HoopsWorld talked with the Commissioner: “I love talking about the greatness of our youngsters. The continued 
greatness of the Shaqs, the Kobes, the Nashes, Duncans, Garnetts, combined with the fusion of these youngsters like Derrick Rose-who’s receiving his much-deserved Rookie of the Year award-Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, it’s just an incredible group. And they’re incredible on and off the court… I’m happy with the way it’s all come together, and I’m very proud of our players.”
The On Deck Circle’s top six guys to build a franchise around: “No. 6, Kevin Durant: watch out for this guy. If he puts on a little bit more muscle he will be one of the most serious threats in the NBA and his supporting cast in Oklahoma is getting better.”
Scott Howard-Cooper of SI on the MIP debate: “Most Improved Player is a great debate. Kevin Durant ordinarily shouldn’t be in contention — his strides came from the first season to second, when players should make their big move with the rookie learning curve complete. But Durant, who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2007 and projected for stardom, has exceeded the normal trajectory. It wasn’t hard to find a coach or executive who would knock him last season as a gunner more than a scorer without a clue about defense. This season, with much more discipline in his offense, Durant went from shooting 43 percent to 47.6, and from 20.3 points a game to 25.3, despite just 24 more attempts.”
Luke Byrnes of HoopsWorld looks at four “can’t miss” prospects of this draft. One, I’m not so sure is can’t miss. I kind of feel like he is “probably miss”: “Thabeet was expected by many to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 draft coming into the college season and did little to fall from the top spot and instead was leap-frogged by the likes of Griffin and 18-year old international point guard prospect Ricky Rubio. Thabeet (7-3, 265) is a true, back to the basket center in an era with a dearth of legitimate big men, making some of his deficiencies easier to overlook than other prospects in this year’s draft. While the big fella certainly has several chinks in his armor he has thrived in a major-college program for three years as one of the premier shot blockers in the country and has steadily improved his offensive game and rebounding, averaging 10.8 rebounds per game in his final season under Coach Jim Calhoun. Thabeet lacks polish in the offiensive post and is less than physical on the defensive end, but his athleticism, work ethic and ability to run the floor are certainly intruiging aspects to his game which make this shot blocking specialist a definite Top-5 pick and a player who will make an immediate impact on the NBA level.”
A comment from reader Alex: “Please don’t ask me how I got this information but on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this morning Kristin Chenowith, the Broadway star from OKC, was wearing a KD jersey during her interview…” Hopefully I can get a picture of that soon. For more than one reason if you know what I mean…. HEY! (Also, don’t forget that she was this year’s Ogle Madness champ) Update: OK, I got one: More update: Video! I’m a Kristin Chenowith fan now (even though there’s probably a zero percent chance I ever see anything she’s in). Very cool that she did that.
The honeymoon is over, Greg Oden: “Injuries aside (he missed 21 games this year), when Oden has played he’s been a magnet for refs’ whistles. In 61 regular-season games, he had five-plus fouls in 23 of them, and that doesn’t include fouling out in Game 2 of Portland’s series against Houston. He’s had some standout games — 24 points and 15 boards against Milwaukee, 17 and 12 with six blocks against New York — but his development is still behind the curve, especially when you see that ‘07 Draft classmates Kevin Durant and Al Horford are leaving Oden in the dust.”
It’s almost certain that Clay Bennett will be keeping his $30 million: “People in Seattle may be able to hear the sounds of champagne corks popping in Oklahoma City Sunday night. It appears that former Sonics-turned-Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett will get to hold on to the additional $30 million he agreed to pay Seattle when he moved the NBA team last year. That payment would’ve been made had Seattle not gotten a new team within five years and if the Legislature approved a plan this year to dedicate future tax monies to help refurbish KeyArena if another professional basketball team became available. Senate Bill 6116 would’ve done that, as well as directing existing hotel and restaurant taxes now being used for Seattle’s sports stadiums to things like tourism promotion, the arts and low income housing. Barring a Lazarus-like rise from the dead by 6116 in the final hours of the ’09 session, Bennett may turn out to be the biggest winner of this tough legislative session.”
Draft Express situational statistics on the center position: “There are a number of reasons to be skeptical about Thabeet’s ability to score on the NBA level. First, he got only 11.8 possessions per-game on the offensive end this season, 5.4 of which came on catch and finish opportunities off of offensive rebounds, cuts, or otherwise. His total touches would rank him second to last amongst our power forward group and in the middle of the pack amongst our centers. He shot 73% on his finishing opportunities, using his size effectively and dunking anything he could, and also shows some ability to get up the floor and make some small contributions in transition. Nearly all of Thabeet’s touches came within 5 feet of the rim, as evidenced by the fact that he only took 14 jumpers all season. His 1.08 PPP on the block was better than any player we looked at with the exception of DaJuan Blair, but his 4.1 touches was below average for a center. Obviously Thabeet did a solid job getting more touches as time went on, but he’s still didn’t generate many scoring chances as a senior in comparison to the players he’s competing with for draft position.”
Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Gate wants to trim the league of six teams: “No. 2 Oklahoma City: Was that some kind of joke, bailing out on Seattle? The fans up there deserved better, and players throughout the league miss going there. Despite an early rush of excitement, there’s no NBA future in Oklahoma City.” Is that a challenge Mr. Jenkins? Because I like challenges.
@Ransom
Blah Blah Blah. What I said had nothing to do with Seattle.
@Steve H
Ya really. We're all hardcore out here in the midwest yo.
@Alex
Bangerang
16 of the NBA cities are playing with someone else's team...
While Mr. Jenkins may have gone a littler far in say there is no future for the NBA in OKC you claiming that that city doesn't deserve anything fun is little more than whiny hyperbole. It very possible that you guys do deserve an NBA team, but certainly no more than Seattle did. Could someone from Seattle just as easily claim that "What? we dont deserve anything good or fun here?!". Again, Oklahoma city may very well prove it deserves an NBA team...it just woulda been nice if it did that with its own team, not someone else's. @Jax Raging Bile Duct
I don't read articles like that . . . we have the team, so that's that - it's no use reading an article about some guy half a world away that knows little about our state - so I don't even bother to hit the hyperlink - I just want the Thunder to get better . . .
So... spitting on the floor is bad?
I just find it funny that the guy wants to get rid of OKC, a city that has shown the willingness to shell out big bucks for a team, and a city that fills the stands. If anything, he should want to get rid of the Warriors, who haven't been relevant in over 3 decades and are middle of the pack at best in attendance. Can anyone look at that team in the last 10 years and not just think, "What a waste of talent." But oh well, it's always funny when reporters from terrible teams go bashing other bad teams. It makes you wonder if they see the irony.
Also, Thabeet has bust written all over him. At this point it is just a given for talking heads to say, "He's a great shotblocker and rebounder who can really run the floor," and then just nitpick his offense. How come none of these people who supposedly scout players notice that he's never outrun anyone in a game, that there will be 3-4 times a game where he come up the floor so slowly that he's barely passed the half-court line before he turns around and heads back. Also, where's the talk of his rough transition to NBA defense (wider lane, 3 second violations)? He's only a good rebounder when he's going against short guys who don't rebound well. And even then, his 6'7" teammate brought down as many as him. Sigh, oh well again.
It's nice to see KD start getting the talk that other stars get. Hopefully it can coincide with star calls and more nationally televised games next year. If he can learn to do more than score when the ball is in his hands, we could very easily be in the playoff hunt next year. I mentioned it before the season ended, but I wish we would use him as a point-forward more. Let him utilize that crazy offensive awareness like Lebron, Wade, and Kobe. Westbrook can obviously use the help right now, why not give it to him by giving our best offensive weapon the ball?
@Jax Raging Bile Duct Really? OKC=Biggie Smalls. Really? Really? ;)
@Royce Pushing Dasies was one of my wife and I's favorite shows- but since it was recently cancelled, no, you aren't missing a thing.
Jesus... Jim Caviezel was there...(Also star of Count of Monte Cristo)
Jax Raging Bile Duct :
Maybe we can get Kristen to be our Jack Nicholson.
You know, we've really got a pretty good celebrity start.
Kristin Chenowith
Toby Keith
Carrie Underwood
Like five Miss USA's
The Flaming Lips have made an appearance
And many more...
Maybe we can get Kristen to be our Jack Nicholson.
I was going to look up the stats on much more Oklahoma City is economically stable then San Franciso (or any other CA city), but it just wasn't worth my time.
Point being...If they shed teams, they wouldn't shed a team from an economically stable city...It's just not intelligent...Further showing Jenkins to be an idiot.
I don't know about you guys, but I'll learn my lesson from Biggie Smalls ala 1997. Just like Biggie was then, we're new to the game. Just like Biggie, we're ignored at first glance. Just like Biggie, we found ourselves at the center of the angst and ire of the west coast. Someone shot Tupac and it's all our fault. Biggie should have stayed home with Faith Evans, but he packed up to go out west trying to win approval, in the process he lost Faith, and got shot in the face.
Yes, I just recently rented NOTORIOUS.
Yes, I just compared OKC to B.I.G.
Yes, if I were Biggie I'd have stuck with Lil' Kim in the first place.
This time around we'll be riding wave runners in white tuxedos, sippin' on Courvoisier in the Caribbean with Puffy in tow, rather than 6 feet under from the angst and ire of people who don't even know what's up.
I think the OKC bashing is fair game, but at the same time it is funny. Really, reporters and commentators have been poking fun at all kinds of places for years. In Seattle it was the dreary rain and latte sippers who didn't know anything about East Coast superiority. In Sacto all those years when they were good with Chris Webber, they used to call it the hick town. Fans even brought cow bells to the games to show what a cow town it was. Utah and Milwaukee are seen as the last stop to no where where no self respecting free agent would ever sign. Charlotte? New Orleans?
It's all the same. You guys should just laugh at them and then give them the biggest crap eating grin when we are stomping on Dallas and Phoenix and San Antonio in a few years in the playoffs as their dynasties flame out and ours is just beginning.
Seriously, everybody on the east coast that has a pulpit has picked on Seattle for years as well.
Actually, I should have said "will fans come from Kansas or Missouri to see Kevin Durant play in OKC?"
Answer: Damn straight!!!
Perhaps Mr. Jenkins is still smarting from Jeff's off-the-glass buzzer beater?
:)
Hey, it's not hard to tell the difference between real sports reporting and B.S., stir-the-shit style journalism. He's a waste of time.
As far as the future of NBA in OKC, it looks bright to me. Not only do we have this young team that most everyone sees as on the rise, we are right at the heart of a geographical region thirsty for NBA games. Sure Dallas and San Antonio aren't that far south (of OKC anyway), but for most of Oklahoma, we're much closer and convenient. Not to mention pretty much most of Kansas, eastern Missouri, most of Arkansas.
OKC will definitely be a regional draw for many, many people who otherwise wouldn't make the journey all the way down to Texas or New Orleans. Will fans come from Kansas or Missouri to see Lebron or Kobe play in OKC? Sure they will. Only time will tell, but I'm not concernced about OKC being able to host an NBA team over the long haul.
@Clark Matthews
Sadly no. Am I missing something good?
And you're dead on about OKC. Just think, five years ago, did any of us actually think we'd have a professional basketball team? The rest of the country still thinks we ride horse drawn wagons to work and spit on the floor. It'll get better.
Shame on you for not watching Pushing Daisies, Royce. I think she's supposed to be in David Kelley's new show in the Fall. I'm not sure much on the specifics, but the safe bet would be to guess it's about a law firm in Boston.
As for Bruce Jenkins, we just have to take our lumps now. We're the freshman pledging the NBA fraternity and we're going to get hazed for awhile. In a few years when the Thunder are competing for titles and Jenkins' Warriors are still completely lost due to horrible management, we'll see if he's still taking shots at OKC.
@ Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Gate
No future here? I guess we're just a cow town in the middle of nowhere, with no chance to ever grow or develop, with no rights to deserve anything fun or nice like an NBA team. Right?
It's too easy to jab, poke and prod at Oklahoma City. Everyone likes to pick on the little guy, it's a birthright for properly civilized citizens such as San Francisco residents. Right?
Thing is, it wouldn't matter if we reminded this guy of his article 10 years from now, after a decade of success. In his mind, we're still OKC, and that's that.
Enjoy your ivory tower on holier-than-thou lane, Mr. Jenkins.
@Joe
back to the basket center . . . LOL
--------------
Thabeet is as far from a "can't miss" as you can get - he is NOT a back to the basket center . . .
@daniel
Seriously. I've never looked forward to meaningless Summer league games like this ever before.
Damn. When do the Thunder play again? I'm in withdrawal right now.
:(
Thabeet has no business being mentioned in the high lottery. He can dunk and block shots, and little else.
*Royce posted part of the read out from draftexpress above. Sorry, forgot to mention that.
Luke Byrnes needs to take a closer look at Thabeet, if not a start from scratch look because I have no idea what he's seeing.
Thabeet, percentage wise, is one of the least efficient and least used centers in all of college basketball last year in terms of offensive possessions (www.draftexpress.com has a nice write up about it).
Thabeet has slightly, very slightly improved his offensive game but he still has no post-up moves, relies almost entirely on his teammates for his buckets and has no ability to generate his own scoring opportunities. He also allows much smaller but more physical post players to body him away from the basket and rip the ball away from him because he does not hold it up high when he does try to make a move. How this is a "steady improvement in his offense" is beyond me, except that he had nowhere to go from up, I guess.
Tack on the fact that he was a giant in the land of the small in college that relied primarily on his size advantage to score and dominate the paint (defensive 3 seconds, anyone?) and you can see the issue about him being a "probable bust" as Royce said since he will be just another 7 footer in the pro's. Especially when you consider his passive disposition as a ballplayer.
Oh, and Thabeet has bad hands, too. I see him as a defensive specialist/role player at best.
Dooney :I guess it is understandable that a San Francisco sports writer would rather write about disbanding a few NBA teams than the newly formed 49′ers threesome of Crabtree, Gore, and…..O’Sullivan/Huard…
Now that's a zing.
forgot to throw in Hill in there as well.
I guess it is understandable that a San Francisco sports writer would rather write about disbanding a few NBA teams than the newly formed 49'ers threesome of Crabtree, Gore, and.....O'Sullivan/Huard...