Summer League starts today. Oklahoma City’s first game is at 4 PM. You can watch on NBATV or buy a broadband stream from NBA.com. Or you can check back here for another (free) path to watching the game.
Russell Westbrook has been offered a professional soccer contract? News to me: “Westbrook has long been targeted by football giants Manchester United, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, with an offer of a $35 million from Sir Alex arriving at Ben Howland’s office in 2005. Contracts were signed and moneys transferred out of the soon to be indebted United treasury. But, when August’s training camp began, there was no sign of Russ. Thus began a bizarre cross-Atlantic saga. The UCLA administration claimed never to have received the money while lawyers from Manchester furiously prepared for the courtroom, convinced they were being had by some slick Hollywood types. Guns were nearly drawn until John Wooden came in to cool things down and put everyone in their place. Nevertheless, there has been no direct contact between the Scot and Pauley Pavilion since, and Giggsy and co. have been left to wander to what might have been. Murky, he-said-she-said territory to say the least.”
Thunderground Radio talked to a couple bloggers about the Thunder’s recent transactions.
The Lawrence Journal World talked to Nick Collison about Cole Aldrich: “Cole’s a great fit for us,” Collison, Kansas University’s second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder of all-time, said of Aldrich, KU’ s No. 2 shot-blocker of all-time … Cole’s the type of guy Sam (Presti, OKC general manager) usually likes to get. He’s a good teammate, works hard, is long, athletic and young. He’s the same age as most of our guys. He’s a good pick-up for our team.”
Darnell Mayberry on the issues with this free agency period: “The most crucial component OKC is waiting to come into focus is the dubious details of a new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBA Players Association. The Thunder, like every other team, has no clue what the new rules will bring. But the current deal is set to expire June 30, 2011, and it appears likely the new agreement will shrink the size of player contracts, team payrolls and perhaps even institute a hard salary cap. It’s one reason why — in addition to the Thunder being quiet in free agency — we haven’t heard anything of substance on Jeff Green’s contract extension this summer.”
Frank Hughes of SI on what all this spending means: “Enjoy this frenzied summer of free agency. You’re probably never going to see anything like it again. Lost amid the feverish maneuvering of NBA owners and front-office personnel to recruit individual members of the best free-agent crop ever is that next summer these same men are going to claim they can’t afford to pay the contracts that they will so proudly distribute over the next few weeks.”
KD will be in Orlando watching his guys today. I continue to be in love.
Assistant coach Brian Keefe will again head the Thunder’s summer team.
Thunder win by 5 after being down by 21.
My heart just stoppped...Ibaka got hurt. He's limping off now. Hopefully he just banged knees and didn't hurt anything too badly.
ohh....Harden has a nice mohawk to go with the beard!
Indiana v. Orlando is the slowest moving game I've ever seen!!!
@jay
which was my point. Presti isn't even interested. Nets want him but Bower/Dumars are the lead guys as of right now. Prokorhov's top 2 choices don't have any interest(Colangelo/Presti).
@ ThunderHorn
Ok, but Sam Presti to the Nets? I don't think so...
From Hoopsworld:
Sources close to the situation say the Nets have been trying to get a sit-down meeting with Oklahoma City's Sam Presti but he is not expressing interest in the Nets.
@jay
old news.
Bower and Dumars seem to be the oleaders right now. If Jerry Colangelo wants the job I think its his. He seems to be Prokhorov's #1 choice but not sure if he has interest in leaving his post as head of the US Olympic team.
heard that?
The Nets' current president/GM, Rod Thorn, has already announced that he is stepping down on July 15.
So far, the other names mentioned as a possible replacement for Thorn include New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower, Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti and USA Basketball executive Jerry Colangelo.
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=5356093
Frootloop :@Daniel Plainview http://www.dailythunder.com/2010/07/summer-league-makes-me-feel-fine/
Ever since this headline, I can’t get the song out of my head.
Haha. You and me both!
@Daniel Plainview
http://www.dailythunder.com/2010/07/summer-league-makes-me-feel-fine/
Ever since this headline, I can't get the song out of my head.
Daniel Plainview :
Frootloop :Summer league makes me feel fine.
Brilliant. One of the many reasons why I love coming here
Hmmm, that line sounds familiar... http://www.dailythunder.com/2010/07/summer-league-makes-me-feel-fine/
Orton with 3 fouls less than 6 minutes into the game. Granted the last one was bogus.
Hey we finally get a better look at the mystery that is Daniel Orton.
Frootloop :
Summer league makes me feel fine.
Brilliant. One of the many reasons why I love coming here
I have a sneaky suspicion that Art Parakhouski may do some work on Byron today.
@Alexfromgermany
Here, here! I sent them a message on the Orlando site professing our admiration for them. I was hoping for a pirate feed from them, but no such luck.
Had no idea that DJ White is rocking a 22.5 PER in his 232 NBA minutes. Impressive.
this used to be a lot more fun with the amateur production and style without NBATV...dante and galante, we'll miss you!
justin :
Ekpe Udoh, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson. One of these is not like the others, one of these does not belong. The thought of Jefferson playing Nellieball…
I'm not so sure Nellie is in this thing for the long haul...
Green did shoot 39% from 3-pt range in 08-09, who's to say he can't shoot closer that figure this season?
http://www.atdhe.net/
The Bobcats/Jazz game is streaming.
free stream works great, just tuned in at halftime i guess
@Free Games?
http://atdhe.net/20430/watch-boston-celtics-vs-oklahoma-city-thunder
Possibly here. Won't know until you try and check it around game time.
The original post says that there will be a path to watch the game for free. Anyone know what this is going to be? I'm trying to watch the rest of the summer league and can't find one anywhere. Help?
@James
They do if you bought the bonus sports package.
I'm not finding NBA tv on ATT Uverse to watch the games? Does anyone know if they don't offer this channel?
@chibi
The problem currently is that our players are very turnover-prone themselves. Banking on a style of forcing turnover and getting out in transition doesn't work if we are giving up more possessions than the other team. Our offense could look like Boston's, to some degree, but the biggest need isn't forcing more turnovers, it is moving without the ball passing to the open man. Our guys don't cut to the basket near enough. Our bigs all want to set picks and then just sit for the long 2. Our wing players generally just hand the ball off to KD and stand around waiting for him to score.
KD especially needs to start hitting open players when the defense collapses on him, and everyone else needs to take advantage.
OKC's offense reminds me a lot of Boston's: centers and pfs setting up screens up top, which makes setting up the defense and defending in transition happen a lot faster. Pindown screens down below. Durant is like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen combined.
But Boston really needs to force turnovers and score in transition to supplement their offense. Because even with Garnett and his impeccable mid-range game, they're not a great halfcourt team, and they can't afford to be a halfcourt team against the league's stingiest defenses.
I think Ibaka is the better starter, because his defense can lead to transition baskets. That's more valuable than the offensive glue Green brings to the table.
The 2nd unit doesn't have the personnel to duplicate the 1st unit's dynamic. They shouldn't have to worry about long rebounds and defending in transition if they focused on attacking the basket instead of shooting jumpshots. The all-around game of Green and Harden should be more useful in this setting, so their needs to be a change of style for the 2nd unit.
To close games out, a hybrid of both styles would be best.
I thought it was rather fun... I've thought about which NBA players would be good at football, etc...
That article on Slam with Westbrook in it was the stupidest premise ever.
@K
Outside of this forum that would seem to be the conventional wisdom. My guess is that the coaching staff feels the same way. Ibaka wan't start unless harden does also.
Ekpe Udoh, Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph, Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson. One of these is not like the others, one of these does not belong. The thought of Jefferson playing Nellieball...
Good point Justin. I'd say that neither Green or Ibaka shoot enough to compensate for a lineup with both Thabo and Aldrich in it. That's why Krstic might be the starting C until Harden.
Ibaka does show immense promise as a jump-shooter. I somehow think people think he's just a raw athlete because he's from Congo. People forget that his parents were both Congolese National team members. This guy has been around the game from birth. He's as much basketball player as athlete.
@justin
You never miss a chance do you?
because they don't like Ellis...
@K
I'd understand that take from Sham if Jeff Green were shooting 38% from 3pt range and 40%+ from mid range. Ibaka was a better mid range shooter than Green...
Why would the Warriors want Jefferson?
Shamsports has a great write-up of the Thunder summer league team: here
Best take
Only one problem with that idea; a lineup of Westbrook, Thabo, Durant, Ibaka and Aldrich/Krstic lacks shooting. You can't bench Westbrook, because he's too good. And you can't bench Thabo, because he's in there to shut down star opposing wing players, and star opposing wing players don't come off the bench. So benching Green for Ibaka puts all the outside shooting pressure on Durant, which isn't a good idea. Still, though. Even if Ibaka remains a backup, he's an awesome one.)
@ThunderHorn
That deal makes a lot of sense to me.
Summer league makes me feel fine.
rumored 3-way deal b/t Knicks, Warriors, and Wolves
Knicks S&T Lee to Wolves
Wolves trade Jefferson to Warriors
Warriors trade Ellis to Knicks
Woot woot I get to see Thunder represent once again!
yes! basketball today!