Justin Verrier of ESPN.com on what makes a great NBA uniform: “A similar effect seems to be happening with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a vacuum, the Okies have, by far, one of the worst looks in the league. The double-decker city name on the away tops, the bizarre black/blue/dark orange/light orange color scheme, the logo with the pointy & things sticking out of it — it’s all pretty rough. But many of us have grown so attached to this team in its accelerated leap from plucky upstart to Finals runner-up that it may be strange to see Kevin Durant & Co. in different shades. It sure isn’t pretty, but it is the Thunder.”
UniWatch is ranking every uniform in sports and OKC checked in at No. 37: “Very underrated. The home design is particularly strong — one of the best in the league — in large part because of the orange and gold trim, which really pops. The road design would probably be stronger if they put “City” below the uni number instead of stacking the two words, but it still works. Sort of amazing that they haven’t come out with an “OKC” alternate yet, but that’s presumably right around the corner.”
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas on how the Mavs match up with OKC: The Thunder exposed Dallas’ weakest positions during the first-round sweep. No one came close to covering Westbrook and Harden, particularly in the Game 4 fourth-quarter clincher. They drove unabated and untouched to the rim time after time. The Mavs feel they’re better equipped to deal with those threats this season with speedy Darren Collison at point guard and Chris Kaman and Elton Brand protecting the rim. But look, OKC is a matchup nightmare. Ever catch Durant standing next to 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki? Let’s just say Durant is not 6-9 as he’s officially listed, and he acts like a 2-guard. Shawn Marion will again get the call to guard Durant, and at 34, that job doesn’t get any easier. The 6-3 Westbrook might have the quickest first step in the league. Collison’s speed will be a welcome asset for the Mavs in the backcourt, but at 6-foot, Collison will be hard-pressed to keep the ridiculously bouncy Westbrook from freely launching his free-throw jumper right over him. The Mavs will have to take advantage with potentially their best-scoring frontcourt in Nowitzki’s career. Chris Kaman and Elton Brand will give Perkins and Ibaka challenges they didn’t face with previous Mavs teams.”
There’s a pretty wild rumor that Michael Redd is being considered by the Thunder.
KD on sharing the Olympics with his teammates: “It was special because it’s kind of like you’re seeing the maturation process of us all. Me not playing on the Olympic team and Russ not being on there (in 2008). We’re all growing and playing in the Olympics. I had to sit down and think about it that we’re all playing in the Olympics. That’s an amazing accomplishment just to be there. But to get a Gold and a Silver and bring them back to OKC, that’s just on another level. So we’re excited that all of us had the opportunity to experience that, and we had fun.”
A take on yesterday’s Jenni Carlson column.
Sportige lists the top 13 most hated NBA players: “Whenever something doesn’t work for the Thunder, it usually gets blamed on Russell Westbrook. Maybe if he wasn’t playing alongside someone as likable as Kevin Durant, he wouldn’t be getting this kind of treatment. But Westbrook is a shoot first kind of guy which sometimes doesn’t perfectly complement the most efficient scoring machine in the NBA, and he’s usually the easiest person to blame when things go wrong.”
Jeff Green officially got his deal with the Celtics finalized yesterday. Four years, $36 million. Good for Uncle Jeff.
I like our home jerseys. I didn't care too much for our away ones but they've grown on me. I'd like to see a little more orange and maybe a charcoal black kind of color alternate jersey in the future.
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/08/serge-ibaka-wasnt-happy-with-the-way-the-olympics-went/#comments
The people that hate Westbrook either don't watch a lot of Thunder games or listen to Skip Bayless too much. Part of the reason I started watching the Thunder was because I kept hearing about the "altercation" he had with KD and how he "isn't a true point guard". I watched a few of their games and didn't get what the uproar was about.
@novelisticbee0 You're right...they don't watch enough of the games to understand what Russ brings to the team. Most of the critics see a game or two of the playoffs and think that's the whole story. If you watch regularly, you see how Russ' game is evolving and getting better. Towards the end of last year, he almost made turnovers a thing of the past...whereas it used to be a huge problem for him. Russ' primary "sin" is playing alongside KD. That's a tough measuring stick. Nobody but Lebron is going to pass that test.
@TaoMaas @novelisticbee0 Hardens game would look perfect as a #2 option for the thunder...we wouldn't be as good and we wouldn't be contenders, but no one would get criticized
@TaoMaas @novelisticbee0 As a 2# option to KD I mean, like if Westbrook didn't exist
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@MisterJohnsonOKC @novelisticbee0 Durant led the nba in scoring 3 years in a row. RW fifth in the nba in scoring, I would say he;s a scoring point guard.
@MisterJohnsonOKC @walkerdog @novelisticbe. My bad
T-2 days until Tronchaser returns.
(I know I said the same thing yesterday; I was a day off.)
@ThunderChick2010 I'm literally BUZZING with anticipation.
@BrockSuede
I'm sure he's NOT. :)
mavs fan comments in the espn dallas article are funny, that they are the best team in the league this year.
@f5alcon Don't they every year?
Who the hell still hates Westbrook? I thought we were done with this. BUT PEOPLE STILL NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT?. He's aggressive and passionate. When did this ever translate to something to hate a player for? I'll take more Westbrook type personalities over a bunch of passive assholes any day. He helped 'Merica win a gold for crying out loud. GET OVER THIS CRAP ALREADY.
Haters gonna dislike things, I suppose.
@BrockSuede http://cdn.crackberry.com/files/kevin/hatersgonnahate.jpg
@cemitten Haters gonna hate, but ballers gonna ball.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/040/447/Haters_gonna_hate.jpg?1266420870
@BrockSuede People hate Kobe for many of the same reasons.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct Kobe? Really? That guy is a sweetheart. I've eaten seedless fruit with him on many occasions.
@BrockSuede Be wrong the right way folks
I know nothing of Jenni Carlson, but after reading the article about her... i found myself growing a great disdain for her?? without forcing me to read any of her aticles, is she really that bad...
You've seen this, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMmbUmKN0E
@ThunderBelize Oklahoma sports media is sadly lacking. Their job was always dictated by OU Football and they are struggling to return to the standard practices most every sports journalism units follow.
They throw out softball questions and never look beyond the surface. They don't back up any arguments with facts and they definitely don't attack a team on a level beyond opinions concerning behavior.
Reporters knew that you lose your job if you don't have the support of the college football programs. They weren't ever allowed to ruffle feathers.
@ThunderBelize She seems like a nice person, but not great content in her articles. Tramel is a better writer, and darnell knows basketball better.
She is not very popular around here. The only people who defend her are coworkers or other media types who feel the need to come to the defense of a colleague out of principle.
If newspapers were still a good way to get news, and if I couldn't get the same information online for free, and if I couldn't find other sources of information with more credibility, and If the paper wasn't biased politically and catered to a specific few demographics, I still wouldn't be interested in purchasing the paper she works for, just because she works there, and that tells me all I need to know about the quality of the content.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Ou_sas might get to use "vitriol" again.
@ThunderChick2010 @Jax Raging Bile Duct It would be an appropriate time...
@ThunderBelize
1-2 times per year she writes a solid article, usually a human interest piece. Other than that, she consistently disappoints. Her article the day before her lecture to Harden was how her newborn daughter now takes top priority in her life. Duh.
"How to Lose Erections for Dummies" - now that's funny (see last photo in the take on Jenni).
can someone share link to OKC adidas winter court jersey?I Can't find in good quality...
Here's some fan made I guess-
http://www.jerseysstay.com/pic/Oklahoma-City-Thunder-0-23-Westbrook-jerseys--5BNew-fabrics-5D-4822-77913.jpg
http://api.photoshop.com/home_9aab44e99f1b40f5bb18ab92f4b6acca/adobe-px-assets/3a47493bdcb648e9bc8e4020a9985776
http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1109332/OKC1.jpg
http://media.photobucket.com/image/okc%20jersey/JustHardMoney/jerseys/OKCOrange.jpg
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random question...does anyone know where i can watch the full replay of spurs thunder game 5?
@Thunder S I too would like to watch this
Russ is going to abuse Darren Collison in the post this season
@OBoymuzik After seasons where Russ was the forgotten guard in that UCLA backcourt, I think he'd like the chance to take it at his homie (in a spotlight game especially).
I love that Russ likes to win & relishes in embarrassing folks along the way.
I really do feel the Thunder "brand" is strong enough now for an "OKC" alternate jersey. I don't mind our home jerseys but our road ones could use some work.
@C-Wil Road ones are the only ones i like. I love the black,orange, red collar on the blue jersey.
@JeremyBrewer @C-Wil I would love an all-orange OKC alt-jersey.
Team won't go for it; but I don't care (and I'm an OU grad). I think those orange-and-blue Thunder jersey shirts that people wear around are pretty sharp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZiUjTBXEAA&feature=g-upl
NIce interview with Jeff Green
Chris Kaman and Elton Brand will give Perkins andIbaka challenges they didn’t face with previous Mavs teams.
do they really think these 2 old men are better than Bynum+Gasol?
@shiki The author is just talking about previous Mavs teams. I'm not terribly impressed with a Kaman/Brand frontcourt, but the Mavs have had a long history of signing big men who can't play (aside from Tyson Chandler).
So, even after Jeff had heart surgery; the Celtics sign him for 9MM a year? I'm really not missing uncle Jeff after that contract, not to mention he didn't even play all last season....
@GAP I'll miss Jeff Green forever and no matter what. Ditto with Nenadz.
@D@nny @GAP you had me until you mentioned Nenad.
@TaoMaas Exactly! In year #1, it was the first time that we had something that seemed like good-basketball going our way. We went from "historically bad" to "pretty bad" in just a few months. PJ C was out. Scotty was in. Nenad and Thabo were win. Our young'ns were YOUNG. Things were looking up.
And btw, the Nenad pick-and-pop was the single most satisfying basket I knew at one time...
@D@nny I'll always like Nenad because he marked the time when I felt like, "FINALLY...some help is on the way!" Even though it was clear he wasn't the center we needed, but he was better than what we'd had.
@propsizzle How can you NOT miss Nenad? I mean, clealry our team is better without Nenad Nenading all over the place.
But I'll always miss that beautiful, balding, chair-throwin Serb. He was my favorite.
@GAP Yeah way overpaid. Makes perkins salary look great.
Is trading Maynor before the season and re-signing Fish an option to consider?
(I know that 99% of you hate the idea, but it's reasonable, right?)
@diddoff you just gave me a waking nightmare.
@diddoff HELLLL NAWWWW
@tygablood @diddoff
Well, this is awkward..........
@diddoff His trade value is not high now, coming off knee injury. We can probably get more if we wait til mid season. Plus his contract is only 1.5m for this year.
@diddoff no, we paid fisher more last year than maynor, so unless fisher agrees to vet minimum, he costs more, plus whatever salary we bring in with what we trade maynor for.