After two topsy-turvy years, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio will finally make his NBA debut tonight at 7 against the Thunder. There was a time when Rubio was an international sensation, a can’t-miss prospect. But the NBA lockout has overshadowed Rubio’s arrival. Recent Blockbuster trades and on-going trade speculation, coupled with the continued love-’em-or-hate-’em obsession with the Miami Heat, have pushed Rubio further out of the NBA limelight. It also doesn’t help that he plays for the Wolves. But starting with tonight’s game, we’ll soon find out whether Rubio has been all hype all these years or is a legit addition to a league filled with extremely talented point guards.

As you prepare for tip-off, here’s a piece I wrote on Rubio back in 2009 leading up to the draft. The Thunder, if you remember, had Rubio on its radar as he began sliding down draft boards and ultimately became the biggest mystery in that year’s draft class.

There was a time when Ricky Rubio was considered a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick whenever the teen-age Spanish point guard sensation decided to cross the waters.

A can’t-miss prospect, they said. A future NBA star.

Twelve months later, Rubio has made his long-awaited jump, only to land in the U.S. as the most puzzling player in this year’s NBA Draft. You’d have a better chance solving a Rubik’s Cube than cracking the complex Rubio case.

No longer is Rubio, 18, perched comfortably atop draft boards as the consensus No. 1 prospect. Blake Griffin tugged at that crown with each rim-rattling dunk and 20-rebound performance he registered during his sophomore season at Oklahoma. Rubio has been meeting with teams like the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder, teams with the third and fourth picks of the draft. Thunder officials reportedly flew to Los Angeles to meet with Rubio on Saturday.

Still, Rubio enters Thursday’s draft widely regarded as the second best prospect behind Griffin and the only other player regarded as a franchise-changing talent.

So how is it that in a weak draft the mop-haired playmaker who has drawn comparisons to Pete Maravich could fall as low as fifth to Washington?

It’s a phenomenon best explained by a wacky finish to last month’s NBA Draft Lottery, an ugly and pricey buyout with his Spanish club team that only a lawsuit can settle now, stringent demands from his representatives and lingering questions about how good the kid really is.

“All of that is sort of the perfect storm to say we don’t know where Ricky Rubio’s going to go,” said Chad Ford, who covers the NBA Draft for ESPN.com.

Rubio is easily the most celebrated player in the draft since LeBron James in 2003. He’s the most publicized international since the late Drazen Petrovic entered the league in 1989, surpassing the buzz that followed No. 1 overall pick Yao Ming in 2002.

Rubio’s legend was officially launched when, at 14, he became the youngest player ever to join Spain’s ACB League, one of Europe’s premier leagues. His legend grew in the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship when he posted 51 points, 24 rebounds and 12 assists in a double-overtime victory over Russia — a game in which he forced the first overtime with a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot.

By the time Rubio became the youngest player to ever play in an Olympic basketball final at age 17 against the U.S. last summer, he had already become a YouTube sensation. The teen only added to his rep when he played the final three quarters of the championship game after injuring tendons in his wrist in the first period. The NBA couldn’t wait for the skinny 6-foot-4 kid with the fancy dribble and flashy passes to declare.

“There’s no question that the biggest thing he will have to overcome is the expectations that have been created for him in the YouTube era,” said ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.

But NBA general managers who own the top selections are no longer floored by their fascination and are now proceeding with caution. What they ultimately decide could greatly shape this year’s draft and several of next season’s rosters.

Griffin is the no-brainer selection for the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 1 even if they would like to unload Baron Davis’ contract and bring in an exciting young point guard like Rubio.

That leaves Memphis and Oklahoma City, owners of the second and third selections, to then decide whether to take Rubio despite drafting their respective point guards — Mike Conley Jr. and Russell Westbrook — with the fourth overall picks in 2007 and 2008.

Rubio’s agent, Dan Fegan, reportedly doesn’t want him to play for the Grizzlies and wouldn’t schedule a visit or workout with the Grizzlies. A stalemate could ensue if Memphis picks him anyway.

The Thunder likely would have to move Westbrook to shooting guard if it selected and kept Rubio, a decision that is more of a last-ditch option rather than a preferred one. The Grizzlies, or Thunder if Memphis passes, also have the option of selecting Rubio and brokering a trade to teams like Minnesota, Golden State or New York, who pick sixth, seventh and eighth and all have point guard quandaries.

Sacramento is in need of a point guard but lost all its leverage when the draft lottery’s ping-pong balls determined it would pick fourth despite finishing with the league’s worst record.

Fegan is directing Rubio to the Kings, and Rubio recently wrapped up a two-day visit to Sacramento, his only appearance with an NBA team thus far.

But the Kings could be searching for a different style of point guard than Rubio. Memphis guard Tyreke Evans and Florida guard Nick Calathes are both scheduled to work out today in Sacramento for the second time, this time in a session that will include Davidson’s Stephen Curry.

There are plenty of reasons to love Rubio, his passing, floor leadership and marketability. But for every admirable characteristic lies a chink in his armor — gambles defensively, turnover prone, streaky shooter, average athlete.

And then there are the legalities.

Rubio has a buyout with his Spanish team, DKV Joventut, estimated at $6.6 million. Rubio’s camp has filed a lawsuit against the club, claiming that the figure is disproportionate to the estimated $97,000 the player made last season. If an agreement is not reached, Rubio could be forced to return to Spain, and his buyout is believed to increase by another $1.4 million next season.

The issue could leave Rubio overseas another two years after a team drafts him.

“There could be all sorts of legacies for this,” Ford said. “If he turns out to be a fantastic player, some guys could lose their jobs over passing up a guy like Rubio. He has that sort of talent.

“On the flip side, if he decides to stay in Europe if he’s unhappy with his team or he can’t work out of his buyout, he could become the cautionary tale for GMs for a long time about drafting a kid without really understanding all the circumstances around who he is and what you have to take on.”

-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-

Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke about Reggie Jackson late Thursday night, roughly 2 1/2 hours after the franchise selected the Boston College guard 24th overall in the NBA Draft.

Here are various snippets from what Presti had to say:

In Reggie Jackson, we feel like we have a player that brings  great length and athleticism. He continues to add depth to a core of players that we see as growing together. With a team that won 55 games last season, the objective is to continue to layer the organization with young talented players when it comes to the draft and we feel good about the fact that we’ve been able to do that.

We look at him as a pretty versatile player. We look at him as a guy that has played both positions. We like the fact that he’s got a great feel for the game. He’s got a great pace to him. But he also combines that in a package with supreme athleticism and length, which are all qualities that we like in our players and has been a big part of our progress with our team.

He’s a guy that is a willing learner. He’s a guy with great athletic ability. He’s a guy that can shoot the ball. And he’s a guy that really understands that he has room to grow and wants to improve. And that’s what his focus is.

A guy with his size and length, he doesn’t play specifically of of that athleticism alone. We feel like he’s a really good passer. He’s not a home run-play passer. He sees things develop pretty well. And then obviously being able to make shots like he does, we think he’s got a nice combination. At the same time, he’s got a long way to go to improve. We have to try to help him get there.

We think he has potential to come be a pretty good defensive player. The fact that he has that size and athleticism, it gives him the ability to be able to guard multiple positions. But that’s going to be something that he has to continue to work at.

He was the guy on the board that we wanted to take. When that pick came up, he was the guy that we wanted to have on the team.

-DM-

Would the Thunder entertain the idea of trading one of the league's best reserve point guards?

Chad Ford of ESPN.com reported this morning that the Thunder is seeking to trade into the top 15 of tonight’s NBA Draft and is dangling reserve point guard Eric Maynor while seeking to move up.

They’ve spoken to the Kings (No. 7) and Bobcats (No. 9) in particular in the past few days…With so few quality point guards on the board this year, would a team covet him more than Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette? Who are the Thunder after? Like a lot of teams, it seems they are in hot pursuit of Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas.”

It’s certainly the start of an interesting  scenario. But from all my conversations, both throughout the season and leading up to tonight’s draft, it’s not happening. The Thunder loves Maynor. The team loves what he brings on the court, loves his attitude and work ethic and loves how he meshes with the roster.

Now, if some team made Thunder general manager Sam Presti an offer he couldn’t refuse, say a top five pick straight up for Maynor, then all bets are off. The Thunder doesn’t love Maynor that much. But in a weak draft that is filled with role players, is there someone in the seven to 15 range who can come in and immediately have a bigger impact than Maynor. Probably not. The Thunder loves to look long term when drafting, and I expect the organization to do the same tonight. But not since Presti began tearing down in 2007 to build up have we seen this front office sacrifice today for tomorrow. It’s possible Presti is willing to someday trade Maynor. But it’s not probable that today is that day, mainly since whatever potential deal is out there would give the Thunder a good leg up for the future but leave a gaping hole at the present day backup point guard spot.

That’s why any talk of Maynor being dealt is a little far-fetched. But here are five other reasons the Thunder isn’t likely to trade Maynor tonight.

1) Experience: Entering just his third season, Maynor already has a ton of experience. He’s 24. He was a four-year college player. He’s played in big games at both the college and pro levels, including a staggering 23 playoff games over four playoff series. In his first two NBA seasons, Maynor also has played in 163 of a possible 164 games. That experience is extremely rare for a second-year player. It takes years for players to experience what Maynor has in just two seasons. And Maynor and the Thunder are only going to be better down the line because of his experience. By trading Maynor, the Thunder would be forfeiting that potential, and as soon as it did the organization would be hard pressed to find it in someone else. It certainly wouldn’t come in a rookie (which is why you can dismiss rumors of Boston College guard Reggie Jackson being swapped in for Maynor as well).

2) Reliable: Maynor is one of the league’s steadiest reserve point guards. In the regular season, he ranked ninth in assists-per-turnover (3.09) and was 15th in assists per 48 minutes (9.5). If you think the backup point guard role is unimportant, flash back to the days when the Thunder was trotting out Chucky Atkins for a reminder on how significant a steady hand is off the bench. Maynor was so good this season that the second unit often played better than the starters. And now, Maynor’s play has some (silly as it is) believing he should be the starter and Russell Westbrook should move off the ball.

3) Fit: Maynor knows his role and, as previously stated, plays it extremely well. Never underestimate the value of having a player who does that. Maynor knows he is a capable starter, or at the very least could get more than 15 minutes a night elsewhere. But he doesn’t complain. He falls in line. There might be more talented players who could step in and fill Maynor’s shoes today. But with Westbrook leading the way, how many minutes are really there for a more talented guard? Sure, you could make the argument that another point guard could play off the ball alongside Westbrook. But keep in mind James Harden’s minutes are constantly rising, and, love them or hate them, Thabo Sefolosha and, if brought back, Daequan Cook warrant minutes as well. There are only so many minutes to go around, and Maynor has proven to be content with helping the Thunder in however many he receives.

4) Cheap: Maynor will earn just $1.5 million next season, easily making him one of the best values in the league. He’s the fourth cheapest salary on the Thunder’s payroll. So it’s not as if the Thunder has to deal Maynor to save money. And while there is some growing concern about the Thunder’s ability to retain everyone in its current core, that decision doesn’t have to be made today. Maynor is not eligible for an extension until next summer, with it not kicking in until two years from now. So there’s time. And the Thunder has planned and planned for this day, purposely passing on free agents in the past like Paul Millsap and David Lee so that there would be money in the bank for the homegrown young guns. Of course, if every one of the Thunder’s young players proves to be worthy of a big contract (unlikely) OKC has a problem. But that problem isn’t today.

5) Continuity: It seems that some need a reminder that just one month ago this Thunder roster was playing in the Western Conference Finals. The average age of the starting lineup was just 23.6 years. That average would dip to 22.4 if Harden supplants Sefolosha in the starting unit next season. The Thunder has a bright future, and one sure way to threaten that future is to have a revolving door of players coming in and out. The Thunder’s 10-man rotation is one of the best in basketball. And the plan all along has been to leave this pot to cook and patiently wait on the results. Of all times to tinker with the main ingredients, why would Presti choose this time, when the franchise was three wins shy of the NBA Finals? It doesn’t add up. That’s why when the draft gets underway tonight, it’s unlikely that Maynor or anyone from the Thunder’s rotation gets dealt.

-DM-

Thanks to WWLS for providing us with a file of the interview. You can catch Mark Monday through Friday on The Middle of the Day Show from 12 to 2.

Enjoy.

Darnell Mayberry with Mark 6-21

-DM-

Whether that happens remains to be seen. If the Thunder indeed does select Singler, don’t be surprised if we someday see him attempting some trick shots from atop the Devon Tower downtown or from the roof of the team’s new practice facility.

Here is some extra Singler footage for Thunder general manager Sam Presti to study:

P.J. and I look back on the Thunder season and discuss whether it was a success, we talk Kendrick Perkins, Cole Aldrich, the NBA Finals, LeBron James, next week’s draft and what can be considered a successful season next year.

Enjoy.

DARNELL MAYBERRY W PJ 6-15-11 PART 1

DARNELL MAYBERRY W PJ 6-15-11 PART 2

DARNELL MAYBERRY W PJ 6-15-11 PART 3

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But the NBA Draft is now just three weeks away, and if we’ve learned anything about the Thunder on draft night it’s that it is a team liable to do anything. No one knows whether the Thunder will select a player, trade up, trade down or trade out.

Add to that, fewer fans seem to be paying attention this year. A deep playoff run and first-round positioning that inspires widespread yawning have taken away from the intrigue of the Thunder’s draft. Perhaps there is a growing awareness that whatever prospect the Thunder plucks won’t make an immediate impact. Heck, he might not even make the team. That’s what having a stable of young talent in place and possession of the 24th overall pick gets you.

But draft guru Chad Ford of ESPN.com held a chat today and wrote something very interesting. (Worth noting, though, that the words ‘Oklahoma City’ and ‘Thunder’ weren’t written anywhere in his hour long chat? Further proof that the Thunder is on the back-burner in this year’s draft.) Ford broke down the depth of this year’s class, and indirectly said the Thunder is in prime position to get a quality player. When asked about the draft seemingly being weak at the top but deep toward the end of the first round, Ford responded with this:

For sure. I think people misunderstand the criticism of the draft. The top two picks are really good … but they aren’t superstar caliber. The next 10 players in the draft are typically the sorts of players you get in the late lottery to mid first round. But after that, the draft is really loaded into the mid to late 30s. If I’m drafting anywhere between 15-35, I’m happy with the draft.”

Not saying Ford’s say should be taken as gospel. But that’s got to make Thunder fans feel pretty good, no?

If Oklahoma City stands pat, it’s sounds like the Thunder, at 24, can land a serviceable player with potential to grow into something special. That 24 range is where sleepers usually rest, and the Thunder could very well come away with the next great steal. A few of the more notable recent 24th overall picks include Serge Ibaka in 2008,Rudy Fernandez in 2007, Kyle Lowry in 2006, Delonte West in 2004 and Nenad Krstic in 2002.

Other players recently picked in the 25 to 30 range include Taj Gibson, Nicolas Batum, George Hill, Aaron Brooks, Shannon Brown, Jason Maxiell, David Lee, Tony Allen, Kevin Martin, Beno Udrih, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa and Josh Howard and John Salmons.

So, historically, there’s clearly been plenty of talent to choose from in the 24 spot.

In its latest mock draft, NBADraft.net currently has the Thunder selecting UCLA swingman Tyler Honeycutt. The website DraftExpress.com currently has the Thunder selecting Duke forward Kyle Singler. And in his latest mock, Ford has the Thunder taking Serbian forward Nikola Mirotic in a select-and-stash strategy.

None of those names are likely to get you all that excited. But maybe one of them, or someone else in that cluster will prove to be effective.

-DM-

J.J. Redick drives to the basket and shoots over Cole Aldrich Feb. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie center Cole Aldrich (seen in the photo playing in mop-up duty in February) played in only 18 games this season and was inactive for every playoff game. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been improving.

In today’s Power Lunch chat on NewsOK.com, Thunder beat writer John Rohde had this to say about Aldrich’s development:

From what I’ve seen, I believe Aldrich has passed Mullens. Aldrich consistently handles Mullens in 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 pregame get-togethers. Will Aldrich start in place of Perkins? Not even close. But he and Mohammed could be solid backup centers by committee.

What do you think? Will Byron Mullens be used as trade bait?

It's plays like this one by Russell Westbrook, surrounded by four Raptors defenders, that have fans calling him a ball hog.

Good Monday, Thunder heads.

Much has happened since our last mailbag. Kendrick Perkins made his Thunder debut. The Thunder went on a season-long six-game winning streak…then saw it snapped by Toronto, which swept the season series. And James Harden has become a player.

In this week’s mailbag, we discuss ball-hogs, buried assets and Byron Mullens’ future.

And as always, join the conversation if you’d like. Our mailbag is always open.

Enjoy!

How do you think the Rockets are finishing up the season? – Myron M.

Resiliently. After all they’ve been through they’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot. And they might actually make it! Five of their final 11 games are against teams below .500. And six of their final 11 come at home. Of their remaining road games – Miami, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Minnesota – only the Heat game looks like a guaranteed loss. The Rockets are only a game and a half behind Memphis for the eighth seed and the Grizzlies have a tougher home stretch with road games at Boston, Chicago, Portland and home dates with Utah, San Antonio and New Orleans remaining. I suspect it will come down to the wire between the Rockets and Grizzlies, maybe even the final day of the regular season.

Hey Darnell. Not to be overly critical because RW is clearly awesome and a work in progress. But clearly someone has not told this guy that he is incredible when he gets his teammates involved. I understand the need for him to be aggressive, but it seems like he can get his whenever and he doesn’t really need to “look for his offense.” Anyway, hopefully he can figure it out because I don’t think it bodes well for the playoffs for Russ to ball hog (a la Kobe) down the stretch. What do you think? – Marc.

We give players so much attention and adoration for scoring that few want to do anything else. Westbrook has proven he can be a great playmaker. But it always seems like there is a moment in every game when he’s just like, ‘Forget this. I’m scoring.’ You’re right, he’s awesome. But he’d be great if he was a threat to both score as well as make his teammates better at all times. It’d keep the defense off balance and improve everyone’s efficiency. Finding the right balance and consistently being able to play with it should be Westbrook’s focus this summer. His takeover-ability, however, actually should help the Thunder in the playoffs. It did last year. And if things get bogged down this postseason, it’s great to have an option that can create something in a hurry.

Hey Darnell. I’m a huge Thunder fan. Watched every game the past two years. Regarding this year’s draft, if Kawhi Leonard is still there when the Thunder picks, which is 50/50, we need to take him. He’s very athletic. A great rebounder and ball-handler. Solid defender, passer and shooter. He was a double-double machine all year. Please tell Presti or Scotty or anyone really about this kid. – Jeff S.

Sorry, Jeff. I highly doubt he’ll be around. I haven’t watched a second of San Diego State this season so I’m honestly not familiar with his game. I’ll have to take your word for it. But the Thunder is on pace to pick in the mid-20s. Leonard is projected to be a lottery pick. With Presti running the show, there’s always a chance of the Thunder trading on draft night, perhaps even trying to move up to get him or someone else. But if Leonard is as good as the scouts and so-called draft experts say he is, it’d be hard for the Thunder to get its hands on him.

Do you see Ivey and B.J. Mullens in the future plan of the Thunder? Oh yeah, KD’s scoring is down since All-Star, but four player’s scoring is up. Balance scoring and more assists = more wins. – John P.

I can’t see the organization giving up on Mullens this soon. He’s had two seasons but has played just 25 games. Mullens has simply been in an unfortunate situation where he’s had better and more experienced players (Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed and even Cole Aldrich) in front of him. But Mullens has shown improvement since he was drafted and could turn out to be a solid center. He’s still only 22. I think we all forget how young he is sometimes. There might be a lot of talent in that body. I would think the Thunder would want to try to pull it out. I can’t see Mohammed returning next year so that should help Mullens move into the third center spot. As for Ivey, he’s partially guaranteed for next year and I’d be shocked at this point if the front office doesn’t try to keep him in the mix to be a positive influence on these young bucks.

Darnell, can you give us a rundown of players whose rights are owned by OKC but who aren’t currently on the roster? Guys like Pleiss for example. What are they doing this year, and is there any chance they may help OKC in the future? – James K.

The Thunder has lots of them in addition to Tibor Pleiss, who is playing in Germany this season. Latvious Williams is the most intriguing. He was selected 48th overall by Miami last year but immediately traded to the Thunder. He’s a nice combo forward who can slash for scores, rebound and block shots. Robert Vaden is a shooting guard taken 54th overall in 2009 by Charlotte but immediately traded to the Thunder. He’s a shooter who can get hot from 3-point range. The Thunder also owns the draft rights to two power forwards, Ryan Reid, taken 57th overall last year by Indiana by immediately traded to OKC, and DeVon Hardin, who the franchise drafted 50th overall in 2008. Both are bruising, defensive-minded 4s. Hardin is a tremendous athlete. Williams, Vaden and Reid are all playing on the Tulsa 66ers Hardin is competing in Israel. There might be other more obscure players stashed away. But those are the main guys. And at this point, of those five guys, Pleiss and Williams are probably the only two I’d hold my breath for while waiting to see them in a Thunder uniform.

Can you ask Westbrook and Durant why they are such ball hogs and don’t pass to me? This is getting to be ridiculous. – James H.

It’s their team, James. Stay in your lane. You just got some slack on that leash of yours and now you want to start complaining? Pipe down, son! You’ve done a great job lately of getting in where you fit in. Keep it up.

I think having Perkins sit for two weeks did more good than if he was in right away. Sounds crazy, I know. But James Harden and Serge Ibaka have gone through the fire to get to where they are now. They are better players and the team chemistry is solid, deeper, more defined. It was tough to lose Jeff, but it was a necessary step to become what they are. And now…Perkins is back!!! – Kevin S.

Couldn’t agree more. Sorry I misunderstood you the first time. Ibaka had nine games to get acclimated in the first unit without all the attention being on Perkins or having Perkins throw the kitchen sink on defense at him. And James’ confidence sky-rocketed the moment Jeff Green didn’t get on the bus in San Antonio as the team headed to Orlando. He needed those games to show what he could do without the threat, albeit slight, of Perkins getting in the way. As a whole, the Thunder had to play a little bit with that us-against-the-world mentality. Mohammed was available. But I think the players, in the back of their heads, knew they were down “two” starters and had to account for it in some way. After a rocky two-game start against two of the league’s best teams, we saw inspired play and teamwork and execution. Things just clicked. Who knows if that attitude would have been there with Perkins?

-DM-