Welcome to OKCThunderGround!

These NBA Playoffs really haven’t done all that much for me so far this season. In fact, I’ve found them to be predictable and boring. The four teams most picked to be in the conference finals are there and to date I haven’t seen anything which would lead me to believe Golden State isn’t going to repeat as league champions and winners for the third time in four seasons.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been much, much, much better where four teams who weren’t in the conference finals last season have given the games some real drama.

Pittsburgh, Boston, and Nashville were all eliminated in the second round. The threepeat for Sid and the Penguins is a dream of the past.

Instead what we’ve had is a magical run by the Las Vegas expansion team, a dream season for the Winnipeg Jets, a rock solid Tampa Bay club showing why they were the No. 1 seed in the East, and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Caps playing the best hockey of his life.

Great stuff.

I haven’t missed a game. Whereas with the NBA—I only halfway watch the games in segments because unless Steve Kerr does the worst coaching job in the history of the league it should be Golden State hoisting another trophy.

Dwayne Casey was fired as the Toronto Raptors head coach despite just winning 59 games and easily being the winningest coach in franchise history in his seven years.

That’s what happens in sports. I have no idea who comes in and makes DeRozan and Lowery better in the clutch, but good luck to that coach. Much like good luck to the coach who eventually replaces Billy Donovan with the job of changing Russell Westbrook’s game.

Rule No. 3 of Coaching…You’re always hired at some point to be fired.

It happened to Scott Brooks. It will happen to Billy Donovan. Only those rarest coaches like Pop and Phil escape the death chamber of Rule No. 3 in pro sports or in college sports for that matter.

Casey, unlike Kevin Durant did in Oklahoma City, took the time at his own expense to thank Toronto for his experience in what I think is the loveliest city in North America.

Trust me on this as a guy who was born in San Diego that Toronto is the loveliest city I’ve ever spent a week in–and not just because the Hockey Hall of Fame is there. The place just reeks of diversity and ambience. You know…the exact opposite of Oklahoma City unless you’re into seeing the daughter of our governor with her trailer on the state capitol grounds next to the Ten Commandments statue. Yeah—those same Ten Commandments which Trumpster Fire has ignored except for the one about shooting someone in broad daylight on a busy street.

How refreshing in the era of Donald Trump’s total disdain for anything even remotely classy that just fired Dwayne Casey took the time to be classy.

How nice.

He must have become a Canadian in those seven years.

Even if LeBron hooks up with say Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, or even Paul George in Laker unis after this season—it doesn’t appear to me LeBron will be any closer to a fourth ring.

Jerry West knew what he was doing when he stole Kevin Durant away from Sam Presti. What Jerry West did was basically make the Golden State Warriors unbeatable as presently constructed with Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Iguodala.

Don’t laugh though when I write this—of all the teams in the NBA the one which which might have had a chance was…. the Oklahoma City Thunder. I write this though with the caveat Presti had added a scoring Sixth Man instead of the aged, delusional, and slow Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder roster.

Consider this…if you play a switching defense where you switch almost everything—the Thunder should have had a starting five of Roberson, George, Grant, Adams, and Westbrook. A truly great defensive lineup when Russell Westbrook is actually exerting effort on defense… and you know–trying.

But, alas…Sam Presti lost his mind and added a player who the zenmaster Phil Jackson couldn’t connect with in New York. I mean… if the zenmaster couldn’t relate with Carmelo then what would make anyone think Billy Donovan could cross that bridge.

Anyway, pretty much a yawner in Game 1 in Houston as Durant found himself guarded by James Harden, PJ Tucker, and little Chris Paul. That isn’t happening in a good way for the Rockets. They have no chance with those guys guarding Kevin Durant.

You see, Jerry West and Bob Meyer thought all this out unlike Sam Presti. Jerry West basically made sure Kevin Durant would have two of the guys in the league who can somewhat guard Durant on their Warriors team. Those would be Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.

Brilliant. They not only stole Durant from Oklahoma City, but they kept the two guys in the Western Conference who can guard the Slim Reaper.

Jerry West…smart guy.

Game 1: Golden State 119-Houston 106.

So what if some smart guy like Jerry West could put LeBron, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard on the same team to guard Kevin Durant next season?

I guess there’s a chance Paul George stays in Oklahoma City even though I think it’s much, much smaller than the 75% chance ESPN’s Royce Young is touting. Even if George stays this would be a Thunder team which without Kevin Durant is 3-8 in two quick exits from the playoffs in the post Kevin Durant era in Oklahoma City.

This is a Thunder team which has a massive headache with its Carmelo Anthony situation and the question of how quickly Andre Roberson will be able to return to elite defender status.

Then there’s that obvious elephant in the room, that being—is Russell Westbrook’s usage conducive to team play once a team makes it to post season without Durant alongside him to smooth out the rough edges.

So as we get set to witness the two best teams in the NBA square off in the Western Conference Finals it’s somewhat sad for me to realize this is the first time I’ll be watching Durant and Harden squaring off in post season .

There are so many what ifs following OKC’s one singular appearance in the NBA 2012 NBA Finals. The biggest what if forever will be the question why didn’t Sam Presti wait out Harden’s restricted free agency and see how the team would have evolved further in 2013 keeping the Fab Four of Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka together for at least one more season.

There will also forever will be that what if Presti had decided Durant and Harden should have been the two man hub of the team rather than Durant and Westbrook.

For those who were paying attention in 2012 it was actually Harden’s play as the hybrid guard along side Westbrook which got the Thunder to the Finals in the first place. It was Harden who was the Cool Hand Luke of that group of precocious kids who steadied the ship.

Would we now be watching the Thunder on the cusp of a third NBA championship rather than the Warriors who came out of left field to steal the Thunder’s status as the ‘it’ team in the NBA.

I will admit there’s a sadness in my heart as we wait for Monday night’s Game 1 of the Warriors-Rockets series.

But still it was a glorious decade of basketball for an Oklahoma City market which only by the grace of Hurricane Katrina ever got to borrow Seattle’s franchise for this past decade.

Who could have possibly thought after Portland took Greg Oden and passed on Kevin Durant we in Oklahoma would get to witness a decade of basketball which forever will be remembered by anyone who follows the NBA.

What’s next in Oklahoma City remains to be seen. But for those of us who witnessed this decade of Thunder basketball it will forever be remembered as something very special.

I love this video of Nick in his beginning days with the Sonics pulling down Yao Ming and getting a flagrant foul. Vintage Nick Collison.

To me, it epitomizes Nick Collison’s passion, smarts, and tough attitude he always brought when he was on the floor.

This is the type of attitude I would think Nick would bring to his team as a coach. I’m hoping Nick Collison is one of the Thunder’s coaches next season.

I hope Sam Presti has big plans for Nick Collison moving forward.

You know, for all the observations which come with an NBA marathon season here we are as we thought we’d be with Golden State vs. Houston and LeBron vs. Boston.

Yawn.

For all the talk of sudden parity in the NBA I would think Vegas is feeling pretty good right now about the third straight Golden State vs. LeBron matchup in the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant walking away with his second ring in two years with the Warriors.

Seems like a lifetime ago Durant left Oklahoma City with the July 4th announcement on the Players Tribune.

Lifetimes go by in a blur sometimes and the Thunder’s decade of relevance hung around for a decade of excellence with Kevin Durant.

Nick retired today as he should have and I smiled for him today. Good player, better person. His karma should be good.

Russell waits to see what Paul George is going to do.

As a guy who was born in San Diego…I’m fairly certain what I’d do if were Paul George…namely get my ass back to the Pacific Ocean and close to my family…and who knows maybe doing all that with Jerry West. I’d love to play for Jerry West.

I haven’t run into Steven yet this off season at our favorite 7-Eleven, but I got a feeling it will happen…you know–serendipity and all that. Such progressive progress in Oklahoma….by October you’ll actually be able to buy a six point beer inside a 7-Eleven. I’m surprised that got by the Trump Christians in faith based Oklahoma. What’s next…maybe learning to read and possibly smartening the fuck up beyond the level of a dirt clod?

Great weather this week in OKC. Very summery. Even though part of me longs to be in Toronto to get away from the Trump Christians in Oklahoma–my body loves the heat. I feel like a summer song.

As was the case in their opening round with the OKC Thunder, the Utah Jazz earned a split in the first two games in Houston. Rookie guard sensation is to the point the player to be watched this far into the playoffs. A really fun player to watch as a hybrid guard who can play the point without Rubio or the shooting guard with Rubio. He would have been the perfect player to saddle up with Westbrook as did Harden in 2012 when the Thunder made their only run to an NBA Finals appearance. I love to watch him play.

I’m putting this on here only because I want it archived for this fall when I’m writing my book. In length, the press conference was about an hour in length. I made it thru about ten minutes before I became bored and turned it off. Maybe there’s something to be said in what I just wrote from an analogy standpoint. In that after a certain amount of time it appeared from the outside looking in Billy Donovan’s team stopped listening and became bored with him and with themselves.

I expected Billy Donovan to stay as coach and he will. No shock there at all.

Here’s what I would write at this point though in looking forward.If Paul George leaves and the Thunder get out bidded in unrestricted free agency with Jerami Grant–who would be the Thunder’s third best player next season.

The Thunder simply cannot keep Carmelo Anthony because there were a couple of thousand empty seats in OKC for Game 5 and for the first time in the Thunder Era there was booing of the home team.

The booing of the hometown Thunder was a first in the decade long era of innocence in Mystery, Alaska.

What this really boils down to is that for the first time minus the departure of Durant—the innocence of this college market has been exposed to the hard core reality of the harder side of the NBA as a very tough business.

My favorite basketball book of all-time is David Halberstam’s Breaks of the Game about the Portland Trailblazers ’79-’80 season.

As a Thunder fan—I’m locked into three things right now..1 Paul George’s decision, 2 a graceful exit of Carmelo, and 3 if Jerami Grant decides to leave in July.

Billy Donovan is a sidenote.

Sam Presti will be giving his Thunder State of the Union address sometime today. Actually, Jim Traber pretending to be Sam Hinkie gave it yesterday on WWLS Sports Animal and for some parts it’s consistent with some things I think.

Would I blow it up in OKC right now with Sam Hinkie the OU and Stanford grad who set the pieces in place for the current Philadelphia 76’ers with his ‘process’?Not quite just yet. But I’d think about it as a possible escape from the reality of the Thunder’s decline and current situation as having the league’s third highest payroll and not being a viable contender with all that payroll attached.

To me …that’s kind of like paying Stormy Daniels a $130,000 to not have sex with her. It makes no sense to me. None. But of course–this is Oklahoma and it’s a place loyal to the Trump Doctrine lock, stock, and barrel no matter how goofy it sounds.

But first I’d see how the next two months play out. I’d see if Sam Presti can structure a staggered buyout of Carmelo Anthony. I’d see if Presti gift wrapped Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis for nothing more than a seven month rental of Paul George. I’d see if in all this monetary chaos which is of Presti’s doing despite the pleas of prolonged sustainability… if he Presti can sign Jerami Grant as an unrestricted free agent this July.

I’d see how these three things play out.

But as of on the second day of May … I’d sit and wait before I go firing Billy Donovan and/or Sam Presti.

But more than anything if I’m Clay Bennett and I know I have Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams under contract together for at least three more years…I’d think if there’s a GM and a coach out there who could get Russell Westbrook to morph his game as to a style of play which gives the Thunder a chance of being relevant again after the Kevin Durant era in Oklahoma City.

Without Durant to a certain extent Sam Presti and Billy Donovan have both been exposed–as in they can’t get Russell Westbrook to conform to a style of play which gives the team a chance to become more than just a one man show. More than Allen Iverson on steroids.

You’ll hear the Oklahoma City sports media writers like Barry Tramel or Royce Young cover up for the Thunder company line and that’s to be expected since both derive off the record access to Sam Presti, but at the end of the day there’s just going to be the cold hard stark reality that the model in Oklahoma City will not produce much more than we saw this season as presently organized.

And while Carmelo Anthony’s premature mid-life crisis is like throwing gas on the fire which is the Thunder currently…Carmelo Anthony isn’t the primary Thunder issue.

Sam Presti’s leadership of the franchise in the post Durant Era is front and center the issue.

Here are some things Carmelo didn’t do:

He didn’t trade Reggie Jackson for Kyle Singler and DJ Augustin.

He didn’t trade away a first round draft pick for Dion Waiters and then not resign Waiters.

He didn’t fire Scott Brooks and then replace him with a college coach who was struggling with John Calipari in the SEC let alone the complex issues of superstars and agents in the NBA.

He didn’t use first round draft picks to secure the rights to Mitch McGary, Josh Huestis, and Cameron Payne.

He didn’t trade away Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis for a one season rental.

But most of all…what Carmelo didn’t do was be the guy who was the one GM in the league stupid enough to pull the trigger on a player who couldn’t come to terms with Phil Jackson let alone Billy Donovan.

Carmelo Anthony the now villain in Oklahoma City didn’t do any of these things.

Sam Presti did and he has two months to get Paul George signed, find a away to ease Carmelo out of town, and resign Jerami Grant. The truth is right there for what it is regardless of what the Usual Suspects list of Brian Davis and Nick Gallo say–or what Barry Tramel or Royce Young write.

But you know what…I’m not going to fret it because with my own two ears I heard Royce Young on Monday say there’s a 75% chance Paul George resigns with the Thunder.

Two months.

We’ll see.

I saw this video and it made me think of Dave Chappelle’s comments on the Deplorables. I mean, you look at this video and you have to figure at a minimum 98% of those white faces smudged up against that chain link prolly voted for Donald Trump. So… like Dave, I looked extremely close at these white faces and you know what…though obviously misguided people and in need of a life…I didn’t see one Deplorable face pressed up against that fence. Not one.

Last night was a big night for me as far as Deplorables and coming to terms with the Trump presidency in a god forsaken political dumpster fire like Oklahoma. I watched Anthony Bourdain do his show from West Virginia and I loved the show. Then this airport Deplorable scene from Will Rogers Airport. I think at the end of the day..it’s all about acceptance and being tolerate to one another regardless of what we think about our reality television porn star president.

So…I saw that list of questions Mueller has for Trump. I’m thinking a Dave Letterman Home Office list of questions from me would only seem natural given how much was left off the list and the fact the Thunder are by the grace of God not playing any more games this basketball season.

And look at Carmelo–taking the time to politely greet all these people after the toughest night of his professional life. I know there’s a good side to Carmelo.

On a sidenote, it’s all about human growth. A couple of weeks ago, a kid probably around fourteen wearing a Boy Scout uniform came up to me and ask me if I wanted to buy some tickets to some deal for the Boy Scouts Jamboree which Trump spoke at last year in West Virginia.

He looked like Larry Mondello from Leave It To Beaver. He was a little chunky. Had his ball cap slanted and had chocolate smeared all over his face. I swear–a dead ringer for Larry Modello.

I looked at this kid and then asked, “Did you vote for Trump?”

And this little fucker looks at me and then says, “I’m not old enough mister, but he’s making America great again. Maybe our best president ever.”

Two months ago I would have made some comment about Marco Rubio’s dick or Russian hookers peeing on each other. But I looked at this kid and I actually kind of liked him. So I bought two tickets and walked off.

It’s all about being that adult in the room no doubt.