OKC Thunder 2013 - 2014

[dankrutka]

I don't expect Roberson, PJIII, McGruder/Garrett/Gomes, or the 3rd center (Thabeet) to get any meaningful minutes. Brooks will probably roll with a 10 man rotation of RW0, Thabo, KD, Serge, Perk, Lamb, Collison, Reggie, Adams, and Fisher with only spot, junk, or injury-related minutes otherwise. He doesn't like to use a ton of guys.

[BoulderSooner]

McGruder and Garrett are no longer on the team they were cut today. We are down to a 14 man roster

This tells me they thing Russ will be back much sooner than 4-6 weeks

[Teo9969]

McGruder and Garrett are no longer on the team they were cut today. We are down to a 14 man roster

This tells me they thing Russ will be back much sooner than 4-6 weeks

I think we figured that anyway, based on other reports.

Interesting to leave a roster spot open, but I guess there's no reason to pay someone if they're not going to play.

[Teo9969]

I don't expect Roberson, PJIII, McGruder/Garrett/Gomes, or the 3rd center (Thabeet) to get any meaningful minutes. Brooks will probably roll with a 10 man rotation of RW0, Thabo, KD, Serge, Perk, Lamb, Collison, Reggie, Adams, and Fisher with only spot, junk, or injury-related minutes otherwise. He doesn't like to use a ton of guys.

I agree that he hasn't in the past liked to use a ton of guys...and I can't say with any certainty that will change...but if it doesn't, I have to question whether Brooks learned anything from last season.

[dankrutka]

The NBA season starts today! Woo woo!

[Thundercitizen]

Predictions:

Thunder win the West, then the NBA (in that order...)
KD wins MVP
Westbrook comes back with MUCH better court vision a 3-pt shot
Ibaka becomes a post-up machine in tandem with Adams
Steven Adams becomes the new Dwight
J Lamb wrests the scoring title from KD
Perk becomes another player by the all-star break
James Harden asks for a trade back to OKC, cause he's ready to really sacrifice
Reggie Jackson averages 18 pts, 11 assists, 3 steals

I didn't sleep well last night.

[Praedura]

Predictions:

Thunder win the West, then the NBA (in that order...)
KD wins MVP
Westbrook comes back with MUCH better court vision a 3-pt shot
Ibaka becomes a post-up machine in tandem with Adams
Steven Adams becomes the new Dwight
J Lamb wrests the scoring title from KD
Perk becomes another player by the all-star break
James Harden asks for a trade back to OKC, cause he's ready to really sacrifice
Reggie Jackson averages 18 pts, 11 assists, 3 steals

I didn't sleep well last night.

I was with you, until you got to the part about "not sleeping well last night"... I find that pretty hard to believe!

[OKCisOK4me]

Predictions:

Thunder win the West, then the NBA (in that order...)
KD wins MVP
Westbrook comes back with MUCH better court vision a 3-pt shot
Ibaka becomes a post-up machine in tandem with Adams
Steven Adams becomes the new Dwight
J Lamb wrests the scoring title from KD
Perk becomes another player by the all-star break
James Harden asks for a trade back to OKC, cause he's ready to really sacrifice
Reggie Jackson averages 18 pts, 11 assists, 3 steals

I didn't sleep well last night.

Clippers youth beats Spurs in WCF only for the Heat to be victorious, once again, in a six games Finals series.

Sorry for popping your balloon, but we have to be realistic here.

We don't know the true strength of Westbrook. Durant will attempt to be the "be all-do all" shining star which will stress him. Ibaka can't be proficient on offense with a set jump shot game. He needs to develop a back-to-the-basket skill set. Last year of the Perkins contract. Love him. Hope he has a great season but probably not and he'll get a ton of crap from OKC fans for it. Father time catches up to D Fish. Adams will be a good minutes player off the bench and I only expect him to be a rebounding machine for us. Maybe they can work on developing his low post passing skills. Harden will not be a factor with the Thunder ever again. Jeremy Lamb was inconsistent in the preseason which doesn't bode well for regular season play against serious title contenders. He'd develop much faster playing and possibly starting for a team ala the Warriors. As for Reggie, only time will tell. I think he has that potential.

Just Two Cents from the guy that watches the games at Henry Hudson's.

Oh and how could I forget. Nick Collison will do what Nick Collison does. Get rebounds, maybe have 2 or 3 10-12 point games, take charges and foul out to save fouls for our starters. Nick accepts his role.

[ljbab728]

Westbrook could be back in two weeks.

Y! SPORTS

[Jake]

Thunder expands its TV viewership area by 65 percent | News OK

Expanding TV viewership.

[ljbab728]

Thunder expands its TV viewership area by 65 percent | News OK

Expanding TV viewership.

Does that translate into more money?

[Thundercitizen]

Does that translate into more money?

Hopefully that translates into a nice free agent or two.

[dankrutka]

Is money the problem? Our already rich owners have made a huge profit on the Thunder and haven't spent it. I hope its part of a long term plan...

[SouthsideSooner]

Is money the problem? Our already rich owners have made a huge profit on the Thunder and haven't spent it. I hope its part of a long term plan...

Hmmm... Really? Have you factored in the the losses incurred while still in Seattle? The lease buyout that allowed the move? The NBA relocation fee and other expenses incurred in relocating the team? I know there were a couple of pretty profitable years while our stars were still on rookie contracts but now we're right up against the tax line and are going to be facing the inevitability of crossing it in the next couple of years...

So anyway, since you stated what you said as an obvious fact, would you mind breaking down the numbers for me to date and going forward? Thanks in advance...

[Teo9969]

Money is part of the problem, but people thinking that this ownership/management isn't willing to pay the tax are just not thinking. It's not about an unwillingness to pay the tax, it's about an unwillingness to pay obscene tax, and an unwillingness to sacrifice the long-term stability of the franchise for 2 or 3 seasons of titles and then have to blow up the entire roster and hope the franchise is still on a good foundation.

[Teo9969]

Does that translate into more money?

I would think not until a new contract between FSOK and the Thunder is written out. But hopefully I'm wrong on that and there are incentive or renegotiation type things in the contract.

[MonkeesFan]

Westbrook could be back in two weeks.

Y! SPORTS

So? The Thunder are not winning a championship

[Sonny_Crockett]

So? The Thunder are not winning a championship

I wouldn't bet on it. The Heat are winning it this year and LeBron's winning the MVP. Plus if you watch ESPN or TNT, the Thunder get no love and everyone says it will never be "KD's time" and the OKC will be lottery bound for years to come. I'm done watching d-bags on ESPN who follow Queen James 24/7.

[Jake]

Wasn't aware the Thunder were financially bankrupt. Thanks for the heads up!

[Bill Robertson]

So? The Thunder are not winning a championship

We won't be the worst team in the league. Your team, however, has a really good shot at that!

BTW. this is the last time you'll draw me in with your Thunder-hating taunts. Just had to add one return-fire.

[betts]

So? The Thunder are not winning a championship

There's more to sports than winning a championship. Sports is about striving for a goal and spectators enjoying watching a team striving for that goal. Ultimately, a championship is decided in the last 5 minutes of the last game of the season. Does that mean every other minute of the season for every team is dross? My second favorite Thunder season was the first, when any victory generated boundless enthusiasm. I love my team, win or lose, championship or no and I love watching them play.

[bradh]

Money is part of the problem, but people thinking that this ownership/management isn't willing to pay the tax are just not thinking. It's not about an unwillingness to pay the tax, it's about an unwillingness to pay obscene tax, and an unwillingness to sacrifice the long-term stability of the franchise for 2 or 3 seasons of titles and then have to blow up the entire roster and hope the franchise is still on a good foundation.

I don't think the average NBA fan really understand how penalizing the new luxury tax is if you're a repeat offender. It gets absurd quickly.

[MonkeesFan]

We won't be the worst team in the league. Your team, however, has a really good shot at that!

BTW. this is the last time you'll draw me in with your Thunder-hating taunts. Just had to add one return-fire.

So? At least the Magic will improve and get better while the Thunder are going to decline and start sucking

[BrettM2]

So? At least the Magic will improve and get better while the Thunder are going to decline and start sucking

I just have to ask... how old are you? Based on your track record of posts, I'm having a hard time seeing that you put much thought into anything and just go for the off-the-handle, I'm right kind of answer. I'm hoping I get more than your go-to answer of what I can do to myself.

[betts]

Thirteen is always a safe bet. It seems to be the prime age for maximal poorly thought out smack talk. However, since he was doing the same last year, perhaps fourteen.