Here's something new I came across, about the Harden trade options apparently:

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis refuted a recent report that he refused to trade for then-Thunder G James Harden because Harden's contract demands would have put the team in the luxury tax.

The reported trade would have sent Bradley Beal and Chris Singleton to OKC for Harden, who eventually landed in Houston and signed a five-year, $80 million contract. Leonsis took to his own blog after the report surfaced, writing, "That is simply not true. First, we would not have gone into the luxury tax – that is simple math. Second, economics were not a factor." Leonsis, also owner of the NHL's Capitals, cited their financials and previous big Wizards contracts as proof of his willingness to spend money. Gilbert Arenas wholeheartedly agrees with that last part.
Source: TedsTake.com
Dec 15 - 9:38 AM

K-Mart seems to be fitting okay into the Harden role of last year, but I'm not too familiar with how Beal and Singleton play.

the odds of this trade are 0 and the story is note even accurate ..

So, if OKC pulls off the next two (@ATL, @MIN), which will be no easy task mind you, then they will be headed into a Christmas Day battle @Miami with a chance to tie the longest winning streak in franchise history. Not that the game needs any more hype than it will get...but that's just one more byline to be had.

We lost to ATL in the third game of the year. They were short Josh Smith and we were not playing together at all early in the year. I hope we play well tonight and beat them by 10. It's also a 6:30 pm CST start time.

Yep. Will be interesting to see how the game goes tonight. Working til 8 though so I'll be listening to it on the radio.

Our next 4 are tough! San Antonio, @ Atlanta (who would have thought, but they have won the last 2 meetings with us), @ Minnesota, and @ Miami
Yep. This will be a good early season test to see where the team is right now.I agree it is a good test. And halfway through I would say the Thunder are passing with flying colors!

As noted on the radio broadcast last night, we've won 12 straight against Minnesota and we're sitting on 12 consecutive victories. Do we go 13 for 13 tonight?

I mean, on paper we should. The Thunder choose to win or to lose this game...it's not really up to Minnesota. Considering that they have 4 days rest between the end of the game and @Miami, I think they play as hard as they need to to win. Let's just hope the shots are falling.

(As an aside, KD is shooting more efficiently on the road than he is at home...by a noticeable margin).

Too bad we have these games back to back. I'd rather they play on Friday and then have 3 days off. So many days off could ruin their momentum.

It's My F'n House !

Yes, KD, it is....................

Kevin Durant stuffs Josh Smith and then draws and-1 dunk on him - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rR3t4wIu5Hs)

Nothing gets better than when we are playing on TNT, or ABC, I am so eager to see what Earnie, Kenny, Shaq, and Charles Barkley has to say about our 12 game win streak on Inside the NBA tonight =)

Wonderful jinx...cause they won't be mentioning a thing about it after we lose this game. We'll be looking to start fresh off in Miami!

Now I done lost count at how many games Thunder done started off slow! It all started when they let Sacramento comeback with 5, What is happening??!

They "done" started off with a 22 - 6 record is what's happening. In the NBA the wins and losses are all that matter.

This was a fun one to watch! That OT buzzer beater will haunt me for the rest of my life...

Now I done lost count at how many games Thunder done started off slow! It all started when they let Sacramento comeback with 5, What is happening??!

The starting lineup, while improved this season, is not that good as a unit. Brooks need to get more efficient line-ups out there more instead of playing Perkins AND Ibaka to finish the Heat game. It's ridiculous he hasn't figured out that we can't stay big when they go small. It doesn't work.

Wasn't it about this time last year when the talk about our team was this:

What are the chances we will reach 30 wins before 10 losses???

The starting lineup, while improved this season, is not that good as a unit. Brooks need to get more efficient line-ups out there more instead of playing Perkins AND Ibaka to finish the Heat game. It's ridiculous he hasn't figured out that we can't stay big when they go small. It doesn't work.

The starting lineup is +51 on the season or the 10th best +/- 5 man lineup in the NBA. Only three of those lineups ahead of OKC have spent more than 300 minutes on the floor together (Thunder with the second most at 483).

And we don't do well against them playing small because Lebron and Bosh eat us alive. We can't play the matchup game with Miami. We have to find a way to get our bigs more involved on the offensive end. If we are going to beat Miami in a 7 game series, at least 2 of them need to look like this:

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Box Score - March 25, 2012 - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320325025)

Wasn't it about this time last year when the talk about our team was this:

What are the chances we will reach 30 wins before 10 losses???

That's reasonable to think. We were at 22 - 6 Last year, 28 games in. We're now 23-6 compared to 22-7 last year.

That's reasonable to think. We were at 22 - 6 Last year, 28 games in. We're now 23-6 compared to 22-7 last year.

Our next 11 games are

Phoenix (win)
Brooklyn (winnable)
Philadelphia (win)
@ Toronto (winnable)
@ Washington (winnable)
Minnesota (not a guaranteed win lol)
@ Lakers (probably a loss since they're playing better now)
@ Portland (winnable)
@ Phoenix (winnable)
Denver (win)
@ Dallas (probably a regulation win for Cuban's Contenders)

So based on my opinion, I see us having a solid chance of winning 3 games based on the competition and the fact that they're home games. The others are all toss-ups because we haven't seen our guys play much on the road, other than against inferior teams and even inferior teams have beaten us on the road. If they play like they did against Houston last night, then they'll get to 30 wins easily.

My guess after this 11 game stretch....30 wins with 9 losses... That game in Dallas will be their 10th loss.

Dallas sucks................that's an easy win for us.

Oh yeah cause we barely beat them at home lol

The starting lineup is +51 on the season or the 10th best +/- 5 man lineup in the NBA. Only three of those lineups ahead of OKC have spent more than 300 minutes on the floor together (Thunder with the second most at 483).

And we don't do well against them playing small because Lebron and Bosh eat us alive. We can't play the matchup game with Miami. We have to find a way to get our bigs more involved on the offensive end. If we are going to beat Miami in a 7 game series, at least 2 of them need to look like this:

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - Box Score - March 25, 2012 - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320325025)

Detroit and Milwaukee seemed to figure out the key to success against Miami fairly well in their last two games.

Detroit and Milwaukee seemed to figure out the key to success against Miami fairly well in their last two games.

I mean, sure, they beat Miami...they didn't really find keys to success against the Playoffs Miami Heat. The Christmas Eve game was important to Miami. I'm sure both OKC and Miami used it as the major measuring stick for where they are at for the first 3rd of the season. It looked like playoff basketball. I'm also pretty sure Miami was not concerned at all for Detroit and Milwaukee.

I don't think that Miami cares about having home court, tbh.

Our next 11 games are

Phoenix (win)
Brooklyn (winnable)
Philadelphia (win)
@ Toronto (winnable)
@ Washington (winnable)
Minnesota (not a guaranteed win lol)
@ Lakers (probably a loss since they're playing better now)
@ Portland (winnable)
@ Phoenix (winnable)
Denver (win)
@ Dallas (probably a regulation win for Cuban's Contenders)

So based on my opinion, I see us having a solid chance of winning 3 games based on the competition and the fact that they're home games. The others are all toss-ups because we haven't seen our guys play much on the road, other than against inferior teams and even inferior teams have beaten us on the road. If they play like they did against Houston last night, then they'll get to 30 wins easily.

My guess after this 11 game stretch....30 wins with 9 losses... That game in Dallas will be their 10th loss.

I'd say the Denver game is less guaranteed than all of the "winnable" games save for Brooklyn. But I agree, 3 losses, end the stretch 31-9.

I'm also pretty sure Miami was not concerned at all for Detroit and Milwaukee.

Right. A team like Miami should be able to beat Detroit and Milwaukee (19 point loss) without being concerned about them. Is that why OKC lost to Minneapolis?

Right. A team like Miami should be able to beat Detroit and Milwaukee (19 point loss) without being concerned about them. Is that why OKC lost to Minneapolis?

I don't know that I can really agree to that. The margin for error is not high in any top professional league. In fact, I don't think the spectrum for level of play is very long at all for professional teams. If you don't take your opponent seriously (a luxury you can afford in 80+ game leagues), your odds for winning are not great.

When I say "not concerned about" I mean that the level of focus is not particularly intense. I don't think it's often that a professional team wholesale takes a night off.

Oh yeah cause we barely beat them at home lol

That's why we'll play that game differently the next time. Dallas Sucks !

Downtown is going to be hoppin' tonight! Thunder game, Barons game, then New Years Celebrations!

Didn't get to watch the game, but it seems like Reggie Jackson is really starting to figure it out. If he keeps this up through January, then I think we're seeing the last days of Maynor in a Thunder uniform.

Didn't get to watch the game, but it seems like Reggie Jackson is really starting to figure it out. If he keeps this up through January, then I think we're seeing the last days of Maynor in a Thunder uniform.

I second this, Maynor is not the same player as before the injury, this is his contract year and there obviously was a reason Prestigiocomo didn't offer him a new contract.

Clippers finally lose, OKC best record in the league once again.

Pretty cool:

Media notebook: Oklahoma City Thunder ranks No. 1 in NBA in local TV ratings (http://sports.tmcnet.com//news/2013/01/03/6828671.htm)

These black and white jerseys-I have trouble telling which player is which. Maybe I need a bigger TV!

Thunder lose to the worst team in the league in DC, for the second season in a row. Something about Washington that has OKC's number.


Granted it was a one handed buzzer beater. But being in that position, the loss is on OKC.

They beat Miami fairly frequently too.

Sometimes it's just not your night...when you miss 16 straight shots, not a whole lot you can do to win the game. That OKC was even in the game after not scoring for nearly an entire quarter is impressive.

The Thunder are awful when it comes to perimeter defense, and to an extent, defense in general. It's somewhat concerning.

I don't want the Thunder to be the D'Antoni Suns.

If the team would stop jumping around like goofballs @ every pump fake, things would improve. I think the team gets so amped up on defense, they start soaring all over the court trying to block shots and end up having to avoid hitting the person to commit a foul and then get out of position, or like Russell tonight, hit the guy and he makes it.

Based on my earlier prognosis of the next 11 games...they're going to get to 10 losses before 30 wins easily. At least San Antonio lost at New Orleans tonight!

The Thunder are awful when it comes to perimeter defense, and to an extent, defense in general. It's somewhat concerning.

I don't want the Thunder to be the D'Antoni Suns.

Awful?

Hollinger's NBA Team Stats - ESPN Insider - National Basketball Association - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/defensiveEff/order/false)

Hardly awful. They've had a bad couple games because honestly, for whatever reason, they seem to be coasting through this stretch. Perkins not playing well defensively is probably driving the lack of great defense...but hey, it's the regular season. They're still a Top 10 team in terms of efficiency. The team, and particularly the defense, will be fine come mid-April.

Also, the lack of perimeter defense has as much to do with bench guards knowing when to help and when not to...Far more often than not, I feel like they are trying to help when they don't need to. Martin is still learning and I still catch him helping inside way too much, but not near as bad as I remember the beginning of the year.

And for all the hell Brooks has caught for not changing up lineups he has done exactly the opposite throughout major stretches of the season. The lineups where Thabo and Russ are on the floor at the same time without KD always seem to be defensive struggles because nobody really knows where to be...Thabo playing the 4 is definitely not something he's used to, and incredibly unlikely to occur come playoff time. However, I don't mind him playing it because it will only enhance his understanding of the defense in the long run.

When you give up 101 points to the statistically worst offensive team in the NBA without their 2 best offensive players, your defense was awful.

I don't really think the Thunder will be the D'Antoni Suns, it's just annoying that the Thunder don't play good defense sometimes when all of their players except Martin have the ability to be at least decent defenders. Obviously the team will have off nights, but the perimeter defense has seemed extremely poor this season. I've watched just about every Thunder game this year and I always seem to hear Brian Davis saying, "And (random opposing shooting guard) with his highest scoring night this season."

Their defensive assignments seem out of whack. Luckily, it's something that's very fixable and most likely will be come playoff time. Hopefully.

Based on my earlier prognosis of the next 11 games...they're going to get to 10 losses before 30 wins easily. At least San Antonio lost at New Orleans tonight!

Yes thats why I'll give thunder loss a pass tonight lol

Thats 2 consecutive losses to Wizards. Embarrassing.

Those two posts totally contradict...

Based on my earlier prognosis of the next 11 games...they're going to get to 10 losses before 30 wins easily. At least San Antonio lost at New Orleans tonight!

Let me be the first to tell you that you were wrong. Easily. LOL

Based on my earlier prognosis of the next 11 games...they're going to get to 10 losses before 30 wins easily. At least San Antonio lost at New Orleans tonight!

Wow. You're really smart. ;)

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Just reading this thread and some people need to learn a little more about the NBA before they talk. The Thunder are a top 10 defensive team. Liggins is only helping that with his playing time the last 2 games.

The NBA season is long and every team has a ton of talent. Every team has bad games and bad stretches. Every team will have a Wizards-like loss or two. Don't overreact to individual games, but focus on long-term trends if you want to gauge the state of the team.

How about Perkins the last 2 games? 12 and 13 rebounds each game. I think it shows how intelligent of a player Perkins really is. He knows Ibaka is not out there, so he gets in there to do the work that Ibaka would otherwise be doing.

Perkins catches a crap ton of flak throughout the season because of his poor offense and his lack of a stat sheet, but this little trend with Ibaka not suiting up should be very encouraging to the Perkins haters. I just hope they realize that as soon as Ibaka comes back, those numbers will start looking crappy again.

Wow. You're really smart. ;)

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Wow, like totally. Like, during the first season, I predicted their final record....like Oh My Gawd. It was totally tubular. And I, like, won an autographed ball because I like kinda follow basketball...

Dudes, you can't get em all right, lol.

Wow, like totally. Like, during the first season, I predicted their final record....like Oh My Gawd. It was totally tubular. And I, like, won an autographed ball because I like kinda follow basketball...

Dudes, you can't get em all right, lol.

That's why I rarely make any specific predictions. LOL
We can hardly resist gigging someone who is brave enough to do that though when they're wrong.

Hell, I'm glad they got to 30 wins before 10 losses. The whole point of it is that when it was the same timing last year, I'm pretty sure we got to 10 losses before 30 wins. Them being where they are now is a good sign. With the stretch of road games we're in, it bodes well for our team. Also, I think Liggens starting the other night and Collison starting two games in a row, just tells you how deep our team is. It may not be the usual rotation but it worked. That's a valuable asset.

How about Perkins the last 2 games? 12 and 13 rebounds each game. I think it shows how intelligent of a player Perkins really is. He knows Ibaka is not out there, so he gets in there to do the work that Ibaka would otherwise be doing.

Perkins catches a crap ton of flak throughout the season because of his poor offense and his lack of a stat sheet, but this little trend with Ibaka not suiting up should be very encouraging to the Perkins haters. I just hope they realize that as soon as Ibaka comes back, those numbers will start looking crappy again.

It is encouraging, but Perkins has needed to rebound more for a while. I hope he continues with better numbers (of course not this high though) when Ibaka returns.

Hell, I'm glad they got to 30 wins before 10 losses. The whole point of it is that when it was the same timing last year, I'm pretty sure we got to 10 losses before 30 wins. Them being where they are now is a good sign. With the stretch of road games we're in, it bodes well for our team. Also, I think Liggens starting the other night and Collison starting two games in a row, just tells you how deep our team is. It may not be the usual rotation but it worked. That's a valuable asset.

It's been fun seeing Liggins and Collison get some run, but the bench is one of my biggest concerns with this team. Reggie won't keep his minutes in the playoffs with this play (maybe we'll make a move or give Maynor another shot). I am excited about the development of Liggins though. We can only hope he turns into the next Tony Allen...

It's been fun seeing Liggins and Collison get some run, but the bench is one of my biggest concerns with this team. Reggie won't keep his minutes in the playoffs with this play (maybe we'll make a move or give Maynor another shot). I am excited about the development of Liggins though. We can only hope he turns into the next Tony Allen...

Honestly, I think the biggest problem with the bench is minutes played. They are never going to be cohesive if they don't get minutes together. Reggie has seemingly tapered off since his initial takeover, but he's shown some great flash too, particularly on the defensive end where he seems to be playing with more energy and physicality than Maynor. I'm still not thrilled with our depth at the 1 or the 5, but I do think it's adequate to win a Championship, if they play up to their demonstrated high level. I think Reggie will suffice for the rest of the year. We can make a move in the off-season after we know what will become of Kevin Martin's future.

It's been fun seeing Liggins and Collison get some run, but the bench is one of my biggest concerns with this team. Reggie won't keep his minutes in the playoffs with this play (maybe we'll make a move or give Maynor another shot). I am excited about the development of Liggins though. We can only hope he turns into the next Tony Allen...

Have you been listening to the sports animal? I like the idea of getting JJ Barea on our team. Maynor is a great guy but he's shell shocked. We need a backup point guard that can handle his load. JJ has that.

Honestly, I think the biggest problem with the bench is minutes played. They are never going to be cohesive if they don't get minutes together. Reggie has seemingly tapered off since his initial takeover, but he's shown some great flash too, particularly on the defensive end where he seems to be playing with more energy and physicality than Maynor. I'm still not thrilled with our depth at the 1 or the 5, but I do think it's adequate to win a Championship, if they play up to their demonstrated high level. I think Reggie will suffice for the rest of the year. We can make a move in the off-season after we know what will become of Kevin Martin's future.

Unless Reggie improves his play dramatically, he won't be getting minutes in the playoffs. We'll trade for a back up PG rental (not that hard to come by) or the bench will shrink... Same goes for Thabeet (fouling way too much). There are only 2 bench players that are guaranteed to stay in the playoffs rotation at this point IMHO: Collison and Martin. Everyone else will have to earn it.

Have you been listening to the sports animal? I like the idea of getting JJ Barea on our team. Maynor is a great guy but he's shell shocked. We need a backup point guard that can handle his load. JJ has that.

No, but I read Tramel's article though. I wouldn't mind Barea. There are some other PGs (e.g., Jrue Holiday) that could work too. I just don't see any of our young guards earning Brooks trust by playoff time. We'll see... Lot of ball to be played still.

Unless Reggie improves his play dramatically, he won't be getting minutes in the playoffs. We'll trade for a back up PG rental (not that hard to come by) or the bench will shrink... Same goes for Thabeet (fouling way too much). There are only 2 bench players that are guaranteed to stay in the playoffs rotation at this point IMHO: Collison and Martin. Everyone else will have to earn it.

jackson has been playing well this season ... he plays good D ... and either way no backup point is going to play much in the playoffs ... russ will average 42+ so a back up will play less than 6 min a game

We may be able to throw Liggins into the playoff minutes also. I just wish he was 6' 8" so he could hound LBJ.

No, but I read Tramel's article though. I wouldn't mind Barea. There are some other PGs (e.g., Jrue Holiday) that could work too. I just don't see any of our young guards earning Brooks trust by playoff time. We'll see... Lot of ball to be played still.

No way we could afford Jrue.

I'm going to go ahead and say that Reggie sees 3 to 6 minutes of game time in the playoffs (depending on how close it is, how well he plays, etc.)...it will look something like this:

35: ~44
0: ~42
9: ~36
23: ~33
2: ~30
5: ~24
4: ~22
15: ~6
34: ~3

Obviously that will fluctuate a lot based on match-ups.

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