Since the NBA Finals are right around the corner and we’ve gotten to the really, really good part of the playoffs, I caught myself watching lots of old playoff footage. And nothing brings me back to being 11 years old quite like this video. I can just picture my older brother Cody and I sitting in front of the TV in our Jordan jerseys, ready and waiting for the game to start. Then the lights go out, the Alan Parsons Project comes on and that iconic announcer voice blares over the PA. You know a team’s intro is good when the channel broadcasting the game forgoes commercials (and money) to air it. Ah, brings me back. Reminds me of why I like this game so much in the first place.
An excellent, excellent story about how detailed oriented this Thunder organization is, passed along by reader Nix:
So I mentioned the other day in a thread that I won a prize from the Thunder’s Twitter page. I ended up winning one of those MASSIVE player banners that hung in the Ford Center. You know, the ones with the player’s face, number, & name. The only problem was that it was Chucky Atkins’ banner. Bamboozled.
I’m good friends with the owner of Buffalo Wild Wings so I asked him if he’d trade the banner for food. I told him it was Chucky’s and he replied, “Kevin Durant’s would have gotten you food for a year, Chucky’s might get you lunch.”
Well had that convo with Ed via Twitter. A thunder rep apparently saw our convo back and forth and he ended up tracking me down and saying, “I saw you didn’t seem to like the Chucky Atkins banner, would you prefer a jersey or Thabo’s shoes?”
Of course I was shocked because I wasn’t upset or anything. I was actually just happy to have one. Turns out I went by today and they took me to the Thunder shop and let me pick out whatever I wanted. KD Swingman jersey baby! Value: $100. It’s just a great organization.
How outstanding is that? With this story, the story from HoopsWorld this week about being in the playoffs and the Joe Smith story about missing OKC, it just shows you that these guys are building something special. Little things like that show how much attention to detail this organization pays attention to. They are 100 percent committed to doing things the right way. From big things like player development and scouting, all the way down to the tiniest things like prize giveaways and free agent mini-camps.
It may seem small and may seem like it’s no big deal, but it’s not like this is an isolated incident. This Thunder organization is just committed to doing things properly. OKC is rumored to be “very interested” in like six players in this draft, because they have scouted them so much. Again, that says something right there. When you stick to doing things right, it’s trickles down (or up, whichever way you want to look at it) and effects everything in a positive way.
Like I said in the Bolts, how long has it been since you’ve seen an OKC bashing story (knock on wood)? I know it’s been a while for me, and I look. We knew this organization could and would win people over. But because it’s doing things the right way, it’s happened sooner than later. Needless to say, I’m extremely proud to call the Thunder my team.
Scott Howard-Cooper writes about the search for the next Russell Westbrook: “The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook has 
unavoidably become part of the 2009 draft conversation despite already having completed an encouraging rookie season. That’s nothing. Randy White, a 1989 first-rounder, is back in, too.Four weeks until the draft, and it is impossible to avoid the intersection of past and present in a sign that lottery teams are grabbing for any safety vest while staring at greater risk than usual. So, UCLA’s Jrue Holiday is eerily Russell Westbrook and Memphis’ Tyreke Evans is a little bit. And in breaking news, White didn’t work as the No. 8 pick 20 years ago.”
Jonathan Givony has some interesting info for us Thunder fans – he says OKC favors James Harden: “Most teams we’ve spoken to in Chicago are indicating that they believe Oklahoma City is indeed leaning towards picking Harden. They also believe the Thunder are not enamored with Rubio at all, as they are committed to developing Russell Westbrook at his natural position-point guard.”
Some have seen it already, but a fantastic HoopsWorld profile of Sam Presti: “After just one year with the Spurs, Presti was named the team’s special assistant which led to a defining moment in his career. Coach Gregg Popovich was unimpressed with a young guard, Tony Parker from France, that they had been working out. “You’re wasting my time,” said Popovich to Buford and Presti. “This kid is terrible.” Convinced that Parker had special skills, Presti put an eight-minute videotape together highlighting Parker’s talents which swayed Popovich to give him another look, ultimately leading to the decision to draft him with their 28th pick.” You don’t have to tell me he’s smart. I’m definitely on board with Sam.
Let me ask you guys this: What’s the last negative Oklahoma City story you saw? Because I look around pretty thoroughly each day and I haven’t seen one in a while. We all knew it would pass, but let me tell you, I’m sure glad it finally did. Now instead of Clay Bennett hate stories, we have Sam Presti is a genius and the Thunder is the team of the future stories. I love it. Keep Reading…
How about some random Royce ruminations for this lovely Thursday afternoon?
- We’re all kind of wrapped up in the upcoming draft and what Oklahoma City will do. I understand. It’s kind of a big deal. But for some reason, I wondered to myself recently (very quietly, mind you): Whatever happened to DeVon Hardin? So with the help of this really cool thing called the Internet, I found out. Hardin was the 50th overall pick in the 2008 draft, but didn’t make the team. Though he wasn’t signed to a contract, the Thunder still owns the rights to him. Hardin suffered a stress fracture in his right foot in late 2008 and was released by the Turkish team Mersin BB for not recovering properly from it. He was then signed in February by Egaleo AO, a team in the Greek league and played in 11 games, averaging 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. It’s doubtful that we’ll ever see him, but he’s 6-11, extremely well built and very athletic. He just doesn’t have the whole, “good basketball player” thing down.
- Watching the Lakers literally turn it on in the fourth quarter was like watching Mine That Bird wait in the back and then kick it into high gear to win the Derby. They waited, sitting calmly in the middle of the pack, even letting Denver stretch out a little lead. Then when it was time, they got spurred and boom! they erupted to take the lead. Really something to watch. Bold prediction: The Lakers finish off the Nuggs in Denver this weekend.
- Since everybody is making ridiculous trades, how about Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook for the No. 1, 2 and 3 picks so that OKC can take Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio and James Harden. Just wipe the slate clean and start over with a new Big Three. But seriously, all this trade talk is getting a little ridiculous. Every writer in every market is throwing out outlandish deals that brings Griffin to OKC. And the worst part is, just because someone has a “bright” idea, it then gets regurgitated as a “trade rumor,” when it was nothing more than just talk. But I’ll admit, I spent a solid 30 minutes on the Trade Machine today wheeling and dealing. I don’t plan on posting a trade speculation column, but I’m not making any promises. Ah, who I am kidding – get ready for one. Probably next week. Try not to hate me.
- At this point, I don’t think we’re that far off from someone suggesting Earl Watson straight up for Blake Griffin. People are just nuts with this stuff. On one end they want WAY too much (see: Ted Green of the LA Times) and on the other, they are talking about a bag of rocks for the top pick (see: local sports talk radio callers and hosts).
- Speaking of trade talk, yesterday when I saw the proposed trade by D.J. Foster of Clipperblog that included Thabo Sefolosha, I was actually kind of mad at it. Trade Thabo? NO WAY! My initial reaction to seeing Thabo’s name in a trade told me that I think he’s more untouchable in my mind than Jeff Green. Is that weird? Or maybe crazy? There’s just something I really like about Thabo and I highly enjoy employing a nasty defensive stopper. Obviously, Uncle Jeff is a better player and a much better asset, but I guess I’m just trying to say I’d rather not trade Thabo Sefolosha. Keep Reading…
According to this formula devised by Roland Beech of 82Games.com, the No. 3 pick is historically more productive 
than the No. 2. Oh yeah, that’s right, OKC picks third!: “First up is a simple, what should you expect, performance-wise from a given pick number? If you have say the 5th pick in the draft, what are your chances on average of landing a star player? … Keep in mind the stats are career per game averages so lower than the peak performance years of a player. Moreover, there is also some bias in that using recent years some of the current players may well spike up their career ‘standing’ with more years under the belt.”
Well this is cool – Joe Smith says he misses Oklahoma City: “It’s a testament to the franchise, it’s a testament to the guys in the locker room, my teammates down there, the direction of the organization … I grew really close to those guys down there,” Smith tells HOOPSWORLD. “That’s why it was a tough decision. Our record wasn’t right, wasn’t what we expected, but inside that locker room we had a good group, a tight group, and we really enjoyed being around each other. That’s always a tough situation to be in.” First and foremost, Smith knows he was witnessing something special as he watched Kevin Durant grow into a young NBA superstar. “KD’s a heck of a player,” says Smith. “Just being around him for the short time I was around him, seeing his work ethic, and how bad he wants to get better – he’s a heck of a talent. He brings a lot to the table on both ends of the floor, so the sky’s the limit for him. One day I think he’s going to be in a position to put his team in the playoffs and get a few runs at a championship.” Read the whole thing. Really great stuff.
Chad Ford’s second mock and he still has Rubio in OKC: “This is a tougher one. I’m told the Thunder like Rubio and that Rubio wouldn’t object to being in Oklahoma City. So from the Thunder’s point of view, the issue is how well Rubio would fit on the roster. Some in Oklahoma City see Russell Westbrook as the point guard of the future and aren’t sure how he’d fare without the ball in his hands. If Rubio is off the board, this could be a tough decision between Thabeet and James Harden. But Thunder GM Sam Presti is an opportunist. If he can get a couple of good assets in return for the No. 3 pick, he won’t be afraid to pull the trigger.” Keep Reading…
During a search for stats to answer a question Nix had in the comments (and I still don’t have an answer to that and I doubt I ever will - turned out to be a lot of work), I came across some pretty interesting numbers for Russell Westbrook. We all know his shot selection could be at times very poor and sometimes he didn’t have the look of a point guard trying to set up teammates, but rather a scoring point trying to find his own. And one stat really backs that up.
Last season, Westbrook took 51 percent of his shots 10 or fewer seconds into the shot clock (24-15 remaining on the 24). Compare that to the elite point men in the league – Chris Paul took 40 percent of his shots in 10 seconds or under, Deron Williams 36, Tony Parker 31, Chauncey Billups 41, Derrick Rose 42 and Rajon Rondo 43. Westbrook was at least eight percent higher than the next closest of that group.
Now it’s easier for a point guard to take shots early in the clock, because they have the ball first. But Russ taking so many shots early shows his “shoot first, pass later” mentality. It’s something that he absolutely has to overcome if he wants to be a successful point guard in this league. I thought the last month and half he was much, much better at looking to set his teammates up first and looking to shoot later, but he sacrificed his ability to score and his efficiency numbers took a hit. He’s a scoring point guard, whichever way you want to look at it. But he can also be a guy that makes players better around him too.
I can’t be sure without looking through every single player, but I think Westbrook might be top in the league in this category. Now understand that pace has a lot to do with this though. OKC was the 8th fastest team in the league and teams like New Orleans, San Antonio, Utah and Boston were very slow. So that’s a factor. Chris Duhon took 50 percent of his shots 10 seconds or under in to the shot clock in New York’s system. But then again, Steve Nash was at 40 percent. In fact, the seven teams that were faster than OKC and their point guards: Jamal Crawford 49/Monta Ellis 44, Duhon 50, Nash 40, T.J. Ford 45, Billups, 41, Beno Udrih 38 and Derek Fisher 41. Westbrook was higher than every single one of them. Hmm, hmm and hmm. Keep Reading…
FreeDarko will be coming out with a new book in time for the 2010-11 season. Color me freaking stoked. If you 
haven’t read The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac, well, then you should read it. I can’t wait for it to get made into a movie. I hear Michael Bay is directing.
Hey everybody, Tyson Chandler just had ankle surgery. Oh yeah, and another surgery on his TOE: “The New Orleans Hornets say center Tyson Chandler and forward James Posey both had successful surgeries for their injuries. Team spokesman Dennis Rogers said late Tuesday that Chandler had a procedure on his left ankle to relieve inflammation and another on his left toe.” Well well well…
I saw Taken last weekend (pretty good movie – not a ton of substance, but if you like broken arms, really fast hand-to-hand combat moves and deadly gun shots, it’s for you) but I couldn’t help but think about how much Scott Brooks like Liam Neeson. I think someone pointed that out last week in the comments, so the entire movie I sat there thinking, “Man, he DOES look a lot like Scott Brooks.” And therefore I told my brother-in-law this every other scene.
The LA Times Ted Green on a potential Clippers trade: “Entertaining almost anything except a change in ownership is almost always a very bad thing for them and probably a very good thing for Blake Griffin, who, if he’s lucky, will escape Don T’s Inferno. This presumably means the Clips are talking to people, NBA people, and that in turn means The Donald is listening to what these other teams have to say … Everyone knows the Clippers can screw up a two-car funeral, but there is one way they won’t/can’t mess this up. If the league wants Oklahoma homeboy Griffin to stay put and play for Oklahoma City, the Clippers have to get Kevin Durant and nothing less than Kevin Durant in return for that number one No. 1. Next to LeBron James, Durant is the next great scorer in the league, and he would score a lot of points for the Clippers, albeit many of them meaningless.” Kevin Durant for Blake Griffin? That’s a wee bit steep, isn’t it? Keep Reading…
Headlines
- VP Biden called Durant to thank him for donation
- KD named All-NBA first team, Westbrook second team
- Perk donates $25,000 to help build shelters in schools
- Report: Mo Cheeks to interview with the Pistons
- Thunder land the 12th pick in the 2013 draft
- Thunder donate $1 million to aid with disaster relief
- Kevin Durant donates $1 million to disaster relief
Ricky Rubio, hype and the great unknown
Really all you see streaking up the court is the hair. At least, it’s the first thing you notice. And to many, they see the hair, the flash and the crafty plays and they see someone else. Something bigger. They see something that makes them nickname this guy LaPistola. That’s right, the Spanish Pistol Pete, Ricky Rubio.
Rubio dashes across halfcourt and busts out his signature play, the fake-behind-the-back-wrap-around. It’s truly a fantastic play that not only brings you to your feet and makes you start clapping out of pure reaction, but also a slick play that helped score two points. But best of all, it’s sexy. It’s flashy. It just looks awesome. And because of plays like that, we’re lured into this young prospect and we don’t even really know why. We watch the mixtapes with the no-look lobs, the between-the-legs dishes and the behind-the-back-wrap-arounds. For the same reason people like And 1 Mixtapes, they like Ricky Rubio. He epitomizes the beauty of basketball. Nothing showcases how breathtaking the game can be like a perfectly executed pass. And because of this, we’ve fallen for this guy, yet we don’t really even know anything about him.
Henry Abbott had a tremendous breakdown of Ricky Rubio this week and it really hit my brain hard. Why are we all so high on this guy? Myself definitely included.
Read Henry’s breakdown. He’s basically saying everything I’m saying here, but much better. So if you want to just open a new tab and read Henry’s article and never read another word of this, I won’t be offended. Seriously, go right ahead. But today, Chad Ford dropped this little nugget that’s sure to get people chattering:
Well then. You have to wonder how much of this is posturing. Maybe Donnie Walsh is saying this because he’s praying Rubio will drop all the way down to him. Maybe Geoff Petrie is running around saying, “Nah, he’s not that good. Seriously guys, he can’t even shoot!” but is lighting Spanish vigils each night before he goes to bed. You can never tell with these guys. They’re all playing the game and they all want their guy. So it may mean nothing and in fact, it probably does mean nothing. Keep Reading…