Just finished sipping a Dr. Pepper while watching Joe and Mika give their obits on Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign. I agree-he’s going to get his wish now and have plenty of time to do all those other fun things. Somebody in his family should have told him back in 1988 his father employed Lee Atwater to run one of the toughest in your face presidential campaigns in contemporary history in defeating the guy who pardoned Willie Horton and drove the tank with his helmet falling off his head.
Now…to the basketball game.
First off, OKC won a game on opening night against a top eight team overall in the NBA on a night when Kevin Durant was rusty from what has basically been an eight month layoff from real NBA games against good players and good teams. Kawhi Leonard is a very good two way player. Maybe not a stretch to call him the NBA’s most unnoticed, underappreciated star. Give Leonard some credit–he had a very good night.
Even in having an off night it was clear Durant has a calming effect on Westbrook and the other Thunder players during closing time. Think how many times last season in these same situations OKC imploded against good teams in the last four minutes of games. Durant, even rusty, is OKC’s closer and everyone on ‘his’ team knows it.
Westbrook was Westbrook on the night. Tony Parker never really had a chance as he showed all the wear of his previous fourteen NBA seasons. To me, Parker’s decline is the most important Spurs storyline to watch as the season unfolds. Aldridge will eventually fit into a morphed Spurs system. Remember…Pop did coach Tim Duncan and David Robinson together with a different offensive system.
Dion Waiters, Enes Kanter, and Anthony Morrow confirmed what we thought going into last night–that being, OKC will have a vibrant offensive bench on most nights.
Enjoyed watching Billy Donovan’s presser. He comes across well and is very much a players’ coach. Watching the pressers this season will be more interesting.
Game one in the books.
MJ