Author: Mike

Chicago Bulls 105 — OKC Thunder 96

I could pretend to be a Fox-Thunder employee and write some bullshit about how Chicago rode Jimmy Butler’s earlier week comments to a season changing win in OKC earlier today. Or, I could write the truth and state it appeared OKC just wasn’t ready to play in a nationally televised game on ABC with the entire basketball world watching.

I don’t have the Brian Davis-Nick Gallo Thunder homer pedigree so I think I’ll do it this way.

OKC never appeared ready to begin either the first or second halves today and to me that is inexcusable for a team and an organization which wants to fancy itself as a serious title contender.

Golden State and LeBron all have rings, yet they fought to the death in a great playoff like game after the Thunder’s no show. Same deal with San Antonio and the Rockets in the fourth game of Christmas Day with a great defensive  game which looked like a Western Conference Semi-Final round game.

But in Oklahoma City at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, a no show and not much overall passion and caring by the home team. It would be one thing if OKC were coming off a tough grind of a week, but they weren’t. OKC was coming off a week where they played the LA Lakers twice in three games. If anything, you would have thought OKC would have been jacked to play a real team, but they weren’t.

OKC’s starting unit was terrible to begin both halves. In the first half—OKC trailed 11-0 before Billy Donovan finally had no choice but to call a timeout. OKC stabilized and only trailed 54-52 at the half.

One would have thought OKC would come out of the gate to start the second half, but no go as Chicago went on an 8-0 run, then went on another run later in the third period to take an 86-68 lead into the fourth period.

OKC did ride a couple of Anthony Morrow threes in the fourth to draw within six at the 3:42 mark, but Chicago behind nice games by Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler, and Derrick Rose regrouped and completed a two game sweep of the Thunder this season. Chicago is now 16-11 overall, yet a revealing 9-3 against Western Conference teams. So much for Western Conference dominance.

Pau Gasol is my No. 1 Star of the Game with a 21 point, 13 rebound game. If Oklahoma City had more museums, theatre, and opera it’s quite possible Gasol would a member of the Thunder. But I can’t blame this one on the OKC Chamber of Commerce.

Every member of OKC’s starting five had a negative plus/minus rating today. Steven Adams was absolutely no factor in this game whatsoever in going -24 in thirteen minutes of completely forgettable play.

Three Thunder players scored in double figures. Durant with 29 points, Westbrook with 26 points, and Enes Kanter with 14 points. This means the rest of the Thunder roster scored 27  points combined. Or, perhaps even more damning, the rest of the Thunder roster made only 11 field goals on the afternoon.

To me at least… I see the NBA in four separate tiers currently. Golden State by themselves at the top. Cleveland just a bit below at No. 2.  Then San Antonio just a  bit below Lebron at No. 3. And finally… OKC as a longshot at No. 4 because they still haven’t figured out defense wins championships — and championship teams don’t take nights off on that end especially in a nationally televised Christmas Day game on ABC.

Mike Jackson

 

 

 

 

First off, Merry Christmas and hoping you have a peaceful day of celebration with your families and loved ones.

Chicago Bulls in Oklahoma City this afternoon to play the Thunder in the second game of ABC’s five game set today. Cavs-Golden State and Houston San Antonio are two other games I plan on watching. Should be a great afternoon-early evening of family, hoops, and eating.

OKC is 20-9 for the season and firmly in control of the No. 3 seed in the West. Exactly where many thought they’d be at this point. Kevin Durant’s foot seems fine and he’s playing some of the best overall basketball of his career. Russell Westbrook has continued his play at a high level which supports the claim he’s one of the top seven players in the NBA as well. So there’s plenty to be grateful for if you’re a Thunder fan.

Serge Ibaka seems to be coming around, but more importantly Steven Adams and Andre Roberson are playing solid basketball. OKC’s starting five has clicked for the most part and the Thunder are 9-2 in the month of December with only close road losses at Miami and Cleveland marring their record for the month.

The downside is OKC’s bench. It’s been an inconsistent mess of late. You literally put your hands over your eyes when the starting five aren’t on the floor and pray for something good to happen. This is a bench which I thought would actually be decent at the start of the season with enough firepower to score 34-38 points on most nights.

But of late the bench unit of Collison, Waiters, Morrow, Kanter, and Augustin has been an overall liability. -10 in their first shift against the Lakers on Wednesday night was especially hard to watch. I’m not calling for any of these five to be traded yet, but rather they do the job they’re being paid to do and give OKC a functional bench unit. If these five can’t figure out–then I’d have no problem with Billy Donovan giving rookie Cam Payne and Mitch McGary the opportunity to inject some life in the OKC bench because it’s not like Kanter and Augustin give you much defensively.

Right now…Sam Presti’s moves to add Augustin, Singler, and Kanter are looking questionable especially when you factor in new contracts for Singler and Kanter. OKC’s bench has to pull it together. Period.

Interesting coaching matchup today with Fred Hoiberg vs. Billy Donovan. Two rookie NBA coaches making the transition from college to NBA ball. Just a year ago this would have been an Iowa State vs. Florida coaching matchup, but today they’re both on the national stage with good NBA  teams.

I’d give Donovan a B- letter grade so far, and give Hoiberg a C+. I didn’t like what Donovan did with Morrow and Singler early on. Plus, I think he has to be more creative with staggering Durant and Westbrook to open the fourth period–with the Cleveland game being a prime example of how not to do it.

As for Hoiberg—-his team comes in having lost three straight and are 4-6 in their last ten games. Not sure what I think about the Noah coming off the bench experiment. Jimmy Butler made some public comments earlier this week calling out himself, his teammates, and Fred Hoiberg for their effort to date. Kind of  odd considering everyone assumed Thibadeau was fired because he was too tough on his team.

Derrick Rose lit up Westbrook and OKC earlier this season in a Bulls victory in Chicago. Rose made every play down the stretch and Westbrook did not. I’m sure no one will need to remind Russell Westbrook of this. You would think Westbrook will be in top tier Westbrook mode today.

Good Christmas Day matchup. Ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, cheese grits, salad, rolls, and sweet tea—plus Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. All the ingredients for a great Christmas afternoon of family and hoops in Oklahoma City.

 

OKC Thunder 120 — LA Lakers 85

OKC beat the wretched, punchless, feeble Lakers this time in an amazingly full Staples Center by a 120-85 count.

The game wouldn’t have been this close if Billy Donovan had kept his woeful bench unit by his side on the bench in the first half and just gone the first twenty-four minutes with his starters. OKC would have easily led by fifty if Donovan had done so. Which either means OKC’s starters were absolutely sublime or OKC’s passive bench couldn’t keep pace with these horrific Lakers.

Just look at OKC’s starters plus/minus and no more need be said. Ibaka + 38,  Durant +41, Adams + 39, Westbrook + 33, Roberson +45. Then glance at Waiters -7, Morrow -9, and Kanter -6 and I think one might kind of get a feel for the dynamic in Oklahoma City currently. OKC’s starting unit is soaring, but the bench has become a liability and this is without Kyle Singler in the rotation.

I’ll go one even further, if Billy Donovan hadn’t trotted out that lineup of Augustin, Singler, Waiters, Collison, and Kanter to start the fourth period in Cleveland—there’s a reasonable chance OKC is in the midst of a ten game winning streak.

OKC’s bench took the floor Wednesday night with a 25-10 lead. Yet, at one point late in the second period the Thunder actually trailed by four points before the Thunder starters put the dumpster fire Lakers back  into their reality space with a run which gave OKC a 57-46 halftime lead.

Then, with Kobe having no legs whatsoever beyond halftime—the Thunder carpet bombed the Buss kids’ pathetic Lakers with a 22-0 run to open the second half for a standing eight count and the merciful end of this basketball game for practical purposes.

I’ll say this for Jack Nicholson who is my favorite actor right there with Al Pacino—he still sits there at courtside being the supportive Laker guru  and all, but it’s time he has a chat with the Buss children as far as the management of the Lakers.

Andre Roberson is my No. 1 Star of the Game with a career high 15 point scoring night. But more than that it was his energy defensively creating turnovers, making passes, winning loose balls, initiating overall team energy. Granted-it was against these Lakers, but I thought it was the best game of Roberson’s career to date.

I’ll end with this and go no further because it’s Christmas Eve and I don’t want to be the Grinch Who Stole Thunder Christmas, but Sam Presti and Billy Donovan have some serious issues with this bench which is a shame because the starting unit is playing some great ball.

Bulls in Oklahoma City for a Christmas afternoon game.

Merry Christmas!

Note…sorry for the late recaps on these Lakers games, but they suck and it’s hard to stay up late pounding the keyboard with no inspiration.

Mike Jackson

 

I’ll do what I can on here tonight to give this the feel of a big NBA game. I feel as if it’s my job as a rogue Thunder blogger.

I feel somewhat guilty not even attempting to write a preview for this OKC Thunder @ LA Piece of Shit Dumpster Fire game tonight. So, let me put this on here to give some topical background info on Kobe, the Buss children, and the overall state of the Lakers. I know over at Daily Thunder —  Alex will be pounding out 2,000 or so words on this epic battle about to unfold—so this is my way of answering that call.

Thunder plays the Lakers tonight in Los Angeles. Lakers actually coming off a win against Denver in a game in which Kobe Bryant scored 31 points in thirty-two minutes. You can either view that in two ways…he might be a on roll tonight, or he may not be able to walk. Either way—I don’t see much point in going through a lengthy preview.

Instead this is my preview for today. A look back at just how good the Lakers used to be on the court.