Playoff Thunder? Not Yet OKC

Just three years ago the team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics were a horrible team and where sold to an owner who wanted to move them to Oklahoma City. After a huge court fight the team was moved to OKC and changed their name to the Thunder. Now three years later the Thunder will finish in the top four of the western conference and will be in the race for a NBA title… or are they?

The Thunder are the real wild card team in the western conference. Teams like the Spurs and Lakers are real championship contenders while the Thunder are a borderline championship team.

Yes the Thunder title chances are as iffy as the Mexican Border control (sorry anyone who is offended).

The West really sizes down to any team having a chance at beating the Lakers. The Thunder are the one team that can beat the Lakers in the west… just not this year. Sorry Thunder Fans. Please don’t bitch and complain like LeBron.

Let me explain before you go Mel Gibson and go crazy on me… ok I sound dumb now but what else is new? Still give me a chance to explain.

The Thunders trade for basically Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins (Nate Robinson and Nenad Kristic where just throw in guys) was good and bad for the Thunder but more good, only because they got a contract extension done with Perkins (something the Celtics couldn’t do). They bad side of the trade is Perkins isn’t someone who can create his own shot, or score at all really. Green can create his own shot and hit many clutch shots for the Thunder at the end of games when teams double team Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The reason the Thunder were so ready to let Green go is because they weren’t going to give him a huge extension before locking up Westbrook long term. Plus the size factor killed the Thunder. A starting front court of Green at power forward and Kristic at center can’t stop even a high school’s front court on defense. With the emergence of former sixth man Serge Ibaka the Thunder now have probably the best defense front line in the NBA. Ibaka is a shot blocking machine and Perkins is probably the best low post defender not named Dwight Howard.



Serge Ibaka blocks Lakers Andrew Bynum's shot.



Only problem with have the two great defensive minded big man is there isn’t a low post scoring threat. Is anyone really capable of scoring 20 points in a game if Durant and Westbrook are both having off nights? No there isn’t! James Harden may be a possible 20 point a game scorer but he isn’t that consistent enough. The Lakers (the only team better than the Thunder in the west in my opinion) have four guys who can drop 20 points on any night. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom off the bench are all possible 20 point a game scores. Kobe and Gasol are always going to get there shots and points but that consistent third option in either Bynum or Odom is needed.

The Thunder like their matchups on defense against Gasol and Bynum, they can throw up to five guys at the twin big man of the Lakers. Now still that doesn’t mean the Thunder are going to beat the Lakers but it gives them a chance to stop them on defense. Now granted the Thunder do have the scoring champion and top of the top 15 best scoring player in the NBA on their roster while the Lakers have two in the top 30.

The last point I have is the experience and the clutch factor. The Lakers have probably the best closer in the game today on their roster but Kevin Durant isn’t far behind. But the Lakers are back to back champions and have been to the NBA finals three years in a row while the Thunder have only four players who have ever made it past the first round of the NBA playoffs (Perkins, Robinson, Nazr Mohammed, and Daequan Cook) all of which just join the team this year.

Don’t forget the old man running the Lakers show, head coach Phil Jackson has won 11 NBA titles. He has three sets of three-peat and is working on his fourth. The only players who have won all five Laker titles with Phil Jackson is Bryant and Mr. Clutch himself (no not Robert Horry, he’s big shot Bob) Derrick Fisher.

Fisher may not be a great player and he isn’t flashy or very talented like the young point guards of today but he still is a Hall of Fame player in my eye. Fisher has hit many big time shots when teams have double teamed Kobe in the past. Everyone remembers the clutch shot Fisher hit with .4 second left on the clock against the Spurs.

So in order for the Thunder to claim the West as their own they must become more like the Lakers. They have their great 1-2 punch with Durant and Westbrook and their defensive big man with Perkins and Ibaka. Now they need to find a young big man who can score the ball and find a big time clutch veteran like Fisher. Plus also knowing the Celtics won’t have the money to sign Green to a long term deal he may want to return to OKC to be with his bros and play the sixth man scoring role off the bench, despite not getting the max deal he can get playing for a crappy team with a lot of cap space like the Nets or Timberwolves.

Don't be a Simpson! Win today, play another Game tomorrow

Ever seen the NBA commercials for the playoffs “Where Amazing Happens”? Playoffs start on April 17. With most of the playoffs spots clinched all that’s left to decide who will get the final spot in the western conference.

The final spot in the west will be either the Grizzlies or the Rockets. On April 14 we will know which team will be playing more basketball and which one will be sitting on the couch at home watching like Homer Simpson.

As most of you can image the number eight seed in the conference plays the number one team in the first round. Let me explain the “what if” scenarios to you in some less form than a boring college professor who puts people to sleep for a living.

In the west the Grizzlies hold their own fate if they win out. The Rockets needs to win one more game than the Grizzlies to make the playoffs. Basically don’t expect the Rockets to be playing after April 13.

Grizzlies Randolph (left) scores while Rockets Martin (right) is blocked.

In the western conference the first round matchup of number one seed Spurs and number eight seed Grizzlies will be more entertaining than a Spurs Rockets matchup. The Spurs and Grizzlies split the regular season series 2-2. The Spurs always seem to have trouble slowing done Zach Randolph and for the Grizzlies to make this matchup and series Randolph needs to bring his A-game every night. He must be clutch in close games in order for the young Grizzlies to win a game against the experience Spurs.

What this all basically boils down to is for some teams the playoffs have already started and it’s win or go home and be Homer Simpson.

PBJs compared to College Basketball's greatest rivalry? Fair Game!

What does peanut butter and jelly, burger and fries, North Carolina and Duke hating each other all have in common? It what makes America great!

Arguably the best sports rivalry in college and pro sports, Duke and UNC basketball always make for a good topic. Duke freshman superstar Kyrie Irving decided on Wednesday that he will enter the 2011 NBA draft, a questionable move considering he only played in 11 out of 37 possible games for the Blue Devils.

Irving is still likely a top five pick but it’s a big blow (but expected one) to Duke’s title hopes next year. Duke will be losing 60 percent of their starting lineup to the NBA. Besides Irving, seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler will be playing in the NBA next year. Duke had been expecting all three to be gone after this season.

Left to Right: seniors Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, freshman Kyrie Irving

Now that Duke fans find out that there will be no backcourt duo of Irving and top prospect in the 2011 class, Austin Rivers, who is the son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, next year at Duke let me explain why they should be more worried about their team’s chances of winning an ACC title yet alone the national championship.

North Carolina Tar Heels! Yes the Tar Heels, unlike the Blue Devils, got good news on Wednesday. They learned that leading scorer Tyler Zeller and leading rebounder John Henson will not enter the draft and return to UNC. Many believed Henson would enter the NBA draft last year and he was a sure lock lottery pick this year but Henson’s decision to stay at school along with Zeller will give the Tar Heels talent inside and experience.

Also clutch shooter Harrison Barnes has yet to make his decision whether to leave for the NBA or stay at UNC. If I was Barnes I would stay at UNC because his draft stock has dropped from top pick before the season started to maybe top five but more likely top ten. If Barnes stays at UNC another year and becomes a 20 points a game scorer (he averaged 16 a game this year) and worked on his defense he could be the clear cut number one pick next year ahead of Duke top recruit Austin Rivers.

So look at next season’s matchup, the front line of UNC against the super son Austin Rivers. As much as I think Rivers will turn into a Monte Ellis scoring machine he can’t get rebounds and block shots now can he?

Who needs Hockey to see fights? NBA is where Fans get involved

Ever watch an NBA game? If you haven’t you have the wrong blog. Basketball games are all fun and everything until someone says something they shouldn’t or getting pushy and then all hell breaks loose. Then depending on your view of the game, it either gets real ugly real quick or you hit the record button on the DVR.

 Now sometimes it turns out to be nothing but a technical foul on a few players and five minutes later no one remembers it happened. But in some cases it turns out to be a major issue that leads to suspensions, blood, objects being thrown, and in the really bad fights; it includes the fans in the stands.

If you have never seen an NBA fight watch the Ron Artest fight against the Pistons in 2004, it is arguably the ugliest and most loved fight in the history of the NBA.

Now if you are an average fan at home you probably haven’t seen that fight before but then again you don’t see too many fights in basketball that involves the fans. There some good fights, bad fights, and real ugly fights. Now the media (including myself) like seeing the real big fights because it gives us stuff to talk and debate about for a few days at least (yes! I’m guilty of looking for the next Ron Artest fan fight. I’m sorry get over it).

But as we find out later the fan started the fight by throwing beer on Artest and that was not needed after the officials had stopped the fight on the court, the fan was removed from the stands and is banned from attending Detroit Pistons games for life. The ironic thing is Artest and the fan are now friends and have no harsh feelings about the fight. Tell me that isn’t totally weird?

Now the average NBA fans don’t get your hopes up we get a fight maybe once every three weeks or so and they are never that bad anymore. But you will see little scuffles one a weekly basis.

But have no fear NBA fans you can always check out NBA.com and youtube to see if the NBA turned into the NHL.