Forum Blue and Gold on the Thunder: “The Thunder have been winning their way out of the highest of picks recently, 
having gone 5-5 in their last 10 games — and half of those were without Durant, who was injured. Credit this year for the Thunder doing this year what last year’s Sonics did not — just turn the thing over to the kids. Let Green and Westbrook and Durant learn the hard way, but get burn and learn. As evidenced by recent games, they are learning.”
A very entertaining article on Kevin Durant in the Washington Post: “Banned from bowling because of a sprained right ankle, Kevin Durant was at the back of a bowling alley here in the Bricktown area of downtown one recent evening, doing what he usually does when he’s not playing basketball — playing the Xbox video game “NBA 2K9.” Durant clicked his video game controller and, with the regularity of the falling pins, confused his opponent, 13-year-old Alex Lemcke, by repeating the words, “Slap that.” It wasn’t trash talk so much as a way to motivate Durant through what turned out to be a more competitive than expected game. After nervously watching Lemcke’s computer-generated Kobe Bryant miss a potential game-tying three-pointer, the real life Durant celebrated his close win by quietly pumping his fist. Then he high-fived Lemcke. The slapping — Durant’s word for “beating” — was complete.” I must say the line, “Durant actually likes Oklahoma City…” is a little strange. Actually?
Thabo checked in at No. 5 in SportsCenter’s Top 10 and got some love from other outlets with his swat of Kobe. Roll the footage!
The LA Times Lakers Blog asks if Oklahomans get tired of Oklahoma! the song. That’s like asking if Americans get tired of the Star Spangled Banner. You don’t really notice singing and hearing it over and over because it’s just kind of part of you. Plus, it’s kind of catchy.
Nice article on Scott Brooks by his hometown paper: “Lee Brooks could tell a thousand stories about her son’s rise to the NBA, but there’s only time for a few before she has to get back to work at the family car wash. Scott Brooks, a former NBA player and the interim head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the youngest of seven children born to a single mother. He was born in French Camp and raised in Lathrop. He inherited his mother’s grit and found a father figure in East Union High School basketball coach Bill Stricker.”
Steve Aschburner on who could take home the Eddie Gottlieb trophy (that’s what the Rookie of the Year trophy is called): “Unlike Durant, who dominated the in-season rookie votes, winning the honor in five out of six months, this year’s freshman class has shared in the praise. Lopez broke Rose’s stranglehold on the award by winning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors in January and February. Westbrook has gained enough admirers to generate a tomato-tomahto choice with Rose akin, for some, to the Chris Paul-Deron Williams debate that has raged since ’05. And Mayo, at one time considered Rose’s greatest challenge for the ROY prize, has seen his impressive first-half numbers (19.6 points on 45 percent shooting in his first 48 games) slide (15.6 points on 39.1 percent shooting since) to come back to the pack.”
I’m with Darnell all the way on this point: “Suddenly, after the past two games, there are some serious questions Thunder coach Scott Brooks needs to answer about why Earl Watson can’t even get on the court at this point. The Thunder led by as many as 32 against Minnesota on Sunday and Watson still ended up with the DNP. The Lakers were up by as many as 24 in this one and the same DNP sits adjacent his name tonight.” What’s the deal? It’s no longer, “We’re just giving Chucky some time” anymore. Something is going on. And I’d like to know, thank you.
Ball Don’t Lie power rankings: “17-21, over the last three months. Unremarkable? They were 3-29 over the first two months of the season. Scott, motherflippin’, Brooks.”
KD still No. 2 in ESPN’s Award Watch: “He has 19 30-point games this season. He has raised his scoring average by six points per game, and increased his shooting percentage from 43 percent as a freshman to 48.4 percent as a sophomore. Throw in the improved 3-point shooting (from 28.8 to 44 percent) and rebounding (from 4.4 to 6.6) and he may steal away the award that has been Harris’ to win or lose all season.”
Shoals says hold off on calling this year’s draft class stinky. And I totally, totally agree with him: “The point? Yes, sometimes the tournament yields a plethora of hyped-up underclassmen. Or, more substantially, lottery guys who have played their way into the top-five. Helin’s right that we’re not seeing a lot of potential lottery picks really distinguish themselves. But this is only the first part of the process. It may be the end of that college stuff, but just wait till the ping-pong balls settle, workouts begin, and the pre-draft rumor mill inexplicably starts to inflate and crush players within sniffing distance of the first round. And the best part is, there’s no telling how a draft will look three pro seasons later. So while the headline makes for good copy, the conclusion is, to say the least, premature.”
BDL, Behind the Box Score: “So the Lakers came out full of fire, Oklahoma City competed and actually outscored the Lakers in the second half, but this thing was long over by then. The Lakers made sure of it. Kobe Bryant didn’t shoot well to start the game, but Lamar Odom (fouled out in 24 minutes, but came through with 18 and six rebounds) was quite active to start things, and Pau Gasol was running the offense from the inside out. Yay, yay, yay. Love that offense. Eight points, three rebounds, and four assists in the first quarter for Gasol, as Los Angeles won the period 37-20.”
Sean Deveney’s power poll: “Nice to see SF D.J. White make it back in time to finish out the season with the Thunder. He had a growth removed from his jaw before the season, and hasn’t yet had the chance to play as a rookie. He did look good (17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds) in three games in the D-League.”
And David Thorpe’s rookie rankings should be here about noon.
@Chris T
I don't exactly know what you mean by that, but I linked it in Tuesday's Bolts and mentioned it the pre-gamer for the Laker game. Phil can say what he wants - he's got nine titles.
Royce,
Just read the Zenmaster's quote about OKC fans, came here to get your take- blaring omission. This is DailyThunder, right?
@Keith
I'm going to have to disagree with your logic on BJ Mullens, Demar DeRozan and Greg Monroe (and I love Monroe and DeRozan). I think the fact that they were not ready to contribute immensely for their college teams in a dominant fashion proves that, as of the 2009 draft, they would be considered huge risks because they're clearly not NBA ready.
That is why last year's draft was so great, because all of the freshman who declared for the draft did absolutely dominate the college basketball landscape in their freshman year, proving how good and NBA ready they were. Thus, by your own admission, Monroe, Mullens and Derozen are not surefire talents because they are clearly NOT NBA ready.
And I think the example of Blake Griffin is also telling. He didn't stay because people were questioning his NBA readiness or ability to contribute immediately, he stayed to play one more year with his brother and other factors, not because he hadn't proved enough (I mean he would have been a top 5 or top 10 pick).
I think you and I, and the majority of scouts and GM's, have different ideas on what "great talent" is. If they're not ready to be a starter right now in the NBA, then they're not amazing talents (yes all rookies struggle, but you know what I mean). Could they be starters? Sure, Maybe. But the risk factor of the possibility that they might not pan out currently and adamantly outweighs the positives of their potential upsides. And also Keith, you only listed 3 players that "might" have the potential be starters or regular players in an NBA lineup. And I agree with you, which is precisely why this draft is so thin. Everyone after the first two picks (if Rubio can agree on a buyout) are ginormous question marks and have lower ceilings than in drafts past. Hence the thin label on this draft.
@joey
Actually joey, if everyone declares, there are plenty of great talents. The problem is that several of the guys expected to declare this year haven't realized their potential. Think about Griffin. He was considered a top 5 pick last year, which isn't saying all that much because we already knew who the top 3 were. This year people are saying he's a better prospect than either Rose or Beasley. The same is true of guys like BJ Mullens, Demar DeRozan, or Greg Monroe. All those guys have the talent to be serious gamechangers in the NBA, they just aren't ready to do that right now. If all those guys go back to school and show the improvement and consistency that comes with experience, scouts could be saying how great a class 2010 will be.
I understand the point about "you don't know how strong a draft class is until three pro seasons later," but the reality is that scouts have a pretty good idea (after all, that's their job) about how many solid "game changers, starters and role players" there are in a draft class. And barring heretofore unforeseen improvements, almost every single scout, GM and talent evaluator agrees that this draft and next year's 2010 class are the thinnest drafts with the most question marks in the last decade.
I'm just super pumped that these are the drafts where we have a ton of first and second round picks...aren't you all? (really hoping the sarcasm/depression is tangible through the words)
But hopefully the fire sale on free agents will yield some steals this summer.
Whoa, I didn't notice that. He's definitely not a SF. He's a straight power forward if there ever was one.
wait a second
so what is DJ white's natural position again?
I have seen SF and PF, is he good enough to be both Durant's and Green's back up?