Well would you look at that – the Thunder’s started a “campaign” for Russell Westbrook. And by campaign I mean 
some hastily thrown together photoshop with some stats. Well consider me convinced. I did think this stat is pretty darn impressive though: Westbrook has dished out 10 or more assists on seven occasions, most of all rookies and he leads all rookie guards in double-doubles. Take THAT Rose Colored Glasses!
The SI roundtable takes a look back at Oden and Durant: “I’m still in the too-soon-to-tell camp on this one. You won’t find too many people who don’t think Durant is destined to be an MVP candidate in the next few years. He’s a polished and dynamic offensive player and, if you believe Thunder coach Scot Brooks, his defense is starting to come along. In Oden’s case, we still don’t know if he is going to be a part-time player for the rest of his career. Even if he isn’t, what I’ve seen of Oden’s offensive game makes me wonder if he will ever develop into anything more than Dikembe Mutombo. Now, I know 30 teams in the league that would take a young Dikembe Mutombo on their roster. But that’s not the question, is it?”
Ricky Rubio declares for the draft… again: “Ricky Rubio is back on our 2009 mock draft, after a four month stint where he was projected for 2010. Sources close to the situation indicate that Rubio’s family is now in favor of him entering this year, and that will almost certainly be on the early-entry list when it’s released on April 27th. His buyout still needs to be negotiated, which is easier said than done, but a final decision on whether to stay in likely won’t come until very close to the pull-out deadline, on June 19th. Unlike college players who are bound by the more restrictive NCAA rules, International players can enter the draft up to three times, which gives him plenty of wiggle room.” Keep Reading…
vs. 
his junior season. Last year, he held a press conference as well and announced he was coming back. Don’t expect that this year.
grandpa’s ’73 Sixers, Brooks was still encouraging, still clapping, still refusing to collect moral victories like he used to collect his team’s laundry when he was a coach in the ABA. Even the locker room, when things weren’t exactly humming, didn’t permeate a team dancing with futility. The players seem to genuinely like Brooks — some even call him “Scotty” — and when you like someone, you tend to play hard for them. Brooks perhaps draws strength from his own playing career. He was a short, white, undrafted and undersized guard, a CBA refugee who ended up sticking around for ten years and winning a title (with the ’94 Rockets). It’s entirely possible Brooks sees this Thunder team going through the same modus operandi as his own life in professional basketball: Success will eventually be born out of hardship, acquired through scrap and fight, where results and respect will be concurrently earned. Bottom line: He’s an upbeat guy, and his team is eating it up – 18-24 since their 3-29 start, with wins over San Antonio (twice), Utah, Dallas and Detroit since the second week of January.”
Understanding the book on Blake
Know this: Kevin Pelton is much, much smarter than me. He has an awesome eye for the game and dissects it with a surgeon’s touch. I know that he knows more than me, no doubt. But he recently wrote a piece critiquing Blake Griffin following the Elite Eight game against North Carolina and highlighted some of what he considered major faults. As someone that’s watched Blake play every game in his two-year college career and actually multiple games in high school, I feel like I should maybe comment a bit on Pelton’s criticisms of Blake.
Pelton’s major critiques come on the defensive end but he also talks about Griffin’s screen setting.
Pelton acknowledges the foul trouble issue with an “in fairness” line. And that’s it. That’s precisely why Blake doesn’t try and set bone-crushing screens every possession. He’s trying to avoid tick-tack fouls. I mean, you understand that’s the reason why with an “in fairness” but then you go ahead and make the point anyway? That’s the reason for it, plain and simple. Also, I realize when a guy is going to be the clear-cut No. 1 pick, people are going to look for things he doesn’t do well, because well, that’s what people do, but screen setting? Knocking on a guy because he didn’t set textbook screens? If that’s one of the major criticisms of Blake Griffin’s game, then I’d say he has a pretty complete game already. Keep Reading…