****Official 2012/2013 Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball Thread****

[ljbab728]

What a great road win for the Thunder tonight against the Clippers. I know Chris Paul wasn't playing but the standings and possible pecking order in the playoffs don't care. Before tonight the biggest home loss for the Clippers was by 7 points.

[Teo9969]

Isn't that what I said?

Right, but I suspect it's going to be on the back of Collison and not Jackson/Thabeet. As it stand right now, no matter how much extra time Collison gets, this bench is going to look much worse in the playoffs if Jackson/Thabeet combine for more than about 12 minutes game. Right now they're combining for about 22...Where are you going to send those extra 10 minutes, when everyone else is playing close to playoff minutes already aside from probably Collison.

And just because I don't think we've seen the best the bench has to offer (because Collison is down on minutes) doesn't mean I'm saying that the best will be a routine showing come playoffs. Collison is the only proven commodity we have on the bench come playoff time. Nobody really knows how Martin will perform in the playoffs because he's never really been in them. Jackson and Thabeet are sure to be liabilities.

[BoulderSooner]

also 11 very solid min for reggie jackson .. last night ..

[dankrutka]

Why is every team going to get better in the playoffs except for OKC?

Where did you come up with the silly notion that every team improves in the playoffs? A lot of teams look awful in the playoffs and are quickly gone.

[Just the facts]

I guess I am confused then. We have the best record in the NBA and just handed the Clippers a beat-down on their home court. I'm not saying they should just hand us the trophy now but come on - if they were as bad as you seem to think they are we should be happy to get that last playoff spot.

[dankrutka]

I've stated this several times, but I'll say it again. My analysis is based on this tram'schances for a title. There's always critique when this is the standard because the margin for error is so small. Besides, we've been winning in spite of our bench. That can come back to bite you in the long run.

Having said that, the bench played well last night and is playing decently right now. I hope they can sustain it.

[Anonymous.]

December 13.

Don't discount the Warriors... They can be for real come playoff time.

I'll go ahead and discount the Warriors. They've made nice strides this year, but they're not ready to make a serious run. Come playoff time I see them as the 7th or 8th best team in the west at best. I fully expect all the teams ahead of them already innthe standings and the Mavs (Dirk will be back) and Lakers (no way they're this bad all season... see the Heat two years ago) to be bigger threats come the end of the season.

How's this prediction goin? lol

Warriors just cleaned off the top 2 teams in the league this week. They are about to pass MEM for the #4 spot.

[Stan Silliman]

I've stated this several times, but I'll say it again. My analysis is based on this tram'schances for a title. There's always critique when this is the standard because the margin for error is so small. Besides, we've been winning in spite of our bench. That can come back to bite you in the long run.

Having said that, the bench played well last night and is playing decently right now. I hope they can sustain it.

Here's the way I see it: we're a few players shorter than last year's bench which had Fisher, Nazr, Collison, Harden, Cook and Reggie as reliable options. I don't count Aldridge but he was getting similar to Thabeet minutes. Is Thabeet better, not appreciably, but he still may develop.
We're two less bodies at longer minutes and it could wear on Durant and Westbrook to be logging playoff minutes mid-season.

Just like last night against the Warriors, Durant played almost a perfect three quarters but that followed lots of minutes in the Clippers game and by game end time on a back-to-back, the double teams, etc had caused him to lose a lot of his pop.

The only way to prevent season end wear down is to be extending the minutes for Reggie and Liggins add Maynor or Lambert for spot duty, plus, as he becomes more of an offensive threat, up the minutes for Sefalosha. I also think Perkins is getting healthier and may be also ready to pull longer minutes.

[OKCisOK4me]

December 13.

How's this prediction goin? lol

Warriors just cleaned off the top 2 teams in the league this week. They are about to pass MEM for the #4 spot.

KT must be without internet access...or he's eating crow...lol.

[ljbab728]

We're only half way through the season so anything could happen, but, it's starting to look more like just a race between the Thunder and the Spurs in the West again. The Clippers are starting to fade with four losses in a row.

[dankrutka]

December 13.








How's this prediction goin? lol

Warriors just cleaned off the top 2 teams in the league this week. They are about to pass MEM for the #4 spot.

Since the playoffs haven't started there is no way to know. I still think they do not win a playoff series.

[SoonerBoy18]

We was not suppose to lose to the lakers!!! I am so pissed! =(

[ljbab728]

We was not suppose to lose to the lakers!!! I am so pissed! =(

Better than losing to the Wizards. That was the one you should have been upset about. This is the NBA and any team can beat any team on a given day. Overall, 3 and 3 on the 6 game road trip could have been better but it wasn't disastrous.

[KayneMo]

According to Forbes, the Thunder are now worth $475 million (12th most valuable in the NBA), up 36.5% from last year. The Thunder also had a profit of $30 million (4th in the league), only behind the Knicks ($83M), the Lakers ($48M), and the Bulls ($34M).

#12 Oklahoma City Thunder - The Most Valuable NBA Teams - Forbes

[OKCisOK4me]

Get it while it's hot...

[SoonerBoy18]

Get it while it's hot...

Its gonna remain hot, even if we have a season like the Lakers...

[OKCisOK4me]

Its gonna remain hot, even if we have a season like the Lakers...

Sooner basketball was once a hot commodity as well...

[Teo9969]

Its gonna remain hot, even if we have a season like the Lakers...

No.

OKC makes an unholy amount of money off of #35. The Odds are so unbelievably slim that we ever have another player in a Thunder uniform of his caliber. Ever.

[dankrutka]

It will be interesting to see how OKC does if/when they sink to irrelevance ala the Bobcats or Raptors. Fortunately, barring major injuries, OKC has a chance to be a perennial playoff team if they can keep KD and RW after their current contracts. If OKC wins a championship during their current contracts I think they both stay. If not then it's a lot riskier IMHO.

Even if OKC loses KD and RW I think OKC will probably do decently in attendance. Most towns with only a NBA team (e.g., Utah, Portland) seem to always have good fans...

[OKCisOK4me]

Today on the sports animal, BBJ was talking to Sam Presti and he actually asked him if there were any trades in the works for OKC. I mean, I know you gotta ask, but dude, it's not like Sam is gonna spill the beans on the sports animal, lol.

[Teo9969]

It will be interesting to see how OKC does if/when they sink to irrelevance ala the Bobcats or Raptors. Fortunately, barring major injuries, OKC has a chance to be a perennial playoff team if they can keep KD and RW after their current contracts. If OKC wins a championship during their current contracts I think they both stay. If not then it's a lot riskier IMHO.

Even if OKC loses KD and RW I think OKC will probably do decently in attendance. Most towns with only a NBA team (e.g., Utah, Portland) seem to always have good fans...

The Thunder will probably always be profitable as long as good market sense is employed RE our investment in pro sports teams (i.e. if we bring in an NHL team, we better have more people and a stronger economy).

...But OKC will not be the 4th most profitable team in the league once KD is gone. Think of the Markets we beat out: BOSTON, MIAMI, Dallas, Houston, LA (Clippers), NY/NJ (Nets), Philadelphia...I mean, to beat out the Boston freaking Celtics and the LBJ Miami Heat is truly spectacular.

Hard to know what to say of slipping into a 20 year slump after the KD era (that era starting likely no less than 10 years from now) because OKC will be so much further as a city by then (Hopefully a Top 35 MSA) and the small market issue won't be as big of a deal.

[OKCisOK4me]

Man, the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

[s00nr1]

Reports Rudy Gay is headed to Toronto. Two big implications here:

1. To me this takes Memphis out of any western conference title consideration.

2. Absolutely hurts the Thunder by reducing the chances of Toronto's lottery pick being a top 6 pick (acquired by OKC).

[dankrutka]

Reports Rudy Gay is headed to Toronto. Two big implications here:

1. To me this takes Memphis out of any western conference title consideration.

2. Absolutely hurts the Thunder by reducing the chances of Toronto's lottery pick being a top 6 pick (acquired by OKC).

The Griz were better when Gay was injured. Ed Davis is the real deal. And they get a savvy vet in Prince. I don't think this improves Toronto or Memphis' regular season records much. The Griz got rid of Gay b/c they don't need him to be successful.

[Bellaboo]

The Griz were better when Gay was injured. Ed Davis is the real deal. And they get a savvy vet in Prince. I don't think this improves Toronto or Memphis' regular season records much. The Griz got rid of Gay b/c they don't need him to be successful.

Because of the salary he is making - over 16m for the next 2 years, otherwise Memphis has luxury tax problems.