Tom Ziller of SB Nation on the Lakers: “But a team with that profile wouldn’t be anything like an overwhelming title favorite. A team with that profile probably wouldn’t rate higher than the team that smoked them in the playoffs this spring, the Thunder. Or higher than the team that smoked the Thunder, those pesky Miami Heat. Unless something derails those two clubs, you can keep the dynasty talk in your back pocket. The Lakers would be a legit title contender so long as Nash (38 years old) and Kobe (closing in on 34) were highly productive, but they wouldn’t likely be a championship favorite in any season, let alone multiple seasons. Landing Nash and Howard would be great, but wouldn’t renew the Lakers dynasty.”
Hasheem Thabeet on what the Thunder coaching staff has told him: “They just told me that I have to be ready to work. That’s my focus right now, just come in and be able to work each day and get better every day.” Keep Reading…







Oklahoma City’s Offseason Grade: On a curve
As other teams ran the free agency rat race — overpaying for talent, making deals, signing veterans looking to chase a championship — the Thunder had a very Thunder-like offseason.
Uneventful.
All it amounted to was trading Nazr Mohammed, Derek Fisher and Royal Ivey for Perry Jones III, Hasheem Thabeet and Hollis Thompson. An upgrade? Hard to know with the unknowns of two rookies and a bust, but it’s probably at least a push.
What the Thunder do lose though is three very solid veteran voices. Obviously Scott Brooks and Sam Presit feel that between the experiences of the last couples seasons along with a few older guys like Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins that the Thunder have plenty of it. Because no more Fisher, no more Mohammed, no more Ivey. That’s 38 seasons of NBA experience replaced with three, and those are all from Thabeet. Keep Reading…