Time to Thunder Up

I caught the OKC Thunder for the first time this season last night on TNT at the Portland Trailblazers. Reggie Miller was calling the game, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable, despite the Thunder blowing an early lead to go down big in the third quarter.

If I've learned anything about NBA basketball though, the good teams are the ones that are resilient. And getting two offensive boards in the expiring seconds of the fourth quarter to force overtime is certainly a sign of resilience, as is Russell Westbrook's three quarters of inspiring play (discounting the disappointing third period). In fact, Westbrook's highlight reel post-International play is nothing short of a top three point guard in the NBA (fuck you, Rondo).

One unfortunate trend that was appropriately noted by Miller and company is Kevin Durant's tendency to turn the ball over coupled with his lack of assists. Surely the two are connected, and you have to believe Durant will re-adjust to NBA play before too long. His teammate are getting it done, and sooner or later Durant will play a game in which he has as many assists as points. Go ahead and quote me one that.

One of his teammates getting it done of the bench is Dank Game favorite Serge "the Congolese Squeeze" Ibaka (it's gonna stick, just give it time to sink in). As the sixth man, Ibaka came off the bench in both halfs and provided lights out defensive play, keeping the Thunder in a game in which they gave up an atrocious number of offensive rebounds and let the 'Blazers shoot an absurdly high percentage in the second half.

More could be said about the Thunder's effort, including Jeff Green's 20+ points and Cole Aldrich's scrappy, albeit limited play (he didn't really do much, but Slim McFavorite feels like I'm supposed to be some big fan of his). But sitting at 3-2 and slowly cleaning up the mistakes, OKC next heads to Boston for their biggest game of the young NBA season (have I said fuck Rondo yet?)

*note - I'm pretty sure that picture isn't from last night's game, but I'm also pretty sure it's awesome.

Thursday Throwback Posterization: Shaq Crushes Kelvin Cato

With Shaq's future up in the air and the Lakers' recent dominance, I figured now was an opportune time to use a slam by Shaq during his prime years in LA. I'm pretty sure this is from the 1998-99 season, which was the season of the lockout.

Somehow Shaq ended up on his ass on the defensive end, and for some reason the Blazers neglected to clog the lane as Shaq storms down the court. As Derek Harper is being double-teamed by Brian Grant and Kelvin Cato, he finds Shaq as he comes down the open lane. Cato is late to contest the dunk and Shaq just absolutely destroys him.

Playoff Picture: Bottom of the West

The Suns are in the midst of a 5-game winning streak and hold the 5th seed in the West, just a game behind the Jazz. They could easily extend their win streak to ten games, as the rest of March is against teams currently out of the playoffs. April could be a tough month for them with games against the Bucks, Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz.

It's definitely possible that the Suns make it out of the first round, but I doubt they can go any further. Despite having the best offense in the league, they're still a lousy defensive team, ranking 22nd in the league. They also rely heavily on their three-point shooting, which will be hard to maintain throughout an entire seven-game series. It will be interesting to see if this team's core remains intact after this season, as their championship window is closing if it's even open at all anymore. Steve Nash is still one of the best point guards in the league at age 36, but I get the feeling he might be moved for younger talent if they're bounced in the first round. As for Amare, who knows what'll happen with him.

Projected Record: 52 - 30

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Utah Jazz

The Spurs sit two games behind Phoenix, tied with the Thunder for the 6th seed. They have a rough schedule ahead of them, so the Thunder could squeeze past them. In March, they face the Lakers, Cavs, and Celtics. In April, they have games against the Magic, Lakers, Suns, Nuggets, and Mavs. They also will face the Grizzlies in April, who could be fighting for their playoff lives.

Tony Parker's broken right hand at the beginning of March was a big set back for the Spurs, but they were struggling after the All-Star break even before he went down. George Hill has filled in capably and Ginobili has also taken on some point guard duties in Parker's absence. Parker is expected to return before the end of the regular season, which is good news for San Antonio, but I still have trouble seeing them as a real threat in the playoffs. They just aren't the same team they used to be. They haven't been the same on defense since Bruce Bowen retired, and Richard Jefferson hasn't seemed to fit in their system. They still have Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker though, so you can't count them out.

Projected Record: 49 - 33

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Dallas Mavericks

The Thunder are tied with the Spurs for the 6th seed and have a chance to pass them up. They'll have to close the season strong though, as they have a difficult schedule down the stretch. In March, their toughest games will be against the Lakers, Blazers, and Celtics. In April, they'll face the Mavericks, Jazz, Nuggets, Suns, Blazers, and finish the season against the Grizzlies. They'll have to do it largely without injured rookie James Harden, and his beard. The beard is clearly the bigger loss.

Everyone knew the Thunder would eventually be good, but nobody knew they'd be this good this soon... except for Teenage Mustache, of course. Many people have compared this year's Thunder to last year's Blazers, who made the transition from talented bunch of youngsters to playoff threat quicker than expected. Portland went into the playoffs last year with a "nothing to lose" mentality, and were put in their place by Artest and the Rockets in the first round. I think the Thunder will have more of a collective focus than last year's Blazers, but will ultimately have the same fate. They'll need a better bench and a more imposing presence at center than Nenad Krstic before they take that next step. I'll still be watching and hoping they prove me wrong (if they play someone besides the Nuggets).

Projected Record: 50 - 32

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Denver Nuggets

The Blazers sit just a game behind the Thunder at the 8th spot, with the Grizzlies four games behind them. I'm going to assume that the Grizz won't sneak in the playoffs, but it ain't over 'til it's over. Portland has a road heavy schedule ahead of them, which isn't a huge concern since they've been decent on the road. In March, their toughest games are against the Mavs and Thunder. They're schedule in April is manageable other than games against the Nuggets, Mavericks, Lakers, and Thunder.

It's been a tough year for Portland, as injuries have taken out several important players. Not long after losing Greg Oden for the year, center Joel Przybilla also had a season ending injury that has forced them to use 37-year old Juwon Howard at center. Not only is Howard old, but he's also not a center. Despite these and other setbacks, Portland has maintained playoff positioning throughout the season. Unfortunately, they'll probably end up getting bounced in the first round yet again at the hands of the Lakers or Nuggets. Even if everyone was healthy, I still think they lack the type of gritty, hard-nosed player you need in the playoffs.

Projected Record: 49 - 33

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Los Angeles Lakers

Thursday Throwback Posterization: Drexler Throws Down on Laimbeer

For this week's late Thursday Throwback Posterization, I give you Clyde "The Glide" Drexler with a vicious one handed slam on Bill Laimbeer. This is from the 1990 NBA Finals, which would culminate with the Detroit Bad Boys winning in five games for their second straight title. This Blazers squad led by Drexler, Terry Porter, and Cliff Robinson would make it to the Finals again two years later only to fall prey to another back-to-back champion in the Chicago Bulls. Drexler would eventually get that elusive ring with the Rockets and fellow Phi Slamma Jamma alumni Hakeem Olajuwon in 1995.

Despite being one of the most highly regarded defenders of his era, Joe Dumars gets absolutely burned by Drexler. With Dumars left in the dust, Drexler goes up strong for the dunk on the late arriving Bill Laimbeer for the and 1. Laimbeer was notorious for hard fouls, so Drexler turns up the speed and throws it down extra hard to make sure he gets the bucket. It appears that Drexler didn't get a technical for slamming the ball, which would be a guaranteed technical in today's NBA.

Another one bites the dust

Looks like Blake Griffin is going to have to get used to wearing a suit. Yet another #1 draft pick oozing with potential will have to watch from the sidelines, as it was reported yesterday that the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin will have season ending surgery on his broken left knee cap. Griffin had been progressing enough with his recovery that he had begun running on treadmills, but after he felt pain in his knee while jumping in a swimming pool, it was determined that surgery would be necessary.

God damn. Who in the NBA is next? Greg Oden is out for the year, as well as almost half of the rest of the Portland Trailblazers. And now it's being reported that Brandon Roy is having pain in his hamstring, which means he might miss some time. But that's the Blazers, so I won't get into that.

So where do the Clippers go from here now that they can't assess how the rest of the roster will play alongside Griffin? What the Clippers decide to do with Marcus Camby and his $9,150,000 expiring contract seems to be the biggest issue at hand. Because their playoff hopes are more than likely nonexistent in the competitive Western Conference, the Clippers might be able to acquire some younger talent for Camby, who's skill set and expiring contract has long been coveted by many teams throughout the league. However, there is also speculation that they will hold on to Camby to fill Griffin's void in the front court. I say if Camby can get them a swingman who is a proven veteran or promising young prospect, they might as well do it. Camby is 35 years old, so it's not like he will be a big part of their future.

Man, this sure sucks. As if two winning seasons in the past 30 years wasn't enough to feel bad about for Billy Crystal and the rest of the Clips' fan base. At least they have something to look forward to next year, although I'm sure they're sick of that sentiment by now.

Hang in there, big guy

Greg Oden will likely be out for the rest of the season after fracturing his left knee cap in a collision with Rockets guard Aaron Brooks in the first quarter of a 90-89 Blazers win. After an MRI, the Blazers have reported he will need surgery and they have given no timetable for his return. The injury is yet another dent to Portland's roster, which has been plagued by injuries. Starting small forward Nicholas Batum needed shoulder surgery before the season began and forward Travis Outlaw fractured his right foot in November and will also undergo surgery. Guard Rudy Fernandez is also out with sciatic pain and is scheduled for an MRI.

You can't help but feel sorry for Oden after missing his entire rookie season and twenty some games last season. He seems like such a nice dude, who's worked hard to stay healthy. I've really wanted to see him succeed after all of the whispers that he's just another Sam Bowie. Sure, in hindsight the Blazers probably should have picked Kevin Durant instead of Oden, much like they should have picked Jordan instead of Bowie in '84, but you can't blame them for using their number one pick on a big man. Quality centers are so hard to come by these days and if Oden could stay healthy, I'm sure he would eventually develop into one of the best big men in the league. Oden was averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds as a starter this season, which aren't overwhelming numbers, but solid nonetheless. Plus, he affects games in ways that don't show up in the box score. For instance, his presence alone in the paint is enough to make players think twice about driving to the hoop. Coach Nate McMillain has even said that he was Portland's most consistent player so far this season, which is quite the compliment for such a deep team that features an All Star guard in Brandon Roy.

I hope that this setback will just motivate him to come back even stronger and more focused, but you can't help but wonder if Oden will ever be able to stay healthy for an entire season. At least he has an adorable dog to hang out with.

'Melo's 41 topples Blazers, Bulls surprise Spurs

Nuggets 97, Blazers 94

After watching the Nuggets first two games against Western Conference threats the Jazz and Blazers, this team seems poised for a big season. The division rival Trail Blazers nearly closed the game out, but Carmelo Anthony's offensive attack proved to be too much as he scored 19 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. 'Melo was excellent, consistently banging bodies in the paint for points. Chauncey Billups had another strong game with 22 points and 6 assists. I do have to question Chauncey's shot selection, who shot just 5-14 from the field. He has proven in the past to be one of the best pull-up jump shooters in transition, but he wasted several possessions on quick shots. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson saw less action tonight, as he struggled on defense against Rudy Fernandez, which landed him on the bench. No one else had big games for the Nuggets, but everyone showed up when needed, particularly Nenê who had a huge play in the closing moments. After getting an offensive board, he put up a miss, hustled after his own rebound, and made a nice hook shot over Greg Oden. But it was ultimately 'Melo, who got them the W on the road. One last thought before I move on to the Blazers. It will be big for Denver when J.R. Smith returns from his suspension, so that George Karl can stop playing two point guards at the same time. Plus, J.R. Smith = buckets… sometimes.

The Blazers struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was the only Blazer to have an all-around good game posting 22 points on 6-9 shooting. He was also perfect from the line on all 8 shots. Brandon Roy managed to score 30 points by getting to the line 18 times. Despite poor shooting, Roy did have some great plays including a buzzer beating three-point bank shot to close the 3rd quarter. Martel Webster started out strong with some big plays, but would finish with only 10 points. Portland's going to need their young big men Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up if they want to take that next step into the Western Conference elite. I still think they're a few years and possibly a few roster adjustments away from being true contenders.

Bulls 92, Spurs 85

I hardly watched any of this game, but this block on Richard Jefferson by Derrick Rose is worth a look. This kid has serious ups. Rose had a highlight worthy offensive play too, but it hasn't made it's way to youtube yet.

Slim's NBA Opening Night Observations

Celtics 95, Cavaliers 89

After seeing the newest versions of the Cavs and Celts, I can't envision Cleveland going all the way this year. I know it's only one game, but I just don't think they can win a seven game series against the Celtics or Magic. The Cavs frontcourt is just too unreliable. Shaq had his moments early tonight, but he just can't seem to produce over extended periods of time. Give credit to Boston's Kendrick Perkins for keeping Shaq out of the paint and forcing him into difficult shots. As for the rest of the Cavs' frontcourt, I think Zydrunas Ilgauskas is actually a dinosaur at this point and despite a few buckets early on tonight, Varejao is an offensive liability. Sure, Ilgauskus will knock down shots and Varejao will make hustle plays, but Big Z's due to retire which would leave them with nothing but Varejao, Leon Powe (who's productive but undersized), and JJ Hickson, assuming Shaq's a one-year rental. They're going to need something more in the frontcourt if they want LeBron to stick around, even though I'm sure he will.

Cleveland's bench is also a concern, which was downright outclassed by Boston's bench. Boobie Gibson has been a pretty big disappointment after seeming like a promising player during the Cavs' run to the Finals in '07. As a Heat fan, I was sad to see Jamario Moon leave for the Cavs this offseason, but he looked pretty bad tonight despite finishing a nice oop from LeBron at one point. Rasheed Wallace seems to be a great sixth man for Boston and Marquis Daniels fits in well as a versatile guard off the bench. Shelden Williams, on the other hand, looks like he'll struggle to escape being branded a draft bust. I don't expect to see much of him once Big Baby gets back from his thumb surgery, which is a pretty hilarious story, by the way. It involves Big Baby shirtless with a bloody nose. Need I say more?

Lakers 99, Clippers 92

My excitement for this game was deflated upon hearing Blake Griffin would be out for six weeks and rightly so. The Clippers looked pretty horrendous, putting up bad shots and turning the ball over 20 times. Despite dishing 8 assits, Baron Davis shot just 1-10 from the field. Second year guard Eric Gordon was impressive though, posting a team high 21 points.

As for the Lakers, Kobe was Kobe, Bynum was impressive, Odom showed up, and Artest seems like he's still feeling things out. I don't have much else to say about this game other than I want more Shannon Brown.

Trailblazers 96, Rockets 87

The Rockets struggled to produce on offense having to rely on 6' guard Aaron Brooks (19 points, 5 assists) to carry the scoring load. Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy led the Blazers in scoring with 23 and 20 points respectively, while new addition Andre Miller dropped 7 dimes.

Wizards 102, Mavericks 91

The Wizards overcame a 34 point effort by Dirk Nowitzki as Gilbert Arenas seems to have finally returned from injury. Agent Zero scored 29 points and dished out 9 assists. The NBA needs this guy, even if he isn't talking or blogging anymore.