Mark Jackson sees some Thunder in his team: ”Played against a very good basketball team that went to the Finals last year,” Jackson said afterward. “They have a couple of very special players. In their building, you cannot make mistakes. The thing that I pointed out to (our players) is that this is a process and they went through that same kind of experience and learned from it. It is important for us to the same thing and continue to get better.”
Olivia Wilde wants to be Jack Nicholson. Or she’d like to fill in for Harden.
Assists are a big deal: ”Though 31 assists are five shy of the team’s single-game record, set in a 41-point road win against the Los Angeles Clippers in the season finale of the 2008-09 season, the Thunder’s 62 assists in the past two games are its most ever in a two-game span. “The way we’re playing basketball right now, 31 assists, that means everybody’s touching the ball,” Durant said. Before this season, Oklahoma City had tallied at least 30 assists only five times. None of those instances came last season, when the Thunder ranked last in assists at 18.5 per game.”
New DT-Shirts! Ladies, there’s even one for you. You’re welcome.
Nick Collison, the final chapter: “The water is so blue, Diary. Blue like the jerseys we used to wear for road games. Blue like the river that used to wind through Bricktown (Perhaps I have selective memory on the latter). I can’t believe I made it. The ocean. My God. This is some promised land, Diary. It reminds me of the first time I ate at a Charlie’s Chicken. The voices of angels mix with the wind. What I mean is, some pieces of Heaven broke off and fell down here. There are people here, Diary! Writing those words brings rivers to my eyes. NBA players, past and present, are here! Mark Price! Nick Van Exel! Ivan Johnson (of course)!
The Thunder are good at investing in the fans: “From the tip-off, er, start, it appears the Thunder’s management knew the team faced an uphill battle. Oklahoma City is the 43rd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., so clearly, the franchise had to rely on more than just a huge fan base for success. Plus, team owners recognized there would need to be something more generating fan loyalty than solely winning championships (although making it the NBA finals certainly doesn’t hurt). They realized they’d have to make games fun, interactive and a great value. In other words, they knew had to focus like a laser on the customer experience.”
Best teams in the NBA: “The Grizzlies have the NBA’s best record. The Knicks are off to their best start in years. The Clippers have been the best team in L.A. The Spurs are still the league’s best-kept secret. And the Heat are, well, the defending champs. So who’s actually the best team in the NBA? Second-best? Third-best? And so on? Our 5-on-5 crew chimes in on the current cream of the crop.”
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/11/its-time-for-the-thunder-to-beat-a-good-team/
I don't think we're going to have the toronto pick come draft time. There's value in trading a pick when it looks like it's going to be high (I.e. when toronto goes through a terrible stretch), and Presti knows that any center that can start for a championship team is going to be off the board by 4. Also, It's valuable to acquire talent sooner, rather than later, as it gives us a serious chance to take the title now as opposed to waiting for a project to develop. I think Presti has passed the point of using valuable assets to gamble on prospects.
@DSYIII
It could end up being a HUGE mistake. Its a a numbers game more than anything. Does the overall value of taking a top 8 pick help the team more than taking a known constant in , lets say Verijao(SP?). He is very good but injury ridden. Does presti like the back end of the draft more than the top end becuase of a salary shift? What i mean by that is you guys are imferring that Presti thinks the top ended picks have equal or less value in them because of the time we have to invest in their development compared to a 28th pick. Sure cheaper but most likely a better player. The L@kers and Knicks do think that way because they can bail themselves out with money and market.
I cant think Presti would change up now. The draft is how we made this team and it will be how we sustain the team. He wont trade that pick. He'll trade ours and Dallas' and the 2nd rounder first.
@PerkPunt Your taking Presti's philosophy to date and boxing him in with it. Presti has traded draft picks and players he's drafted before and will do so again.
If it's a numbers game then the numbers and value point to leveraging at least some assets to improve the team. There will still be prospects on the roster and draft picks in coming years.
@DSYIII @kersbut most likely a worse player than the top 8*******
@DSYIII While I agree, I'm not sure that Presti trades the pick before the trade deadline. Picks have their highest value in the days leading up to the draft. However if we are still struggling to beat good teams coming close to the trade deadline Presti might move the pick then. Should be a good test of his patience.
Interesting look on how the new flopping punishment is playing out. One thing it addressed, that I have noticed, is refs seem to be blowing the whistle less on borderline calls. I guess players being identified as having flopped to get the call also makes the refs look bad for falling for it. A little more attention to detail is good here
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/51667/is-the-flopping-rule-working
and of course, it briefly mentions Kevin Martin
Salary question: say we do land a top 8 draft pick. what does the salary look like? Not super cheap right? I wonder if that would keep presti from resigning Martin who i believe is a part of the future plans. My assumption is martin is a 9-11mil per year tallent.
@PerkPunt The rookie salary scale for a player drafted 4th is 3.6M and goes down to 2.4M at 8th.
Considering the nature of Martins role, could Presti find such a player for half of what your estimating Martin to get paid? Jamal Crawford isn't getting 9-11M a year.
@rednuht
i hope we can snag him for 7-9 mil but i expect the worse at 11
@RRRWHATEVER @PerkPunt The one piece in our favor is that the overall market for Martin should be much different than it was for Harden.
I'd like to see Lamb play about 20 games in Tulsa before I put any expectations on him.
@PerkPunt @rednuht rather *do... and i really want Lamb to be ready to start next year. would be sweet if he just broke out after all star breaks improved over the summer etc...
@RRRWHATEVER @rednuht
2 year , 3 year team/player option. if we get the team option be becomes valuable after the first year.
@PerkPunt @rednuht i think we can get him for the low.. 3 years 21 mil... i really wouldnt want to pay over 24M,or be tied to Martin for more than three years. Rather to a 2 year 16M deal actually
@rednuht
He could. I dont expect him to look other ways unless Martin's agent is a shark. Presti has proven he doesnt play the game though. Martin might take less to play for this team considering his age and past team profile.
@PerkPunt it's still very early in the season. If Martin helps propel the team to playoff success then he may deserve the 11m and if he disappears and the team exits early then I won't want to pay him anything.
@PerkPunt the number one pick makes about 4M the first year... Lamb, the 11th pick, makes about 2M this year. it will get worked out
Darko to leave NBA for the season to take care of his sick mother in Serbia
@RRRWHATEVER
damn best wishes.
You guys know winning is probably Presti and Scott Brooks priority over playing rookies right?
@OBoy Jones III
The future of the team is Presti's priority , Winning is Brook's priority. Luckily for Brooks winning helps the future of the team.
@PerkPunt Westbrook, Durant, Ibaka and Martin are probably the main parts of the future of the team and they get a majority of the minutes.
@PerkPunt I don't think it's proven. Especially when big minutes is 16-20mpg.
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III
PJ3 is not good enough to play big mins his rookie year. its proven
@PerkPunt @OBoy Jones III I'm not sure McAdoo is one of the players who could get minutes, but playing to your point, don't we already have a player we'd like to see get those minutes in PJ3?
@rednuht Yes really, there's a reason why Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Shane Battier are more effective than Vince Carter and Shawn Marion late in their career. They don't rely on athleticism and are great outside shooters.
Injury history is a different thing.
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III
didnt want to make the perk mistake again with Kmart
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III
I dont know, sir. I havent looked deeply into it yet.
but this could happen with many different situations. PF for example. There are one or two pretty tallented PFs in the draft that could start or play good mins on a championship calliber team. Say Macbooboo ( i'm a duke fan) he could play long mins at PF and push Serge to play center most games. that could phase out our starting center for most games.
Situational.
@PerkPunt @OBoy Jones III The inclusion of Lamb and the draft picks seems like the exact thing Presti would ask for if he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep Martin.
Presti didn't offer to extend Martin even though he could have.
@OBoy Jones III @rednuht
i dont think Presti would've traded Harden for a guy he didnt want to keep for multiple years. the picks are about what happend in 2-3 years. Martin could've been resigned and expired by then. Lamb will begin to become more important by next year.
@PerkPunt @OBoy Jones III Is there another talent like Zeller at center in next years draft?
@OBoy Jones III Really? A player with an injury history who has a thin frame doesn't rely on athleticism?
Just because he doesn't dunk doesn't mean he doesn't rely on athleticism. Every player does.
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III
this is just a theoretical situation. I'm pretty sure zeller will go top 2. Thats why i say "a tallent like" .
@PerkPunt @OBoy Jones III I think Presti is going to give Brooks the season to find the right rotation and see if Martin can rise to the level of physical play in the playoffs.
Now you're counting on Zeller even though we won't have a top 3 pick.
@rednuht We'll see if Martin signs but if he does then he's certainly part of the future, he's almost 30 but his game isn't dependent on athleticism.
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III i dont think presit will gt rid of Perk if he drafted a tallent like zeller. we'd have a full year before tax level any ways.
@OBoy Jones III
so presti's next top project is to analyize and determine the future or martin with the team.
@OBoy Jones III I've been pointing out below this dynamic means drafting a 19 year old center is probably not prudent use of the Toronto draft pick.
I don't completely agree that Martin is a part of the future and won't until after the playoffs.
@PerkPunt @OBoy Jones III If by future you mean sustainable sacrifice, I agree.
@rednuht @OBoy Jones III
yes sir!
Tony Mitchell isn't a center but seems a Presti type player in next years lottery.
Thoughts?
Fairly interesting at first glance.
North Texas has about the 250th toughest strength of schedule by one rating.
How does he do against NBA prospects head to head?
@BallSoHard @Crow http://angrystatistician.blogspot.com/
@Crow woah...where did you get this stat?
trvivia: by the same rating Presti's college curently ranks in the bottom 3% of strength of team performance among the top 1000 Div I, II and III programs.
@Crow
same question was the reason Lillard fell to the 6th pick.
@Crow Who wants to take a scouting trip to Denton, TX?
via nbadraftnet: Look for OKC to target Marcus Smart with Toronto's pick to replace the leadership/heart they lost by trading James Harden.
@BallSoHard Smart sounds a lot like Reggie Jackson. Did Presti already draft to replace the leadership/heart lost by trading Harden?
@rednuht I agree with the comparison...i'd like to see him a little more to come to any conclusions. Last mock draft I saw had him at #11 overall in the draft. Seems like a stretch to say we would target him.
@BallSoHard @rednuht I don't disagree, but I don't think Zeller will be available and I don't see another center prospect with the same polish.
@rednuht @BallSoHard
i agree presti would give it a year at LEAST before getting rid of perk.
@rednuht Yes, I do think a top Center prospect such as Zeller would step in and do better than Perkins within the given year. This is the extent of my argument, I think we agree on everything else.
@rednuht @BallSoHard
Yes, we have two very very good rooks who cant get PT because we are a champtionship calliber team in the NBA.
I think we are saying the same thing only two different ways.
Zeller is my pipe dream. I'd trade most out our assets for him including PJ3 (not lamb). Becuase he can start right away on acchampionship caliber NBA team. He will have rookie mistakes but would be the best center on the team .
@BallSoHard I think you're very wrong in thinking that Presti will jettison Perkins after drafting a 19 year old center prospect.
If Presti trades Harden and Perkins in consecutive years and replaces them with young prospects the patience of Durant and Westbrook will disappear.
The organization has to do what is right for Durant and Westbrook and not waste prime playing years playing drafting and salary cap games or both will start to look for other opportunities.
@PerkPunt @BallSoHard We have two prospects who were lottery rated one with NCAA championship experience and they can't get time.
All of the center prospects in the draft outside of maybe Zeller are very raw and we aren't getting a top 3 pick, so we fall into the range of players with more question marks.
@rednuht Situation may be different...if we draft a Center, I am sure it will be at the expense of getting rid of Perk. He will have ample time to develop and would get plenty of playing time....hard to compare current rookies who all have better players in front of them.
@rednuht @BallSoHard
might be, but a center prospect is different from the talent we have on the bench now because we could arguably draft a center better than our starter and backup. You are right. the reason Lamb, Pj3 , Orton, and reggie sit on the bench is becuase they dont have enough tallent to make up for the rookie mistakes that can effect a game. A tallented young center SHOULD make up for the missed defensive assignments and poor rotations that will evidently happen because of being new to the league. This right here makes me think the only way to go would be to draft a center with the tor pick. the furture of every other position has been addressed pretty much. The will be a change we get an Oden but its a chance we have to take.
@BallSoHard Rather than focus criticism on Presti or Brooks I'm trying to point out that the evolution of the team seems beyond the point where Brooks could or would give ample playing time to rookie players. The expectations have changed and Brooks has to concentrate on winning games.
As I watch Jackson, PJ3, Lamb and Orton sit on the bench with little hope of playing time development I am coming to realize what I'm sure Presti already has, the organizations ability to develop a 19 year old center is limited at this point.
@rednuht You compare the development of 2 players as to why wouldnt u use the pick in the draft. What about the development of Russ, Durant, Serge, Harden?
@BallSoHard I'd also like to see more of Jackson, but not soley at back up point guard. I'd also like to see him at the sg and with combinations involving Westbrook.
The more I review the failed development of Mullens and Aldrich and observer Brooks' priorities drafting a 19 year old center in the lottery seems like a potential waste of assets.
As much as Presti likes the draft, the state of the team seems to demand the collected draft pick assets be used in trade.