First off, it’s preseason. We all know this and much like the Summer League, it’s smart to keep things in perspective. But the Thunder played a competitive game tonight where score was kept so there are definitely things to take away from it. Of course, we didn’t get to watch but going off of Matt Pinto’s scintillating call and the box score, there are a few observations to be had. It’s always better to win than lose, but I think Scott Brooks was fine coming out on the bad end in order to get a little experience for his youngest guys.
I’m honestly just relieved we made it through this thing with everyone alive. After Dez Bryant being declared ineligible today, I wondered if this sports year was just cursed in Oklahoma. What was built up to maybe be the biggest year of sports ever in this state has now seen Sam Bradford get hurt, Jermaine Gresham get hurt, Ryan Broyles get hurt, OU lose two games, OSU unexpectedly lose to Houston and now Dez Bryant out for the season potentially. I honestly feared for Kevin Durant’s life tonight. One down. 88 more to go.
Guys that did good
He may not have scored a lot (five points on 0-4 shooting), by when you look at Russell Westbrook’s name in a box score and it says 10 assists and just two turnovers, you should celebrate like it’s 1999. If that’s a sign of things to come, then we’re going to be fine. And by fine, I mean pretty good. In Orlando, it looked like he had slowed down and begun to understand the game. And by all appearances tonight, that’s carrying over to this season. Keep Reading…










John Hollinger on Kevin Durant (and others)
ESPN’s smart guy, John Hollinger, released his 2009-10 player ratings for the season today. He had something to say about every Thunder player, but his comments on Kevin Durant are what most folks are talking about. He said (Insider):
Wow. Projects to lead the league in scoring per 40 minutes. Last year, KD averaged 25.6 per 40 minutes (which is basically his average). This year he’s got him at 30.6 points per 40. He’s got his numbers at 49.2 percent from the field, 87.5 from the line and true shooting at 59.2. Rebounds per 40 basically the same, assists about the same (2.8 to 3.1), his usage up to 29.1 and his PER going from 20.85 to 23.50. And as we’ve all said all year long, the second KD rounds out his game (he’s just 21!!!), the second he jumps out of this world. Keep Reading…