Oklahoma City Thunder Thread

Lets not forget how the Thunder won in SLC a couple months ago. A ticky-tac foul that gave Collison 2 ft's and the lead. Then an exact same no call when Ronnie Price got hit on the wrist on a last second shot.

Really is an empty gesture. If they admit it was a foul, then I think they should get everyone back and let Durant take the free throws.
Will there be any sanctions or punishment for the referees that missed it? Probably not. So why issue the statement if nothing is going to happen about it?

Will be interesting though if they end up playing each other in the Play-offs

I'm surprised Bennet Salvatore swallowed his whistle on that call, he's one of the top officials in the league and normally isn't afraid to make the call.

Lol @ the angry Thunder broadcaster. I always love hearing play-by-play guys get angry at calls because their true fan feelings come pouring out.

Two consecutive losses by OKC (and one by the Spurs) means a three way tie for the 6-8 seeds. Lets go Portland.

I am somewhat over hating the Thunder though. Against the Lakers, Spurs, Heat or Celtics, I would root for them - hell, even against the Crabs

Phil,it's unlikely they will let Durant take those free throws.Same reason Ireland didn't have a rematch with France

Obviously I know that. It was a joke. There's nothing that can be done in this situation, so why did they bother saying they got it wrong?
It does nothing for OKC to say it. All it does is save some face for the NBA after such an obvious mistake.

Mind you, they did replay the end of that Heat/Hawks game when a sixth foul was erroneously assessed, which was ultimately a bit of a farce as the result was the same (only the final score was slightly different if I recall correctly). Obviously nothing's going to happen with this game but perhaps if there is an error and a dispute like this, the final seconds should be replayed...preferably the same night, through expanded instant replay rules.

I agree. I hate current system. Nothing really has been improved since the Tim Donuts incident. The referees and their ego or whatever it is, they really need to find a solution. It's not like we don't have resources or technology. It's the wills that NBA is lacking to improve the game in the right direction.

Maybe the refs didn't think Durant is a bonafide superstar yet to get such a last second call.

That's bullshit on their part though, a call is a call. Regardless of who you are. Unless your name is Wade though, then you get all the calls including ones that aren't there.

I agree. I hate current system. Nothing really has been improved since the Tim Donuts incident. The referees and their ego or whatever it is, they really need to find a solution. It's not like we don't have resources or technology. It's the wills that NBA is lacking to improve the game in the right direction.

I don't know if I'd call it ego as much as simple human error; these things happen and unfortunately referees do make mistakes at critical times. However, that's why the NBA should continue to explore ways of expanding the instant replay rules to ensure that plays can be reviewed and in a situation like this, replayed or the call made/reversed. It's good that the NBA admits fault, but it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things because the result still stands.

Durant scores 40 against the Warriors, but Thunder lose 117-120. They are now in 8th spot, but equal on 49-31 with Portland and San Antonio.

With Durant scoring 40 and LeBron sitting out another game, surely Durant has one hand on the scoring title?

Durant - 30.1 ppg . 2410 points. 2 games left.
LeBron - 29.7 ppg. 2257 points. 1 game left.

Probably. Looks good for Thunder getting the 6 seed. Tomorrow, they play Portland sans Roy.

Kevin Durant has officially won the NBA scoring title. At just 21 years and 197 days old, he is the youngest player ever to do so.

Perhaps most impressive is that Durant’s scoring exploits have had a direct impact on his team’s fortunes (he’s not just piling up points on a mediocre or bad team).

Article

He scored another 31 points against Memphis today, as the Thunder won 114-105 to finish with a 50-32 record.

It will be interesting to see how he handles going up against Kobe and the Lakers. I guess there won't be as much pressure on the Thunder to win the series, as there will be on the Lakers. Being such a young team I think they will head into the Playoffs with no fear, because they have nothing to lose.
They are playing the top seeded defending champs. If they win then it's a great achievement, but even if they lose it's no disgrace.
Realistically though, I think the Lakers have too much tall timber for the Thunder to defend with Odom, Gasol and Bynum (if he is fit).

Simply taking a game or two from the Lakers would be nothing to sneeze at. Even if they were swept - though I think they will take at least one game - they've had a fantastic season, more than doubling last year's win total and amassed a winning record at home and on the road. They've been more than respectable this year and deserve a lot of credit for that, no matter what happens next.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/f ... ef:nbahpt1

ORLANDO -- While LeBron James is maybe lining up a few more sponsors and trying to pick out a wardrobe for his nationally-televised exercise in self-indulgence, Kevin Durant has his arm draped over the shoulders of guard Eric Maynor, putting words of encouragement and instruction into his ear.

While Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are exchanging celebratory high-fives over their free agent union in Miami after nearly a week of high-profile wining, dining and flirting, Durant is a few hours away in central Florida trading spotting duties with many of his rookie teammates as they take turns in the weight room.

If the Summer of LeBron is all about the bombast and the big things and flexing one's might as both a player and a brand, the Summer of Durant is being spent at the Orlando Summer League, merely helping his team to get better.

Though LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amar'e and the rest have earned every right to go looking for love in all the rich places, it's so interesting to see Durant finding it in his own Oklahoma City backyard with a five-year, $85-million contract extension that was done so quietly as to seem downright quaint?

Wasn't there the slightest urge by a 21-year-old who became the youngest scoring leader in NBA history to at least put up a finger in the wind to feel the breeze and the adulation and maybe get his own one-hour TV show to let folks know where he wants to put up jump shots in the future.

"Oh, no!" said Durant, chuckling and shaking his head at the thought. "My situation is different from all those guys. Mine was a little easier. It didn't take all that stuff. I just wanted to keep it quiet. That's the kind of person I am.

"It would have been kind of hard for me to do that after I expressed how much I wanted to be here. I just said how much I love this organization and everybody's belief they've had in me. I couldn't stretch it out like that. Plus I'm a loyal person. I'm glad I'm here with the team. I'm glad I'm locked it. It was a good decision for me."

At 6-foot-9 with arms that stretch to tomorrow and an assortment of different individual skills, Durant might have arrived early as the prototypical basketball player of the future. But at the same time he's an anachronism, a joyous throwback to a different time when all that mattered was a chance to play ball for a living.

Certainly Oklahoma City did have to fork over another bundle of cash that was considerably more than minimum wage. But at the same time the team and the community did not have to go through the angst and the public spectacle of groveling for their superstar. As the first and only major league sports franchise in town, the Thunder is the petri dish for the market and having their first superstar make a commitment so quickly and without the hullaballoo speaks volumes.

"The thing I've said about him a lot is I've seen the player change almost on a daily basis over a period of time that I've gotten to know him. But I have not seen the person change," said Thunder general manager Sam Presti. "His game has developed and expanded. His humility and work ethic have remained consistently strong an unaffected regardless of whatever external attention or adulation he's received, all of which he's earned."

This is second straight year that Durant has returned to the Summer League and not just to make cameo appearances on the sidelines, wave and sign autographs. During the games, he sits on the bench, watches and listens to the instruction being given by acting coach Brian Keefe. He gets up onto his feet to occasionally to yell encouragement and pulls players aside for 1-on-1 conversations when they come out of the game.

Durant is also working to make himself better, organizing 6:45 a.m. meetings in the hotel lobby to head for an early session in the weight room. He takes part in practices. He works on his own drills.

"Hey, as a player, I'm a long way from where I want to be," he said.

Durant is also a long way from where he was just two seasons ago when in their first season in OKC, the Thunder started out 1-16 and 2-24 on their way to a 23-59 record. Now they're coming off a 50-win season and pushed the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

He looks at the all goings-on of the summer, sees the various teams bidding for free agents, shooting for stars and nods his head at the Thunder way of doing it the old-fashioned way -- brick by brick, one step at a time.

"There is more of an accomplishment this way," Durant said. "We started at the bottom. We didn't go and get a free agent. We didn't make a big trade with different guys. We started at the bottom, took a lot of losses and then started progressing here. I think that's the best way to do it.

"There's a lot of learning going on. We're not just picking things up on the fly. They're actually taking the time and teaching us the right way to do things. No matter where we are in the summertime, they'll fly coaches out to see us. We get together end of the season and say, 'OK, I'll see you at some point' and we follow through.

"I know a lot of people talk about being a team, but I think we really do have that here. We're gaining confidence. Getting to the playoffs and getting 50 wins did some of that. But it's also about the time we've all spent together, the commitment we've made to each other and the feeling that we're really building something special."

Which is why he didn't feel the craven need for TV shows and genuflections and other paeans to his ego.

Kevin Durant grinned.

"I just love where I'm at," he said. "It was a no brainer really."

So what happens to the Thunder's 11 million available cap space?

They already gave up some of it, but nothing does because of the Durant extension, it doesn't matter this year.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi ... e_official

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has acquired the draft rights to Cole Aldrich (11th overall) and veteran forward Morris Peterson from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Craig Brackins (21st overall) and Quincy Pondexter (26th overall). “We are pleased to welcome Cole and Morris to the Thunder organization,” said Presti. “Cole brings a blue collar approach to the defensive end of the floor that complements our current core as we continue to build our team in Oklahoma City.
Morris adds more shooting to our roster in addition to his professionalism and experience.”

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi ... z0vtPwNQ8a

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed rookie Cole Aldrich.
Aldrich averaged 11.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game during his junior campaign at the University of Kansas.
The 6-11 center was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and First–Team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive season along with AP Third Team All-American as a junior.

i think aldrich is the piece the thunder were missing. have been a thunder fan from the beginning. watch out miami!

Finals this year = thunder and bulls.

That's the reason the Thunder couldn't beat the Lakers in the playoffs, they lacked a legit big man. Maybe now, if Aldrich develops decently, they can finish the regular season with a higher seed.

Like first place? and then have a first round matchup against the Lakers? AHEM!
which appendage of kobe's will get injured this season? I have read an article claiming his hands have the attributes of a really old guys!

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/a ... ef:nbahpt1

Thunder ready for big stage with increased TV exposure

Sometimes it takes awhile for the masses to pick up on the next big thing. Cell phones have been mobile since the 1970s. Velcro needed more than 20 years to latch on. Red Bull left the chute in 1987. Justin Bieber didn't become a pop-culture icon overnight.

OK, bad example.

Few outside of Oklahoma City saw the Thunder coming last season. The networks certainly didn't, as the Kevin Durant-fronted upstarts were ticketed for just one nationally-televised appearance during 2009-10. Due to the flexible nature of TV scheduling, especially during the second half of the season, Oklahoma City did pick up a couple more dates to bring its grand total to a whopping three.

The Thunder already surpassed that total this season. And that's before the full schedule, along with network breakdown, is released Tuesday on NBA.com. Last week's announcement of national TV broadcasts for Kia Motors Tip-Off '10, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. holiday included four Oklahoma City games out of 21 revealed.

That number figures to multiply several times over once the complete schedule is out. There probably won't be quite as many Thunder games as those allotted the Heat, Lakers and Celtics, but Oklahoma City will be in the neighborhood. There are plenty of reasons to watch.

"We are humbled to be selected as participants during the NBA's signature programming," Thunder executive Brian Byrnes said earlier this week.

LeBron James' former team Cleveland led the way a year ago with the maximum 25 TV dates during the regular season. The Lakers, Celtics and Magic each logged 24. The Nuggets, Spurs and Suns had at least 18 apiece.

Oklahoma City had just one, the same number as Minnesota, Memphis, Toronto and Indiana at the time. (Five teams were shut out initially.) The case against the Thunder was pretty academic back then. The team won just 23 games the previous season.

Durant, though, already had his growing legion of followers in tow and once the Thunder started winning, fans across the NBA began to notice. Oklahoma City quickly became a favorite on NBA TV's popular Fan Night, a national Tuesday broadcast based on NBA.com voting each week. The Thunder maxed out on Fan Night showings.

Oklahoma City finished the regular season 50-32, a league-best 27-game improvement. Durant became the youngest scoring champ in league history. Scott Brooks won Coach of the Year. They took the Lakers to six thrilling games in the first round. Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green are currently finalists for the USA Basketball national team in the upcoming World Championships.

That's momentum. That's the reason this team is going from forgotten stepchild to TV darling.

Here's a quick rundown of the four Thunder contests already slated for national exposure:

• Opening the season Oct. 27 at the Ford Center against Chicago on ESPN. The teams split last year's season series, each winning on other's home court. This marks the third season in a row that the Thunder will open the year at home, going 1-1 on opening night in OKC.

• Hosting Utah Oct. 31 on NBA TV. Last season Oklahoma City was 3-1 versus the Jazz.

• Taking part in one of the league's annual traditions for the first time in OKC when Denver comes to town Christmas Night on ESPN. The Nuggets won the season series last year 3-1.

• Traveling to Los Angeles on MLK Day to play the Lakers on ESPN.

Good news for us Aussies Phil, as it means they'll be showing up on ESPN Australia and One HD more often.