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OKC falters late in San Antonio, 86-84

by Royce Young on November 1, 2012 at 11:56 pm 565 Comments

You can look at this game two ways:

1) In their first game without James Harden, trying to work in new pieces, with Kevin Durant playing average (for him), Russell Westbrook playing like butt, Serge Ibaka only scoring four points, the team shooting 37.7 percent from the floor, all on the road against the Spurs, the Thunder were a bad turnover and a Tony Parker miracle 3 and a buzzer beater away from starting the season off on a very nice 1-0 note.

Or…

2) The Spurs, playing a second game of a back-to-back, sans Manu Ginobili, led through a lot of the game as the Thunder looked out of sync offensively, shooting only 37.7 percent from the floor, with 18 turnovers and clear offensive issues to sort out in a post-Harden world.

I think where you fall on those two points probably says a lot about you as a Thunder fan. Keep Reading…

Thunder at Spurs: Pregame Primer

by Royce Young on November 1, 2012 at 5:00 pm 3,055 Comments

vs.

OKC Thunder (0-0, 0-0 road) at San Antonio Spurs (1-0, 0-0 home)

TV: TNT (Cox 31, HD 730)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:30 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – N/A (N/A), Spurs– 104.2 (8th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – N/A (N/A), Spurs – 100.0 (12th)
Pace: Thunder – N/A (N/A), Spurs – 95.0 (8th)

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

San Antonio coming in: The Spurs last played yesterday beating the Hornets in New Orleans.

So this is going to be interesting. The Thunder kick things off on the road against the team looking for payback. And they’re doing it just days after making a massive trade and shaking up the foundation of their roster. Other than that, no big deal. Keep Reading…

3-on-3: Predictions

by Royce Young on November 1, 2012 at 2:25 pm 462 Comments

Ronald Martinez/NBAE/Getty Images

Things done changed Saturday night. At least in terms of the consensus expectation set on this Thunder team. But while many have downgraded their Thunder’s current title chances, it still should be pretty obvious that this team is very good.

How good?

Well, let’s guess. Er, predict. Keep Reading…

2012-13 Preview: 35 statements made with extreme confidence

by Royce Young on November 1, 2012 at 12:05 pm 251 Comments

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

Most of the time when you make predictions, you’re mostly wrong and just hope to let it all fade into oblivion and never mention it again. Except when you’re right, then you make sure to remind everybody. Which is what I’m doing here. Of last season’s 35 predictions, I’d give myself at least 25 of them.

So I’m back with 35 new ones for the new season. And yep, I had to do some erasing and replacing because of The Trade, but you those predictions about The Beard Who Must Not Be Named were going to be wrong anyway. All made with the utmost highest amount of confidence and unwavering conviction. Keep Reading…

Thursday Bolts – 11.1.12

by Royce Young on November 1, 2012 at 9:47 am 452 Comments

John Hollinger of ESPN.com on his all-breakout team: “James Harden benefited from playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, right? It makes sense, anyway. It seems like this should be true, as these are the only two other dynamic offensive players on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and one would presume that all the attention they draw would make life easier for Harden. And thus, one would presume that he will have a hard time playing without those two now that he’s with the Houston Rockets. There’s only one problem: This theory holds less water than the Sahara. Harden didn’t benefit from playing with KD and Russ. In fact, the exact opposite is true.”

Incredible breakdown between Harden and Kevin Martin by Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland: “One thing that is commonly overlooked in shooting evaluations is the basic ability to get shots. Dunks and layups are the most efficient shots on the floor, but for most players, they are hard to come by. Harden is great not just because he makes shots at high rates, but also because he creates the type of shots convertible at those rates. Not many guards in the NBA can generate effective close-range chances in the face of the defense as frequently as Harden, and this area represents the biggest gap between Harden and probable replacement Kevin Martin. Last season, 42 percent of Harden’s field goal attempts were close to the rim, and he made 62 percent of them. For Martin, only 20 percent of his field goals were in this area, and he made only 53 percent of them. This means fewer layups, dunks, and free throws for the Thunder, but more for the Rockets.” Keep Reading…

Practice Report: Focused on San Antonio

by Royce Young on October 31, 2012 at 4:36 pm 2,164 Comments

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

With all that’s happened, it’s kind of easy to forget the Thunder’s season begins a day from now. And not only against a great team, but on the road against a team that would very much enjoy some payback.

“We know them well and they know us well,” said Scott Brooks. “They’re very difficult to guard and stop. They pass the ball. Last year they probably had some of the best passing games I’ve ever seen since I started playing basketball or coaching basketball. They are so well versed. They’ve had a lot of games at a high level and they’ve been together a lot of years … They do things that you know is coming and some of the things are hard to stop.”

Besides facing the Spurs, Brooks is tasked with trying to work in a new player and a figure out a new rotation completely on the fly. Keep Reading…

With Thunder U shaken, believe in Kevin Durant

by Royce Young on October 31, 2012 at 1:47 pm 355 Comments

Jeyhoun Allebaugh/NBAE/Getty Images

It really hit me April 27, 2011, during Game 5 against the Nuggets.

The Thunder were trailing Denver late in the fourth quarter, facing the very real and unfortunate prospect that they’d be returning to the Rockies for Game 6. It was Oklahoma City’s first chance to close out a playoff series and so far, they were 0-1. They fell short in Game 4, a game in which birthed the Russell Westbrook Debate after OKC’s fiery young point guard hoisted 32 shots in a loss.

There the Thunder were, down nine with three minutes left. A young team feeling the overwhelming pressures of closing and they were failing again. No team has ever lost a series once going up 3-0, but you always feel like your team is going to be the first. And if the Thunder didn’t find magic late in that one, they were one step closer to the ugly side of NBA history.

With their home crowd frothing at the mouth, the Thunder needed a spark. And Kevin Durant was up to the challenge. Drills a long 2. Swishes a 3. Hits a tough mid-range jumper. Drives and dishes to James Harden, who knocks down an open 3. Drops another jumper, plus the foul. Hits the free throw. Draws a foul, kills off both freebies. And then puts it all on ice with a running dagger with 12 seconds left.

That was the moment it clicked in my head. Holy crap, Kevin Durant is going to be an NBA legend. Keep Reading…

Video: Perk isn’t singing your goofy song

by Royce Young on October 31, 2012 at 12:30 pm 54 Comments

I like the point Brian Phillips of Grantland made: Do you think Perk knew he was filming a commercial?

OKC Thunder (0-0, 0-0 road) at San Antonio Spurs (1-0, 0-0 home)

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