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The Thunder have only been back in camp for a few days and it’s already obvious that they’re ready to throw the ball up for real as Scott Brooks said Friday after practice that things got a bit “chippy” in the team’s scrimmage.
“I just like the spirit of our guys,” Brooks said. “They’ve always been a group that works, a group that challenges each other. It gets chippy. There’s no question today was probably our most chippy, if that’s even the way to say it. We scrimmaged a lot so guys really got after it.”
Brooks said today’s practice was almost entirely scrimmaging, which led to some very intense work on the floor. Of note in the chippyness department?
“I thought Kevin, Kevin showed, and Russell, they showed great leadership,” Brooks said. “They wanted to win and they didn’t win early on. But they came back and I thought they did a good job of competing and fighting through it.”
Said James Harden: “We love it. We love it. That’s how we get better. We talk smack to each other, we grab, hold, fight, that’s what makes us great. Young guys that want to compete and get better every single day. So, it’s been a great day of practice.”
The Thunder’s first preseason game is still five days away (Oct. 10 against the Rockets), so a bunch more practices to go. Let’s hope everyone survives.
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On passing: “I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. The willingness to pass. The decisions to make the correct pass. And the ability to understand where the next pass and also the receiver. In the past we had some spacing issues, but I thought last season that picked up. I thought some of our turnovers were based off of guys trying to make the right pass, but just didn’t quite execute it the right way. I hope to see another step, or jump, in that direction.”
On if anything’s surprised him so far: “No, I mean the conditioning, I knew we’d be in good shape. Nothing really has surprised me. Although I would say the new players that we have, the seven new players, have picked up things pretty quick.”
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On being the team’s backup point guard: “I just to try fit in where I can. They run the team and I just play off them … I’m a shooting guard, I’m a shooting guard who can make plays and score the ball as well.”
On getting reps with the first team: “I’ve been on the second team. Second team. Can’t do it, it’s my guys. Me and Nick Collison, me and Nick Collison, that’s my guy. We’ve just got guys to fill in on the first unit and the second unit has stayed the same.”
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/10/saturday-morning-cartoons-floppy/
Prepare to watch a video starring Ginobili, Lebron, and Bell.
And Chris Paul.... don't forget CPflop
Some people are strange "Hey I know, I'll try to pass myself off as another regular poster here so I can make up a b.s. story and that guy can take the blame" Great idea loser.
Funny the name registered was "OID" man game since the dude is clearly a hemorrhoid, i.e. a pain in the ass.
@Old Man Game .... Does that include me? I thought I was at least somewhat original....
@OboySleepThunderChickFezzymitten_mia_sas35 Not directed at you. Just this guy immediately below. Hemmorrhoid Man Game as I'm calling him
"Anonymous sources in the Thunder front office has told us the organization and James Harden has come to an neutral agreement on the Contract Extension and is now waiting for the matter to be Finalized."
via Twitter
@OId Man Game that was mean
@OId Man Game Hands off my handle asshole.
@OId Man Game
neutral agreement......don't you mean mutual agreement???? Fake stories are defintely aggravating!
@OId Man Game I don't like you.
@supreme35 @OId Man Game Rollercoaster fandom on DT right now. XD
@supreme35 @ou_sas @OId Man Game
I'm going to play the It-Was-1:30am card.
@supreme35 @OId Man Game Alternatively, if it's a real report, post the name of the guy/twitter handle so we can check it ourselves.
@supreme35 @OId Man Game Well, and people should know to use accepted DT meme form when citing fake reports.
e.g. Sources: Harden to wake up, do a bunch of stuff, and then go back to sleep.
@ou_sas @OId Man Game ...especially for gullible like TC lol
@ou_sas @OId Man Game Not cool. Not cool. There should be an unwritten rule that you don't fake a Harden signing. That's just cold blooded.
@OId Man Game Whose twitter, if you don't mind me asking?
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@CP2 @OId Man Game So it seems.
Here's Mark Stein's recent tweets regarding the below rumor (general thoughts, not Harden specific):
"Extension grapevine scuttle w/buzzer 25 days out: Lawson (DEN) & Holliday (PHI) likely to get deals; Jennings (MIL) & DeRozan (TOR) unlikely. Blake Griffin only 2009 draftee extended so far. Gibson (CHI), Curry (GDW) & obviously Harden (OKC) also in mix for deals by Oct. 31 buzzer. My apologies to Serge Ibaka, who like 2009's No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin already has his extension. Training camp for the media, too. "
Man, I wish I were on when Thunderus was posting. That was prime for a Thunderus-cats, go! joke.
I'm going to go ahead and NOT believe rumors broken by a poster that misspells the player's name supposedly being signed. Lol.
before anyone starts pointing fingers Thunderus is not me...unless of course he is right, then he definitely is me.
@bmuelle21 I'm online now. :)
Nothing to do with the Thunder . . . just sharing a late-night tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBFOieuA6jg
It is not public yet...
@Thunderus if he's not signed by monday i would start thinking of new usernames for yourself.
@OBoymuzik @Thunderus
And I'll have to join GA . . . Gullibility Anonymous.
@ThunderChick2010 @OBoymuzik @Thunderus It's okay. You probably wouldn't be alone.
No, I have been told he has signed...
@Thunderus If it's not on twitter...
@Thunderus 4 years 63 million.
@C-Wil @Thunderus That's 15.75 million per year. I don't think so.
@C-Wil @Thunderus
For real?!
Thunderus Hardin signed...
@Thunderus
Is that a question?
@ThunderChick2010 @Thunderus No but that is. :)
Thunderus
@ThunderChick2010 sent you an email back!
@ou_sas are you in here right now?
@bmuelle21 @ThunderChick2010 Yes. But now to me isn't now to you.
/TIME TRAVEL'D
Got lucky there.
Wait... Brooks said something good about thabeet and I missed? Hmmm... I sense a backup center in the wings.
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@SergeIblocka Hamilton didn't look too hot in that at bat right there. Tying run at the plate, bottom of the eight win or go home? Yikes.
@SergeIblocka Rangers can put up a 3 run inning like it's nothing, this game isn't anywhere close to over. But they definitely wasted some opportunities against Saunders. O's bullpen is usually pretty solid.
@justin_mia @SergeIblocka Im a Detroit Tigers fan. From my persepctive, this is a sad and unbearable truth
Judging by some of Scott Brooks' comments--it's fairly clear to me he's been reading some of my TSN teaser promos. Trying to impress me using the hockey phrase 'chippy' throughout these quotes. I'm glad he's on board with my train of thought. Chippy is a hockey phrase for when the sticks get high and someone gets bludgeoned with an elbow or a stick. For you non hockey followers....TSN = chippy. I like the photo which accompanies this piece as well. Kevin's elbow is cocked and ready to dislodge Mario Chalmers' nose. This is what I want to see this season. More TSN awareness from our coaches and elbows ready to fly from our star players like the Hansen Brothers.
Anyone watching baseball? Yu Darvish looks like he's pitching to little leaguers.
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@MisterJohnsonOKC A baseball is boring joke? Wow! We've got the next Richard Pryor over here.
@Old Man Game @justin_mia It's seen a decrease in popularity and ground to the NFL and NBA to a lessor extent, but I think you're overstating things.
@justin_mia baseball's on the downward slide. It's like the sports equivalent of pot prohibition. Once the baby boomers are gone it'll lose the majority of its support.
Maybe you have some access to baseball popularity data that I don't but I've been many places outside of the NE where baseball is very popular. Texas is one example. California.
@justin_mia @MisterJohnsonOKC No we've got someone who is most likely living outside the northeast U.S. or is younger than 55.
@justin_mia :(
@justin_mia O's have been terrible at bat the past 3 games & counting.
He's been letting a lot of guys on base; tough thing to get away with against this Texas lineup. But now he has three double plays in 5 innings, keeping the ball on the ground when he needs to. Gutsy pitching.
@justin_mia He's definitely on a leash. He seemed to calm down a bit though. Never in the playoffs has a pitcher started in a playoff game against a team that he is 0-6 against. Seems only right that this O's team is the first lol
Wonder how long they keep Saunders out there, I bet they'll be tempted to go to the bullpen early.
O's offense isn't bad, but they rely a lot on home runs, and don't get on base all too often. So a good pitcher who keeps the ball on the ground will have success against them (Darvish, Shields...)
@justin_mia True but still frustrating.
They've faced good pitching.