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

[Praedura]

Ready to rumble...

[Praedura]

Wow!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable finish.

Ok, that's 1-0.

[OSUMom]

I need a valium.

[MonkeesFan]

I said in another thread that Memphis-Thunder is going to be a boring series and the Clippers-Thunder would have been a fun series but I have to eat my crow! What a crazy great game!

[Teo9969]

It's going to get even better when players start getting into foul trouble and it forces coaches to make changes on the fly.

[Easy180]

It's over

[Anonymous.]

All I can say is wow, good to have you back Kevin Martin. The way this team is finding ways to win is so much fun to see.

Next game is Tuesday night, 8:30 on TNT.

[Praedura]

It's over

Yep, 4-0 sweep for sure!

[Bellaboo]

Every writer gives Conley the advantage over Reggie, but last night, in the last couple of minutes, Conley had 3 turnovers, and Reggie came up big with 3 seconds left at the line. I'd say it's a toss up...

[Teo9969]

Reggie Jackson is going to finish this season a Top 25 PG in this league...

Tier 1 - Westbrook, Paul, Curry, Williams, Rose, Parker, Lillard, Holiday, Rondo, Rubio

Tier 2 - Ellis, Dragic, Lin, Conley, Lawson, Walker, Robinson, Jack, Collison, Bradley, Reggie etc.

He's definitely second tier, he's just on the bottom 30% side of it...By the end of this season, with the incredible experience he's getting as a starter on a championship contender, he'll be in the Top 40%.

Conley is such a sound player and he knows his role on his team really well, but he's nowhere near as athletic and, well, talented. Reggie is more explosive and can help out on the glass. Conley is currently a better scorer, but Reggie drives the lane better and if he can develop a consistent and relatively reliable jump-shot will have Conley in that area. Reggie will probably never be the passer that Conley is, and he's got a long way to go to be as good defensively as Conley is, but he has the capabilities of being as good as Conley defensively (and probably will be within the next 3 years).

It's like anytime you have a more talented but inexperienced player matching up against a good player who has far more veteran experience: You expect the smarter player to win, but you are not surprised to see flashes from the other guy.

Luckily for OKC, Fisher matches up with Conley the way that Conley matches up with Jackson...as long as Brooks finds the right balance between the two, particularly early in the series before Conley figures both of them out and can adjust what he's doing on the fly, then I think OKC will make life for Conley particularly difficult.

[BoulderSooner]

Tier 1 is Westbrook and Paul and that is it

Tier 2 is Curry Williams Parker and Irving and Wall

Tier 3 is Walker Lawson Conley Lilard Calderson Dragic Holiday Teague Jennings Vasquez Hill Rubio Felton Nash

reggie could move into that third group

i did not list Bledsoe who will be paid this summer like he is tier 2

[dankrutka]

A lot of people are jumping the gun here in my opinion. Look at what Conley has already done in this playoffs. I'm really encouraged by Reggie's development and potential, but Conley is averaging almost 17 and 8 in the playoffs. Ranking Reggie against other PGs at this point seems premature. Saying things like, "If Reggie just becomes a good shooter..." when he shot a terrible 23% from 3 this season is just baseless speculation. Again, I like Reggie, but he needs more time to prove himself and a much larger resume to be compared to PGs who are already established.

[OSUMom]

I really like Reggie. He has, for the last two years, had a big 'trial by fire'. First with losing Maynor and becoming the backup point guard, until we got Fisher. And now this year being forced into the starting point guard position. I think he has done well and will only continue to improve.

[Teo9969]

I really like Reggie. He has, for the last two years, had a big 'trial by fire'. First with losing Maynor and becoming the backup point guard, until we got Fisher. And now this year being forced into the starting point guard position. I think he has done well and will only continue to improve.

Don't forget, he didn't have a training camp his rookie season...

[OKCisOK4me]

Friend of mine says that a plan is in the works to amnesty Perkins for bringing in his mentor (another old fogie), KG, who can still get up and down maybe a little better than him. Wise move or is he just a player we can afford that is getting closer to retirement??

[dankrutka]

Friend of mine says that a plan is in the works to amnesty Perkins for bringing in his mentor (another old fogie), KG, who can still get up and down maybe a little better than him. Wise move or is he just a player we can afford that is getting closer to retirement??

It would be a very wise move. It's not happening unless KG plays for next to nothing, which is incredibly unlikely. I'd put the chances of this happening near zero, but the chances that its "in the works" is almost certainly zero. It would be wonderful if your friend was right though.

[OKCisOK4me]

It would be a very wise move. It's not happening unless KG plays for next to nothing, which is incredibly unlikely. I'd put the chances of this happening near zero, but the chances that its "in the works" is almost certainly zero. It would be wonderful if your friend was right though.

I guess we'll find out between now and the start of next season. I put it at a 5% chance. My bud just wants it to happen cause he thinks Perkins is worthless. His intangible assets do not reflect on the stat sheets. This I know. Why others don't is beyond me.

[BoulderSooner]

I guess we'll find out between now and the start of next season. I put it at a 5% chance. My bud just wants it to happen cause he thinks Perkins is worthless. His intangible assets do not reflect on the stat sheets. This I know. Why others don't is beyond me.

KG is under contract for 11.5 mil next year and 12 mil the year after ....

who does your friend have us trading to boston for him???

[warreng88]

His intangible assets do not reflect on the stat sheets. This I know. Why others don't is beyond me.

This is how I feel about Collison. He is easily my favorite player, yet if you look at his stats, they are nothing special. But, it's things like the pass before the assist, his screens or his defense and no complaining that makes me like him more.

[dankrutka]

His intangible assets do not reflect on the stat sheets. This I know. Why others don't is beyond me.

While Perk does provide some intangibles (e.g., leadership, especially off the court), a lot of what he does show up in the stat sheet. The problem is that people only look at simple offensive stats like points per game or rebounds. Perk is an awful offensive player - one of the worst in the league, but if you look at advanced defensive stats (beyond blocks and rebounds) you will see that he is a very solid isolation post defender - one of the best in the league. When the Thunder play a team that does not have an elite interior scorer Perk's greatest contribution is mitigated and he should not play as much. However, when we play a team with solid interior scorers (e.g., Memphis) Perk's value goes up. Aside from screens, Perk's best contributions are not intangibles, but his tangible and quantifiable contributions on the defensive end.

In short, no one should play because of intangibles. And neither Perk, Collison, or Fisher should get minutes because of "intangibles." Advanced stats show Perk's defensive contributions are worthwhile when the Thunder are playing certain opponents. They also show the value of Collison. Fisher's recent rise in on-court production merit him getting minutes now, not intangibles.

[OSUMom]

This is how I feel about Collison. He is easily my favorite player, yet if you look at his stats, they are nothing special. But, it's things like the pass before the assist, his screens or his defense and no complaining that makes me like him more.

Collison is a working man. Every game he puts on his hard hat, picks up his lunchbox and goes to work. Steadily and quietly. He is one of my favorite players.

[OKCisOK4me]

KG is under contract for 11.5 mil next year and 12 mil the year after ....

who does your friend have us trading to boston for him???

Please notate that I said I put it at a 5% chance !!!

[MonkeesFan]

Yep, 4-0 sweep for sure!

There will be no sweep, the Grizzles are going to win tonight

[Praedura]

There will be no sweep, the Grizzles are going to win tonight

[MonkeesFan]

Haha, oh please, I am not even a Thunder fan