Month: November 2015

Behind a Russell Westbrook 43 point, 9 rebound, 8 assist night–Oklahoma City had just enough to beat a New Orleans team which only suited nine players, with one of the missing players being Anthony Davis. Final score read 110-103, but it felt more like Russell Westbrook beat the Pelicans with some help from Enes Kanter–but not much else from the rest of the Thunder.

This is just my take,  during these four games which Kevin Durant has missed–I’ve seen nothing from the rest of the roster with any consistency which would lead one to believe the team minus Westbrook and Durant is getting any better. Serge Ibaka–ostensibly the third best player on the team went 2-11 with six points on the night. I’m sorry, but that just can’t happen when one of your stars is a scratch. Almost a month into this season and other than Westbrook and Durant it’s somewhat difficult to see roles emerging with the team.

In thirty-six minutes, Russell Westbrook scored 43 points on a 14-25 shooting night, but more importantly–saved the rest of the Thunder from suffering thru an embarrassing loss which right now would rival losing to the lowly Sixers. In these four games without Durant the Thunder are 2-2. We can only thank the basketball gods two of the four were against Philly and the Pelicans.

Russell Westbrook is easily my OKCThunderGround No. 1 Star of the Game.

Enes Kanter played 31 minutes scored 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds. No other Thunder player scored in double figures on the night.

New Orleans was led by Ryan Anderson’s 30 points. Guards Eric Gordon and Ish Smith each scored 18 points on the night.

OKC improves to 7-5, but what does that really mean? It means on certain nights either Durant or Westbrook or both have to carry the load just like they did for seven seasons of Scott Brooks. I would challenge anyone who supported the firing of Scott Brooks to single out for me steady, incremental improvement in the rest of the team twelve games into this season.

New Orleans drops to a nightmarish 1-11 for a team most picked to make the Western Conference Playoffs and maybe even win a round this season.

OKC hosts the NY Knicks on Friday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. There’s a possibility Kevin Durant returns against the Knicks. Good thing for Russell Westbrook—he could use some help.

Mike Jackson

 

 

 

No story about the Oklahoma City Thunder would be complete without a chapter on Perk. Perhaps, the most polarizing player in the brief history of the team in OKC, yet once he came over from Boston in the Jeff Green trade and became the starting center to shore up the defense—all OKC did was win. No player in Oklahoma was scorned as much by the internet warriors and local sports radio talk than Perk. Yet–in the end, he exited with grace and class after being traded to Utah at the trade deadline last February. He’s out for 2-3 months with a pectoral injury and won’t play tonight. No story on the rise of the OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals can be complete without a Perk chapter. My son named his lab after Perk–so I’ll always have a place in my heart for both Perks. Just saying.

 

When the schedule came out this appeared to be a game with great viewing promise. OKC back in the championship hunt with a healthy Durant, the Pelicans a young team on the rise with their star Anthony Davis and new head coach Alvin Gentry. Scratch most of that tonight as New Orleans limps into the Chesapeake Energy Arena with a Western Conference worst 1-10 record and Anthony Davis suffering from a hip injury.

This is Day 7 for the evaluation of Kevin Durant’s hamstring strain, so maybe there might be some good news on that front for OKC. Otherwise—this appears to be an early season meeting of two of the league’s most exciting young teams derailed by injury to date.

Both teams coming off losses. OKC coming off a road loss to Memphis on Monday night, the Pelicans coming off a 115-98 loss to the Denver Nuggets last night. New Orleans precariously close to reliving OKC’s injury riddled past season as they close in on exceeding OKC’s 3-12 start. Adding to the surreal feel of it is Kendrick Perkins and Ish Smith now play for the Pelicans–although Perk won’t play due to a pectoral injury.

OKC enters 6-5 and very much in need of Kevin Durant’s return. The Thunder are 1-2 without Durant and even looked shaky in the win over the still winless Sixers. The same problems which have daunted OKC in the past still exist–namely overall team defense and the inability for this team to trust an offensive system which goes beyond Durant and Westbrook in the fourth period against good teams. The bench inconsistency has been an issue for OKC as well.

The internet GM’s in Thunder Nation have already deemed the Billy Donovan Era in OKC doomed eleven games in–cancel the season…sigh. Russell Westbrook and Billy Donovan have this in common—they both need Kevin Durant back in the lineup as soon as possible so the internet GM’s don’t declare the Thunder season over before Thanksgiving arrives.

Just win this game tonight against a Pelicans team which will probably be missing Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday (back to back medical restriction), Kendrick Perkins and possibly Omar Asik. Just win the game, improve to 7-5, take a collective deep breath, hopefully get Durant back in the lineup—and restart the process of Billy Donovan figuring out his team.

 

 

I want this blog to not only be a story of the 2015-16 Oklahoma City Thunder season, but a history of the franchise since its migration to OKC.  I do not want to bog the reader down by going through all the previous years in Seattle or a game by game account of the previous seven seasons in Oklahoma City, but rather using some of these videos to give the reader a better feel for the players, coaches and principal parties who have been instrumental in the Thunder story in OKC. Chronologically—I may jump around with these videos, but at the end of the day I hope it enriches the story of this season and why it’s so important long term to the franchise. This won’t be the last Sam Presti video, but rather the first as this season moves along.

One of the reasons I started my own Thunder blog is that I tired of the predictable genre of Thunder blogs with the predictable message boards of make believe general managers, NBA expert wannabees and multiple alias accounts. Don’t you think if all these people really knew that much–they’d be on some team’s payroll as a scout, coach, or GM? It got old.  More to the point, I wanted to have a blog where there would be fairness, objectivity, yet always remembering I’m a fan at the end of the day. The OKC Thunder Photo Album entries on here are just me remembering some of the moments I cherish most as an NBA fan during the time the franchise has been in Oklahoma City. Call it Brian Davisesque if you will, but at the end of the day if you can’t cherish the good moments–then why even follow sports?

 

Memphis 122 – OKC Thunder 114

Rookie Cameron Payne hit a three pointer at the third period buzzer to give the Thunder an 80-79 lead heading into the fourth period. But right there and then you knew in the bottom of your heart of hearts the Memphis Grizzlies had this Durantless OKC Thunder team exactly where they wanted them.

Unlike last night when OKC went stone cold in the 4th scoring but 11 points on 2-17 shooting. Scoring in the fourth wasn’t a problem against the usually defensive minded Grizz as OKC tallied 34 in the period. Only problem was Memphis behind a 16 point fourth quarter from Mario Chalmers scored 43 of its own en route to an entertaining 122-114 win over the Thunder.

Brian Davis on the Fox telecast in his accustomed pro homer Thunder hyperbole called it a 15 round prizefight of the Thunder-Grizz Ages. I wouldn’t go that far, but it was a fun regular season game as both teams got after it offensively unlike so many of the previous Thunder-Grizzly wars.

Back to Chalmers–he was excellent coming off the bench for Memphis and scored 29 total on the night leading a group of five Memphis players in double figures consisting of himself, Gasol, Zbo, Conley and Jeff Green.

Memphis is now 6-6 for the season and 3-0 since the trade which brought Chalmers to Memphis from the Miami Heat.

So here I go…and I’m not just doing this because I featured Chalmers in my pregame, but Mario Chalmers is my OKCThunderGround Player of the Game.

It’s not that Russell Westbrook wasn’t spectacular offensively scoring 40 pts, assisting 14, and making three steals, but his team lost and Mario Chalmers’ team won. I’m kind of quirky about the award in that regard.

OKC wasn’t horrible like they were last night against Boston at home, they just weren’t good enough without Durant to take that 80-79 lead entering the fourth and put it in the bank as a tough, hard-earned road win. Same deal—without their stud closer, OKC withered coming down the stretch despite Westbrook basically being unwordly spectacular.

Ibaka, Adams, Kanter and Waiters also scored double figures for the Thunder. OKC won the boards 44-33, but hurt themselves with 19 turnovers.

Again…OKC’s overall bench play was a major factor—as in it wasn’t good enough to get a road  win against a pretty decent team in Memphis. I’m not on board with Tramel  over at newsok claiming the Grizz a serious contender, but they could win a round in the West post season tournament as long as they don’t face Golden State.

Thunder lose for the second night in a row and drop to 6-5 plus several notches down the rung in the early season standings behind the Warriors and Spurs.

Thunder hosts Anthony Davis and the most disappointing team in the league to date this young season when New Orleans visits the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday.

 

Mike Jackson

Both teams coming off Sunday night games. OKC a home loser against the Celtics. Memphis a winner against the Timberwolves. Third game in fourth night for the Thunder who are 1-1 in games without Kevin Durant.

Memphis riding a modest two game win streak since the acquisition of Mario Chalmers from the Miami Heat. OKC 6-4, Memphis almost back to .500 at 5-6 after a very slow start to the season. Addition of Chalmers gives the Grizz an interesting compliment of guards in Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Courtney Lee and Chalmers.

Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley have all started slowly for the Grizz this season. Memphis entered last game with the worst field goal percentage in the NBA at 40.4%. Former Thunder forward Jeff Green now a starter for the Grizzlies.

Thunder are 1-1 since Durant’s hamstring injury with a win over the woeful 76’ers and a home loss to the improving Boston Celtics. OKC’s bench was a virtual no show in the loss to Boston. Anthony Morrow, who has attempted to replace Durant in the starting lineup, was good against the 76’ers, but out of his league against the quicker, more talented Boston guards.

Without Durant—this could be an even uglier game for the Thunder as they’ve shot 36.4% their last three meetings against Memphis. For Westbrook the numbers are even worse at 27.5% from the field against the Grizzlies in the last three.

One of the West’s best rivalries in OKC-Memphis, but tonight OKC is without Kevin Durant in uniform which could make it a tough night for the Thunder.

Chalmers has scored 11 and 16 points respectively in his two games to date wearing a Memphis jersey. OKC’s bench of Kanter, Waiters, Augustin, Collison and Singler weren’t very good against the Celtics. OKC’s bench will have to invert that trend of play if they have any hope of getting a road win in Memphis tonight. Serge Ibaka comes off a decent game against the Celtics, while some pick and roll offense from Steven Adams needs to happen tonight to give Westbrook more playmaking options.

Durant rumored to be back a bit earlier than originally expected which is a good thing because OKC has been wildly erratic in the two games since his hamstring strain. Simple pregame talk for OKC, play better, play smarter, move the ball and don’t stand around watching Russell Westbrook try to beat Memphis by himself.

 

 

 

Boston Celtics 100- OKC Thunder 85

If ever a game illustrated why Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder are not a viable contender without Kevin Durant–this one might be a candidate for the topic file. Every nightmare of Durant’s missed 55 games from last season resurfaced in the fourth quarter on Sunday evening as the Boston Celtics won the fourth period 28-11 and in the process the game by cruising to a 100-85 win over the Thunder inside the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

This isn’t complex to break down. OKC led 52-45 at halftime, but were throttled 55-33 in the second half as every bad fourth quarter from last season without Durant was relived.

OKC still led 74-72 after three periods. But Billy Donovan had to give Russell Westbrook a blow. Westbrook sat till the 7:30 mark of the fourth period. Upon his return the scoreboard read: Celtics 85- Thunder 76 and it didn’t get any better after Westbrook’s return.

Pick your adjective to describe the Thunder in the fourth period on Sunday night. Horrific. I’ll go with horrific.

Boston won the fourth period by a score of 28-11. OKC as a team shot 2-17 from the field in the fourth. Boston cruised. OKC imploded.  Boston’s offense was a precise combination of ball movement, flashing to the ball, cutting and finishing as per the Brad Stevens system. OKC looked exactly the same as they did last season under Scott Brooks…stagnant, disjointed and too much ball domination by Westbrook, Waiters and DJ Augustin. Boston played the way their coach wants them to play, OKC did not.

Former O State guard Marcus Smart is my OKCThunderGround Player of the Game. If ever a coach might be the right fit to pull out of Marcus Smart his full potential—it should be Brad Stevens in the long haul in Boston. Smart went for 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists and was the best player on the floor Sunday night.

But it wasn’t just Smart, Boston has a nice trio of guards in Smart, Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley. Thomas went for 23 points himself. Bradley went for 16 points and combined the guard trio went for sixty points. They’re fun to watch.

Russell Westbrook struggled on Sunday night going 5-20 from the field, but 15-17 from the free throw line to salvage a 27 point night which rang hollow in the end. Too many missed threes and too many turnovers. OKC had 18 assists to 18 turnovers. Not what Billy Donovan is looking for either with or without Kevin Durant.

Again—if ever a game was a microcosm of why Kevin Durant makes Russell Westbrook better and vice versa this would be the template. Westbrook can triple double like no other player in the NBA, but when it comes to those last eight minutes in a tight game against a quality opponent he needs his finisher and closer.

Kevin Durant—get the hamstring well, buddy.

OKC drops to 6-4 and is in Memphis tonight on the second night of a road back to back.

Mike Jackson

 

 

Both teams coming off Friday night wins. Both teams rested. Boston comes in off a 106-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks. OKC enters with a 102-85 win over the Philadelphia 76’ers in their first game played without Kevin Durant since the strained hamstring injury. Boston is 4-4 after eight games played, OKC  is 6-3 and just behind the Spurs for the right to be the team from the West closest to the streaking 11-0 Golden State Warriors in the standings.

Boston is now in Year 3 of the Brad Stevens era in Boston. Year 1 was a 25 win season or so just like it was supposed to be. Year 2 showed some promise as the Celtics improved to 40-42, captured the No. 7 seed in the East and lost in the first round. But still, marked improvement with a young team on the rebuild with a former college coach in Brad Stevens making the transition from Butler to the Boston Celtics.

I’m a Brad Stevens fan and a believer if you can coach–you can coach whatever level. Stevens led Butler to a mark of 166-49 in his six years at Butler, plus two appearances in the NCAA National Championship Game. Brad Stevens can coach and a nice choice to steer a young team on the rebuild like the Celtics. What I particularly like about Stevens is his blending of an analytical approach to the old school approach where his human side in dealing with his players seems to never be hidden in his coaching personality.

I think if Brad Stevens hadn’t been in Year 2 of a six year deal with the Celtics–he would have been near the top on Sam Presti’s wish list to replace Scott Brooks last summer. In retrospect though—I think Presti would have been fine hiring any from a list of Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, Fred Hoiberg or Kevin Ollie. All good coaching choices to lead a young team.

Boston’s roster is an interesting blend. Would guess the starters tonight will be Amir Johnson, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger,  former O State guard Marcus Smart, and Isaiah Thomas. Plenty of choices off the bench in Evan Turner, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko, R.J. Hunter, Tyler Zeller and David Lee. Not sure what the health status is for guard Avery Bradley tonight. Wait and see situation. Fun team to watch if they’re on their game.

Game 2 for OKC without Durant this season due to the hamstring strain. Game 1 was a mixed bag of good and bad, but enough was there to beat a now 0-10 Sixer team which lost again last night in San Antonio. Westbrook and Ibaka both had off shooting nights, but the team rode Westbrook’s second consecutive triple double, a shutdown of rookie Jahlil Okafor, nice ball movement for the most part, solid rebounding–and the fact the Sixers are just an abysmal basketball team. This game should be much more revealing as to where OKC is right now in the present without Durant.

Anthony Morrow did a good job with the starters so I would expect him to start again. Otherwise–OKC needs Westbrook to be Westbrook, needs Serge Ibaka to hit those open looks he missed on Friday night, and again needs Waiters, Kanter, Collison, Augustin and Singler to score. Some makes by Singler in this one would be nice. Kyle Singler–relax and stroke the ball. With all these former college coaches on the floor tonight–just pretend it’s Duke versus Butler and Billy Donovan is filling in for Coach K.

I expect a good game tonight. Entertaining and much more revealing than the one played on Friday night. Westbrook going for his third consecutive triple double, but more importantly, another step towards Westbrook winning the NBA assist title a year after winning the NBA scoring championship.