us, to say what he wants. There are always consequences, of course. And if he ever gets cornered by the wrong cut of crimson and cream crazies, pray for him. But we’ll just have to hope it never gets to that.

Even if Durant didn’t go to UT, he should be able to voice his opinions, even if they’re negative, about OU. It’s sports. That’s how it works. You wouldn’t expect Durant to root for the Cowboys tonight against the Redskins if he played in Dallas. Because he’s a Redskins fan. Allegiances don’t change because of location. Not if they’re true allegiances they don’t. And especially not when your allegiance belongs to an alma mater, even if you only walked the yard for a single year.

What makes Durant any different than Desmond Mason? When Mason, the former Oklahoma State star, played for the Hornets (here in town in the wake of Hurricane Katrina) and the Thunder for a year, he proudly wore his colors and supported his Cowboys. Not only that, he made an occasional crack about OU and Norman. At the Thunder’s 2008 media day, Mason made it clear that his only reasons to ever venture to Norman were for a Bedlam game or a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Why could Mason get away with it but Durant can’t? Is it that the Red River Rivalry is just that much more intense and therefore sensitive than the Bedlam rivalry?

If you ask me, Sooners fans should be happy Durant doesn’t embrace the school’s sports. He shouldn’t. Would you really want him to pretend to be something he’s not? That’s never been Durant’s style in the first place. It’d be even worse if he genuinely accepted the Sooners.

Imagine if Blake Griffin had come along 20 years ago. Say he was drafted by Dallas, back when the Mavs stunk. Now try to fathom Griffin living in Texas and embracing everything about the Longhorns. You’d probably disown him. Call him a traitor. Curse his name every time it came up. You’d probably lose all respect for Griffin the moment he said one nice thing about anyone wearing or even associated with burnt orange. And let’s be honest. Griffin already has gotten booed in Oklahoma City for doing far less.

My advice is to let Durant do what he does. He plays his heart out for the Thunder and that should be all that matters.  As for the rivalry, and Durant’s needling, just wait for that special weekend in October. Wait until the Sooners smack the Longhorns so good Durant doesn’t want to leave the house. Then let him hear about it. That’s how you handle it.

Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU?

You bet.

-DM-

• I thought tonight’s game would be decent. I didn’t expect this.

• The Warriors always seem to play the Thunder tough, and tonight was no different. Even when the Thunder got up 14, Golden State wasted little time storming back.

• But the end to regulation was just ridiculous. It came out of nowhere. The Thunder looked to be in cruise control after Russell Westbrook made two foul shots to put the home team up six with 13.5 seconds left. Then, things just fell apart.

• Reggie Williams hit a huge 3 that pulled the Warriors within three. Then Daequan Cook and Kevin Durant had a miscommunication on the inbounds pass.Monta Ellis stole it away and sank a game-tying three. All that came in 4.2 seconds.

• As I wrote for Wednesday’s paper, three people took the blame for the botched play. Cook, Durant and Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Cook said he made the pass that led to the turnover so it was his fault. Durant said he just stood there and watched without securing the ball as it was being passed to him so it was his fault. And Brooks said he should have called a timeout after Williams’ 3 so it was his fault. Nice show of team unity.

• Here’s exactly what Durant said. “I felt so bad. I caused (Cook) to throw that ball away. He threw it to my hand and I just stood there and watched…I apologized to Daequan. I won’t put him in that position again.”

• For as long as I cover the Thunder, I hope I never see another fadeaway jumper by Durant when he has a chance to win the game. It’s worked, what, once. Try something else!

• No matter what happened at the end of regulation, the Thunder deserves a lot of credit for bouncing back and closing out the Warriors in overtime. This thing could have gone south quick. And it didn’t help that David Lee was wrestling away the Thunder’s lead by getting three-point play opportunities and Ellis buried a huge 3 that put Golden State up two with 1:10 left. Coupled with how regulation ended, those could have been back-breaking plays. But the Thunder never let them be. They bounced back from each of them.

• OKC is now 8-1 in overtime games. The team handed out a neat stat after the game. The Thunder became just the fifth team in NBA history to win eight overtime games. Detroit (8-0) did it in 2002. Sacramento (9-4) did it in 2000. Philadelphia (8-6) did it in 1990. And Milwaukee (8-1) did it in 1977. I’ve got a feeling the Thunder will play at least one more overtime game in these final nine.

• A 5-1 home stand ain’t bad.

• Chew on this. The Thunder has also won six games by one point.

• I have to tip my cap to Golden State for their tenacity in this one. The Warriors just kept coming and coming and coming. And what made it so impressive is that Ellis and Dorrell Wright, two of Golden State’s top scorers, struggled all night shooting the rock. They went a combined 11-for-43 to get 27 points. I didn’t think the Thunder’s defense on either of them was particularly great. They just missed shots. But it’s a testament to the Warriors that they were still in this game.

• Now to Stephen Curry. My, oh my!!!! That boy can ball! Give him an inch of space and he will destroy you. He had 35 on 13 of 23 shot s tonight. Curry and Lee (24 points, 15 rebounds) kept the Warriors in it tonight.

• I still think James Harden was the right pick. He’s bigger, stronger and more versatile.

• Durant had a game-high 39 points. It was his first 30-point game since March 14 and only his third this month.

• I can’t believe KD got the rip move call in overtime. I wasn’t in Golden State coach Keith Smart’s post game press conference. But I was told he had some comments about the rip move, saying it should be examined in the off-season. Doesn’t sound like he’s a fan.

• Nick Collison did not play in this one because of a sprained ankle.

• With Collison out, Nate Robinson, who is healed from knee surgery, was active and available tonight but did not play. I sure wish he did.

• Great catch by one official who correctly called an early runoff of the clock in the final seconds of OT. The clock operator ran off 1.9 seconds before the ball was inbounded. By the time a Warriors player touched it, the clock showed four seconds.

• Raise your hand if you thought Ellis was about to send everyone home ticked off.

• Now raise your hand if you left early and are ticked off at yourself.

• Durant’s buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the third quarter was huge. It was a shot that stopped the Warriors’ onslaught, which was a 22-6 run. And it put the Thunder up 78-77. The Thunder came into this game 37-4 when leading after three quarters. OKC was 10-18 when trailing after three quarters.

• Cook was just 2-for-6 in the first half. But it felt like he was 5-for-6. Every time he shoots it you think it’s going in. Cook finished just 2-for-8, though, and it’s nights like tonight that he doesn’t need to log 21 minutes.

• Cook ran into a waitress standing courtside and sent drinks flying everywhere. They just so happened to land on KD’s family laps. Durant’s brother, Tony, had on tan pants and a right leg smeared with beer. Durant laughed about it after the game.

• Desmond Mason sat courtside tonight. For some reason, I always think it’s cool when he’s at the game.

• I was amazed that Ellis didn’t get a technical foul call with 1:07 left in the second quarter. Referee Josh Tiven looked to have mistakenly pointed in the wrong direction when making a call on whose ball it was. When Tiven corrected his call and awarded the ball to the Thunder, Ellis lost it. He slammed the ball right in front of Tiven and screamed, ‘That’s bullshit!” Play carried on.

• To be fair, Serge Ibaka deserved a T for hanging on the rim early in the third after his dunk on Ekpe Udoh.

• Westbrook finished two layups with his left hand in the first half. He’s really, really good at that. Westbrook is left-handed. But he shoots with his right. When he finishes with his left, though, it looks just as good if not better than when he finishes with his right.

• Not a good night for Westbrook. But what does that say when a guy flirts with a triple-double (15 points, nine assists, eight rebounds) and it’s not a good performance? Westbrook took 15 shots to get 15 points, though, and turned it over six times, two of which were offensive fouls. He’s simply forcing things right now.

• Anyone else notice how Eric Maynor and James Harden helped the Thunder open a nine-point lead with just over six minutes left in the fourth? They did it through by sharing the ball and by letting defense lead to offense. Then did you notice how all that stopped when Westbrook came back in? I thought Brooks would actually leave Maynor out there. But he fell victim to the scripted rotations.

• A perhaps overlooked area tonight: the Thunder’s second chances. More specifically, the ones in OT. OKC had three opportunities for second-chance points in the extra period and came up empty on them all. Two of them were missed bunnies by Ibaka and Perk. Got to finish those.

• Kendrick Perkins goes scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting but has a team-high 13 rebounds to help OKC out-rebound Golden State 52-42. It was a good game by Big Perk.

• Nazr Mohammed hasn’t gotten a single call since joining the Thunder. I may be wrong. But I doubt it.

• Speaking of Big Perk, I took the time tonight for the first time to read some of Perkins’ tattoos. On his right triceps, he has ‘Big Perk.’ Across his back, just below the bottom of his neck he has ‘Texas Boy’ written in some kind of fancy script.

• Ball-playing piano dude is a quality halftime act. He does a nice job.

• That’s it for tonight. Thunder can tie last season’s win total with a W tonight at Phoenix. Our man John Rohde will have you covered for that one.

-DM-

How will Kendrick Perkins change the Oklahoma City Thunder's rotation?

It’s that time again.

Our Monday morning mailbag is back.

Kendrick Perkins has yet to play a game for the Thunder after his trade from Boston. But questions about how his presence might impact the rotation are already prevalent. We also get a little history lesson on the dunk contest and some surprise talk of vuvuzelas.

Let’s get to it. And as always, feel free to join the discussion next week if you like.

Hey Darnell- With M. Daniels out indefinitely and P. Pierce getting an MRI for his foot injury today, rookie L. Harangody is the only thing resembling a SF left on the Celtics roster. Don’t the Cs NEED somebody like Jeff Green now? His salary is almost exact match with Perkins’, they have 2 O’Neals and Semih Erden under contract thru 2012, and Big Baby can play the 5 in need be.  Am I crazy, or would this be a perfect trade for both squads? – Steve H.

Major props to you Steve. You sent this e-mail on Feb. 14. And you absolutely nailed it! Remind me to get you on speed dial next February.

Has a rookie ever won the dunk contest, and if so what year and who won it if you know? —- Jamie C.

Yes. Blake Griffin became the 11th rookie to win the dunk contest. Spud Webb won it as a rookie with Atlanta in 1986. Dee Brown won it as a rookie with the Celtics in 1991. Harold Miner won it as a rookie with Miami in 1993. Isaiah Rider won it as a rookie with Minnesota in 1994. Brent Barry won it as a rookie with the L.A. Clippers in 1996. Kobe Bryant won it as a rookie with the L.A. Lakers in 1997. Desmond Mason won it as a rookie with Seattle in 2001. Jason Richardson won it as a rookie with Golden State in 2002. Josh Smith won it as a rookie with Atlanta in 2005. Nate Robinson won it as a rookie with New York in 2006.

After the Boston trade went down there were some quotes from Rivers about how he and Ainge agonized over it. It makes me wonder how involved Brooks is with the FO decisions, especially since he had been playing Green so much, nearly to a fault. Insight? — Steven R.

I know that Brooks and Sam Presti talk about possible player acquisitions, whether they’re potential free agent pick-ups or trades, regularly. But at the end of the day, the Bull’s eye is on Presti for all roster moves. He’s the one who’s held accountable for player movement, so the final call is his. Brooks isn’t going to persuade or dissuade Presti from making a move if he feels it’s best for the team and its long term prospects.

I’m a Thunder season ticket holder and I know of the fun and love us fans have for this team, but a funny thing happened at the Sunday LA game. A fan/season ticket holder/friend was blowing a vuvuzela horn and was asked to stop. It wasn’t by the Thunder or arena staff it was a call that came from NY NBA offices that said that the noise interfered with the mics at the game. What happened to home court advantages? Where did TV mics win over what has been going on for years now at the OKC arena? Now if you noticed last night at the game the megaphone carrying fan of are thunder couldn’t even bring that in. It looked like anything that could be a noise maker was not allowed in. Players from both sides have never complained, some even laugh at it and have fun with it. It is what makes OKC’s fans some of the best in the league. I think this would be something fun to write about and find out what is going on. I know that the vuvuzela might have been a bit over the top, but how far is too far and what are the rules? — Ernest V.

I don’t know the official rules for noise-makers at NBA games. But if you’re telling me that the league office in New York stepped in and put the kibosh on vuvuzelas because they interfered with microphones, then that’s probably a pretty good indicator of what the rules are. But you’re right. It would be something interesting to look into, especially with the parade of creative characters at Thunder games. Frankly, I could go without more noise-makers. There are plenty of enough ear-shattering sounds at NBA arenas. But your story reminds me of Milwaukee’s special section of fans which have been named Squad 6. They create a good deal of commotion during games and, at times, have been known to have a few vuvuzelas. Since the Bucks rarely are on national television, I suppose they get a little bit of a pass. But Sacramento fans have become notorious for ringing cowbells. I don’t see much of a difference.

With the new additions, the Thunder’s bench is deep. Is there a danger in playing too many guys, and risking anyone getting in rhythm? It seems rare for playoff teams to have a 10-man rotation, much less 11. Cole has been playing well, but won’t he be reduced to a 6-foul body once Perkins is back? — Ryan H.

With Scott Brooks, I don’t think there will ever be a risk of playing too many guys. Brooks is pretty set in his ways with a nine-man rotation. If he uses a 10th man when Perkins gets healthy, that player, which will be Daequan Cook, Nazr Mohammed or Nate Robinson, will only see spot minutes. But to your point, Brooks sticks with a set rotation and a set number of minutes for most players to avoid hurting their rhythms. You don’t have to worry about Cole Aldrich rocking the boat once Perkins is healthy. Aldrich more than likely will go back to the end of the bench. A nice rotation of Westbrook/Maynor, Thabo/Harden, KD/Cook, Ibaka/Collison and Perkins/Mohammed will then be used. Cook and Mohammed will be the last two in that rotation, and, depending on the matchups, Brooks could choose to not use either in any given game.

-DM-

• Serge Ibaka played a great first quarter. His defense was on point the entire period aside from a slow close out on Spencer Hawes that allowed an open jumper. But he was a pest in the passing lanes when Hawes was at the high post, tipping one early pass to spark a run-out on one early trip. Ibaka also was active around the rim, gobbling up one offensive rebound early and getting the stick-back.

• What I didn’t understand was why Thunder coach Scott Brooks put Nenad Krstic on Elton Brand to start the game instead of Ibaka. Krstic is a better position defender, yeah, but it seems like Ibaka could have used his length and athleticism to better contest Brand’s shot. But Brand got going early, making his first three shots. The Thunder is fortunate that flame didn’t grow into an uncontrollable fire. Ibaka later started the second half on Brand.

• James Harden got off to a great start, save one charging foul. Then he picked up his third foul and was forced to sit early in the second quarter. It was a pretty crummy way for Harden to have to sit. He doesn’t need anything else cooling him off. This looked like the perfect kind of game to get him going.

• Leb by Russell Westbrook, the ball movement looked much better in the first half. Westbrook had eight assists at halftime and finished with 12 for the game. The Thunder had 17 as a team, which still isn’t great, but it ties a season-high that’s been done three other times. Brooks spent the past two practices working on the offense, and it looked much better tonight for stretches. “This is a start,” Harden said. “It’s back to our old ways as far as everybody touching the ball. Everybody’s getting open shots. We just have to really lock in on the defensive end because that’s going to help our offense in transition.”

• Thabo Sefolosha played his tail off tonight. And it was one of those impact games that doesn’t show up in the box score. His energy was high from the start and it trickled down to his teammates. He played some great D on Evan turner and Louis Williams, and for the first time all season, he was resourceful offensively by cutting to the basket instead of camping out at the foul line.

• We had to wait two years to see them, but effective inbounds plays that lead to baskets have finally made their way to the Thunder. The pass Sefolosha had to Westbrook with one second left on the shot clock was as good as it gets. It pushed a three-point lead to five with 2:33 remaining and was huge in preserving this win.

• Westbrook and Kevin Durant each had 31 points tonight. And something that could become more interesting to watch as the season goes on will be how Durant and Westbrook play off each other offensively. Last year, it was Durant who could put up 30 in his sleep. Now, Westbrook has joined that club. That’s a great tandem to have, but it could create complications, especially while they’re still learning how to cater to one another. There was a time when Westbrook should have deferred to Durant at all times. But that time has passed. Westbrook must now take over games whenever KD doesn’t have it going. Who knows how it will it play out? There isn’t another team in the league that can even come close to making a sound argument that it possesses a top five player and top five point guard.

• There were several questionable calls by the refs in this one.

• I’ve long been a bit of an apologists for Durant’s defense. But tonight, he was downright awful. KD allowed Andres Nocioni to burn him on at least three run-outs. I’m talking outlet pass, one dribble, dunk type of run-outs. Nocioni also beat KD backdoor once in the second half. Durant pretty much dogged it defensively tonight, and it was a big reason the Sixers had 19 fast break points.

• So much for the Thunder being a better 3-point shooting team. OKC shot 2-for-14 from deep tonight, dropping its already league-low percentage to an even worse 23 percent. The perimeter shot was not just bad tonight. It was embarrassing. Sixers reserve guard Jodie Meeks, in 22 minutes, made twice as many 3-pointers than the entire Thunder team.

• Durant’s “neighbor” was at the game. I saw him briefly after the game. He looks much older than his internet character.

• Former Thunder guard Desmond Mason sat courtside.

• The Thunder went 35 of 37 at the foul line. The team’s free throw shooting is turning into a deadly weapon to close out games with.

-DM-

Desmond Mason, the former fan favorite with OSU, the Hornets and the Thunder, is returning to Oklahoma City.

But for Act Four in Oklahoma, Mason is bringing his renowned art to the city. As The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer reports, Mason will soon be opening an art studio at Plaza Court in MidTown. According to Lackmeyer, Mason will paint pieces for clients and host events for local charities at the studio.

“My family and I are very happy to be back in Oklahoma City,” Mason said. “This area has been a big part of our lives for the last 10 years and we wanted to come back and be part of the growth in a city we love. Bringing my style of art, and the other business ventures we are planning, to a city that has embraced change is a special opportunity that I’m excited to be a part of. The leaders of this city have stepped up and taken the challenge and the development and renovation of MidTown is a big part of that.”

-DM-

If for some reason you’re still under the impression that Thursday night’s 104-89 loss to the starless Kings was simply a throw-away game, the last of this exhibition season, carefully chew on Kevin Durant’s words.

“It always means something when we step on this floor,” he said. “We’re a young team. We want to get better every time we step on the floor. Tonight was a tough one. We took some steps back.”

Steps.

Plural.

This was the third straight loss by at least 15 points. The third straight time a team has drained at least 10 3-pointers. The third straight game the wanna-be-defensive-minded Thunder allowed 104 points or more. The third straight game in which the opponent has shot better than 50 percent from the field.

In no way is it time to panic. It’s certainly way too early for that. But while the outcome doesn’t matter in these tune-ups, the performances and the trends certainly serve as warning signs.

After seven preseason games, the Thunder has demonstrated an inability to put together 48 minutes of quality basketball. It’s the same flaw that plagued this bunch last season.  Some of this preseason’s blunders can be attributed to odd lineups and funky rotations, to subs closing out games and philosophy taking precedence over the outcome. But mostly, the Thunder showed the same imperfections during times its main unit was on the floor and times when the team tried to successfully close out a game with a win.

Have we forgotten Phoenix’s 26-9 fourth quarter on Oct. 12 that erased a 20-point lead before the Thunder prevailed by five in overtime? Lose that game and this exhibition season goes from 2-5 to 1-6, from decent to disappointing.

“It’s definitely a concern in our minds because we want to change it,” said Shaun Livingston. “That’s not how we want to come out and start the season. I know that we are going to come out better opening night. We know we are better than that.”

These seven games carry so much significance because young teams are incapable of snapping out of a funk overnight. The same problems that we saw this preseason — namely the porous defense — isn’t likely to disappear when the ball is thrown up on opening night.

The Thunder has five days to figure out a solution.

“We’re one of the hardest working groups I’ve been around. We’re not concerned at all,” Durant insisted. “We can’t go into practice thinking about this game. We got to let this game go and these last couple of games go and get ready for Sacramento again on Wednesday. We’re looking forward to practice and these games coming up.”

QUICK HITS

• For the second straight game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks played Kevin Ollie the bulk of the minutes as the backup point guard. When I asked Brooks about it after the game he said the spot is “open.” Ollie didn’t have one of his better games. He scored four points with no assists, two fouls and two turnovers in 22 minutes. His four free throws inside the final four minutes broke a 16-0 run and served as the only points the Thunder scored over the final nine minutes of the third quarter. I’ll have more on this potential position battle in Saturday’s paper.
• Nick Collison played just seven minutes as he continues to be eased into the rotation while recovering from a sprained left ankle. He said he’s still not 100 percent but is hoping the five days before the season opener helps his ankle heal.
• Serge Ibaka was back to his normal self tonight and was one of the only positive that you could really take away from this game. Brooks praised his energy and effort in the fourth quarter. His poster dunk over Andres Nocioni with 10:01 in the fourth was about the only thing a Thunder fan could have cheered for tonight. Ibaka finished with nine points and seven boards in 22 minutes. My question is how many more brave (or silly) souls like Nocioni will it take before word spreads throughout the league about Ibaka’s athleticism and defenders know better than to jump?
• Etan Thomas perhaps turned in the lone other promising performance. He closed out the preseason with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. His rebounding had been sub par to say the least. And it’s nice to see him come up with two rejections.
• I thought James Harden again looked better while playing with the reserves than he has when on the floor with the starters. He scored six of his 14 points in a two-minute span in the second quarter while playing alongside Ollie, Livingston, Collison and Thomas.
• Russell Westbrook had his first bad performance. He had a not-so great one and five other really, really good ones. The problem tonight was he couldn’t stay out of foul trouble. He had five fouls and two points on 1-for-6 shooting in 14 minutes. He had just two rebounds, two assists and turned the ball over twice. I guess the good news is even in a bad game he still contributes across the board. The bad news is he struggled against Tyreke Evans’ length and strength. Evans blocked two of his shots, the first of which Westbrook recovered and made a heads-up play when he quickly shot it up and scored to beat the shot clock.
• Thabo Sefolosha missed all three of his 3-point attempts tonight. And it seems like the erratic shooting he displayed this preseason might be his story throughout the regular season. But his shot has looked much improved at times.
• I told Desmond Mason before the game that he absolutely must see the new locker room before he left. I caught his reaction when he walked in as the media was interviewing Livingston. “Whoooa,” he said, his mouth wide open and his eyes taking it all in like a kid in a candy store. Everyone who saw the Thunder’s old locker room and has walked into the new one has had the same reaction.
• Sacramento coach Paul Westphal said, “I wish that we didn’t have to play this team before we play them here next week. Both teams I am sure held a few wrinkles back.”
• I expect one of the remaining training camp guys to be released soon, possibly Friday. I tried to get a feel for which one by examining everything from Ryan Bowen and Mike Harris’ facial expressions after the game to how much stuff was in their lockers to which one was the last to leave the dressing room (Harris). Unfortunately, none of it yielded much. We’ll find out soon.

-DM-

TINKERING WITH THE ROTATION
Thunder coach Scott Brooks at this morning’s shootaround sounded like he is done throwing out funky lineups and wacky rotations. I expect Brooks to play what mostly will be his main rotation in tonight’s preseason finale against Sacramento. But Brooks said he and the coaching staff are still trying to figure out who fits best with each other while giving different players an opportunity to adjust to playing with different teammates.

“It’s good for our team,” Brooks said. “It’s good to build chemistry on the floor. You’re going to be put in a position where you have to play with different guys…You try to figure out what a guy does with different guys. The game is impacted by who you’re playing with.”

DEJA VU
Rarely in the NBA will a team open the regular season against the same team it ended the preseason against. But that’s the position the Thunder and Kings are in this year. Cleveland and Boston have also managed to pull the scheduling quirk.

Brooks, however, said tonight’s game shouldn’t have any bearing on Wednesday’s season opener. Because of exhaustive scouting departments, he said, NBA teams, don’t have anything left to hide.

“We know what they’re going to run and they know what we’re going to run,” Brooks said. “We have to do a great job of executing it and using effort in our execution.”

Brooks did say Wednesday’s packages will be different than tonight’s because he plans to implement more wrinkles in the final few days of practice before the two teams meet again. He called the next five days of practice “pretty important for us.”

A FRIEND TURNED FOE
Perhaps a more significant advantage than the Kings’ ability to pick up on the Thunder’s strategy early is the presence of former Thunder forward Desmond Mason on Sacramento’s roster. Brooks expects Mason to share secrets with his new teammates. All players do once they change teams. Mike Harris informed Jeff Green of Houston players’ tendencies at the scorer’s table just before tip-off Monday.

“One of the things our coaches do when we have guys that play with other teams is (go over) their personnel’s tendencies,” Brooks admitted. “I think it’s important to listen to the players. They know, they feel it, they see it on the court. They experience it. So you always tap into their knowledge. And I’m sure Sacramento is going to be no different. Desmond knows what Kevin Durant does and how he does it. The bottom line is it takes five guys to make an offense work and it takes the same five guys to make a defense work.”

DEFENDING THE DEEP BALL
For the fourth straight day, 3-point defense was a major talking point. That will happen when a team gives up 55 percent shooting from 3 (11-for-20) one night and a 73.7 percent clip (14-for-19) the very next night.

Much of the problem can be attributed to the team’s “shell” defense, which naturally will give up 3-pointers as the Thunder attempts to protect the paint. The scheme’s strategy puts one player on the ball depending on where the ball is on the court and the other four players creating a shell behind him with all having a foot in the painted area.

“You’re stopping the ball and your four defenders are helping,” Brooks explained. “They’re looking at seeing problems and if there’s a problem they try to figure it out along with the guy that’s guarding the ball.”

There were obviously a lot of problems the past two games. Brooks estimated 10, maybe 11, of the Spurs 3s Tuesday night were the result of missed assignments and late rotations. Still, the strategy is one Brooks is willing to live with so long as better effort is given to closing out faster and rotating better.

“If I had to pick one area, yes, I’d rather guard the basket and do a better job of stopping paint points,” Brooks said. “But we have to do a better job of stopping the corner 3. That’s a 40 percent shot for NBA teams. That’s what really bothered us the last two games.”

KRSTIC EAGER FOR OPENER
Center Nenad Krstic said he “can’t wait for the season to start.

“It’s been a long summer for me and during training camp I got sick,” Krstic said. “So it’s been some ups and downs but right now I feel good and feel ready.”

Krstic, who joined the team in mid-season last year, said a full training camp in Oklahoma City has been extremely beneficial to him.

“It helps me just to get my rhythm back and adjust again to NBA basketball,” he said. “I played almost all summer in a European style of basketball. And just being with the team for a whole training camp has really helped me.”

Krstic said the Thunder is a more talented team than last season with off-season additions and in-house improvement. He praised new post players, Etan Thomas, Serge Ibaka and Byron Mullens for each of their gifts and said all the interior players compliment each other.

“They’re all great energy guys,” Krstic said. “They rebound the ball. They defend really good and they all complete each other.”

Krstic also said he’s developed much more chemistry with Russell Westbrook. He said the second-year point guard has improved his game and is looking for his teammates more.

“I know if I set a good screen and I’m open I’m going to get the ball for sure,” Krstic said. “Last year in the beginning it was not (like that) because we didn’t know each other. Now he knows where I’m going to be and I know he’s going to pass me the ball. So it’s been really good playing with him.”

Krstic did not report any progress with his rebounding, one of the areas he said last season that he wanted to focus on improving. The 7-foot Krstic averaged 5.5 rebounds last season and is averaging just 2.6 in 17.2 minutes per game this preseason. But Krstic said he’s employing the philosophy taught to him by his coaches overseas, which is to focus more on boxing out rather than chasing down rebounds.

“It’s about boxing out my guy and not letting him get the rebound,” Krstic said. “I’m just trying to do that. I’m not focused on getting the rebounds…If you don’t get the rebound somebody else from your team is going to get it. Just don’t let your guy get the rebound.”

ROOKIE FOUL TROUBLE
As if the learning curve for rookies Serge Ibaka and James Harden wasn’t challenging enough, both players are having a hard time this preseason staying on the court whenever they do get to step foot on it. Ibaka is averaging 3.2 fouls in just 15.7 minutes. Harden is averaging four fouls in 27.6 minutes. Ibaka has already fouled out of two games, Monday’s at Houston in only 12 minutes and the preseason home opener Oct. 12 against Phoenix in 25 minutes.

“It’s part of a stage every rookie will go through,” Brooks said. “No one is immune from learning NBA basketball.”

Although he thinks a foul is a “mistake,” Brooks said he’s will not tell Ibaka to cut back on his aggressive play.

“One of the things I mention to him every game is I want him to be aggressive,” Brooks said. “He’s not going to play a ton of minutes at the moment, so he can go out and be really aggressive and if he gets a foul here and there that’s fine. A lot of it is understanding the finer points of the game. You can get away with some things and some things they call. I think that his fouls that he has committed are legitimate fouls. We don’t mind hard fouls that are going to prevent easy buckets. And he has the ability to not only block shots and alter shots but keep guys from even attempting those shots because of his strength and his quickness.”

QUICK HITS

• Michael Ruffin was waived this morning.
• Brooks said he doesn’t plan to play Ryan Bowen or Mike Harris tonight. When asked if either training camp invite will make the team Brooks responded, “There’s a good chance one of them will be here.” Asked who has the upper hand, Brooks said, “It’s close.”
• Thabo Sefolosha worked with assistant coaches on his perimeter shooting for 15 minutes after shootaround. He went around the arc and drilled on catch-and-shoot techniques.
• Brooks said Nick Collison is still a little sore but everyone is healthy and good to go.
• Jeff Green did a phone interview with the Georgetown student paper following shootaround. If you’re interested in where that conversation went you might want to track The Hoya’s Web site over the next few days.
• One area that has stood out this preseason is deflections, Brooks said. The team charts several categories, but Brooks declined to go into details about how well the Thunder has done in that area. Through the first six games, the Thunder is averaging 10.3 steals. The Thunder averaged 7.4 steals last season.

I just returned from media day, where optimism was high but cautiously tempered. Few players wanted to talk about the playoffs as an attainable goal this season but all seemed to have that destination in their minds. It was almost shocking how candid the players were in discussing what we all know to be true about the brutal schedule to start the season and how the silly mistakes of yesteryear can’t crop up again if this season is to be a success.

This will be the first of many posts from today’s thorough session of interviews. Bare with me as I sift through what seems like an endless amount of tape. I’ll update into the evening as I go, but I’ll start by giving your a preview of reader-submitted questions I asked Kevin Durant today. (And with Durant having so many obligations today I’d like to thank him again for taking the time to answer these, some of which might not appear in Tuesday’s paper.)

Q: Do you see the Thunder’s record improving, and if so by how much? And is there a specific goal for this year’s team that will define whether this season is a success?
A: I’m not big on that, but I think we’re a better team so yeah. But I don’t know how many wins we’re going to get. I can’t predict that. I think a lot of people outside of our organization want to see me say we’re going to the playoffs or we’re going to the second round of the playoffs. But I think if we just continue to get better the fans will see that if they’re watching the games. They’ll see we’re getting better and better so that’s the good part.
Paul Taylor, Oklahoma City

Q: Where do you see your basketball career with the Thunder in two years?
A: Hopefully we’re a playoff team by then and we’re recognized as one of the top tier teams. So I’m excited for what we have in store.
Gaudy Deleon, Oklahoma City

Q: Who do you see filling the void left by Desmond Mason’s departure?
A: James Harden and Thabo Sefolosha are going to fill that role. It’s on those two.
Dave Parker, Oklahoma City

Q: Does Velvet Hoop plan on making any more music videos this year?
A: I asked that myself, but as of right now I don’t know. I hope. I want to. That’s the goal.
Steve Jackson, Oklahoma City

Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in Oklahoma City and the most obnoxious thing an Oklahoma native has said to you about you being a UT alum?
A: Mickey Mantle’s. And they haven’t really said anything too harsh. They just always throw the horns down. That hurts me a lot.
Brian Downs, Edmond

Q: How dominant do you think you can be if you bulk up?
A: I think I’ll be pretty good. But the way my body is I don’t think I could ever be really bulked up. So you’ve just got to like what you see. But I try my best to be one of the best players to play this game.
Evan Eitzen, Fairview

-DM-

Desmond Mason’s days in a Thunder uniform have come to an end.

For now.

Oklahoma City has decided to go in a different direction and will not re-sign the former Oklahoma State standout and fan favorite, The Oklahoman has learned.

Mason, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer, became a casualty of the Thunder’s commitment to developing its young talent and was the odd man out on a roster that is one player below the NBA maximum of 15 allowed.

The Thunder remained open to the possibility of re-signing the 31-year-old Mason throughout the summer and had ongoing discussions with his agent since the start of free agency on July 1. Mason made $5.3 million in the final year of his contract last season and is believed to have been seeking a deal in the same neighborhood this summer.

Contract negotiations were believed to have been more exploratory in nature, comprised of more casual discussion rather than concrete proposals. Mason’s camp is believed to have been seeking a multi-year contract of at least two seasons while the Thunder was willing to agree to nothing longer than a one-year deal.

But it appeared less likely Mason would return with each transaction the Thunder made since February.

Oklahoma City acquired 25-year-old swingman Thabo Sefolosha from Chicago in a trading-deadline-day deal. The Thunder then drafted versatile guard James Harden out of Arizona State with the third overall pick in the June draft. In late July, Oklahoma City traded Damien Wilkins and Chucky Atkins to Minnesota for Etan Thomas. The deal reduced the Thunder’s roster to 13 players, but five days later the team signed veteran point guard Kevin Ollie.

The Thunder also has returning players Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Kyle Weaver, Shaun Livingston and Russell Westbrook – all 23 or younger – in the mix. All are capable of playing multiple positions in the backcourt. Those players are projected to receive the bulk of the playing time in 2009-10, as the team’s young players have the past two seasons to help promote their growth.

As it stands, the Thunder will maintain its roster flexibility by parting with Mason and standing pat at 14 players. The Thunder is currently about $10 million below the salary cap, meaning its one roster spot could be an extremely valuable asset in the future if trade opportunities arise and the team needs to take on additional players or decides to sign someone during the season.

The Thunder, for example, was able to sign center Nenad Krstic from Europe in mid-season only because Steven Hill was on a non-guaranteed contract as the 15th man and could easily be waived. Oklahoma City also could be as much as $18 million under the salary cap in 2010-11, and re-signing Mason to a multi-year contract starting in the $5 million range had the potential to close the door on various long-term options.

Mason and his agent couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, and it’s unclear what alternatives are available to Mason at this point. The Thunder, however, could explore bringing Mason back in future seasons.

In 39 games, 19 as a starter, Mason averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.3 minutes. He missed the final 36 games after hyper-extending his right knee in a game against Memphis in late January.