Month: May 2016

Excerpt from Confessions of an Internet Guru:

I’m not doing previews per se anymore. I feel they weaken the okcthunderground.com brand. There seems to be an infinite supply of  insecure young white guys on the internet doing them who basically don’t really know that much. They throw a few metrics around, but it’s clear they can’t beat Vegas, can’t feel the inner game, and can’t come to terms with the nuances of the game.

Sports are human endeavors played by humans, not circuit breakers, computer chips, or robots. I actually spoofed my own metric for the metric Trekkies over at Daily Thunder. I called it my TSN metric—mental toughness, snarl, and nasty. It was my brand. And, of course over the course of time, I basically throttled the DT Trekkies and Vegas with almost boring regularity. Especially satisfying was the throttling of a metrics troll who we’ll just call ‘J’. I own that one….lock, stock, and barrel. Just saying. Kind of like Trump owns Jeb.

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I don’t regurgitate stats. I look at them, but I look at other things as well. Matchups, pace, coaching adjustments, etc. So let’s see what both coaches had to say after Game 2.

I love this Popovich interview. He rolls his eyes even more at Berry Tramel and Dean Blevins than those of us who live in Oklahoma do. Look deep into Pop’s eyes for the disdainful internal sigh. His eyes are saying, “Who are these people?”

Billy Donovan Game 2 Postgame Interview. You can tell Donovan is a rookie NBA head coach. He’ll learn. In time — he’ll be rolling his eyes at Tramel and Blevins just like the rest of us.

Game 7’s are the most important games in any series odds wise. This Game 3 is a must because OKC has already won its one road game of the series. I would think it’s imperative OKC hold home court like they did in 2012 against the Spurs. The Thunder want no part of a Game 7 in San Antonio.

This is how it went back in 2012 when the Thunder returned to the Chesapeake Energy Arena down 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals.

Dion Waiters talks about his big three point shot, his defense, and how the team turned things around in Game 2. Good piece by Erik Horne in newsoksports this morning about Billy Donovan’s trust in the mercurial Dion Waiters.

I just love this. Wish Durant had a little bit of this in him.

Steven Adams has slowly, but surely turned himself into a good NBA center. He only played the one college season at Pitt. He’s still only 22 and basically a pup still learning the game. His play in Game 2 gives hope to Thunder fans that one Kevin Durant may be intrigued enough to stick around and see how far Adams can take his game the rest of this post season and next season.

League office ruled earlier today the officiating crew missed five individual violations or fouls on the last play of the game. I failed to mention Patty Mills holding Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka tackling a Spur under the basket in the final seconds. The lack of calls had nothing to do with the outcome because from the point Leonard grabbed Westbrook the game was basically over from a rules standpoint. Nothing more to talk about. I like Chris Webber, but he was literally clueless on the ending of the game.

Thank god it’s over. My candidate of choice, John Kasich, has yet to concede, but Trump is the defacto GOP candidate. Lots of angry white dudes out there who want to blame someone for globalization. I would presume Hillary Clinton will be the Dem canidate. I would also expect this to be the most uncivil, filthy, in the gutter general presidential campaign I will have seen in my life. Exactly what the country does not need at this point.

But it is what it is and our democratic process lurches forward, somewhat.

On a bright note, we only can hope we never see Ted Cruz or Carly Fiorina in another presidential debate in our lifetimes. Maybe they’ll have an affair, go live in the Caymans, and live happily ever after. Surely, Heidi Cruz can do better than this simpleton. Be well, Heidi Cruz. Be well.

 

 

Reminiscent of the Thunder airport welcomes in 2012 when the Thunder made their run to the Finals as kids. So much has transpired since then. The team is so different. Harden is in Houston. Perk and Thabo in other cities as well. Reggie Jackson is a minimalist starting point guard for the upstart Detroit Pistons. Cole Aldrich is a Clipper. Derek Fisher has been a head coach with the NY Knicks and fired. Scott Brooks about to begin his head coaching career with the Wizards. Kevin Durant possibly on the cusp of leaving thru free agency this July.

It feels like a lifetime between then and now basketball wise.

It puts a lump in my throat watching this video. So many good memories flash in an instant. This is what some of the national media don’t  get about the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The small market closeness which has brought the city together. Like the Packers are in Green Bay—the Thunder are the focal point  of the community.