Month: April 2018

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.

I haven’t written much politically on here lately because in the Era of Trump it makes no real sense. Every day is a minimum of three rabbit holes and another dose of Trump fatigue.

So—today GOP Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told us he’s calling it quits and going back home to Wisconsin to be with his family. Whatever.

I think it’s always noble to put family over other things, but I doubt this was the only consideration. The main consideration I would think is that he discovered what previous GOP House Speaker John Boehner already knew. Which is…the modern Republican Party has become a rogue party in which even if one Democrat didn’t exist on the face of the Earth it would not be able to govern itself with any sense of unity or coherence.

This is what Paul Ryan came to realize. He realized he was missing time away from his children to in essence babysit a group of people who got their tax break and won’t be able to come to any terms of agreement on much of anything else.

So why embarrass yourself further and miss time away from your teenage children?

I’m sure Fox News Network will this spin this entirely different. But it is what it is.

Today’s three rabbitholes in case you need clarification… 1 Paul Ryan to step down, 2 Trump tells Putin he’s sending missiles to Syria, and 3 Trump seriously considering firing Mueller.

This is reality show Freak Down America. This is what America has become and no one more than Paul Ryan knows it.

Go home, Speaker Ryan and pray history will be forgiving.

For me…to get thru the rest of the week. This sustains me for some reason.

I have no idea what was said in private among this team before the Houston game, but evidently the gist of it was as a team they drew a line in the sand and agreed there was no more time left to continue pissing basketball games away.

For the second time in three nights, the OKC Thunder’s heart showed up and stayed on the court for 48 minutes in a critical 115-93 win over the Miami Heat on the road.

The win clinches a playoff spot for the Thunder and improves their record to 47-34. The Thunder could conceivably grab the No. 4 seed with a home win over Memphis and a sequence of results from other teams in the West.

This team will go as Russell Westbrook and Paul George go…period. On this night they were both excellent and Jerami Grant was sensational.

The Thunder started slowly, but fought back and basically dominated the game the final thirty-six minutes of play.

The Thunder hit 31-38 free throws and made three point shots when they had to. The Thunder also went on the high side of .500 on the road for the season at 21-20.

As a Thunder fan you don’t want to put your heart all the way out there, but there are some things trending for OKC right now which will make the first round interesting in the West — and especially for the Thunder.

This is Russell Westbrook’s time to show himself and Paul George whether he can be a championship point guard in the NBA.

To me–it’s that simple.

Can Russell Westbrook re-calibrate his game and along with Paul George put his team on his shoulders and win 16 games in post season play?

The Thunder end their regular season at home on Wednesday versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

Two games are left and the Thunder now stand at 46-34. I have no idea who shows up in Thunder unis this evening in Miami in a critical game versus the Heat. Long ago I stopped worrying about seeding position with this bunch. What difference does seeding mean when you don’t know which heart will show up on any given night wearing Thunder blue?

I calibrate my emotions carefully with this group of players and no longer put my heart on my sleeve. But I must admit with all the talent Westbrook, George, and Adams bring to the table as an NBA fan in general it’s hard not to take your eyes off them just for the sake of wondering what on any given night will bring.

We’ve seen glimpses of what they can do for a game here and there, but what we’ve never observed this season is consistent commitment to focus and effort. What we’ve seen is a team with attention deficit disorder.

But as you look across the NBA landscape there’s some other disorder out there as well and Steph Curry is missing the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Heck, the hottest team in the league are the surging Philadelphia 76’ers. Take away the Sixers on their current run and no one else in the league with enough talent to make serious noise is closing with a rush.

Toronto, Boston, and Cleveland are playing like teams with no real chance to win the NBA championship beyond the East.

Golden State has the issue with Steph’s fragile ankles. Houston and D’Antoni have never won anything in post season to date. Portland is closing with a thud. San Antonio doesn’t have the horses.

But you know who does have the horses if they could force themselves to focus on things like heart and effort—the threesome of Westbrook, Paul George, and Steven Adams.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no way I’m putting the Thunder on my Power Poll again, but by the same token it’s hard to ignore these three players being on the same team.

I have no idea what happens tonight in Miami. I have no idea where the Thunder end up being seeded.

But I do know if the Thunder could grow up and stay that way long enough they have the best athlete in the NBA playing point guard. They have probably the third best small forward in the league behind LeBron and Durant in Paul George. And they have in Steven Adams a center who can punish certain teams with interior frailness.

So we’ll see what comes of this and if the Thunder can pretend to play like grownups for a sustained period of time in April.

Anything is possible in sport as we just witnessed Patrick Reed harness his inner self and basically beat the golfing world on Sunday at Augusta National with everybody rooting against him.

Can Russell Westbrook harness his inner self moving forward is the question.

So…as I’m sitting there watching the OKC Tre Cupcakes on Saturday night in a do or die game against the league record best Houston Rockets–I’m thinking to myself what the has gotten into these guys?

I mean…for seventy-nine game they’ve played like the biggest competitive pussies I’ve ever witnessed in a lifetime filled with playing sports, coaching sports, and watching sports. So really what got into these guys on Saturday night?

I don’t actually know. Maybe they got fired up watching Patrick Reed and Rory going toe to toe–chin to chin during an epic third round of the Masters. Maybe Nick Collison pulled them aside and said some things challenging them as men. Or maybe Russell Westbrook watched some film of what Maurice Cheeks looked like playing the point guard position in 1983 when Mo led the Dr. J, Moses Malone, and my Sixers to an NBA Championship.

I’m going to go with No. 3 in that despite all the negative things I’ve written of late in regards to the OKC Tre Cupcakes at heart I’m an optimist. I’m going to assume Russell Westbrook took a piece of Maurice Cheek’s basketball heart and finally decided within himself that to date this OKC Thunder season has been absolute bullshit and couldn’t take it any more.

I’m going with No.3.

In a game the Thunder absolutely had to have in order to avoid being tabbed as the biggest joke of the basketball season–OKC’s Thunder finally showed up.

And it was beautiful in that they competed like a bunch of junkyard dogs with a collective chip on their shoulder.

It was a collective team effort, but most of all it was Russell Westbrook being Mo Cheeks shutting down James Harden with his lockdown defense. It was like watching Westbrook back at his days at UCLA when he was one of college basketball’s best defenders instead of a pretty boy triple double stat boy. In a word..it was like watching Maurice Cheeks in his prime.

Russell Westbrook stepped up and shut down James Harden in the fourth period. Do you know what something like that does to a team when they finally see the team’s star take that approach on defense? It makes them want to play at that level as well. That’s what it does.

And lo and behold… the Thunder followed Westbrook’s lead on a night when the team showed some grit, showed some passion, but most all showed a competitive heart.

Even Carmelo showed it. Paul George showed it. Jerami friggin Grant had it pouring out of his veins. And my frilly Euro boy Alex Abrines continued to snarl, to scratch, to claw, and to bleed a little bit. Who would have thought back in December I would fall in love with Alex Abrines as a basketball player, but strange things can happen to a man when he has to watch 79 games of bullshit to finally witness a ‘possible’ sliver of light at the end of a tunnel of shit.

So this win means the Thunder will probably make the playoffs. That’s it. I have no idea if the Thunder Tre Cupcakes can embrace this as a game to game thing moving forward.

Only Russell Westbrook and his father would know. Because there is an option No. 4–that being Russell Westbrook’s father challenged his son to step up.

Why would I even guess something like this?

Because as a father who has a son the exact same age as Russell Westbrook — I could have seen myself telling my son ..step the fuck up or shut up.

Russell Westbrook stepped up.

The Thunder at the Miami Heat on Monday evening.

These last twelve games of the Thunder’s regular season were supposed to be the last stand. This string of games in when OKC would show what they’re made of and define their season as contender over pretender.

As we wait for tonight’s game in Houston the Thunder are 3-6 so far in these twelve games. It all started beautifully with a home win over the Clippers and a rousing road win over the Raptors. But from that point forward, the Thunder have lost six of their last seven and are losers of five games in a row.

Pretenders…I would say.

With the next two games being on the road against Houston and Miami there is the very real possibility these pretender Thunder could be 3-8 heading into the regular season’s home finale versus the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.

The Thunder now sit precariously perched as the No. 7 seed in the West and face the very real possibility of not making the playoffs with this Sam Presti Super Team.

I’m not even sure how I feel about it truth be known. Even if they make the playoffs there’s no way I’m going to spend money on playoff tickets to watch this team in person any longer this season. This will mark the first time in the Thunder era in Oklahoma City I haven’t attended NBA playoff basketball in person.

And let me be clear–my attitude isn’t based merely on the Thunder’s record, but more to the point…their attitude. I have no respect for this Thunder team. I have no respect for their competitive or shall I say non-competitive approach to this basketball season.

Quite frankly, they appear to not give a shit at times. Plus, I’m tired of the two and a half stars and their repetitive bullshit as to when this season might actually kick in at some point. Clue to the Thunder Big Three…the Masters golf tournament is going on this week-end and apparently your season still hasn’t begun.

In all candor, this Thunder team doesn’t deserve to be playing in the playoffs. They are not worthy of advancing. They just aren’t.

This is a Thunder team which is 5-11 against teams from its own Northwest Division. This is a Thunder team which is the 29th ranked team in the NBA in shooting free throws. This is a Thunder team which has lost games against Dallas twice, Orlando, New York, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Sacramento.

But as I wrote before and what to me is the most glaring sin is their non-committal effort to their craft while as a group drawing a salary of 134 million. Note to Clay Bennett—you could have given that money to Oklahoma teachers and actually done something worthwhile for the state. You should have saved some coin and gone 47-35 again with Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis instead of trying to win a pissing in the wind Super Team contest with the Warriors.

How many teachers in Oklahoma could you pay with Carmelo’s salary of $26 million this year? Based on the new teachers’ deal which they should of course take — I think that comes out roughly to 520 Oklahoma school teachers for Carmelo Anthony’s take for this season of play… but which of course still hasn’t started as of the Master’s golf week-end.

That very first Thunder team which went 23-59 is in fact one of my favorite Oklahoma City Thunder teams. They were young. They were innocent. They worked their asses off for Scott Brooks and gave me a good feeling in my heart. My heart aches for that team right now even with just 23 wins.

But this team does nothing for me.

Absolutely nothing.