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With 20 seconds left in the first half of Tuesday’s exhibition between Spain and Team USA, the Thunder represented four of the 10 players on the court. But as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden stood opposite of Serge Ibaka on the floor, I couldn’t help but think, could it be some unfortunate foreshadowing?
Harden, Durant and Westbrook on one team. Ibaka on the other. Shudder.
In the end, Team USA pretty much walked over a strong Spanish side 100-78 with Durant scoring 13, Westbrook nine and Harden eight. Ibaka finished with 16, all coming in the first half where he started 8-of-9 from the floor. In the first quarter, Ibaka scored 12, finishing dunk after dunk as the U.S. scrambled.
Things tailed off for Ibaka in the second half largely because the U.S. asserted its talent and Ibaka could get loose. He only attempted two shots in the last 20 minutes. But what he did show was his solid face-up game, a good awareness in the pick-and-roll with Jose Calderon and a couple nice drop-step hook shots in the paint. And most of all, he caught most everything thrown to him.
Ibaka was playing so well in the first half it motivated ESPN.com’s Marc Stein to tweet, “How many teams out there are plotting the max for Ibaka as we speak? This should be the tape his people send to NBA GMs.”
(He did goaltend three shots though, two almost comically in a JaVale McGee sort of way.)
There wasn’t much of anything significant to take away though as KD made some shots, Westbrook played frantic, aggressive defense and Harden knocked down back-to-back 3s late in the fourth.
But more than anything, seeing 40 percent of the floor taken up by Oklahoma City players was cool. Now it’s on to London.
The blocked shots weren't that comical. There's a fundamental difference between FIBA and NBA goaltending rules. Making many of Ibaka's blocks (like LBJ's style of blocks), against the glass, illegal. Not comical. Leave JaVale out of this, joke has done its dash.
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/07/wednesday-bolts-7-25-12/
Woo Daily Bolts!
Sorry, if already been brought up: Thunder (still?) among the teams that showed interest in Roger Mason.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/wizards-add-veteran-point-guard-aj-price/2012/07/24/gJQAlODt6W_blog.html
@diddoff My bet is that they're just talking about the prior interest. I'd be surprised if we cut Thompson to sign Mason
way i see it with the harden and ibaka thing.... we only lose ibaka IF and only if he thinks he a bigger superstar than he really is. Ibaka is no where NEAR max level in my opinion. Inconsistent with his jumper, slow rotations, stone hands, ect..
honestly harden isnt QUITE a max player in my mind either, seeing as how he can disappear in a game, but hes a hell of a lot better offensive wise than serge. If i had to chose, i choose harden over ibaka. But as i said, its all about ego
@Legendary_Dork harden and ibaka may not be max players for a lot of people, but it won't matter to the owners who will offer them max anyway. even if we have seen some reasonable deals this offseason, i don't think others will hold back in offering these 2 max deals once they hit the market. so unless ownership will spend the luxury tax, our best chance would be extend them as soon as possible.
a buddy of mine was talking to me about the up and coming thunder situation between harden and ibaka. and after our talk, it made it rather easy to go decide who to go forward with.
james harden stays.
why? baylor lottery pick, edmond santa fe state champion, still has one more year on his rookie contract, ekpe udoh. he was loving the bay area life style before he was abruptly traded to Milwaukee. now i hear he hates it and is interest in looking for other options when he finishes his last year (coincidentally, the same contract year as harden and ibaka).
he's taller and longer. has a knack for blocking shots (not at the astonishing rate as serge, but he can keep the ball in play instead of swatting it into the stands). he's not as athletic, but he's more developed as a passer and a low post scorer than ibaka. he's young, coachable, and lives a very conservative/out of the spotlight lifestyle off the court. he can help mentor, fellow baylor bear perry jones III off the court and give you very productive minutes on it.
he doesn't fall for every other ball fake, AND HE'S AN EDMOND NATIVE! hometown team!!! sam presti, do what you dooooo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGTTtVXPwM
@sleeping-giant.tumblr It's a good story but ekpe isn't a replacement for serge, Dujuan Blair, taj Gibson and David west will all be FAs if we can't keep serge and don't trade him and we also have PJIII and Nick still on board at the 4
@sleeping-giant.tumblr Udoh was drafted in 2010, a year after Harden and Ibaka were signed to rookie contracts, so their deals don't line up like you say unless his fourth year option wasn't picked up (I haven't checked). Udoh is an interesting defensive prospect, but he does have some glaring problems. He's been very poor on the boards, and for someone who allegedly has some skill on the offensive end he's sitting at below 50% TS for his first two seasons. He's also 25 years old already. I'm not opposed to losing Ibaka but I wouldn't count on Udoh as any kind of replacement.
can we start a twitter hashtag or something? #EKPE2OKC
As much as everyone likes to spin it otherwise, it'll come down to James vs Serge. I don't like it any more than you do but I want Iblaka.
@Tequila or Failure Why?
kevin love needs to chill out...maybe he should get a few more minutes but it's not like he's killing it when he's out there
Reggie Jackson and Lazar Hayward were both named to the 2012 Orlando Summer League 2nd team
@DennisBerry little late lol
Am I the lone DTer in my #KEEPSERGE movement? whose wit me?!
lol
@Tricia_status Serge sucks.
@Tricia_status Yes, yes, yes. James' skills are more replaceable than are Serge's. You can't teach 6-10 & ungodly athleticism. Plus, he's gettin better by the month.
@Tequila or Failure @Tricia_status Plenty of athletes in the NBA, not many players like Harden who had a historically significant season efficiency-wise. PF is a deeper position than SG. Harden would be tougher to replace. He also plays more minutes on the team.
@Tricia_status
And just in case you might have missed this along the way . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RK192Z_So0
(FYI, I only like this for "basketball reasons.") :)
@ThunderChick2010 @Tricia_status 'liked' for contractual obligations, not for anything else.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct @ThunderChick2010 ROFLMAO... I believe you
@ThunderChick2010 @Tricia_status Doesn't he have 20 or so siblings? We can sign one of them if serge leaves?
@Tricia_status @EatSleepThunder @ThunderChick2010 sorry to break it to you but thabeet isn't hyped for anything
@OBoymuzik @EatSleepThunder @ThunderChick2010 Yall out of control.
Thabeet looks hyped for this year. Then again he tweets in caps so he looks hyped for errything...but I'll take it.
@Tricia_status @EatSleepThunder @ThunderChick2010 they're all older and don't play professional basketball...but hey we signed thabeet so we might as well give them a shot
@EatSleepThunder @ThunderChick2010 DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD LMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAO
I'm crying/
@ThunderChick2010 @Tricia_status Well...that was nice. Lol
@ThunderChick2010 Gurrrrrrl is this Daily Thunder or Dirty Thinking...
Good Lawd he fine.
@Tricia_status
Hey . . . it's from ESPN! :)
@ThunderChick2010 @Tricia_status the genetic lottery, he won. Pause, tho
@Tricia_status @ThunderChick2010 http://youtu.be/9ild8w0rHQU Nah the pause is necessary. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but we don't play those games 'round here
@DennisBerry @ThunderChick2010 Even if you didnt pause yourself we'd understand LOL.
@Tricia_status i flip flop every day...like if we had a poll the % changing everyday would be me changing my mind
@OBoymuzik Im super sure. This team prides itself on its athleticism. Serge is still learning and his abilities are already off the charts. Can we trade him and get someone with comparable agility and speed...im not sure. I'd rather keep OKC him. OKC will be able to make the money up in other places/ways.
@Tricia_status #ortradehimforsomeonecomparableonamorefavorblecontractlikethomasrobinsonboogiecousinsorevengregmonroebutidontknowiforwhythoseteamsdoit
@DennisBerry @Tricia_status I'm sure that I'm not the only one on here that would trade serge for monroe
*cue dancassidy35/freeMonroefromDET!*
@Tricia_status Im on the #amnestyperk band waggon too. It's the only way...
@EatSleepThunder Aside from Perk's problems on the court, he's easily been the Thunder's best center in the last what, 12 years??
@EatSleepThunder Whats perks contract again? is it 8 mill a year? I'd rather save the amnesty for a future max contract mistake.
@OBoymuzik @EatSleepThunder Well then....that changes everything.
Amnesty dat bwoy.
@Tricia_status @EatSleepThunder can't save it for a future max contract mistake...amnesty can only be used on contracts from the old cba
@Tricia_status @EatSleepThunder $7,800,531 $8,477,437 $9,154,342 the next 3 seasons
@EatSleepThunder @Tricia_status #cutcolefuckhismoneyillgeta2ndjobandpayit
@K-Dagger Plainview @DennisBerry @EatSleepThunder @Tricia_status Really? I'm the biggest Cole supporter and I'd never say it's about race
@K-Dagger Plainview @DennisBerry @EatSleepThunder Nothing. I didnt say Cut Cole AND Collison.
@K-Dagger Plainview @EatSleepThunder @Tricia_status lol. We just got race carded. It's because he sucks, not because he's white. I am equally anti Lazar
@DennisBerry @EatSleepThunder @Tricia_status Mna, how much of it has to do with him being white?
@DennisBerry @EatSleepThunder CUT COLE. Yes. Sorry. But its true.
Our last game against Argentina appeared to bs much more of a test than Spain. I don't understand how though. Spain has more NBA players and talent. They are younger than Argentina. They have what team USA doesn't have, size. All this and we win going away. Ah hell, this year's team might be figuring out this whole international ball just in time.
@Jameswade99 The terrible officiating is more of a hurdle IMO than the different rules. I can't for the life of me figure out what is a travel to them, and FIBA plays always has the most movinass screens
@DennisBerry I agree about the officiating. Part of me wishes the NBA allowed its players to play this physical. But can u imagine the fights and arguments that would occur on a nightly basis with the egos in the NBA? I think it would cast a serious black cloud over the league that would be virtually impossible to remove.
@Jameswade99 @DennisBerry artest would have 3 times more suspensions
@Jameswade99 @DennisBerry the players in the nba now are much different than the players 5-10 years ago...i don't think there would be many fights