Daily Thunder.com

Rob Mahoney of SI.com on Serge Ibaka: “A rim-protecting big man is a valuable commodity in the NBA, but a rim-protecting big man capable of handling himself on the perimeter in a crunch is the pro basketball equivalent of the holy grail. Ibaka still has a long way to go before his rotational speed and instincts are really up to snuff, but it’s good to see him handling switches on the perimeter with a bit more balance. Over the last few seasons, Ibaka’s block-chasing made him one of the easiest bigs in the league to lose with a pump fake. Yet in a few select situations so far this season, Ibaka is staying grounded when guarding perimeter types, and using his length and height as an effective deterrent.”

Beckley Mason of ESPN.com says OKC’s taken a step back: “That’s what happens when you lose your second best player. Yeah, I said it! The question is “for how long?” OKC still has five months to regain its bearing and Martin looks like he’ll efficiently buoy the bench. But without Harden aboard, Durant and Westbrook must do a better job of steering the offense to positive possessions.” Keep Reading…

Darnell Mayberry: “If you’re like me, you’re wondering why the Thunder showed up like that. It could have been something simple, such as the Thunder knowing Josh Smith was back in Atlanta with a sprained ankle. Or it could have been something a tad more complex, something I’m sure nobody wants to hear and even fewer people will want to believe — such as the Thunder came back content and complacent following last year’s trip to the Finals. Perhaps these players feel they’ve arrived. Feel they can just show up and stomp on a starless club. If it’s the latter, it’d be the second worst thing that can happen to this Thunder season.”

Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com on storylines: “2. The Story: James Harden scores 37 points and has 12 assists in his Houston debut, and OKC should have never traded him. The Real But Selectively Forgotten Truth: Harden did an A-Rod in the 2012 NBA Finals, and it was the wrong time for him to go into contract negotiations for an extension looking for a max deal. Harden picked a bad time to play the worst basketball of his career. OKC had no other option but to do what they did. They offered him $55 million over four years, a fair offer without knowing if what happened in the Finals was an anomaly or if was he the type of player that would continually fold under the Finals lights. When you are a team that is trying to win a championship and are in the mix to do so for the next few years, you can’t take a financial gamble or make a five-year, $80 million investment on/in a guy that didn’t come through when you needed him the most. And at the same time, it is stupid and incompetent business if you let him go without getting anything of substance in return. Clayton Bennett is not trying to be Dan Gilbert.” Keep Reading…