Mike Prada of SB Nation with a terrific breakdown of Westbrook’s shot volume: “There’s a distinct difference in Westbrook’s shooting percentages before and after he signed a five-year, $82 million contract extension on Jan. 19. Prior to that date, Westbrook was shooting just 33 percent on off-the-dribble jumpers. Since then, Westbrook’s shooting percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers is 42 percent. Also, in those first 15 games before the extension, Westbrook was attempting just 8.9 off-the-dribble attempts per game. Since the extension, he’s way up at 10.7 attempts per game. This lends credence to the theory that Westbrook was trying to be something he wasn’t early in the year, and now that he’s playing his game, he’s performing better. This adds further proof to Durant’s argument.”
From Elias: “The Thunder went on a 24-0 run against the Raptors, their longest scoreless run since moving to Oklahoma City, and the longest scoreless run in the NBA since Jan. 20, 2010 (Spurs scored 25 straight vs Jazz).”
A tour of the Thunder’s pretty spectacular practice facility.
Bradford Doolittle for ESPN.com says Nick Collison is vital to OKC’s playoff success: “Even though Collison rarely shoots — his usage rate is a miniscule 9.8 percent — Oklahoma City has been seven points per 100 possessions better offensively with Collison on the floor. Everything gets better: the assist rate rises, the turnovers drop and the true shooting percentage is nearly 4 percent better. The Thunder play at a slower pace, or a playoff pace if you will, when Collison is on the court. If Oklahoma City breaks through to win the championship, it will be as much due to the dirty work provided by Collison and Fisher as it will be due to the dynamic production of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.”
The Thunder Games are underway.
Tom Ziller of SB Nation has OKC third in his power rankings: “We told you that the Thunder’s Hell Week wasn’t over after they beat the Heat and Bulls! The Thunder got busted up three straight times. Why do we have them ahead of Miami given last week’s result? The Thunder looked more convincing in their win in the home-and-home than Miami did in its victory. #science”
KD’s opening a restaurant in Bricktown: “Durant said the concept is a mix between an upscale restaurant and sports bar. The Hal Smith Restaurant Group also operates Louie’s, Charlestons, Red Rock Canyon Grill and Mahogany Prime Steakhouse. “It was a deal I couldn’t pass up,” Durant said. “That’s something in Oklahoma City that I always wanted to do … No matter what’s going to happen, my name is going to be clear, and I’m not putting up money or nothing like that. So it was a perfect deal.”
Scott Brooks isn’t going to be resting any players.
Darnell Mayberry: “Because of the below average offense, the most interesting thing in this one for about 2 1/2 quarters was the triple-double watch Westbrook had us on. He came out doing a great job of facilitating early, setting up Serge Ibaka for baseline jumpers and getting Kendrick Perkins an easy layup all within the first five minutes. And when you see Westbrook passing like that early, you know a triple-double is well within his grasp. Unfortunately, after scoring 11 points with six boards and six assists by halftime, Westbrook got just four more points the rest of the way without another rebound or assist. It was an up and down game for him overall, because of turnovers, a few bad passes and a few questionable shots. But he was great managing the game early.”
Raptors Republic: “Sure, the Thunder did their thing on offense, but what didn’t help is the Raptors staying completely on the perimeter during this stretch. They took eight jumpers and turned the ball over seven times in 8:21. A three point deficit had turned into a 17-point hole and with that the battle was lost.”
You-Know-Who evidently wasn’t completely truthful with his high school athletic achievements.
Westbrook's shooting percentages are down in April compared to March in every category except long 2s and are in some cases his worst monthly levels of the season. What is that worth? Not much but the March data is only a bit more significant and not conclusive of anything.
What do you think about this article?
http://basketball.realgm.com/article/220329/The_Long_Term_Future_Of_The_Thunder
@Pillendreher I don't know why almost everyone says Thunder can't retain Harden and Ibaka. Has anyone do the numbers?
@gnaygg I guess because they think both Harden and Ibaka would be getting Max-contracts on the open-market...
the thunder is gonna lay the wood tonight boys and i know how to bet it! I have a full betting strategy on my site as wellas an interesting read1 http://nbawagers.com/2012/04/betting-strategy-for-oklahoma-city-vs-milwaukee-bucks/
So the real truth about the unnamed one is that he's just like uncle Rico, "If the coach would have put me in in the fourth quarter we would have won state for sure..."
So Odom and the Mavs have parted ways?
@ThunderChick2010 More or less, yep. Keeping him on the books in case they want to trade him before the draft.
@SoonerSpens @ThunderChick2010 plus it will give him time to film his divorce from khloe
@f5alcon @SoonerSpens @ThunderChick2010 what a joke...guy gets his feelings hurt demands to get traded then goes to the defending champs and can't be a professional...hell even Nate could do it
Yahoo's front page of fantasy sports mentions that "Byron Mullen's could be a key pickup for owners down the stretch" in reference to the finals of most fantasy basketball leagues. Lolz.
Favorite phrase from the YKW article:
wild lies pulled from the ass of the elder douche bag of annoying sports commentators
If he isn't investing any money to get the place up and running it doesn't sound like KD is starting a retaurant so much as it sounds like he's licensing his name and likeness to a new restaurant. Should still be good though. All those Hal Smith places are really good.
@Old Man Game Soon Westbrook will open the Westraunt.
@Old Man Game When I went to the Thunder/Suns game in Phoenix last year, I ate at Dan Majerle's sports bar and it was great.
No power rankings that have the Pacers, Rockets and Hawks over the Grizzlies have any business taken seriously let alone spread around.
@Fuzzy Logic I could see an argument for the Pacers, but Grizz should definitely be above Houston and Atlanta
Would really love it if kd tweeted a link to the lost ogle article. Don't think ole skippy would have much of a comeback for that...
@andrew35 should just email it to his buddies at espn, they will make fun of him on air.
@f5alcon @andrew35 Or the dude who played Turtle on Entourage, who was inexplicably on the show today (I only ever see First Take at a sports bar, which has the benefit of not being able to hear what they're saying). I really don't understand the appeal of that show.
Somebody have a video of Cole's monster dunk that Darnell referred to?
My parents went to NW Classen (graduated '66 though, I believe). I know Blake Griffin's mother was there, a few years younger than my parents. Didn't know that's where Skip went.
@Jooseppi
Yes Skip went there. I just graduated from there last year, and my older brother, sister, and cousins well into their thirties, and one in their 40's went there. Last year Skip had donated money the sports programs(football and basketball) Which i found very stupid, considering the soccer program is very poorly funded yet last year the boys soccer team was ranked in the top 60 of the nation. He was there with a group of other alumni during a awards presentation showing the donations. Its wierd going back and seeing that school considered a "suburban high school", and seeing that is use to be a non segregated school. Now half the student body is latino, and the other half is mixed up of everyone else.
Class of '99, is it now half latino? When I went it wasone of the most diverse schools in the nation. At least I vaguely remember reading that somewhere.
@Patrick OKC i mean it still is, we litterally have the biggest foreign student body in the statw of oklahoma. I was an assisstant to the esl teachers and they have to be some of the best. But like i said 40% of the student body is latino. The rest is are mixed between everything else. Its been like that since '03he'll if i remember the records right.
We all know that Skip's over-bearing nature evolved from a childhood spent desperately seeking his Mother's approval...
"Skip, [mother sighing] why can't you be more like your brother?"
we just need to go 4-6 the rest of the way to have a top 2 seed.
@f5alcon Pi Man looked good last night, eh?
@ThunderChick2010 yeah, i told my teenage sister about it, and she started using it.
@Legendary_dork @sammasaaron @ThunderChick2010 @SeanzieCrews @f5alcon I believe the correct phrasing is "Dunk it on his head!"
@sammasaaron @ThunderChick2010 @SeanzieCrews @f5alcon lol the hell you smoking he doesnt whisper. sometimes hes jumping out of his chair like DUNK IT BIG FELLA lol
@ThunderChick2010 @SeanzieCrews @f5alcon I love how Grant Long 'whispers' Dunk it! every time a Thunderer finds a lane to the basket. Having Thunder homers call the game is just great.
@SeanzieCrews @f5alcon All we need is for Brian Davis to shout it out a few times. It should blend quite well with his awkwardly enthusiastic outbursts. :)
@f5alcon @ThunderChick2010 Don't think it will really take hold, but it's really clever.
@ThunderChick2010 yeah, i just want to see if it will take hold.
@f5alcon I'm pretty sure half the readers here are rolling their eyes and the other half are thinking, "What???" :)
I had Thabo after reading Part 1 of the Thunder Games, I still stand by that. Although forming an alliance probably isn't a good way to go. The Harden death was hilarious though, as was the photoshop of him and Nick. Actually, the whole dang thing is hilarious.
@SeanzieCrews i think you might be right on the money, but i've got lazar
@Lasers @SeanzieCrews Still Ivey for me. He's quiet, yet intense, and capable of rising to a challenge. Poor DC.
I still think Thunder Games comes down to Russ vs Serge. Russ's speed and quickness vs Serge's hunting/survival skills from growing up in the Congo. Thabo is the dark horse since he is from Switzerland.
That Thunder Games thing is pretty great.
@dancassidy35 I was pulling for Harden :(
@SoonerSpens @dancassidy35 Me too. I can see the 'losing the will to live' after the beard getting cut off, but personally I would've gone with the beard instantly regrowing as Harden laughs maniacally and swings into the trees with his apparently prehensile beard.
@areayewhy @sammasaaron @SoonerSpens @dancassidy35 I would wager money that "prehensile" has not appeared in ANY basketball blog this year. That's what makes dt special. :)
@sammasaaron @SoonerSpens @dancassidy35 not many times you can slip in a prehensile into a sentence.