Daily Thunder.com

ROYCE COMES HOME TODAY!

Kevin Martin is super efficient: ”He doesn’t have to create his own offense as often this season. Martin is playing off the ball more this season alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, as compared to last season when he had the ball in his hands more often. His usage percentage -– an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he’s on the floor — is 22.3, his lowest since 2005-06, his sophomore campaign with the Sacramento Kings. Martin is second in the NBA this season in catch-and-shoot points (behind O.J. Mayo). He’s shooting 52.1 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers and has a 75 effective field-goal percentage on those shots. Now that he isn’t the focal point of his team’s offense, Martin is able to let his offense come to him. As a result, his shooting numbers have blossomed in Oklahoma City.”

Here’s an easier way to watch the new BIG commercial featuring Russell Westbrook: I’m still trying to figure out a way to teach my students this.

Go inside KD’s backpack: “Now thanks to Nike Basketball’s “Inside Access” series, which will provide an inside look at Nike Basketball through the lens of design innovation, with new features on the first and third Tuesdays of each month throughout the basketball season, here’s an answer to everyone’s favorite question: what exactly does KD carry in that thing? “Since I was seven years old, I’ve always been attached to my backpack,” Durant tells Nike Basketball. “It represents the hard work I learned from my family, and it will always remind me of my journey to get to where I am.”  Keep Reading…

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.” Keep Reading…

Nuggets from Darnell Mayberry: “Kevin Durant finally did it. He finally notched that first triple double. It took him 391 NBA games, but it was well worth the wait. He scored 25 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished 10 assists in 39 minutes. He had nine assists through three quarters and recorded his final helper with 4:57 left in the fourth. It was the culmination of years of fine-tuning his craft, of countless games where he’s been oh-so close but couldn’t quite seal the deal. But this was the night, and by the end of the night KD looked as complete as we’ve ever seen him.”

NBA.com’s highlights from last night

Kevin Martin will remain sixth man for now: ”Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he currently has no plans to insert Kevin Martin into the starting lineup but left the door open for that to change down the line. “At this moment, no, I don’t see it changing,” Brooks said. “You never know. It’s a long season. A lot of things can happen. But we have a pretty good track record with our starters. They understand their role and they do a good job. Kevin, we’re building him to be that guy off the bench that can give us what we need that particular game.” Keep Reading…