OKC Thunder 2013 - 2014

[Laramie]

Kevin Love calls out teammates.

"We can't have two guys sitting at the end of the bench that play good minutes just sitting there and not getting up during timeouts," Love said, referring to the poor body language exhibited by veterans J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham in the fourth quarter. "We all need to be in this together. That kind of pisses me off. We're supposed to be a team."

Kevin Love torches Minnesota Timberwolves teammates after loss - ESPN

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ... as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[Anonymous.]

Another back to back starting tonight.

Both 6:30 games. Tonight in Boston, and tomorrow in Philadelphia.

[Bellaboo]

Guess KD's taking this one off tonight ?

[OKCisOK4me]

Sore shoulder. I don't like that. I'm very glad he's taking the night off to rest if it is bothering him. I'm not happy about the idea of his shoulder bothering him.

He did hit the floor pretty hard the other night. He was squincing with pain and holding his right shoulder.

[Easy180]

Are we seriously about to beat Boston in Boston w/o KD and Westbrook?

Awesome for us but really Boston? That is sad

[Just the facts]

He did hit the floor pretty hard the other night. He was squincing with pain and holding his right shoulder.

He hurt it on a dunk attempt that got blocked. No matter though, Thunder win by 19. He will probably take the 76ers game off as well with this win.

[bradh]

I really like what I see out of PJ3 when he gets more than 4 minutes in a game. That dude is crazy long and athletic, and hustles his ass off.

[Laramie]

Don't look for K.D. to be in the lineup tonight. Really can't see why Brooks would need to play him. Go ahead and let this makeshift lineup work against Philadelphia as it did against Boston last night.

This was the first time I've seen balanced ball movement among Thunder players; it took Boston away from their game.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ... as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[ljbab728]

I foresee him playing and ending up with a triple-double.

[mugofbeer]

I am really impressed they beat Boston without either Durant or Westbrook. Really says a lot for the rest of the team. These guys are going to rarely, if ever, lose in the 2nd half of the season

[dankrutka]

I am really impressed they beat Boston without either Durant or Westbrook. Really says a lot for the rest of the team. These guys are going to rarely, if ever, lose in the 2nd half of the season

Does everyone realize that Boston is arguably playing the worst ball in the NBA right now? I was really happy with both the win and how they got it... But beating Boston in Boston is not much of an accomplishment right now. Still, the extra playing time our young guys are getting should only help when RW0 returns.

[Laramie]

I am really impressed they beat Boston without either Durant or Westbrook. Really says a lot for the rest of the team. These guys are going to rarely, if ever, lose in the 2nd half of the season

We'll take any win on the road. Durant was able to rest and gear-up for Philadelphia.

Does everyone realize that Boston is arguably playing the worst ball in the NBA right now? I was really happy with both the win and how they got it... But beating Boston in Boston is not much of an accomplishment right now. Still, the extra playing time our young guys are getting should only help when RW0 returns.

You bring out two good points:

1. The Celtics are playing their worst ball. This would have been a missed opportunity had we lost.

2. Our bench players are getting extended valuable playing time. Let's hope this pays dividends in the Western Conference playoffs in that teams will think twice before doubling-up on our franchise players if they know that we have players who can step up to the plate and make them pay.

The Northwest Division is tough with Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Portland & Utah. Did anyone realize that five of our eight loses against Western Conference teams have come from inside our Northwest Division?

Thunder are 19-3 home,
16-7 road,
7-5 Northwest Division,
22-8 Western Conference and 13-2 against the Eastern Conference.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ... as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[OKCisOK4me]

Does everyone realize that Boston is arguably playing the worst ball in the NBA right now? I was really happy with both the win and how they got it... But beating Boston in Boston is not much of an accomplishment right now. Still, the extra playing time our young guys are getting should only help when RW0 returns.

Yeah, I thought about responding but I wanted mugofbeer to be impressed with the victory...

[PWitty]

I hope people are REALLY appreciating and taking advantage of the opportunity to see KD don an OKC jersey and be a representative of this city. Odds are a player as talented as KD won't be seen for quite awhile once LeBron and him hang up their sneakers, at least in our lifetimes. We really are spoiled as basketball fans right now. I just hope everyone else realizes that.

[Anonymous.]

Agreed.

This is something special, if you know any non Thunder fans, or even non NBA fans. have them sit down and watch a game with you, let them witness something that millions of fans across the nation dream of seeing in their lifetime. And here in OKC we have it right now.

This is quite possibly the season, folks. The streets in OKC could be loud as ever this June.

[Teo9969]

I hope people are REALLY appreciating and taking advantage of the opportunity to see KD don an OKC jersey and be a representative of this city. Odds are a player as talented as KD won't be seen for quite awhile once LeBron and him hang up their sneakers, at least in our lifetimes. We really are spoiled as basketball fans right now. I just hope everyone else realizes that.

Unless you're 70, that's just not going to be true. Jordan was (for all intents and purposes) done in 97/98 and Lebron started 03/04. So there was a 5 season gap, to make no mention of several other Top 10/15 players of all-time were still playing (Kobe, Duncan, Shaq).

I'd be hesitant to include Durant in a discussion with Lebron until he replicates this season's kind of production for 2 or 3 straight years and wins at least 1 Title and MVP.

That being said, Durant is very likely the best player that will ever wear a Thunder jersey, unless the NBA is still operating 100 years from now (and even then, there's no guarantee if Durant ends up being a Top 5 player of all eras up to and including his).

[PWitty]

Unless you're 70, that's just not going to be true. Jordan was (for all intents and purposes) done in 97/98 and Lebron started 03/04. So there was a 5 season gap, to make no mention of several other Top 10/15 players of all-time were still playing (Kobe, Duncan, Shaq).

I'd be hesitant to include Durant in a discussion with Lebron until he replicates this season's kind of production for 2 or 3 straight years and wins at least 1 Title and MVP.

That being said, Durant is very likely the best player that will ever wear a Thunder jersey, unless the NBA is still operating 100 years from now (and even then, there's no guarantee if Durant ends up being a Top 5 player of all eras up to and including his).

That was my point

And the talking heads in the sports world are already talking about Durant being the best offensive player of ALL TIME, and not in a sarcastic way. They're dead serious. He is by far the most talented player on the offensive side of the court that anyone has ever seen. His size, length, ball handling, and range for a guy that is 6'10 is out of this world. Cherish it.

[Laramie]

Unless you're 70, that's just not going to be true. Jordan was (for all intents and purposes) done in 97/98 and Lebron started 03/04. So there was a 5 season gap, to make no mention of several other Top 10/15 players of all-time were still playing (Kobe, Duncan, Shaq).

I'd be hesitant to include Durant in a discussion with Lebron until he replicates this season's kind of production for 2 or 3 straight years and wins at least 1 Title and MVP.

That being said, Durant is very likely the best player that will ever wear a Thunder jersey, unless the NBA is still operating 100 years from now (and even then, there's no guarantee if Durant ends up being a Top 5 player of all eras up to and including his).

Would LeBron have won an NBA championship without going to Miami to team up with two other franchise players (Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade)?

Let's face the truth about the MVP award; it usually goes to the player who the NBA thinks will win the NBA championship.

We have two franchise players on our team and let's appreciate their efforts while they are here.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ... as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[warreng88]

One question I would like to pose to everyone: If the Thunder win a championship this year, do we see an influx of veteran players trying to come here to be a part of a dynasty like what has happened with Miami? Ray Allen, Chris Anderson, Shane Battier, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden went to Miami to be a part of LeBron, Dwayne and Bosh's dynasty. Do you think a small market like OKC would bring in the same kind of attention? Thabo and Fisher are the only players whose contract are up after this season. I think Fisher said this would be his last season. Perk may be amnestied after this season depending on how he plays and how Adams comes along. Thoughts?

[adaniel]

Good question. IMO that is a possibility but Presti and Co. seem pretty content with the "San Antonio" model: keeping a core group happy and together while willing to rotate out a cast of supporting players and developing their talent. Much like SA I think OKC would still have a small-market stigma attached to it, so I don't see the basketball greats stampeding here. But in the end I don't think it matters.

[Laramie]

One question I would like to pose to everyone: If the Thunder win a championship this year, do we see an influx of veteran players trying to come here to be a part of a dynasty like what has happened with Miami? Ray Allen, Chris Anderson, Shane Battier, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden went to Miami to be a part of LeBron, Dwayne and Bosh's dynasty. Do you think a small market like OKC would bring in the same kind of attention? Thabo and Collison are the only players whose contract are up after this season. I think Fisher said this would be his last season. Perk may be amnestied after this season depending on how he plays and how Adams comes along. Thoughts?

Hasn't this occurred following many NBA finals; most recently Dallas made the wrong moves and Miami capatizied following their 2011 ouster.

Making it to the NBA finals would invite a ton of players wanting to join Durant to become part of an OKC NBA experience; however that won't happen in OKC because Sam Presti is very protective of this team and its reputation. There are some players who wouldn't fit the profile for the Thunder's organization. We don't want to 'Frankenstein' a team to win a championship. Miami took a chance and fortunately for them it played off.

Presti has a good eye for evaluating talent which will fit into the organization's scheme.

Kendrick Perkins came with some baggage in the Boston trade sending Green back to the team who drafted him. He was an improvement over Nenad Krstic who lacked the toughness to compete long term in an 82-game NBA schedule.

Alan Iverson is a good example as to what happened in Memphis when they attempted to insert a veteran who was self serving to his own perceptual needs.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ... as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[dankrutka]

If veteran players would come here on good deals (as happened in Miami) Presti would love to have them. We tried to get at least two veteran players (Mike Miller, Dorrell Wright) to take deals to compete for a championship last summer, but both chose other teams (Memphis, Portland). The Spurs are not simply a development, not a free agent, franchise. Both franchises look for the best players at the best value that are the best fit however they can get them. The question is, would veteran players take a pay cut to go for a championship in OKC? Or was it that opportunity combined with being in Miami that was so enticing for Battier, Allen, and others? Well, let's win a title and find out.

[warreng88]

If veteran players would come here on good deals (as happened in Miami) Presti would love to have them. We tried to get at least two veteran players (Mike Miller, Dorrell Wright) to take deals to compete for a championship last summer, but both chose other teams (Memphis, Portland). The Spurs are not simply a development, not a free agent, franchise. Both franchises look for the best players at the best value that are the best fit however they can get them. The question is, would veteran players take a pay cut to go for a championship in OKC? Or was it that opportunity combined with being in Miami that was so enticing for Battier, Allen, and others? Well, let's win a title and find out.

Battier was offered by OKC (would have loved to have him) but OKC could only offer him a two year contract and Miami offered him three.

[ljbab728]

Portland and San Antonio are certainly trying to give the Thunder a little breathing room in the West as they have both lost their last two games. Hopefully we can take advantage with a win over the Heat Wednesday night.

[ljbab728]

Scott Brooks to coach Western All-stars again.

OKC Thunder: Scott Brooks to be the Western Conference coach in the All-Star game | News OK