Author: Mike

So as we witness this Kawhi Leonard debacle in San Antonio–I ask the question are there any Tim Duncans left in the agent driven world of the NBA?

It’s sad to see this happening with Greg Popovich and the Spurs. It truly is because they appeared to be the one organization in all of pro sport who were immune to the axiom that the NBA is merely nothing more than an agent/super star driven league.

So much for that naïve thought.

But here we sit watching this sad drama where Kawhi Leonard not only doesn’t play, but he doesn’t even accompany his team and sit with them as they go through the process of being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard doesn’t have time because he’s with his people in New York going through the process of forcing the Spurs to unload him this season to a team who has a coach who won’t ever get on him. I guess Kawhi’s people are his uncle/agent and some doctors who won’t confirm what the Spurs’ medical staff has said about Kawhi’s quad injury.

Agents and money drive all of pro sports, but especially in the NBA because if one superstar is landed you can build a team around that one star fairly easily with the aid of a smart GM.

But we live in an age where loyalty doesn’t really mean much across the landscape of pro sports.

We live in an NBA age where the concept of awarding an NBA Coach of the Year award is somewhat of a joke. So who’s this year’s NBA Coach of the Year I ask aloud?

Steve Kerr’s quadruplets of stars have publicly admitted they were burned out after only being together for 18 months. LeBron has had better years than this one as an NBA coach. Pop looks like a dinosaur. Billy Donovan’s team didn’t appear to be all that concerned about winning games until the first 79 games were in the books. The jury is still out on Mike D’Antoni until we see what they do in the playoffs. And Portland’s Terry Stotts’ team has cratered a bit coming down the stretch.

The answer is there isn’t such a thing as an NBA Coach of the Year any longer. There should be the MVP Award, the NBA Executive of the Year Award, and the NBA Agent of the Year Award. The coaches are just there to give the appearance that there is some reason for their outdated existence in the NBA world. You know.. kind of like where robots are going to start driving for Uber.

But if forced to pick the one player left standing in the NBA who’s career path most resembles that of Tim Duncan to date…I could only come up with two players to date. Russell Westbrook and maybe Anthony Davis in New Orleans.

But primarily Russell Westbrook as he’s the only star in the NBA who in my estimation would sign a long term deal to stay in Oklahoma City once the constraints of the NBA’s collective bargaining allowed him to freely do otherwise.

Russell Westbrook stayed when he didn’t have to and displayed loyalty to Clay Bennett, Sam Presti, and the Oklahoma City fans.

So while I never saw Tim Duncan dress like Russell Westbrook there are some other common threads between the two.

I love this! First off—Westbrook is half naked wearing some new powder blue outfit I’ve never seen before. Then, after Tramel asks some predictably overthink question, Westbrook allows Carmelo to handle the question so he won’t be mean to Tramel with a curt reply.

Here’s the thing for you Oklahoma college media types. This isn’t nuclear fusion. Billy Tubbs and Eddie Sutton told you this numerous times. Even they rolled their eyes at you at times.

When you shoot the ball well, good things usually happen to your team. It’s a contagious confidence thing. You run faster and play better defense. Your testosterone count may even go up depending on the individual.

Note to the Oklahoma media types…quit overthinking all this. It’s a simple game.

When OKC shoots 48% from three point land and 87% from the line—I’m thinking to myself on those nights they’re going to be close to unbeatable.

I would have had two questions for Russ last night:

1 Bad Little Dude…how much did you pay for this outfit and 2 could you buy an extra one for Tramel to dress him up for these presssers?

We’ve been told the OKC Thunder have been holding back in anticipation for the NBA Playoffs. They almost held back too late, but on this opening game of post season for the Thunder they looked like a team who could make some noise in notching a 116-108 win over the Utah Jazz in Game I of this first round series.

Paul George was a monster. Literally a monster as he scored 36 points on a 13-20 shooting evening and going a Thunder best ever in going 8-11 from the beyond the arc. Even KD never made eight threes in a game. I had no idea.

Russell Westbrook was excellent as well scoring 29 points and looking every bit the part of a player Paul George should hang around with beyond this post season.

OKC came into this game ranked 29th in free throw shooting and 27th in three point shooting efficiency.

So who were these guys tonight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena?

OKC went 14-29 (48.3) shooting threes and 20-23 shooting free throws (87%).Basketball is fairly simple. If you play defense, move the ball, and shoot the ball like the Thunder did tonight you give yourself a chance of being pretty good. The Thunder were pretty good tonight.

Steven Adams, Carmelo, Corey Brewer, and Alex Abrines were all pretty good tonight as well.

Even though OKC got off to a horrible start—I was calm just by the fact I wasn’t having to listen to dumb goofy stuff on the Fox Thunder telecast. I hung in there, stayed calm, and allowed Matt Pinto to steer me thru the early game waves.

Not that Clay Bennett or Sam Presti give a shit what I think, but I think what I’d do is kind of change things around and stay with this new broadcast lineup and move Brian Davis to the post game show if he can contain himself and not come across like Trump’s buddy Sheriff Joe with his murky use of adjectives in describing the team’s franchise player.

The BBQ from Earl’s was sublime. I put away a slab of the St. Louis style ribs and a box of okra.

The Thunder lead the series 1-0 and Game 2 is in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

I’m thinking the German beer hall in Bricktown with the food order going …German pretzel, duck fries, and the green pepper and German sausage plate platter with maybe some German beer.

This is me, the new casual Thunder fan who can roll with it.

Life is good.

Paul George postgame.

It was a great Saturday for me sports wise as the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia 76’ers both rolled with impressive first round home wins.

Very few in Oklahoma City follow hockey even though at one point back in the 60’s the Boston Bruins top AAA affiliate played in Oklahoma City and spawned my love affair with the game. Some really good pro players came thru here back in the day and I find it very sad that Oklahoma City has no pro ice hockey being played in the city currently.

Anyway, the Bruins are loaded this season with a roster put together to give the two-time Stanley Cup champs Pittsburgh Penguins all they can muster.

These Bruins can score goals and have a good netminder in Tuuka Rask.

So while the Thunder try and decide if Brian Davis is a racist or not I have not only the Boston Bruins, but my Philly Sixers alive as vibrant contenders this spring.

To be honest with you, my emotional gauge for these two teams is probably higher for them than the Thunder right now.

But still–of course I’ll watch the Thunder this afternoon. The diva lab much more prefers the hockey and the Boston Bruins. She told me she’ll sit with me during the Thunder game, but if I start acting up and cursing at the screen she’s going to the other room to watch hockey because those guys try all the time.

And the Sixers? Yikes. That’s where the future of this league is right now…in Philly. I hope somewhere in a bar…Sam Hinkie is at peace with himself for how it finally turned out in Philly.

But since I’ve got the underground Thunder blog and it appears there it isn’t one local sports journalist in Oklahoma City who can string two honest paragraphs together in regards to the Thunder…I’ll keep my head up and do the best I can on here to record this for historical reference.

It’s going to be a great sports spring…with or without the Thunder. Hopefully, with though. And since my son and daughter in law moved to Denver—I now even have the Avalanche and Colorado Rockies to follow. My sports cup overfloweth. But the Avalanche drew the Nashville Preds in the first round and that’s a very tough assignment.

Make me proud, Matt Pinto.

I love Russell Westbrook. He’s the same age of my son. Everything about Russell over these ten years or so has me even more fond of him as a young man than just a basketball superstar.

His relationship with his parents touches my heart. He calls them every day. He’s been a wonderful big brother to his younger brother Ray.

He married his college sweetheart from UCLA. He appears to be a wonderful father. His college coach at UCLA still talks about him fondly and his devotion to his alma mater.

What do you not like about Westbrook other than the fact he doesn’t like the college level media in Oklahoma? He shouldn’t be rude to them, but when every friggin day you’re taken apart on the Sports Animal I’m sure it gets old. You’ll notice Russell is always polite to the national media. Know what I mean?

But that comes with territory. If only these same people were so lazer focused on our sitting president and his performance.

But again, I don’t think Brian Davis is a racist. I don’t see that in the man. What I see is a savvy career announcer who knows his viewers in Oklahoma aren’t the sharpest pencils in the NBA pencil jar. I think what Brian Davis does is basically just dumb it down to the level of a certain percentage of the Fox audience–much like Sean Hannity does on Fox News Network.

But I don’t think there was any malicious intent by Brian Davis. Just more of the same in a market which went almost 70% for a sitting president who ran the Birther movement as a prelude to his presidency… and the same person who picked Jeff Sessions as the top lawyer in America.

If I were a black player would I want to play and live in Oklahoma City?

No–I wouldn’t. And again this isn’t to insinuate every Trump voter is a racist. Not at all. But if I were a black man this isn’t the place where I’d want my son to learn every man should be judged by the character of his heart as opposed to the color of his skin.

No preaching intended. Just the way I honestly feel.

Oklahoma City was very fortunate Russell Westbrook decided to stay here. He could have taken an easier route, but he didn’t.

So while I don’t think Brain Davis is a racist, it’s Westbrook as a man who has won my admiration as a man beyond what he does on a basketball court.

Every parent in America should pray to be as fortunate that their son turns out like Russell.

And you know what—I don’t think there would be anything wrong with Clay Bennett or Sam Presti saying in public what I just wrote. But they won’t because the people who buy their tickets wouldn’t think that was cool.

I love Tom Petty. He talks to me from heaven every now and again. He says, hang in there, Mike…the next place you’re going won’t be like Oklahoma. So–I’m thinking Tom Petty will be my theme music throughout these playoffs even if the Thunder get bounced in the first round.

You haven’t lived until you’ve karoked to either Tom Petty or Bob Dylan. Trust me on this.

Knock yourself out. Trust me…you’ll feel better…even in Oklahoma.

This is so cool. This could never happen in a stadium in Oklahoma. They’re too dumb to pull it off. Eventually… me, the wife, and the diva lab will end up in a nice little place a few blocks off the sleepy beaches of Melbourne, Florida. They both told me they love me, but they’re not going to Toronto with me in that it’s too cold for the wife and the lab despises the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It’s all about compromise I guess.

I trudge ahead in Oklahoma with the NBA’s second season set to begin even with Thunder homerette Brian Davis now officially suspended for Game 1 of the Utah series for his racial on air gaffe. I forge ahead in Oklahoma in what has to be the dumbest state of all fifty and maybe even Puerto Rico if they ever attain statehood.

Only in Oklahoma, a state which went 70% for wannabe porno star POTUS Donald Trump, could some harmless mole like Brian Davis be suspended for something this stupid. I mean, it’s not like he said ‘he just grabs a handful of pussy whenever’. Or he didn’t do anything like pee on a Russian prostitute in a Moscow bed where Obama once slept. Nor did Brian Davis have his thug mafia lawyer pay some upscale hooker like Stormy Daniels the sum of $130,000 to not have sex with him. For crying out loud he didn’t even insinuate Carly Fiorina’s ugly face could stop a semi truck.

Yet here we sit in Christian right Oklahoma with little harmless Brian Davis in handcuffs and not available for Game 1 of the Utah series.

Only, and I repeat, only could this happen in Oklahoma.

So…..my Power Poll. Well,–I’m going to have to put the Thunder back in there even though I swore I never would again. It must be the Scott Pruitt water I’ve been drinking with these same wild, crazy, and daft Okies. It must be doing bad things to me.

This is a tough Power Poll with the Steph Curry situation though because without Curry the Warriors are only 17-14 without him and are a net team negative points per game without him as well. With a healthy Steph Curry these Warriors would be a lock to repeat, but I’m not so sure what to think right now. The Spurs don’t have much left of what they used to be, but they still have Pop. So—all the sudden that series might maybe be interesting.

Anyway, my Power Poll for the first round.

1 Houston
2 Golden State
3 LeBron
4 Toronto
5 Philadelphia
6 Portland
7 Oklahoma City
8 Utah

So…Matt Pinto will be replacing Brian Davis. Which is actually good for me in that I’ll be able to possibly listen to portions of the Fox telecasts. Pinto is a pro and actually about the only guy in this market I would defer to from an NBA view. He knows his shit.

I’m still not sure if I’m going to pay money to attend a game in this Utah series though. These guys haven’t won be back to that extent. Fool me once…right? But I’m thinking I’m might go sneak over to the German beer hall in Bricktown for Game 2.

My wife won’t sit in the same house with me during a Thunder game so it will primarily be me and the diva lab Pauli at the Thunder Game Day watch party. Probably gonna cater this watch party with Earl’s BBQ ribs, some cole slaw, baked beans, and fried okra. Too cold for beer though on Sunday. I never drink beer if it’s not at least 82 degrees outside. Maybe just a ton of coffee for Game 1.

I have no idea whatsoever what will happen in this series, but Oklahoma does have Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony who between them went a combined 1-9 in post season play last season with the Thunder, the Pacers, and the NY Knicks.

So–I would think this series should be pretty interesting from a competitive standpoint.

I’m honestly not all that jacked about the Thunder, but the playoffs in general should be pretty good.

Hang in there, Brian Davis. You’re not a bad dude. The clouds will part and the sky will turn blue again for Game 2 and you’ll be back on the air saying goofy Oklahoma things like this never even happened.

I honestly didn’t even know there was some sort of racial comment issue during the telecast of the Thunder’s game versus Memphis.

You know why I didn’t know, because long ago during this season of angst I muted the Dimwit Twins on all Thunder telecasts. I don’t listen to Brian Davis and Michael Cage because they’re hopeless homers. In no way would I ever fathom Brian Davis to be a racist though. No way.

I’ll listen to Matt Pinto or watch the ESPN/ABC or TNT announcers, but long ago I gave up on Brian Davis.

Davis is probably fairly popular I’d guess with the strand of Thunder fans who became NBA fans only when OKC got its own team in 2008. Give me Breen, Jeff van Gundy, and Mark Jackson any day of the week over the homerfest. I do like Antonio Davis though. Pinto and Davis would be an interesting Thunder broadcast team for me.

Brian Davis actually seems like a nice man, but again he drives me crazy with his style in that he can hardly ever make an objective comment in regards to the Thunder. It’s almost like having Sean Hannity at courtside if you follow the drift.

He says stuff like Rattlesnake Jam or Si Senor when Abrines makes a three. This is who the guy is…a cornball on the air. But I’m guessing in private I’d probably like Davis as at times he’s let his cornball demeanor on the telecasts down and led me to believe he’s actually a fairly smart guy.

Howard Cosell was one of my favorite sportscasters growing up. He got in trouble for comparing the play of Washington Redskin Alvin Garrett to that a little money. Like in this deal with Davis, the politically correct crowd went nuts claiming racism.

No way. Cosell was an ardent admirer of Jackie Robinson and supporter of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Cosell was also the lone voice in support of then Cassius Clay when the young Clay refused to report to duty for service in Vietnam. Howard Cosell was no racist and neither is Brian Davis.

But if I were a Thunder brass I would be thinking of making a change on the Thunder broadcasts and go with Pinto and Davis. But not for the reason of racism, but more for the reason they’d be a much better team in the booth and give us Thunder fans who actually watched the NBA before Hurricane Katrina something beyond Hee Haw on the Thunder telecasts.

I mean, I detest Trump and Sessions more than anybody, but to go crazy over this is absurd.

I feel weird, but it’s a good weird. I’m at peace and it has nothing to do with OKC’s chances in the upcoming playoffs. As a Thunder fan, I’m at peace. I feel better for these guys because they finally started tapping in on their team potential a little bit. Not that I think they can still be the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, but some peace knowing they didn’t just roll over and say fuck it at the end.

That’s what life is. A never ending sequence of pulling yourself up off the mat and competing.

But mostly, I’m happy for Russell and Nick.

This is part of the beauty of sport. How a black kid from LA and a white kid from Iowa can be part of something like this and in the process forge a friendship and a bond.

I have no idea whatsoever how many games the Oklahoma City Thunder will win in post season this go around. Teams which are 29th in free throw shooting and 27th in three point shooting efficiency are like dogs which play in the street.

But I know this. Both Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison are young men and basketball players who have made Oklahoma City a better place.

And for that, for right now, that’s enough for me.

I’m good.

In a season marked by times when you felt pain watching this team inflict pain upon itself, this regular season in Oklahoma City ended with some happiness with a regular season ending 137-123 win over nine dressed members of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The win improves this suddenly appearing normal Thunder to 48-34 and moves the Thunder up to the No. 4 seed in the West.

I have no idea how severe Corey Brewer’s leg injury is, but otherwise it was a lovely night to end a season of head scratching angst. I hope Corey Brewer is okay because he’ll be needed moving forward against the Utah Jazz in Round I.

For the time being I’m not going to think about the Utah Jazz. I’m just going to take a deep breathe and appreciate the fact these guys appear to be together in spirit and have earned themselves home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

For lifetime Thunder fans it was a lump in throat moment as Nick Collison possibly played in his last regular season game. The moment was beautiful as his friend Russell Westbrook spoke on Nick’s behalf before the game started. I won’t lie, it put a tear in the corner of my eyes.

Nick Collison is Oklahoma City Thunder basketball. Period. He is the one guy you’ve never heard criticized by one living member of the human race in Oklahoma during these Thunder years of NBA basketball in a college market.

I have no idea what position Sam Presti has in store for Nick Collison or if Nick will even stay in Oklahoma City, but Nick Collison is loved in this state for what he has stood for both on and off the court.

Russell Westbrook notched his second straight season of averaging a triple double and there was that as well. I’ve never written much about Russell’s rebounding numbers because in essence it’s a stupid conversation to be having if your brain is in place.

My thoughts go like this…Russell is OKC’s point guard. He is the fastest player in the league. Anytime Russell Westbrook has a rebound in his hands he is able to get the Thunder out in transition without a pass and thus down the court much faster. Both of these things are to the Thunder’s advantage. They really are.

My major concern with Russell is if he’ll be able to recalibrate himself in the last six minutes of games in post season play as far as getting his team into its offense as the pace slows down in grind it down games in the playoffs.

But I really don’t want to talk too much about things like this right now. Because for the first time since this season began I feel at peace somewhat. The Thunder survived themselves for the time being. They almost set themselves on fire, but didn’t and for that I’m grateful.

Little victories. You sometimes in life accept little victories. You thank God for the good feeling in your heart and try to move forward with some grace and dignity.

Wednesday night inside the Chesapeake Energy was full of little victories for a Thunder team which has been playing uphill for six months.

But on this night it was lovely.

My Thunder heart feels at peace at least until tip on Sunday evening when the Thunder host the Utah Jazz in Game 1 in what should be a rugged series.