National Basketball Association

[Bullbear]

Looks like durant will be sitting out tonight due to foot pain .. and Bosh is out for the season for the heat with blood clots in his lungs. That can't be good.

[Laramie]

Thought that I would share some comments from the Dallas Mavericks posters from GDT: Mavs (36-19) at Thunder (28-25) - Page 4 - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Thursday, February 19, Final: Oklahoma City Thunder 104 - Dallas Mavericks 89

Page 4

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but the offense isn't working on any level. And it hasn't looked sharp for a while. And it isn't just on Rondo. Players just look shockingly passive or deer in headlights like "oh, I'm supposed to make a play?"

If they could just start making some long range shots, It might loosen up the lane. When your shots aren't falling, they're not falling.

Chuck makes a good point about the Reggie Jackson trade. Getting rid of him really gives OKC a lift.

This thing has to gel. We have such a new roster - these are growing pains. I think we had 11 new players this year. We're right in the mix of things in an incredibly stacked western conference. Plus Rondo missed significant playing time. It's just one game.

this game is over, can't get a shot, can't get a rebound, stupid turnovers, no reaction

Page 5

Russell Westbrook is too damn good

Westbrook's gonna cause his team to implode someday.

I'm going to have a damn heart attack. My hatred for all things Oklahoma run deep.

The more I watch Westbrook the more I think he's the best player on the Thunder

Nick collison gets away with murder

[Laramie]

Rajon Rondo ignores Rick Carlisle, who screams at and benches him...


What did Rondo say to Rick Carlisle?

[Laramie]

2014-15 Season of the NBA injury bug...

Injuries Becoming Unfortunate Theme of 2014-15 NBA Season

Injuries Becoming Unfortunate Theme of 2014-15 NBA Season | Bleacher Report

[Bellaboo]

Rajon Rondo ignores Rick Carlisle, who screams at and benches him...


What did Rondo say to Rick Carlisle?

He told him to 'F' Off. That's why he was benched.

[Laramie]

This was a very bad and unfortunate exchange between Rondo & Carlisle. The Dallas Mavericks' rumor mill continues to boil as it is suggested that 'both' Rondo & Carlisle will be out of Dallas next season.

[dankrutka]

This was a very bad and unfortunate exchange between Rondo & Carlisle. The Dallas Mavericks' rumor mill continues to boil as it is suggested that 'both' Rondo & Carlisle will be out of Dallas next season.

Where did you read that about Carlisle? He is one of the best coaches in the NBA and absolutely beloved by players, management, and the city.

[Laramie]

New Oklahoma City Thunder uniforms will make their home debut Sunday, March 8 against Toronto Raptors.

[Celebrator]

New Oklahoma City Thunder uniforms will make their home debut Sunday, March 8 against Toronto Raptors.

I'm sorry the white ones look like pajamas.

[Urbanized]

Turrible.

[AP]

I actually kind of like them. Not sure why everyone hates the sleeves. Every other sport in the world wears sleeves on their jerseys. Anyway, about time we got a jersey that says OKC on it.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I hate the sleeve jerseys. A sad attempt by the NBA to get sales for "dad" jerseys.

[Richard at Remax]

They are pretty underwhelming. I wish it just said "OKC" in blue or orange instead of the logo. They look whiter than the USMNT kit

[okatty]

Those jerseys are bad. Just bad. Spurs are worse! But I agree with FightTheGoodFight - NBA revenue generator.

[Snowman]

I actually kind of like them. Not sure why everyone hates the sleeves. Every other sport in the world wears sleeves on their jerseys. Anyway, about time we got a jersey that says OKC on it.

People tend to push back a lot on any changes in the look of their sports team, a major part of why people like the team is memories of it and for many the times watching with friends and family.

Though there are a lot of cases where you are going from something that has been refined over decades to look as good whatever article of clothing is going to look in team colors and fans have gotten over it's weak points, to something new where the flaws are much more up front and open for criticism.

[okatty]

I thought the blue alternates were fine and kinda like them. Can't say same with these!

[Jersey Boss]

They are pretty underwhelming. I wish it just said "OKC" in blue or orange instead of the logo. They look whiter than the USMNT kit

??

[Laramie]

The first two jerseys were not very popular. They have grown on the fan base. The new jerseys will probably follow the same path, as we experienced with the Thunder dark blue jerseys with the vertical Thunder letters.

My experience as an NBA fan; the short sleeve jerseys look odd (unorthodox). Is this the new trend or fashion for the NBA?

If there is any saving grace, IMHO they look better than the short-sleeve jerseys on display by the rest of the NBA's 29 teams.

[Urbanized]

I'd like to see a win/loss breakdown on the navy road alternates. I'm convinced they're cursed and that the Thunder's record is disproportionately worse in them.

[zookeeper]

At the risk of sounding silly, was I the only one who thought the pictures of the unveiling of the new alternate looked like a page from a Sears catalog selling kids pajamas?

I love the blue alternate. But these just don't do it for me.

[Snowman]

I'd like to see a win/loss breakdown on the navy road alternates. I'm convinced they're cursed and that the Thunder's record is disproportionately worse in them.

With that you also would need a breakdown of the strength of schedules, while there are times they play in them against poor teams, it seems like they have more often than not worn them against better than average teams. Plus with the rules for when alternates can be worn, it is also more likely they are playing away in them.

[Urbanized]

Nah, that's too logic-y. I'm just gonna go with cursed.

[Laramie]

Steve Nash announces retirement from the NBA - SBNation.com

Steve has always been one of the best; we wish him the best.

[Stan Silliman]

Another Silliman on Sports NBA article:

THE BABY FACE, THE BEARD AND THE MASK

The MVP race in the NBA calls for a rap. See if you don’t agree:

He came from Charlotte
Daddy name of Dell
A loosed limbed baller
shootin’ faster than hell
Creates for Golden State
So fast there is no wait
With Klay he drains the splash
His bro… so money they like cash
On defense he’s harrassin’
Assistin’ and a passin’
Buckets he amassin’
He’s the Baby-Faced Assassin

He’s the Beard you always feared
He resembles Kimbo Slice
Crosses you over, not once but twice
Euro steps you in the face
Can’t stop him with even mace
Launched the Rockets to record pace
His beard be seen from space
On late game shots he ain’t no coward
Doing this all with no Dwight Howard
Gets to the line like no one’s business
In a style uniquely his-ness
There’s no guardin’ one James Harden

Next we find The Mask
Charged with daunting task
Of leading gimpy Thunder
At a pace so fast you’ll all but wonder
How he survives broken hand, broken face
No Serge, no KD… yet stays in the playoff race
With trippy dubbies at a pace
With MJ, Wilt and Oscar be compared
Flying so high… the air be rared
No one outruns Russell
No one has his drive, his hustle
And on fashion, he’s all muscle

[Stan Silliman]

Even yet another Silliman on Sports NBA article:



Bank Robbers Buy Hawks Suite
March 29, 2015
By Stan Silliman

BANK ROBBERS USE FUNDS ON HAWKS SUITE

From a suite at the Hawks Philips Arena to a suite in the pen. Okay, not a suite, more like an 8’ x 12’ cell.

Do I need to back up? Okay. In 2009, four guys from Atlanta – Zach Vaughn, Derek Spinks, Henry Cobb and William Leese – concocted a scheme to syphon $4.3 million dollars from the Bank of New York Mellon and then went on a five year spending spree. Before they were recently caught, convicted and sentenced, they spent money on vehicles, gold, trips and a suite at the Hawks games.

Apparently, the idiots didn’t realize that had they not bought or leased a Philips Arena suite, they would not have ended up in a Silliman on Sports column. Otherwise, there would not have been a sports angle. When a crime caper enters the sports world, all bets are off.

We checked the Philips Arena suites. The rental ones are nice – big screen TVs, wood paneling, fully stocked bar and cookies. Yummy cookies. Macadamians. Probably not worth spending five years at Ray James Correctional or UCO Atlanta tasty, but delicious cookies otherwise.

Zachary Vaughn worked at the bank from 2005 to 2013. He noticed that one of the bank’s customers had $4.3 million sitting there in reserve funds. Not moving at all. Idle! Just sitting there. Money needs to move around, not just sit idly. We’re sure this is what banker Zachary Vaughn thought. This money needs exercise! It needs to be wired to my friend, Derek Spinks. Spinks can then give it more exercise by investing it in a company owned by C & L Logistics and Transportation owned by Cobb and Leese. Spread money around! Enrich the community. Put the money back into the idle account after it’s done the community some good!

The court testimony didn’t quite come out like this but we’re sure Zachary Vaughn had good reasons for freeing the money from its sedentary state. Maybe, during his testimony, he might have even mentioned cookies. Hey, macadamia farmers got to eat, too!

How did Vaughn get away with it for years, you ask. He moved more money. He found bigger bank accounts with idle money, moved 500K here, 300K there and pretty soon he had placed the $4.3 million back into the original idle account. He was a money moving machine as well as a good money trainer. Zachary Vaughn was the Billy Blanks of moving money from one account to another. Money from twenty different Bank of New York accounts got exercise.

Vaughn did all this without once consulting Jimmy Conway. If Vaughn had talked to Jimmy (played by Robert DeNiro in “Goodfellas”), Jimmy would have told him not to spend any of their stolen funds. “No jewels, no furs, no fancy cars. If I catch you, you’ll end up in the trunk on the way to the garbage heap,” Jimmy would’ve told him. “And if Tommy DeVito gets wind, your knee caps will look like Derrick Rose’s.”

Alright, Jimmy would have never mentioned Derrick Rose… but I’m writing a sports column. And, by the way, tying up the Billy Blanks reference with the Atlanta Hawks? The Hawks now have a player named Thabo. You’re welcome.