An awesome video from Nazr Mohammed of his son shooting a free throw with KD’s signature shimmy. I watched this close to 50 times.
Darnell Mayberry on how the criticism of Westbrook could help: “Ironically, Kendrick Perkins had a front-row seat to similar scrutiny that landed on another point guard’s front stoop three years ago. His name was Rajon Rondo, then in his second season with Boston. The Celtics had just acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to team up with Paul Pierce, and Rondo became a giant question mark to the team’s title hopes. Eventually, Rondo silenced the critics that season. “Rondo’s (criticism) lasted for a little bit. Russ’ lasted throughout the whole playoffs, no matter if he played good or bad,” Perkins said. “He still was getting criticized on something. And I thought he handled that, as I say, like a G.” Perkins, who joined the Thunder in mid-February, was impressed with how a much younger Thunder team avoided the perils of outside noise. In Boston, one of the league’s biggest pressure cookers, Perkins had quickly learned to tune out most of it. “I don’t even talk basketball with my own wife; seriously, because it can break up a locker room,” Perkins said. “It can break up a team.”
Does size matter in the NBA? The Dream Shake looks at it: “The Thunder and the Hawks stand to show your big man need not be much better than Scola if you want the SG/PF tandem. The Thunder demonstrate that you’ll need more to go with a two wing system but if your center can intimidate some shots AND provide some offense you ease the burden on the backcourt.”
Ziller grades the NBA playoffs with a cool chart.
Draft Express’s mock for Yahoo! Sports has OKC with Singler: “Many teams feel like Singler is as safe of a pick as you’ll find at this point in the draft, which is why his stock has risen over the past few weeks. Singler can space the floor at both the 3 and the 4, will compete defensively and on the glass, and won’t need a great deal of schooling to make the transition to the pros.”
Awesome feature on halftime acts in the NBA, specifically on Red Panda. You might be surprised, but there’s nothing about “Let’s Make a Thunder Deal” or Jazzercize in there.
Chris Mannix of SI writing about Russell Westbrook: “The coach has told him that he wants him to limit his turnovers to fewer than three per game. And Westbrook’s personal trainer says that a big part of Westbrook’s summer training program will focus on changing speeds and diversifying his low-post game. Teams hoping Westbrook might be available in a trade this off-season can forget it. He’s eligible for an extension—three rival team executives say Westbrook is a max contract player—and the Thunder is fully prepared to give him one. Westbrook says he “definitely” wants to stay.”
Udonis Haslem is getting a bunch of credit for his defense on Dirk but John Hollinger thinks Nick Collison’s was better.
Bright Side of the Sun: “Oklahoma City’s five-game series loss to the Dallas Mavericks was not Russell Westbrook’s fault. It was a systematic failure by the entire team. Dallas just proved that it was the superior team. But that does not mean the Thunder should make any major roster changes like many believe. It just means they have to get back in the gym, and grow together as a team.”
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=20026
@gokc
It's a different NBA and general culture that eats up players who say or do stupid things. One idiotic tweet and a firestorm of controversy ensues.
Dennis Rodman prospered and partied in the different era. I don't think Cousins will reach his full potential because of his mouth and temper.
Singler would have to impress in workout & interview to make him the top choice to me but the pickins at 24 might not be that great. Out of 6-8 guys I kinda like who might be available at 24, perhaps only 3 or so will be available.
I don't even think I'd want to draft Singler with a second round pick.
The value of comparison is in the discussion, the detail. I wanted to offer the other side so both similarities and differences could be seen and considered.
Like you said its more of a stylistic comparison- admission that RW can succeed in our system given the right utilization of his skills and his correct recognition of his skills.
@ Crow
I think its flawed to compare Westbrook and Wade based on stats right now because 1) different systems 2) different designed roles on the team
its far more accurate if you look at skill sets and how they COULD be utilized...not how they are currently being utilized.
Barkley, rodman, rasheed Wallace, among others were black players with "attitude prroblems". Rodmans in the HOF, Wallace has a ring and, well Barkley is Barkley.... Cousins will likely be one of the best pfs in the game soon. A young (black) player maturing mentally like Zack randolf is way more common than a young (white) player improving physically like Hhammy redick did. Cole might be a stiff for life. This is true regardless. Of race.
Jax, thanks for highlighting Jenni Carlson's human interest story on Nick Collison.
If they take Singler I'd probably rather they think of him as mostly a deep bench, injury protection SF / maybe at some point a player for 8 minutes per game as the 2nd unit SF rather than PF for much.
He could be a small ball PF, especially in a running unit, especially with a strong rebounder / help defender beside him, especially against a non-threat PF and especially in a game you already have control of.
But if they want a SF / PF with much emphasis on PF I'd probably prefer Justin Harper. He didn't play that much inside and doesn't seem to particularly like to rebound that much but he has the strength and athleticism such that he "should be" able to do it better at the NBA level than Singler, if that would get him on the court and he acted accordingly.
What about Josh Selby. We worked him out, and he'll probably be available. He's a scorer. I'm still hoping Jimmer falls to us, but that's highly unlikely
Rule #1: Don't draft white American perimeter players. Giving Luke Babbitt a guaranteed contract won't make him athletic enough to defend NBA players.
Rule #2: Don't draft black players with attitude problems. Giving Demarcus Cousins a guaranteed contract won't give him a better personality or solve his emotional/family issues.
in above, ...Westbrook far closer to Parker... I meant far closer "than to Wade", responding to the the previous discussion.
Stylistically I can see the Wade comparison but on the numbers he is closer to Parker.
I don't understand this consolidate business . None of our talent us redundant. I think we keep building assets just in case serge and harden both have an all star season. Then we consolidate by trading for an all star or borderline star like aldrich from pdx . Until then we keep adding cheap talent and grooming them for picks/trades.
Wade was the clear leader on Offensive Rating, so Wade was essentially the least similar of them to Westbrook on an overall offensive impact measure.
Westbrook far closer to Parker on eFG%, slightly closer on TS% (though Westbrook is not anywhere close to either, the leaders in the group on this important stat) and tied with Parker for last on Offensive Rating.
McRoberts is a career PER15 with a career TS% over 57%.
5 "star" guards thru 3 years
http://bkref.com/tiny/pbQns
Westbrook second highest on shots per minute, by far the lowest on eFG%, lowest on TS%, second highest on assist%, highest on TO%, tied for lowest on Offensive Rating, second lowest on Defensive Rating and second lowest on Win Shares per 48 minutes (only better than Marbury on that).
On Singler, I think people might he can contribute at the next level. As a rule, I'm not a huge fan of bringing in seniors because their performance is somewhat scewed by their level of experience relative to the rest of the league.
Someone like Singler is probably pretty close to his ceiling. However, I think he makes perfect sense as an option off the bench. And let's face it. That's all the Thunder really need.
I know everybody expects Presti to stand pat and look for a good draft pick. But, if I'm Presti, I'm looking to consolidate some assets.
Only one of Nazr, Aldridge or Pleiss is getting on the court next year. We have some sign-and-trades and/or expirings we could offer. We have a decent draft pick. We have a really solid defensive wing who is still technically a starter. We have the rights to Latavious Williams.
We have some nice assets IMO. I don't see Presti breaking up the core group, but I don't see him letting all those assets go to waste either.
I thought the Russ-Wade comp made more sense earlier in the season. If he could have kept that going I'd like it more. Maybe he can build on that next year.
Singlet has no future in nba. That would be a pick for our dleague team.
Thunder S :The more i think about it, Russ is a young D-wade more than a young tony parker. The athleticism, the aggressiveness and nose for the basket, and the ability to make those rhythm shots.wade obviously has better body control, plays at a better pace and is more in control, but i think thats what russ’ game can develop into.
Absolutely this is the right comp.
Chris Duhon's had a decent career and was also a second round pick.
Re: that Darnell Mayberry piece: Honey badger, apparently, don't give a s**t (thank goodness).
Singler would be the player I'd least like Presti to draft.
Thomas :Regarding Singler, when was the last Duke player taken this late that ended up being halfway decent? I’m having a hard time thinking of anyone.
Boozer was a second round pick. So was Josh McRoberts who is an okay role player.
Singler would be awful. He shot 31% from 3 his Sr year of college...he will not be a floor stretcher at all, whoever said Korver is laughable...Korver shot 45% from 3 at Creighton
I still like the upside of Nikoli Mirotic. Plus can stash him overseas.
Regarding Singler, when was the last Duke player taken this late that ended up being halfway decent? I'm having a hard time thinking of anyone.
We've drafted 24th overall twice since relocating to OKC. We hit a homerun with Serge Ibaka, and we struck out with Byron Mullens. Both are terrific athletes for their size. You just never know how a pick in that range will work out.
Maybe see Singler as a safe pick. Maybe that's right. But I think we have little incentive to be safe with our pick, seeing as how our roster is at least 8 deep going in to next year. Might as well continue to swing for the fences with that 24th pick. Sure, you could get another Mullens, but you might stumble upon another Ibaka too. One thing is for sure though, safe picks at #24 are never homeruns.
Half-white players, on the other hand, have been notable successes in recent draft history. See Blake Griffin, Steph Curry, and Landry Fields. All three of them outperformed their draft positions, even Griffin, who performed better than most overall #1 picks.
Conclusion, avoid Jimmer and Singler like the plague, and take Klay Thompson or Tyler Honeycutt.
I think the thunder will draft honeycutt he's a perfect fit for this team
The more i think about it, Russ is a young D-wade more than a young tony parker. The athleticism, the aggressiveness and nose for the basket, and the ability to make those rhythm shots.
wade obviously has better body control, plays at a better pace and is more in control, but i think thats what russ' game can develop into.
Honeycut seems to be more of a Presti type player, is he not?
@andrew
Jason Kidd's half-white. Bird played in the different era. Nash is also a grizzled veteran and Canadian.
Look at the draft record of the last 10 years of white perimeter players from America.
@bouzi4real
For every Redick who manages to max out his ability and become a decent (not great) NBA player, there's 2 or 3 Adam Morrisons. The percentages of success drafting white perimeter players is awful.
And think of the opportunity cost to drafting Redick, who's turned out to be decent: both Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry were drafted after him.
seems like KD going crazy in Game 5 of OKC-DEN should've been somewhere on Ziller's chart. (could've been a typo on the "G4 OKC-DEN" since game 4 wasn't that memorable.)
Unless its someone like steve nash, jason kidd, or larry bird. Other than that your rule is foolproof!
@dxl reddick?
I really like singler , he is like a cheap man's kyle kover imo. I'd we draft him I predict he bryd more pt than cole before all star break.
Never, ever draft white wing players or guards. It's a cardinal rule of keeping your job as a NBA general manager. See Joe Alexander, Luke Babbitt, etc. Even non-busts like Gordon Hayward and Chase Budinger are only moderately successful.
Drafting half-white players is fine, see Blake Griffin. My favorite halfie in this draft is the smooth shooting guard Klay Thompson. He reminds me of Kevin Martin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djehTM-u35I
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Sure is nice to have a player like Nick around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIhuu7fl0U8
I hate judging players by highlight videos, but this one makes Singler look like a poor man's Kevin Durant.... which makes him the perfect guy to provide some scoring punch off the bench and stretch the floor when match ups permit.
Jenni Carlson did a good job with this human interest story on Nick Collison. http://t.co/EBHR5go
In all seriousness, it would be nice to have a 3/4 tweener who can stretch the floor like that. I have not watched him play enough, does anyone know if he can play defense or get out on the break, or finish at the rim?
I could deal with Kyle Singler. Only problem is, he might challenge KD as the best H.O.R.S.E player on the team!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWPASQZqLc