Wednesday Bolts – 12.17.08

On the Basketball Jones, Skeets and Tas talk Thunder pain:

Ep. 361: Nowhere To Go But Up from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

• Behind the Box score from Ball Don’t Lie: “All five Clippers were in double-figures, and far be it for me to slam these guys, but the only team the Clips could have beaten on Tuesday night is the Thunder. This team is fast becoming my least favorite, matching highly-paid veteran entitlement with nasty, perimeter-obsessed, lazy play. So let’s briefly touch on the Thunder, who need to turn the ball over less, and have to get to the line more, and need to talk more defensively. Kevin Durant had 25 and five rebounds in 40 minutes, but he was abysmal when the ball wasn’t in his hands. Chris Wilcox (13 points in 17 minutes) had a nice run in the first half, and while Earl Watson had 12 assists off the bench, I swear he’s killing this team. He’s one of those guys that, if he makes a nice move at half court to get into the lane with a 3-on-2, he thinks he’s allowed to keep the ball and make a horrible move and miss the shot. But it’s justified because of the behind-the-back move at half court. The Clippers should trade for him.” Perfect analysis of Earl. Per-fect.

• Clay Bennett has been named Oklahoman of the Year by Oklahoma Today: “No one came close to Clay Bennett as we set about selecting this year’s Oklahoman of the Year,” said Louisa McCune-Elmore, Oklahoma Today editor-in-chief. “His accomplishment presents an extraordinary moment in the life of Oklahoma, probably among the most important achievements in our capital city’s history,” said McCune-Elmore.

• Thunderguru recaps last night and makes a point I particularly agree with: “It’s time to just get it out there: Brooks, take Wilkins and Petro out of the lineup. They aren’t giving you anything. Mason should have all of Wilkin’s minutes, and some combination of Wilcox, Collison and Smith can have Petro’s. If you really need a 7 footer, give Hill a shot, or get somebody up here from the D-League. It’s Petro’s 4th season now, and it’s fair to say that he can’t help this team.”

• Game reaction from ClipperBlog: “Tonight’s game is far more agonizing than it needs to be, in large part because the Clippers insist on waging a perimeter battle against a team they should be exploiting inside. After a stellar first quarter during which the Clippers use Randolph down low to engage the Thunder on the block, the Clippers lull themselves to sleep with a procession of long jumpers. Al Thornton starts the trend at the outset of the second quarter when he opts to shoot over Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison — both big defenders whom Al should take off the dribble.”