Thunder Tames Bobcats, Wins Sixth Straight
Nuggets from my notebook from Friday’s 99-82 win over Charlotte.
- Kevin Durant sustained a shoulder injury late in this one when he ran into teammate James Harden. Durant said he’s OK. The team is calling it a shoulder bruise. “It was a quick stinger,” Durant said. “I could have stayed in the game, but I just wanted to be cautious about it. I’ll be all right by tomorrow.”
- As for the game, it was pretty open and shut. The Thunder let the Bobcats hang around a little longer than they probably should have. But in the end, OKC had one of its most impressive stretches of D that we’ve seen all season. It just won’t raise many eyebrows because it came against the Bobcats. Still, the Thunder closed out Charlotte by holding it to empty possessions on 13 of its final 15 possessions. The Bobcats had five turnovers in that eight-minute stretch. Those are really impressive figures, and only now is it becoming commonplace to see the Thunder on the right end of them.
- Serge Ibaka played his tail off doing what he does best — being an energy guy — from start to finish. He had three blocks in the first eight minutes and was an animal on the boards (game-high 13). He added 12 points to secure his ninth double-double of the year. Ibaka finished with five blocks, giving him 23 in his last four games.
- I guess I have to say Ibaka’s man defense on Boris Diaw was awful. Ibaka single-handedly allowed Diaw to join the list of players who’d be All-Stars if they played the Thunder every night. To my knowledge, it includes Tony Allen, Trevor Booker and Matt Bonner. Am I missing anyone?
- On a serious note, I had visions of Jeff Green being out there as I watched Diaw light up Ibaka. Green could have defended Diaw much better on the perimeter and perhaps not have gotten beat off the dribble as easily as Ibaka. Granted, Diaw could have made Green his…in the painted area. Still. Green is gone and it’s all water under the bridge, I know. But that little game within the game illustrated the benefits of having a 4-man as versatile as Green was. It’s not all gravy having Ibaka in that spot.
The Search For A 15th Man
Shaun Livingston served as the 15th man for a time with the Thunder. Who might it be this year?
Days after Thursday’s trading deadline saw four players shipped out of Oklahoma City and only return three, effectively creating one open roster spot, speculation about which player might join the Thunder began to run rampant.
Corey Brewer and Jason Kapono were two of the early names the Thunder reportedly had interest in.
But on Tuesday, the team’s plans for the 15th position became a little bit clearer. And those plans don’t sound like they include Corey Brewer or Jason Kapono types.
“That 15th spot, nothing against that 15th spot because I was that 15th spot a few times in my career, it’s very slim that that spot plays,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “It’s usually a high energy (player) that makes practices very competitive.”
Look back through the Thunder’s history and you’ll see that precise pattern.
During the 2008-09 season, the Thunder signed center Steven Hill to man that spot, then waived him when Nenad Krstic agreed to an offer sheet. Point guard Chucky Atkins was then acquired as part of a mid-season trade with Denver and assumed the role. Late in that season, Shaun Livingston was signed as the 15th man when Joe Smith was waived on March 1.
Last season, the Thunder started the year with Ryan Bowen as its 15th man. Bowen logged just eight minutes in one game before being waived. He was replaced by Mike Wilks in late November. Wilks played just 59 minutes over four games. When the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor, it had to take on Matt Harpring’s contract as well, forcing the team to waive Livingston and Wilks. The Thunder later waived Harpring (who was injured and never reported to OKC) and signed Antonio Anderson from the D-League’s Rio Valley Grande Vipers as the 15th man. Anderson played 15 minutes in just one game while lasting on two 10-day contracts. In mid-March, the Thunder replaced Anderson with guard Mustafa Shakur, first inking him to a 10-day contract, then for the rest of the season. Shakur never appeared in a game for the Thunder.
Going off the Thunder’s history, the current spot would seemingly be filled by a lesser known player, perhaps from the D-League or a veteran who can provide a stabilizing presence. A few of the more realistic names include: Leon Powe, Elijah Millsap, Dominic McGuire, Jannero Pargo, Devin Brown, Trenton Hassell, Da’Sean Butler, Kyle Weaver (yes, that Kyle Weaver) and Ime Udoka.
That’s all just more speculation, of course, as there is a chance, albeit remote, the spot goes unfilled.
“We’ve talked about it,” Brooks said. “It’s always a spot that can stay available. I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out how we can integrate our players that we have now. I’m not sure if we’re going to use that or not. But if we do, I know it’s going to be another player that we can know what to expect from him. He’s going to be a good kid. He’s going to be a worker. And he’s going to have some good skill sets.”
And just because the Thunder now has a logjam at point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center doesn’t mean a more natural small forward is the target, Brooks said.
“We have a lot of options with our team that we can throw different lineups out there,” said Brooks. “Kevin (Durant) does not really have a true backup, but Daequan Cook can play there, Thabo (Sefolosha) can play there, we can throw James (Harden) there, we can throw Kevin at the 4. We can throw different lineups on the floor that if we pick up somebody it doesn’t necessarily (have to be) a 3.”
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A Case For Greg Oden In Oklahoma City
Allow me to steal a phrase from Russell Westbrook for this one.
“Why not?”
If you’re Thunder GM Sam Presti, why not go after Greg Oden in free agency next summer? Why not take a chance on the one-time center sensation whose promise has faded because of faulty knees?
It would only be the greatest low-risk, high-reward maneuver we’ve ever seen Presti pull. And there have been plenty, most of them beyond question of the high-reward variety. We saw it with the near signing of C.J. Miles and the eventually rescinded trade for Tyson Chandler. We saw it with the successful signing of Nenad Krstic and the completed trade for Thabo Sefolosha. And, most similarly, we saw it with the flyer Presti took on Shaun Livingston, who nearly four years after a near career-ending knee injury still is navigating his full-time comeback.
Oden, the Blazers announced Wednesday, will soon undergo his second microfracture surgery, this time on his left knee. He missed the entire 2007-08 season following the same procedure on his right knee. And suddenly, with this latest news, Oden’s days in Portland seem to be done.
The Blazers decided against offering Oden a contract extension prior to the Nov. 1 deadline, making him the first No. 1 overall pick since Kwame Brown who failed to receive a new deal following his rookie contract. Although Oden is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next summer, giving Portland the right to match any offer a team throws his way, there are already reports that the Blazers might decline to retain those rights. Which of course makes perfect sense. Former Thunder assistant general manager Rich Cho, the new GM of the Blazers, has no reason to keep Oden. His selection was on former Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard’s watch. Now, it seems the sooner Cho can wipe his hands of what’s become a sad, if not embarrassing, set of setbacks the better.
Oden will forever be known as the bust who was taken ahead of Thunder star Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft. But the longer Oden stays with the Blazers, the more that troublesome truth will define his career, while also hanging over the Portland franchise. It’s time both parties parted ways.
And what better place is there for Oden to escape Durant’s shadow than Oklahoma City? Rather than toil through life as the answer to a trivia question, Oden could redefine his career by joining forces with Durant and perhaps someday compete for championships alongside him.
Shaun Livingston lands with Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Observer reports that former Thunder guard Shaun Livingston has signed a contract with the Charlotte Bobcats.
Shaun Livingston
Livingston was signed by OKC in the middle of the 2008-09 season, and was waived early last year when the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor from Utah.
Livingston showed flashes of brilliance during his time in OKC, and finished out last season with the Washington Wizards.
But he is perhaps best known for his unfortunate knee injury that almost cost him his career in 2007 while with the Los Angeles Clippers — against Charlotte.
I always cringe when watching knee injuries, and this one was by far the worst I’ve ever seen. But what would a blog post about Shaun Livingston be without the video?
Thunder Acquires Maynor, Waives Livingston, Wilks
The Oklahoma City Thunder has acquired rookie point guard Eric Maynor in a trade with Utah, The Oklahoman has learned.
In exchange, the Thunder will send the draft rights to Peter Fehse, a 2002 second-round pick, to Utah. The deal, which is expected to be announced Tuesday night, will also bring Matt Harpring’s expiring $6.5 million contract to Oklahoma City, but the 33-year-old Harpring is out for the season after numerous ailments and surgeries deteriorated his performance.
To make room for Maynor and Harpring, the Thunder will release reserve guards Shaun Livingston and Mike Wilks.
Maynor, the 20th overall pick out of Virginia Commonwealth, is averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.
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Thunder 109, Pistons 98
Observations, news and notes from Friday night’s 109-98 win over Detroit:
- The Pistons played without Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince.
- Rodney Stuckey tried to replace their scoring by himself. And for a moment, it looked like he would. Stuckey had 20 points in the first half, hitting seven of 14 shots and six of six free throws. He got to the basket whenever he wanted to, routinely beating Thabo Sefolosha off the dribble. But his big first half was the biggest blessing in disguise for the Thunder. Dude was completely out of control in the third quarter, forcing shots and hurting his team. He was 4-for-10 the rest of the way but finished with a season-high 31.
- For a moment, it looked like the Thunder could really lose this game. The Pistons thoroughly outplayed the Thunder in the first quarter, shooting 57 percent and controlling the game by controlling the glass.
- Oklahoma City outscored the Pistons in each of the final three quarters.
- The 11-4 run that the Thunder closed the second quarter on was huge. It gave the Thunder a 52-51 lead at halftime and OKC extended it to six 4 1/2 minutes into the third period.
- Consider James Harden the player of the game. Without his fourth quarter the Thunder don’t win this game. The rookie is quickly establishing himself as the team’s best playmaker. It seems Scott Brooks should start putting the ball in his hands at the top of the key more often and just let him get the team into something. He had a game-high eight assists tonight, five in the fourth quarter.
- Before anyone declares that previous statement a knock on Russell Westbrook, it’s not. Westbrook had a bad night tonight but he still needs to have the ball in his hands to improve. But maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Brooks to insert the more natural playmaker and let Westbrook see how it’s done when he’s having a bad night. Or at the very least leave Westbrook on the floor but let Harden be the playmaker.
- Serge Ibaka is coming along, folks. He had 12 points and and five rebounds in 23 minutes. Six of those points came in the decisive fourth quarter.
- The Pistons had 31 fouls. The Thunder had 16. The Thunder had 36 free throws. the Pistons had 16.
- Kevin Durant bounced back tonight. Not a great shooting performance (7-for-17) but much better than 4-for-18.
- Nenad Krstic had 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots — in just 16 minutes, 26 seconds.
- I was hoping Will Bynum gave me a highlight dunk tonight. It didn’t have to be over someone. I just wanted to see the little guy get up. Everyone knows he can get up.
- As Mike Baldwin wrote about for Saturday, the bench was big tonight. Nick Collison and Shaun Livingston, to an extend, joined Ibaka and Harden to turn the tide.
- Jonas Jerebko is a player.
- Thunder fans were wondering all last season why Chris Wilcox wasn’t playing. Well, he barely gets minutes on the Pistons behind Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace. Speaks volumes.
- The Thunder is now 11-3 when leading after three quarters and 11-0 when scoring 100 points or more.
THEY SAID IT
- Scott Brooks on the game: “I thought our bench came in and gave us a big lift in the first quarter. I thought some of our starters were not ready to play. They didn’t come out with the intensity for what it takes to play in this league.
- Brooks on Serge Ibaka: “Serge was very good tonight. That is two games in a row…He is still learning what we are doing. But you saw it tonight, he is getting it. He is focused. We try and keep it simple with him.”
- Brooks on James Harden: “James had eight assists in Detroit and had eight assists tonight. He is a very, very good playmaker. We drafted him to be a playmaker. He can score the ball or find the open man…I just like the way he plays. He plays hard and he plays for his teammates and he is not just looking to score the basketball.”
- Harden on his performance: “I was just aggressive. My teammates helped me out and I looked for them as well. They knocked down some open shots and key plays.
- Nick Collison on the team’s bench: “We got some talented guys off the bench. We do have a pretty good feel of how to play with each other. We know our offense is going to come, starting with James in that second group…We’re pretty deep and it’s definitely and advantage that we have.”
- Collison on Houston: “Houston’s a team we’ve had a lot of trouble with in the past. Just a really good team top to bottom. Real solid. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. Defensively, they’re real solid so we’re going to have to move the ball. It’s not a game where we can just play one-on-one because the help’s going to be there. We’ll have to be ready to play. It’s a physical team. We’ll have to do a lot of things well to win.”
BY THE NUMBERS
10: Blocked shots by the Thunder.
13: Biggest lead by OKC.
16: Offensive rebounds by Detroit.
24: Assists by the Thunder.
50: Percent shooting by the Thunder.
53.3: 3-point percentage by OKC.
109: Points by the Thunder, the third highest of the season.
17,774: Announced attendance inside the Ford Center.
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Nuggets 102, Thunder 93
Observations, news and notes from Monday night’s game.
- A 30-17 second quarter was the difference in the game. The Nuggets used the period to open a 55-40 lead at halftime and the Thunder never could recover. Never even got close.
- Oklahoma City went down big early and couldn’t recover because no one could make a shot. The Thunder shot 36.4 percent in the first half. And the problem was OKC kept shooting from the outside instead of attacking the rim.
- The Nuggets had a 19-9 advantage at the free throw line in the first half, an indication of which team was the more aggressive ballclub early.
- The Thunder again had trouble on the defensive glass, allowing 14 offensive rebounds. Kenyon Martin and Nene combined for 10 offensive rebounds. The Thunder ultimately won the overall rebounding battle 41-40 but Denver’s early rebounding helped the Nuggets jump out to their lead.
- In the end, this was a game that came down to the better team simply outperforming an inferior team. Because when you look at the box score none of it really explains how this was a blowout for much of the game. Both teams shot right at 40 percent. The Thunder, as I mentioned, won the overall rebounding battle. OKC had three more turnovers, but the Nuggets scored seven less points off OKC’s giveaways. The Thunder made more 3-pointers, had more assists and finished with more points in the paint. Denver attempted nine more free throws and made eight more, the only stat that provides some sort of explanation. But even that is misleading because some of those attempts at the line came down the stretch.
- Carmelo Anthony made some tough shots. This game showed why he’s considered the league’s best all-around scorer. He puts the ball in the basket from anywhere and has a knack for scoring even when he’s tightly covered. Some of the baskets he made while Kevin Durant and Jeff Green were hanging on him made you feel sorry for Green and KD. There was nothing more they could do. Melo just makes shots. And makes them look easy.
- Durant, for the second time in as many days, stood toe-to-toe with one of the game’s best, matching Melo’s skills before coming up short because of a lack of assistance. Durant had a game-high 32 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. He was 9-for-20 from the field, but the only other Thunder players who shot a good percentage were Thabo Sefolosha and Nick Collison.
- Green got off to a great start but lost his rhythm when he needed stitches in his lip to control a cut he sustained in the third quarter while attempting to block a shot. He missed most of the third quarter but returned to play in the fourth. He finished with eight points on 3-for-9 shooting. Green made some nice hustle plays and smart decisions, though, and also had seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
- Pretty high praise from Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups after the game: “I love that team. They got a lot of young players that can really play. They play extremely hard. They were coming in on a back-to-back. We knew they’d be a little tired. But I got a lot of respect for that team. I like them a lot.”
- James Harden had some unreal set-ups. Although Shaun Livingston is currently the backup point guard it’s Harden who has been running the second unit of late. He had five assists in 24 minutes.
- Chris Andersen had a monster game off the bench. How he gets 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals is a mystery to me. An even bigger mystery is how he got to the free throw line 10 times and made nine of them.
- J.R. Smith came off the bench to score 19 points and join Anderson to form a deadly one-two punch that the Thunder had no counter for.
- Of all things that the Thunder couldn’t or didn’t do right, the one thing that OKC did a great job of was limiting Denver in transition. The Nuggets had only five fast break points. This could have been a much more encouraging performance had the Thunder made more shots, boxed out better and turned the ball over less. Yes, that’s asking a lot. But for the most part, the strength of this team showed up tonight. The Thunder held the league’s highest scoring team, one that averages 116 points at home, to six points under its season average and hampered the Nuggets into only 40 percent shooting.
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Cavs 102, Thunder 89
The scowl on Kevin Durant’s face said he was serious.
But the significance of his issue wasn’t illustrated until the soft-spoken star parted his lips to confront his concern.
Durant had seen enough of the LeBron James love festival in his home arena and this was his attempt to squash it. He started with a stare. It grew into a scolding.
The courtside fan didn’t know what hit him.
With his exploits, James had transformed the gentleman seated in the high-priced seat from fiery foe to friendly fan. For three quarters, the man offered his best Jack Nicholson, mercilessly heckling Cleveland’s superstar forward. No. 23 in the wine and gold even jawed back, on one trip down court appearing to annoyingly mouth the words, ‘Sue me.”
But the fan slowly became a witness.
James ended the first half by scoring each of the Cavs’ final 12 points. He had two three-point plays, a jump hook off the glass from the right block and two rim-rocking dunks. Twelve minutes later, James ended the third period in even more spectacular fashion, burying a barrage of deep 3-pointers en route to scoring Cleveland’s final 10 points of the period.
By then, James had the middle-aged man fawning over his feats.
Just before James inbounded the ball near the fan at the start of the final period, the man extended a closed fist. James graciously bumped knuckles. Durant, noticing the exchange while wrangling with his shoe laces, furrowed his brow then took exception.
“You supposed to be on our side,” Durant said, pinching a piece of his white Thunder jersey. “What kind of fan are you?”
Durant had made his statement — although it would have rung louder had he not gone 0-for-6 with two turnovers in the decisive fourth quarter. With the concise confrontation, one that was not completely caught on camera and certainly unclear to much of the sold out crowd of 18,203, Durant sent a subliminal message that he’s sick of playing second fiddle and tired of his Thunder taking a backseat.
Imagine it from Durant’s viewpoint. Here he is, standing toe-to-toe with one of the game’s best, matching the league’s reigning MVP shot-for-shot, scratching and searching for yet another statement victory, and he can’t tighten up his shoe laces for the stretch run without seeing what’s supposed to be a supporter fist-bumping Bron Bron.
That’s why the reprimand was as encouraging of an act as we’ve seen from Durant, who slowly is shedding his shell and growing before our eyes and learning how to lead.
It said Durant is holding everyone accountable, from himself to his teammates to his home fans.
It said the Thunder’s budding star wants more responsibility and has prepared his scrawny shoulders to bear the blow should that desire backfire.
It said the face of the franchise is now ready to play the part, willing to speak up when needed and offer his opinion on the direction of the organization — even if it means starting with simple instructions on how to properly root for the home team.
“He just needed to kind of go through the league and get bumped and bruised a little bit to figure out how not only he can be effective as an individual, but how he can help his team be effective and have success in the win-loss column,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown of Durant. “The maturation process that he’s going through is evident not only in his numbers but in the team’s win-loss record. Because that’s what superstars do.”
Thunder 102, Grizzlies 94
Observations, news and notes from Friday night’s game:
- The Thunder got off to a 9-2 run in the first 3 minutes, 25 seconds.
- There was a great sequence with 4:40 remaining in the first. Thabo Sefolosha recovered to block a layup attempt by O.J. Mayo when he beat Sefolosha backdoor. It led to a Thunder run out that ended with a Kevin Durant layup.
- OKC had eight assists on its first nine baskets, getting out to its lead because of unselfishness and ball movement.
- Marc Gasol looked like a giant on the court…and played huge early, too. His length on the glass was a bit of a problem and it allowed him to be in position for easy putbacks and finishes throughout the game. I think it’s time people realize that the Lakers did get a much better deal in the Pau Gasol trade. But it wasn’t as raw of a deal as people make it out to be.
- Shaun Livingston got the backup point guard minutes for the second straight game, checking in late in the first quarter. He did a nice job running the team, but more encouraging to me was his lateral movement looked solid as well while defending and staying in front of the shifty Jamaal Tinsley.
- James Harden posterized Hasheem Thabeet early in the second quarter. Thabeet blocked Harden twice before that so it was almost payback.
- Harden’s final stat line in no way explains the impact he had on the game. He played the entire fourth quarter, taking minutes from Sefolosha and served as the team’s facilitator in the fourth quarter and played solid defense on O.J. Mayo.
- It’s getting old, but Nick Collison gave great effort and huge minutes once again. He rebounded well, blocked shots, took charges and
- Russell Westbrook hit a few pull-up jumpers in the first half and his stroke looked silky smooth. That aspect of his game has been the least discussed area of his improvement.
- The Thunder lead 56-42 at halftime.
- The home broadcast pointed out something that I didn’t know. Durant entered the game leading the league in third-quarter scoring at nine points per game.
- Oklahoma City then scored just 10 points in the third period. Durant had six of them.
- Durant’s rebounding was impressive throughout the game. He really attacked the glass and gave the Thunder second-chance opportunities and helped OKC close out possessions with rebounds. He finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals. It was his fifth double-double this season.
- After blowing a 17-point lead and going into the fourth period down by four, the Thunder went on a 24-6 run to break the game open and go back up 90-76.
- The Thunder is now 10-0 when scoring 100 points or more.
- Rudy Gay played an awful game. He never looked like he wanted to play and was never a factor. Gay finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. But he was 4-for-16 from the field.
- Oklahoma City had 10 blocked shots.
- Zach Randolph was a load and had 19 points and 20 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds. He had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the third quarter alone, sparking the Grizzlies’ 28-10 period. His 13 rebounds in the quarter set a franchise record.
- Hats off to Westbrook’s all-around game. 23 points, seven assists, six rebounds only three turnovers.
- Nenad Krstic also had one of his best games of the season with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. He had a dunk late in the game, the first time I’ve seen him dunk in quite some time. It was with two hands no less.
- The Thunder was 4-for-19 from 3-point range.
- The Grizzlies were 4-for-18 from deep.
- The Thunder is now 12-9, the first time the franchise has been three games over .500 in five years.
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Thunder 104, Warriors 88
If ever you get sick of hearing about the character of the Thunder, about how the players genuinely get along, or how they’re good for the community, Monday’s game served as a reminder of the shade of green that lies on the other side.
Golden State, in 48 minutes, should have shown you all you needed to thank the basketball gods after every game for the type of players being gathered in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder has a locker room filled with 20-somethings who understand the meaning of team. They play hard and they play for each other. They spend time off the court and they do their damndest to ensure everyone excels on it.
Golden State is a franchise in turmoil.
Center Mikki Moore, on one possession, adamantly argued a personal foul call, what would have been his third. He never showed that he cared that when the ref changed the call it wound up being Stephen Curry’s fourth foul and made the more important player sit. Later, Moore looked truly ticked when Anthony Randolph snared a board away from him in the second half. And then there was guard Monta Ellis, who took 28 shots, had nine turnovers, two assists and the nerve to still callously clap his hands to demand the ball from his teammates — only one of which had more than nine field-goal attempts.
Notice the Thunder’s shot distribution: Kevin Durant 24, Russell Westbrook 17, Jeff Green 16, James Harden 13. There was a possession in the first half when two Thunder players battled under the boards and the refs didn’t know which player ultimately tipped in a shot and deserved the trip to the foul line for the And One. Green attempted to clear up the mess by voluntarily pointing to Nick Collison instead of taking the credit.
The Warriors never displayed that teamwork and never seemed to care about winning this game. Padding stats and preventing injury was perhaps the main items on their mental game plans. I actually felt bad for Curry as I watched him glide through this game and his rookie season on a team so polluted.
Meanwhile, Thunder rookie James Harden nets 26 points with nine rebounds, both career-highs, because teammates like Durant, Green and Westbrook are encouraging him to shoot more and play second fiddle less. Players like Thabo Sefolosha and Nenad Krstic can score a combined nine points on seven shot attempts and be completely satisfied because they know a 16-point win feels better than a 16-point blowout so long as they got theirs.
It’s easy to refuse the Thunder’s rhetoric. Easy to roll your eyes when GM Sam Presti takes the mic at an introductory press conference and touts a player’s character while his career numbers appear crummy.
But contaminated clubs like the Warriors team that Walked into the Ford Center on Monday night proved that Oklahoma City has something special on its hands.
Thunder fans should be thanking the basketball gods.
