Sunday, November 30, 2008

Doing it from the Line

The franchise record-tying 14 game losing streak is over! The Thunder won their second game of the season and first on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 30 points and a total of six different players broke into double digits.

Memphis controlled the game early having a six point lead after the first quarter and taking an 11 point lead into the locker room at the half.OKC cut the lead down to 4 by the end of the third period before tying the game up at 94 with 5:14 remaining on a Jeff Green 3. Oklahoma City took the lead on another Green 3 pointer on their next possession. The Grizzles recaptured the lead at 100-99, but then the Thunder went on a 10-0 run and put the game away.

The Thunder shot an impressive 52.1% from the field in this game, but that was overshadowed by the 57.7% shot by the Grizzlies. In fact, the Grizzlies took two less shots but made three more buckets than the Thunder. Memphis also hit two additional three pointers (5 vs 3). So how did OKC win this game? They won it from the line. The Thunder attempted 14 more free throws and drained 16 more than their counterparts.

Russell Westbrook and Chris Wilcox made their first starts of the season as interim coach Scott Brooks continues to tinker with the lineup. Earl Watson still saw considerable playing time from the bench, but Nick Collison saw his minutes cut to almost a third of what he was playing before. Johan Petro once again didn't make it into the game.

Last night's win was huge for the Thunder not only because it stopped the 14 game skid, but also it showed that the team could rebound from a disappointing loss and still play hard. The Thunder's next three games are all on the road, but 4 of the next 5 games are against teams with losing records including a home game against the Grizzlies. The Thunder ought to be able to pull 2 wins out of those 5 games, and that would go a long way towards improving the direction of the team.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Let the Transition Begin

Not even a last-second loss can overshadow the big picture in Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook has been given the keys to the Thunder, and it is his show to run the rest of the season. He played over twice as long as starter Earl Watson, outscoring and dishing out more assists than the incumbent.

The Thunder's big three of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Westbrook didn't get a chance to pull out the victory, as the Timberwolves got the last laugh Friday night. OKC fought back after a dismal third quarter and tied the game in the last seconds. But it wasn't enough to double the win total on the season. Minnesota got its pay back after losing a three point decision earlier, and the Thunder have yet to win again. Mike Miller nailed a jumper with one tick on the clock and sent OKC on the verge of dubious history.

Durant and Green tied for team-high honors with 22 points, and they both went crazy from 3-point territory. Well, at least a little nuts as OKC's luck from behind the arc has been this year. Green rebounded from a pair of terrible shooting games, knocking down four triples while finishing 8-13 on the game. Chris Wilcox matched his shooting from the bench and is quietly putting up big numbers since his return. If Wilcox can keep this up, the Thunder may find themselves in a position to trade for future needs before February. That is when the trade deadline hits, and quite a few teams may want a veteran big-man with an expiring contract.


With a much-needed win tonight, OKC can stop the bleeding many ways. The history I mentioned earlier comes in the form of a 15th straight loss, which would be the most in franchise history. It also would be against Memphis, the NBA's worst team this decade. Durant and Co. can notch the first road win of the season but will have to shake off another tough loss to do it.

After losing to the Suns at home earlier in the week, the Thunder were flat the following day and got crushed by the Cavs. Coach Scott Brooks can not afford to have his club come out the same way against the Grizzlies, who are looking to even their record at home. Memphis ran into a Spurs team on Friday who is healthy again, and San Antonio sent the Grizz reeling with their fifth defeat in a row and ninth in the last ten games.

Memphis features a young squad all-around, and both clubs figure to finish in the bottom of the standings for the foreseeable future. But this is also a chance for OKC to build off a 103-point performance and keep the Grizzlies on their heels. Desmond Mason returned against the T-Wolves and can push Damien Wilkins for a starting spot now. Also, Green needs to continue playing well or Wilcox will be starting at power forward very soon.

This much is clear in the 'Post-P.J.' era. Expect a lot of changes and hard play for the Thunder, or you won't be playing at all. The Blake Griffin train just keeps rolling...another win and another 20+ rebounding game, as Oklahoma takes the NIT title and moves to 6-0 overall.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Also Thankful for the Timberwolves...

The Minnesota Timberwolves return to Oklahoma City for their second (and final) appearance of the season, and it couldn't come at a better time. The Thunder are on the verge of tying the franchise record for consecutive losses, and this game against the T-wolves gives the team a good chance to not share (and potentially then own) that distinction. Minnesota provided OKC with their only win of the season: an 88-85 battle in the Thunder's third game.

Neither team played particularly well in the first outing with the Wolves and the Thunder shooting 42.9% and 42.0% respectively. The big difference maker in that outing was rebounds as the Thunder out-rebounded Minnesota 50-38 including 10 additional offensive rebounds. Due to the rebounding differential, OKC attempted 11 more shots, and that's what tipped in the game in the Thunder's favor.

The Thunder will likely need the shot advantage again tonight if they hope to pull out a win. One of the keys to the game for the Thunder will be containing Al Jefferson who's averaging 10.2 rebounds and 22.8 points on a 50.2% field goal percentage. Jefferson burned the Thunder for 24 points and 13 rebounds in the first game, but Minnesota's second leading scorer, Randy Foye, went 0 for 10 from the field. Don't expect Foye to be such a major drag on the Timberwolves tonight.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

I'm Thankful for the Detroit Lions ...

... Or else the Thunder would be hands down the worst team in major league sports. My mom once told me that if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all. I will ignore this advice because I don't desire to write a blank article.

I was hopeful that with all the hoopla that the Cavs went through regarding their game on Tuesday with the Knicks, that there would be a chance that they wouldn't show up for this game at 100%. I mean seriously, the media circus must have been exhausting, Thanksgiving was the next day, and you're going to play the 1-14 Thunder? That doesn't sound like a major motivating moment to me.

But show up, they did. And spanked, the Thunder were. King James played a mere 17 minutes, and frankly, the 8ish minutes he played to start the second half weren't necessary. This game was over early as the Cavs jumped to a 13-0 lead to start the game, were up 33-14 after the first quarter, and up 66-32 at halftime. All 12 players on Cleveland's roster scored and played at least 9 minutes.

The Thunder shot an atrocious 35.4% from the field. Jeff Green and Earl Watson had as many of their shots blocked as they made (4 and 2 respectively ... seriously Jeff Green, 4 of your shots got blocked?). The only Thunder players that shot better than 40% were Nick Collison (2 for 3), Joe Smith (3 for 7), Johan Petro (3 for 7), and Chris Wilcox (5 for 7). Wilcox was the star of the game for the Thunder with 14 points.

Petro picked up 5 fouls in 12 minutes. Rust (or maybe frustration) from sitting on the bench the last two games? On the plus side, Petro and Kyle Weaver were the only players with whom the Thunder gained points on the Cavs when they were on the court (5 and 2 points respectively).

Desmond Mason is due to have his elbow re-evaluated and will hopefully be returning to the team soon. Hopefully his presence will inspire certain players not playing up to their potential (*cough* *cough* Jeff Green *cough* *cough*) to pick up their games or else lose playing time/starting position.

Blake Griffin Watch: Griffin lit up the boards with 32 points and 15 rebounds leading Oklahoma past UAB 77-67. Blake is averaging 28 points, 19 rebounds, and 36 minutes for the Sooners through 5 games.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Getting Defensive

Although not a victory, Tuesday's strong showing against the Suns added more fuel to the fire. Only a furious Phoenix comeback and 3-pointer in the last minute stopped new coach Scott Brooks from putting the Thunder back in the win column.

Oklahoma City fell to 1-14 on the year, but the improvements far out-weigh the negatives going forward. Kevin Durant did the most damage, leading the team from his newly-reacquired small forward position. The Thunder shot better on the night, but no one stepped up down the stretch to help Durant. Chris Wilcox had another strong game off the bench and is close to regaining his form over the past two seasons.

Damien Wilkins and Jeff Green aren't shy about taking shots, but they need to start making more for OKC to pull out the close games. They combined for a 7-23 output on the night, numbers that don't lead to increased playing time in the upcoming weeks. Russell Westbrook and Desmond Mason would be more than happy to pick up the slack with Westbrook already getting work in at both guard spots. Green is falling more in a hole, however, and you have to think his leash is getting shorter.

Getting no time to think about the Suns' nail-biter, the Thunder find themselves at the end of a grueling four-game stretch. OKC travels to Cleveland to take on LeBron James and the 11-3 Cavaliers. If there was ever a time for a landmark decision, a road win against a top-flight team would make up for all the frustration thus far in 08.

But to have a chance at that goal, point guard Earl Watson, center Nick Collison, and the rest of the club have to play even better defense than on Tuesday. Holding Phoenix under 100 points was a great start, and it is time for the Thunder to buy into Coach Brooks' system. It won't matter how many jumpers Durant makes if the Cavs are scoring at will on the other end.

That starts with Watson and ends with Collison. King James will get his points, and it will be up to the other Cleveland players to take advantage of OKC's weaknesses. Collison is under-sized for a five, but he will get help from Wilcox and Joe Smith. Watson will have his hands full on the outside, and his veteran play will go a long way to determining how successful the Thunder can be tonight and in the next couple of weeks.

Once Mason returns to the lineup, the defensive play will get a boost. It will take a total team effort against the Cavs to stay close but here's hoping the home club is looking past OKC. Just maybe if Cleveland is thinking about the turkey dinner on Thursday, the Thunder can steal a huge momentum swing going into the weekend.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Home Against the Rising Suns

Tonight, the 9-5 Phoenix Suns come to town to take on our 1-13 Thunder. The Thunder will be looking to continue to grow from the changes and positive performance that came on Saturday while the Suns will be looking to leave town with an easy win. I'm willing to let the Suns leave with a win, albeit not an easy one, if the improvements we saw in the last game continue.

The Suns are averaging 100.0 points a game on league-leading 49.7% field goal shooting. The Suns have a pretty balanced attack with 8 of their players averaging 8.8 or more points per game. All the starters but one (Raja Bell) are averaging double digits, and Bell is close at 9.8. With so many scoring options and the Thunder's weak defense, look for the Suns to rack up the points. If this one's not a total blowout, and the Phoenix starters play most of the game, look for the Suns to put up at least 110 points.

For the Thunder, it will be interesting to see how Kevin Durant's second game back at his collegiate position of small forward goes. Hopefully returning to the familiar position will bring some consistency as Durant, and Jeff Green for that matter, has been all over the map when it comes to field goal percentage. If Durant and Green could just settle out in the mid-40% game after game, it'd go a long way to helping the team out.

Nick Collison at center suffers from the same inconsistency and seems to play well when Durant and Green play poorly and vise-versa. It'd be nice if the three could get it together to make for a strong frontcourt. Speaking of center, you have to feel a little sorry for Johan Petro who went from starting center to no playing time with the coaching change. Granted he wasn't doing anything spectacular, but he'll see if he continues to ride the bench in the Scott Brooks era.

As much as the inconsistency of those three hurts, at least each of that trio is average above 40% from the field. The Thunder is not getting much out of their starting point guard Earl Watson, newly appointed starting shooting guard Damien Wilkins, and sixth man Russell Westbrook. All three are average sub 35% field goal shooting with Watson leading the way at 34.8%. Westbrook takes the third most shots per game but only hits 31.9% of them. Watson and Wilkins combined to shoot 42.9% Sunday against the Hornets, but Westbrook pulled the overall guard percentage down to 37.5. Weaver (what is up with all the guard's last names starting with a W?) is not ready for more playing time, but someone from the guard ranks needs to step it up.

Monday, November 24, 2008

the future is now

coach/team

starting a trend for the first time, oklahoma city has been matched by washington in more than just the one-win club. the wizards fired their coach to join the thunder in rebuilding a once-proud franchise. both teams now take center stage in the blake griffin watch, but the advantage falls in favor of okc.

washington has more proven talent, but they have been hit hard by the injury bug. also the wizards have been strong the past three-four years, while the thunder had fallen on hard times in seattle. both teams have one star player, and the wizards have two other all-stars. okc could have multiple all-star talents in a couple of years, but only time will tell.

new thunder coach scott brooks is a polar opposite of the former boss, and the differences can only help. brooks won a championship as a player in the nba over his 11-year career, and he is young by coaching standards at 43 years of age. the 1-13 okc club needs a shot in the arm, and it will be up to brooks to provide it...or he won't be adding permanent coach to his job title.

player/current

new (again) starting center nick collison returns to a position he has played in the past, and this time it is more out of necessity than choice. collison had a double-double against the hornets at home, then looked rather lost the following day in new orleans. he attempted only four shots on saturday, and it will take some time moving back to the tougher spot in the middle.

collison is a natural power forward, but the play of chris wilcox has pushed the former kansas all-american back inside the paint. robert swift's injury and johan petro's inconsistency didn't help matters, but mainly coach brooks needed to turn to a proven player to stop the bleeding. look for collison to get acclimated quickly and give the thunder a boost in the upcoming weeks.

player/future?

let the countdown begin until griffin is chosen number one overall. carbert and i are praying the ping-pong balls fall okc's way in the june 09 draft. pairing kevin durant from the outside with the slashing russell westbrook and inside force of griffin would definitely take some of the sting out of this season. but since the basketball gods are not always in a good mood, oklahoma-bred griffin is only a pipe dream at this point.

his most-recent performance of 35 points and 21 rebounds (both career highs) saved a sooner victory against gardner-webb and cemented his place atop the draft boards. the only thing that could stand in the way is that griffin may decide he likes college and not want to opt out of his remaining seasons. but because he came back this year to play one last season with his older brother, the thunder can keep their fingers crossed.

i did away with the other half of my top-50 list given okc's recent (continued) struggles, but we will come up with something clever as soon as the thunder find another w in the victory column.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Well, That Was a Little Better...

Even though they lost last night against the Hornets, the Thunder can walk away from the game feeling ok about how they played. They shot an impressive 52.8% from the field far better than any other effort this season. Kevin Durant led the way shooting 11 for 16 and scoring 30 points. Jeff Green rebounded from his awful performance on Friday night with 17 points off of 7 from 11 from the field. Chris Wilcox had a double double (14 points, 10 rebounds). Russell Westbrook nearly had a double double in assists and points which would have been a first for the Thunder, but he ended a point short at 9. He was one of a few OKC players that did not shoot well on the night (3 for 10).

The Thunder made five 3 pointers with Durant, Green, Westbrook, and Damien Wilkins (2) each hitting at least one. Free throw shooting could be considered a sore spot on the night as the Thunder only hit 69.6% of their free throws, but that statistic was pulled down by the 0-fers put up by Wilcox (3) and Joe Smith (2).

The Thunder cut their turnovers in half from Friday night and had 50% more assists. Hopefully this is a sign that the team will start moving away from always taking the quick shot and starting to look more for the open man. Our rebounds were down, but this was largely due to the fact that both teams made a higher percentage of their shots.

The biggest negative for OKC in the game was probably a lack of defense. We weren't able to contain either of David West or Chris Paul who lit up the Thunder for 33 and 29 points respectively. It's hard to beat a team when you give their top two 62 points.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

P.J. = Purely Joking

Even before I heard the news that the Thunder fired their head coach I was secretly hoping for a big shake-up. When a TV announcer is picking a part your team, changes definitely need to be made. For the sake of all children out there, carbert and I are reserving the right not to talk about last night's ESPN game against the Hornets.

The big news is not how bad OKC played last night. Really the shocker is that coach P.J. Carlesimo lasted this long. New Orleans didn't just dominate in the blow-out -- it was much more of a disaster. Hubie Brown, former NBA coach (hopefully a candidate for new Thunder coach?), was doing the TV play-by-play for ESPN, and he did a wonderful job of showing everything the league's 4th-youngest team was doing wrong. He also talked about what Kevin Durant needs to do on a daily basis to become an elite player. All I can say is that I hope someone is listening...

In case anybody wanted to see how much difference a coaching change will make -- ta da!!! Scott Brooks takes over as interim head coach starting tonight.

Here is your chance, as this is not a repeat. The Thunder head down south to hopefully take back their manhood after the JV-like performance at home. OKC's bright spots were Nick Collison, who needs to remain at the center spot, and rookie Russell Westbrook. With Chris Wilcox and Collison both on the floor, the offense finally started to look functional.

Durant, Westbrook, and the rest couldn't make a basket, and Jeff Green couldn't even hit the hoop. But Collison was steady and really the only player who looked competitive against the Hornets. He finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds while sitting out much of the last part of the game. Look for him to lead the charge in tonight's match-up.

Westbrook continues to struggle with his shooting, but he is finding ways to get to the basket. The new coaching staff must give him some direction if he is to be the point guard of the future. While watching the game last night, both of the a.t.l. writers got the same feeling. The play was sloppy, and even Collison made a couple of 'what was that?' moves.

This team is very very young and needs to find something to build off of soon. The record doesn't matter at this point, and the new coach will get his baptism by fire this week. It is a pivotal stretch for the struggling OKC club. Is there hope? I believe so if Durant can become the leader.

Carbert brought this point to my attention, and he has a very valid argument. Only time will tell how the rest of the Thunder's inaugural season goes, but the question is...

Has there ever been an NBA team that finished with single digit wins? Answer: yes, the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers who finished 9-73. We will make a run at that record.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Everyone
Start
Playing
Now!

Tonight, the New Orleans Hornets return to their former "home away from home" Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Oklahoma City gave their heart and soul to the Hornets a couple years ago, and now the Thunder may do the same as they will give the Hornets an opportunity to turns things around and get onto a two-game winning streak (the Thunder and Hornets will clash again on Saturday although that game will take place in New Orleans).

In addition to the return of the Hornets, tonight's game will be the Thunder's first on national television as ESPN will be doing the game. I'm not sure why the execs at ESPN decided that everyone in the country needed to see what a truly awful basketball team looked like, but they did, so hopefully OKC can get their act together and not play too awfully in front of the national audience.

The Hornets are 5-5 so far this season but have lost five of the last seven games after starting off 3-0. They suffered a depressing loss to the injury-ridden Kings on Wednesday and will be looking to rebound from that loss against the Thunder.

Statistically, the Hornets are fairly similar to the Thunder. They have one player averaging 20+ points per game (Chris Paul) and only two other supporting players averaging over 10 (David West and Peja Stojakovic). Ok, so West is almost averaging 20 points with his 19.3 and will likely be above 20 after the two game series, but the comparison is still pretty valid.

Compared to the other games on the scheduled, this one definitely one of the more winnable games for OKC. The Thunder will have to show something that they haven't in the past few games: the ability to play for a full 48 minutes. Assuming that this will be a competitive game, expect the winners to score in the lower 90s and the losers to be in the upper 80s. Unfortunately for the Thunder, the upper 80s have been where we've ended up the past three games.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

and then there was one

with another disappointing second half, oklahoma city dropped its ninth game in a row and is alone at the bottom of the conference with one victory. only washington is as inept as the thunder, and the coach said after the game that changes will be made.

the problem is that there aren't enough things that can be done to fix the way okc has played. chris wilcox did return to action, but the thunder managed only 36 second-half points in a 108-88 setback. it ended up being a good thing that my partner in crime did the preview because i was going to gush about kevin durant. turns out the clippers decided to pay extra attention to the reigning rookie of the year, who failed to eclipse the 20-point mark.

durant did lead the team in scoring, however, but didn't get enough looks at the basket against los angeles. more importantly was the fact he only attempted two foul shots, again proving that the clippers kept him from dominating around the basket. for okc to be successful, durant has to be able to post up smaller two-guards and get fouled in the process.

instead of a much-needed victory, the thunder will have to take away two smaller accomplishments. they were perfect from the charity stripe, hitting all 23 shots attempted. los angeles dominated inside, but okc was able to find open shots from the outside, knocking down half of the ten 3-pointers attempted.

leading the charge from the outside was damien wilkins, who finished second on the night with 17 points. wilkins and durant both hit a pair of triples, but wilkins did it in 15 fewer minutes of action. he made the most of him time on the floor, filling the stat sheet with five rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block.

russell westbrook was the other thunder player to reach double figures, but both he and jeff green continue to struggle with making shots on a continual basis. if the coach is serious about shaking things up, maybe it is time for green to be coming off the bench, and wilkins to take over. okc desperately needs scorers, since none of the post players are getting it done.

a healthy wilcox could help things out, and desmond mason should also not be forgotten. the thunder have a very tough home-and-away coming up with the former tenants of the ford center, the new orleans hornets. chris paul and company come to oklahoma city on friday in the first nationally televised game in thunder history. can the team put together two halves of basketball or will that one be over by the end of the first quarter? if last night's game is any indication, expect okc to come out fast and hope to hold on against one of the nba's best.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Likely Win ... I Hope

Tonight the 1-9 Clippers come to town to take on our 1-10 Thunder in a battle between the two worst teams (record-wise) in the NBA. This game might just be what the doctor ordered to stop OKC's eight game skid.

The two teams right now are performing very similiar. Both are averaging sub 90s points per game while giving up triple digits. They are both hitting about 41% of their shots from the field. The Clippers are finding more success from three-land while the Thunder are pulling down about 4 more rebounds per game.

With this in mind, this game is going to come down to a shootout to see which team sucks less tonight. Green and Durant are both going to need to be on their games, and we're going to need at least 40% field goal shooting from both of them and likely 20 points a piece.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Fifty Feels Fantastic

Congrats to my protege carbert for carrying our website through some very tough days and the first ten games. I hoped for better news in our 50th post, but the Rockets had other ideas in a 100-89 Oklahoma City loss. Not to dwell too much on yet another defeat, I give you multiple reasons why the Thunder still offer hope.

1. OKC's fan base will be even louder when the team starts winning
2. Kevin Durant
3. Plenty of cap space for upcoming years
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Only having to play Houston one more time
6. Jeff Green's potential
7. A very high draft pick next year
8. Joe Smith as trade-bait
9. The East is getting better, which offers some hope to OKC in the West
10. Earl Watson for showing Westbrook the ropes
11. Just think how good the team will be with a 3-point shooter
12. GM Sam Presti's future ability to make a deal (maybe for said shooter)
13. Unlucky nothing -- only one way for the Thunder to go from here
14. Speedy recoveries to Chris Wilcox and D.J. White
15. Adding a big-man who can score in the draft (hint, hint, hint)
16. Desmond Mason again able to provide a boost off the bench
17. Hoping for a Blake Griffin sighting at the Ford Center
18. Johan Petro and Robert Swift for coming out of nowhere
19. Convincing Griffin to come out early to keep playing in Oklahoma
20. Nick Collison's energy
21. Unveiling a mascot in the near future
22. Kyle Weaver and Steven Hill getting experience
23. Three more games to get past Minnesota, also a one-win team
24. Damien Wilkins and Mouhamed Sene playing their way into the rotation
25. The only team with a worse scoring difference coming to town tomorrow

Monday, November 17, 2008

First Team to Ten Losses ...

Tonight, the Houston Rockets come to Oklahoma City in what will most likely be the Thunder's 10th loss of the year. The two teams have already played twice this year (once in the preseason: the Thunder's only preseason win). In their regular season match up, the Rockets won 89-77 pulling away from the Thunder in the final quarter. If OKC can stay in this game up until the final quarter, it will be a major improvement after their recent losses.

The Rockets shot a mere 36.4% from the field in the mentioned game. Don't expect to see such offensive futility from them tonight. They're averaging 41.9% on the season and will probably shoot better than that against the Thunder. They average only 91.5 points per game, so OKC may be able to break their current 4 game streak of giving up 100+ points per game.

Durant and Green are shooting 43.0% and 42.1% from the field this year, and while that's in line with what they shot last year (Green is off of his last year's percentage by 0.8), that's not enough for the Thunder to be a winning team. In addition, Durant and Green don't seem to be having big games together: when one's playing well, the other is off. Until the Thunder get another threat or two, these guys will need to combine for 45% from the field if there's any chance for OKC to win any game.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Let's Forget This Weekend Happened ...

If you were to just look at the box score from the Knicks game, it would be easy to believe that the Thunder played a good game. They made four more shots from the field than the Knicks, hit 47.3% of those shots compared to 44.9%, and out rebounded New York by 4. Five of the Thunder players were in double digits with Westbrook putting up a double-double. Of course, then you'd read that the Thunder were down by 30 at one point and realize that New York eased up a little and let OKC pull closer in the second half. Neither Durant nor Green was very effective against the Knicks combining to shoot 39.4%.

If you were to look at the box score from the Philly game, it would be easy for you to start to cry. Statistically nothing looks good for OKC from this game. We shot a dismal 39.5% from the field and didn't perform better than the 76ers at any meaningful category. Green led the team with 21 points on 10 for 15 shooting (an impressive 66.7%) but after that, only Westbrook and Durant hit double digits with both of those guys at 13. Durant shot 6 for 18, Westbrook was 3 for 12, and Nick Collision (after going 7 for 8 against the Knicks) shot a bagel at 0 for 7. Weaver and Sene both saw some playing time and each put up 6 points in roughly 6 minutes of play.

This was an awful road trip, and hopefully the Thunder can put it behind them as their next three games are at home: Monday against the Rockets, Wednesday against the Clippers, and Friday against the Hornets. I smell a victory upcoming in that Wednesday match up. Of course, my nose is currently injured from the foul odor created by the Thunder's poor play over the weekend.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

It Takes Two

I will be doing things a little different for tonight's game. Instead of a recap/preview, I will be back to give updates of tonight's game and a bit about the OKC loss to the Knicks.

Update # 1

As carbert made me aware, the Thunder was playing well in the first half against the 76ers, but the third quarter is not going well. OKC was trailing by four at the half, but Philadelphia is running away with the contest, now 79-60 going into the fourth quarter.

The biggest issue for the Thunder is playing a complete 48 minutes of basketball. They have had great halves and very impressive periods of play. But Oklahoma City isn't consistently doing the things all game that pull out wins, and New York took advantage of that last night in their 116-106 victory.

Update # 2

Wow, maybe there could be a rule change and only the best two quarters of a game count? Or we can go back to the old CBA rules where you get points for leading a quarter. Nonetheless Philadelphia didn't need any help in dispatching the Thunder tonight. I will leave the details to my last update, but I will warn you now -- it's not pretty.

Finishing off the New York game from last night, the good news was that Kevin Durant did play. Outside of that it was the same old tune for the one-win OKC club. One good half of play, one terrible half of basketball. The Thunder remained winless on the road, and thankfully the road trip is over.

Game, set, match

The 76ers came into this season with high expectations, and they are starting to play like a team on a mission. Unfortunately for Durant and Co., Philly took a lackluster performance in the first half and turned the close game into a rout.

Jeff Green shot better from the floor and finished with a team-high 21 points, but Durant was off the entire night, making only six of 18 shots. The continued lack of outside shooting made any chance of coming back a moot point, and the final outcome was 110-85 in favor of the host 76ers.

Oklahoma City returns home for three of the four games next week. Chris Wilcox will hopefully be back to provide a spark as the team needs a turn of good fortune very soon. Too many more losses like this weekend's duo, and the fans may not be nearly as loud next month.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Kickin' it with the Knicks

Tonight, the Thunder travel to New York to take on the Knicks. The Knicks are 5-3 this year and are averaging an impressive 103.4 points per game. They're giving up 103.1, so there's a chance this will be the Thunder's first triple digit regular season game.

Durant should be back in the lineup tonight after missing Wednesday's game against the Magic. Durant fully participated in this morning's shoot around and even did some post-practice shooting. OKC will need a big game out of Durant if they're going to win this one. If the Thunder get blown out early, expect Durant to sit out most of the second half to save him for tomorrow night's game against the 76ers.

Wilcox who's been out the past two games with a knee injury is unlikely to play in either of the weekend's games. There is hope that he will be back for the start of next week.

gforce mentioned that Johan Petro only played 10 minutes on Wednesday although he was performing well and wondered if he had an undisclosed injury. If he does, the injury is still undisclosed and Petro is still expected to be a starter tonight.

Tonight's game against the Knicks is likely to be an ugly one for the Thunder. The Knicks make more 3s than we attempt, and there's a good chance that this will be a blowout early. Steven Hill made his debut for OKC on Wednesday, and look for him to get additional playing time tonight in the event of a blowout. Kyle Weaver may also get a bit of playing time in the same situation.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

And Then There Was None

Zero hope, no chance of winning, you get the picture. Without one Kevin Durant, the Thunder can pretty much sum the game against the Magic in one word -- nothing.

I really wish it was that simple, but there does need to be more said about the 17-point defeat. Orlando overpowered Oklahoma City in the paint, and the visiting Magic cruised to a massive 71-42 lead at halftime. The deficit was as large as 32 points in the third quarter before the Thunder came alive with Jeff Green leading the charge.

Durant was sidelined with an ankle injury, and he had to watch Dwight Howard destroy OKC. Howard finished with the incredible line of 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks, and the Thunder were left dreaming about big men who do it all. Green did his best Durant impression, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but Orlando was in complete control from the opening tip.

Johan Petro played only ten minutes in the game but contributed 8 points. Either trying to defend Howard was too much, or he had to leave with an undisclosed injury. Carbert's preview on Friday will update everyone on the condition of OKC's walking wounded.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Do You Believe In ...

This evening, the Orlando Magic come to town to take on the Thunder. The Magic are 4-3 so far this season and have won 4 of their last 5 games (they lost on Monday to the Trailblazers 106-99). In their five games in November, they've never put less than 96 points on the board, so the Thunder had better be prepared for a high scoring matchup.

There is good news for OKC in this matchup as the Magic have yet to win a road game this season. That statement is pretty misleading as Orlando has only been the away team for one game: a Halloween loss to the Grizzlies. But if they can lose in Memphis then they surely can lose in Oklahoma City.

The Orlando Magic scoring-wise are a good model for what the Thunder need to become. They have their leading scorer, Dwight Howard, averaging 23.0 points per game. This is close to what can be expected out of Durant. Then the Magic have two players averaging above 15 points per game in Hedo Turkoglu (18.3) and Rashard Lewis (16.0). Finally, Orlando has two other players averaging double digit points: Mickael Pietrus (12.9) and Jameer Nelson (10.9).

The Thunder, in comparison, only have two other double digit scorers and neither is average 15 points per game: Jeff Green (12.4) and Russell Westbrook (10.4). Even if Durant put up 37 points like he did against the Pacers every game it wouldn't be enough if this is all the support he gets. Green is averaging about 2 more points per game this year compared to last but his FGP has dropped 5. If he can get that number back up, that'll add another point or two to his average getting him close to 15 points per game average.

The question is where can the Thunder get a second 15 point option. Westbrook is closest to that but is probably performing about as well as can be expected right now. To get more out of him, OKC would have to make him a starter, and they don't seem prepared to do that yet. He'll average over 15 per game in the future, but for now, we'll have to be satisfied with him being one of our double digit guys.

Frankly Nick Collision and Johan Petro are underperforming as starters. I think the Thunder should consider swapping them out with Desmond Mason and Robert Swift. Well, maybe not Swift yet, but when we're sure that he's healthy. Mason has shown he can score over 15 points and with more game time, should easily be able to be that threat. The biggest loss in switching Collision for Mason is the four inch height differential. Swift is the same height as Petro, and if we give him Petro's 20 minutes per game, we're bound to get better than the 4.9 points Johan is giving us.

As for tonight's game, expect a high scoring affair with the winner in the triple digits. If the Thunder are going to win this one, they'll have to finally break 100 while holding the Magic to the mid-90s. Orlando averages eight 3 pointers per game, so even if OKC gets an early lead they'll have to be on guard for the Magic to make a run at a comeback.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

halloween replay

not quite sure what i was expecting from the boys in blue last night. it is way too early in the season to be thinking about next year, but the thunder aren't giving me much to work with right now. okc gave up another early and late lead, kevin's durant near-perfect night was spoiled, and the pacers pulled out an eight-point win at home.

this is beginning to sound like a broken record, but the thunder didn't look as good as the 107-99 score might show. durant was truly a one-man show, and he is starting to sound frustrated with his supporting cast. while durant had a game-high 37 points, okc failed to shoot forty percent from the field again. the thunder led by ten at the end of the first quarter and by as many as 15 before indiana stormed back.

leading in multiple categories, okc couldn't capitalize in the final quarter. five players had seven or more rebounds for the thunder, who dominated on the offensive boards. i know the numbers aren't the whole story, but the lack of a second scorer is going to haunt this club much worse than the defense currently does.

jeff green had 14 points and 7 rebounds, but his poor shooting echoed the play of most of his teammates. durant knocked down 13-27 field goals on the night, tied with the rest of the four starters (13-39). possible scoring threats russell westbrook and desmond mason were no better off the bench, combining for a 1-15 night off the bench.

chris wilcox missed the game, but his replacement was the bigger story. robert swift is finally healthy, and his play is screaming for a bigger role. in very limited action, swift gave the thunder a near double-double (9 points and 7 rebounds). he also did something else against the pacers that not even durant can say. while on the floor, the seven-footer helped okc outscore indiana by twelve points. swift only played 12 minutes, but those minutes are sure to go up this week.

the loss begins a tough stretch for the now 1-6 thunder. carbert will have the preview of the home game tomorrow, but okc then goes on the road for two more tough tests. this season has proven that there are not going to be any easy games for the thunder. without finding a running mate for durant, this season is going to end up a nightmare - and not one of those made-for-tv ones either...

Monday, November 10, 2008

Feeling Green

Joe's comment yesterday about Jeff Green proved to be right on, as the Thunder dropped another close game last night. Both teams struggled to shoot well, but the experience of a playoff team proved to be too much for Oklahoma City. Even without their best defensive player, Atlanta put the clamps on Kevin Durant and Co. in the fourth quarter. The Hawks pulled away in the final period, outscoring the Thunder 31-23 en route to the four-point victory.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for OKC, who had strong games off the bench by Russell Westbrook and Joe Smith. Durant did his part as well with a team-high 20 points. The problem was the continued struggle to find a consistent number 2 scorer. Green was abysmal offensively, hitting only 3 or 12 from the field, including 1-4 from three-point territory. He did step up defensively, grabbing eight rebounds, but the lack of a true threat against Atlanta doomed OKC in the 89-85 loss.

The other key point that needs to be made is the uncertainty surrounding Chris Wilcox. He left the game after only playing five minutes, further muddling the the situation. With four more games this week, the Thunder's other front-court players have to fill the gap.



Hitting the road again, OKC takes on another up and down team. The Pacers have been a playoff contender most of the decade but underwent a major overhaul in the off-season. Indiana traded Jermaine O'Neal and now focus on the play of Danny Granger, the Pacers' version of Durant. I will be back later with a full recap.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Another Undefeated Foe

This evening, the undefeated Atlanta Hawks come to town and will give the Thunder their second straight matchup against an undefeated team. There are only three undefeated teams left in the league, so I guess maybe we should be thankful that tomorrow night's game isn't against the Lakers.

The Hawks will be playing without Josh Smith their starting power forward and one of their leading scorers. This is a significant loss for the Hawks, but they played the majority of their game on Friday against the Raptors without him and still managed to pull off a decisive 110-92 victory.

The Thunders job tonight is to prove that they can play a full game of basketball and not just a few quarters. They had a huge first quarter against the Celtics and then fell apart. Their second half against the Jazz (34 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters) was insane but by that time they were so far out of the game it really didn't matter. OKC needs to avoid the big blowout quarter where they only score around 15 and the other team gets 30. If they give up a quarter like that to the Hawks, then this one is over.

Another question that might be answered tonight is whether or not Jeff Green is actually stepping into the much needed role of 3 point shooter. Green is 6 for 9 beyond the arc this season. All of those shots have come in the last three games, and he's increased the number of 3's made each game (1 against Minnesota, 2 against Boston, and 3 against Utah). If Green can increase his attempts to 5-8 per game and make 40-50% of his three point shots, he can increase his value to the team by becoming the one guy starting to break away from the Thunder norm of three point futility. I'm not sold on the idea that Green can become this guy for the team, but I'd love to see it happen none-the-less.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Jekyll and Hyde -- Tale of Two Thunders

I will say this much for Oklahoma City's NBA team. The city should be damn proud to call the Thunder their own after last night's game at Utah.

With that out of the way, I should caution everyone that tonight's story isn't going to be a normal recap. It will give the score and all that pertinent info, but I will be foreshadowing for the most part. Carbert and I both agree that OKC is going to have ups and downs this season, but the Jazz exposed the true identity of the Thunder early and often in the 104-97 defeat.

The tale of two teams doesn't give the whole story. More to the point it is the play from quarter to quarter that is so unsettling. OKC came out hot, scoring the first eight points of the contest. Things turned ugly from there, as the Thunder managed only 21 more the rest of the HALF. Trailing 58-29 at halftime, the visiting club found a new gear and closed the gap back to single digits. The Jazz defended their turf, however, and they stayed undefeated while knocking OKC to 1-4 on the year.

Much like the game against Boston, my recap could have ended there because it doesn't look pretty for the Thunder. The big difference for me is that the team played with a fire in the second half last night that needs to come out more. Point guard Earl Watson played like a true floor general, and the leadership of Desmond Mason brought a new energy to OKC. Joe Smith showed the younger big men how to do it, leading the Thunder in blocked shots and tying for the high in rebounds.

My favorite stat of the night was the 3-3 shooting from 3-point range of Jeff Green. Notching a season-best 22 points, Green provided Kevin Durant the type of running mate that every superstar needs. Durant shot better as well, helping to overcome the dismal shooting of the opening half. Mason and Watson added double-digit scoring nights as well, leading the Thunder to a 69-46 scoring edge in the second half.

The key will be how the play carries over to tomorrow. Another tale of two halves won't cut it -- OKC needs to find a constant to stay competitive. Whether that means starting a smaller, faster team with Mason in the starting five or finding a balance with one of the power forwards/centers is something Coach P.J. Carlesimo will sort out this week. The Thunder face a brutal stretch of five games in the next seven days, and the road to a lottery selection could hang in the balance.

Why so dramatic you say? The blow-out losses are one thing. Fighting back just to lose close games is heartbreaking. My prediction is a 3-2 swing this week and a renewed life in Oklahoma City. My gut tells me that the Jekyll and Hyde routine will not be around much longer, something every fan can cheer for...

Friday, November 7, 2008

Preview: Thunder @ Jazz

Tonight the Thunder are on the road to take on the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are 4-0 on the season with wins against the Nuggets, Trailblazers, and the Clippers (twice). The Jazz will be extra pumped up for this game as their coach, Jerry Sloan, has 999 victories as coach of the Jazz and will be the first coach to score 1,000 victories with one team. The Jazz would love to get that milestone victory in front of the home crowd, and after the tonight's game, their next five games are on the road. OKC will have a tough task ahead of them if they wish to spoil that party.

The Jazz are averaging 97.8 points per game this season while only giving up 85.5. The Thunder are averaging 83.8 while giving up 92.0. Those stats alone paint a grim picture for Oklahoma City. Add in the fact that Utah swept the series last season, and you have a recipe for disaster.

So how can the OKC win this game? The good news for Thunder is that Utah is just as pathetic from three land. Both teams are averaging just two 3's per game with the Thunder actually hitting a higher percentage (30.8 vs 21.1). The difference maker in the team's output this season is field goal percentage. The Jazz are making 47.5% of their shots from the field almost a full 7% better than the Thunder.

Assuming neither team corrects it's futility at three point shooting; this game should come down to which team shoots better from the field. To achieve this, the Thunder will first have to stop Carlos Boozer who is shooting 62.7% from the field so far this season (8 percentage points above his career average and 7 above his average over the past two). In addition, the Thunder's top three scorers (Durant, Green, and Westbrook) are going to have to step it up from their combined 40.2%.

In addition, Johan Petro is going to have to step it up. So far, he is averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. These numbers just won't cut it from the starting center. Petro is getting out-rebounded by Green, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, and Earl Watson. Granted, each of those guys is getting more playing time, but Petro hasn't shown he deserves more. I know I pushed for Johan to start as the beginning of the season, but I'm starting to think that the Thunder should move Collison to center, Durant to small forward, and start Westbrook as the 2 guard. The Thunder recently signed another center (Stephen Hill) and declined to offer an extension to Petro by the October 31st deadline, so hopefully he is able to see the writing on the wall and pick up his performance.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

at least for one quarter

today isn't a sad day for thunder fans. it is just a reminder of what can happen after a team buys in to a system and plays together. okc jumped out to a 29-21 lead over boston before losing 96-83 at home. the eight point lead after one quarter was the highlight of the evening, as the celtics dominated both ends of the floor after that.

one other highlight of the match-up with the defending champs was that the 3-point shooting finally made an appearance. russell westbrook drained three triples, jeff green hit two, and earl watson knocked down a sixth for the thunder, who had totaled only a pair in the first three contests. if that trend continues, the rest of the offense will open up around the outside shooting.

star kevin durant again led okc in scoring, but his shooting percentage is struggling. green and westbrook added a combined 27 points, but boston had five players in double figures. it was a learning game for the thunder, and carbert will be back tomorrow with a preview of friday night's showdown in utah.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Stealing From the Spurs

How does the saying go? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well if that is the case, Oklahoma City is doing their best San Antonio impersonation so far this year. The Thunder used defense to shut down the T-Wolves in the fourth quarter, and they will need an even better effort to contain the potent Boston lineup.

Modeling the club after the Spurs makes sense given the GM and Coach both came from arguably the best team the last decade. San Antonio won their championships with one star and role players who excelled on the defensive end of the floor. Hmmm, is it is a stretch to make the same comparison with OKC? Yes, the Thunder have a long way to go, but they made the right moves in the off-season.

Kevin Durant no longer has to do it all, as Minnesota found out. The team's star is still learning to play all-star caliber defense to go with his all-world scoring. That transition has been made easier by two vets and one rookie. Joe Smith and Desmond Mason have stabilized the second unit along with Russell Westbrook. All three play excellent defense and have allowed the pressure to come off of Durant and Jeff Green.

The Celtics will provide the strongest test, as carbert pointed out yesterday. The Rockets struggled to score points when it counted, and only one of their big three had a good offensive game in the loss to Boston. For the Thunder to be competitive, tonight will have to be a low-scoring affair. Both teams are giving up less than 91 points a contest while OKC has not looked comfortable on the scoring front.

Westbrook, Earl Watson, and the front court rotation are front and center tonight because Durant will be getting all of the attention. A strong supporting cast is the only way to upset the defending champs, and it starts with locking up the big three of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen. OKC has been impressive in the post, and the Thunder have to take advantage of every opportunity to send the fans home happy for the second time in a row.

The T-Wolves were put on notice that the NBA's newest franchise isn't a walk in the park. Oklahoma City is tied for second in the division, and a strong showing against the beasts of the East further lands the Thunder right where they want to be -- San Antonio who? How bout OKC!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Here Come the Champs ...

Tomorrow night the reigning NBA champs, the Boston Celtics, come to town for their one and only appearance in Oklahoma City (unless, of course, the Thunder meet them in the NBA finals which is still statistically although not logically possible). The green ones are currently 3-1 after winning a close, hard-fought game against the Rockets tonight.

I had actually started to write this entry before the Celtics-Rockets game, and pretty much everything I had written was invalided by the game. Tonight's game, by far, was the strongest showing by the Celtics this season and should go a long way towards silencing their critics.

Unfortunately for us OKC fans, there wasn't much in tonight's game to give us hope for the Thunder stealing a victory tomorrow. Our best hope comes from the fact that tonight's game should have taken some of the steam out of the Boston players. The starters played 75% of the minutes, and Paul Pierce nearly played the full game (spending a meager 3:32 on the bench).

The Thunder have yet to show an ability to put massive points on the board, so they're going to have to find a way to contain the Celtics. The Celtics shot 52% against the Rockets, and all of the starting five were in double digits. If OKC can keep the Celtics to around 45% from the field, they may have a shot at this game.

For those of you who noticed that we're posted the game preview a day earlier, I'll note that gforce had internet issues today and so we flipped his story for today with my preview for tomorrow. Tune in tomorrow for a more in-depth look at what the Thunder did well against the T-Wolves and how they'll need to use that in the future. Or at least that's what I think he's going to write about.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Where There is a Westbrook...

...the Thunder get a win. Man, if it was only that easy. I almost used the title 'There is a God' but thought better of it. Just too dramatic.

In a total team victory, Oklahoma City used defense to grind out a 88-85 decision over Minnesota. More than just the first franchise win, the Thunder added a number of other 'firsts' against the Timberwolves.

1. It took three games, but OKC knocked down a 3-pointer.

2. The Thunder dominated the boards, out rebounding the T-Wolves 50-39.

3. First-round pick Russell Westbrook announced himself to the rest of the league as a defensive presence.

Down by one at the half, OKC struggled again in the third quarter. They trailed by three entering the fourth, but Westbrook and Kevin Durant took over for the home squad. Nick Collison added the team's first double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, and the Thunder sent the fans home happy for the first of hopefully many exciting finishes.

The best part about it was the defensive play of the young club, led by rookie Westbrooks' steals down the stretch. He is proving many people wrong who said he shouldn't have been the fourth overall selection in last year's draft. Adding 14 points off the bench, Westbrook is pushing Earl Watson for time at the point and even getting on the floor with his counterpart.

Durant led the Thunder with 18 points, and Jeff Green was third with 13 points including the franchise's first triple. All in all a huge boost for OKC, who now gets ready to host Boston, the defending NBA champs on Wednesday.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Preseason Revenge

Last night, the Thunder took on the Houston Rockets and got beat in a low scoring game: 89-77. The game was a step in the right direction for the Thunder as many of the problems from the Bucks game were addressed. Durant scored a solid 26 points off of 11 for 20 shooting (55%) from the field. The starters contributed most of the points (59-18), and the Rockets were held to 36.4% field goal percentage.

Not all went well, and the Thunder struggled to make it to the free throw line getting just 12 attempts of which they made 9. In comparision, Tracy McGrady made 9 free throws alone. The Rockets were an amazing 87.1% from the line making 27 of 31. The 18 point differental from the line more than eclipsed the 12 point difference in the overall score. In addition, OKC made no three pointers (attempted only 4!) while the Rockets hit 6. With those numbers, it's amazing that the Thunder were anywhere in this game.

The biggest heartbreaker for us Thunder fans must have been the start of the fourth quarter. Trailing by 7 going into the fourth, the Rockets went on an 8-0 tear, and OKC was never able to recover.

After losing last night to the only team they beat in the preseason, tonight the Thunder look to extract some preseason revenge against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The preseason game was one of extremes as the two teams took turns blowing each other out. Unfortunately, the Thunder let the Timberwolves blow them out in two quarters compared to one, and the Timberwolves notched the victory.

Tonight's game has the potential to be a different story. Minnesota was strong from the three point range in the preseason game but hasn't come close to equally that effort in the regular season. If the Timberwolves' 3 point advantage is neutralized, the Thunder have a much better chance of winning this game.

Look for the Wolves to score somewhere in the mid-90s. The Thunder are going to need to get into the triple digits to win this one. To acheive this, Durant's going to need to shoot over 50% from the field like he did against the Rockets, the team is going to need to combine for at least 45% from the field, and we're going to need more players breaking into the double digits. Against the Rockets, we had 3: Durant and two guys with 10 points (Petro and Green). That kind of team performance isn't going to cut it against anyone.

At a minimum, the Thunder need to score at least 90 in this game just to prove that we can. This will be our second showing this season in front of the home crowd, and the team needs to give the fans something to cheer about.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

On the Road Again

Houston hopefully is looking past tonight's game because that may be the only way of keeping it close. The Thunder look to put opening night behind them against the Rockets, already 2-0 this season and playing like a top 3 or 4 team in the NBA.

Kevin Durant needs to step up after a disappointing performance against the Bucks. He will be on display all year, the reigning Rookie of the Year forced to carry the young OKC squad. A sophomore slump is not out of the question, but a nice effort versus Houston will stop all of that talk.

The problem is that the Rockets have many weapons and added more over the summer. Ron Artest joined the team and immediately provided a third option to go with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in the scoring department. Artest also gives them a defensive presence, something the Thunder will see first-hand tonight.

Making its first regular season road trip, Oklahoma City will have its hands full in the paint as well. Yao is a force and averaging over twenty points a game. The Thunder struggled with Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut, and Yao is a bigger test. Chris Wilcox was impressive off the bench in the first game, and he will be called upon to at least slow down the Rockets big man.

McGrady isn't fully recovered from off-season knee surgery, but he still is a dangerous threat. The trio for Houston will be too much to overcome for OKC, even though the Thunder's only win of the preseason came at the Rockets' expense.