Tell Tale Signs From Triple Overtime

Last night I thought it would be just a normal sports night with nothing going on and allow for my hiatus to continue from writing some lengthy posts.  Oh, how wrong I was as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies in three overtimes last night 133-123. It was one of those games where there ended up being so many interesting story lines that came out of this game, and could define the rest of the NBA Playoffs.



The first thing the Tuesday Morning Point Guards have jumped on has been the lack of coaching that went on in this game, which made for a sloppy overtime period.  Now, I agree there were some horrific moments in this game, but when two teams play 63 minutes, it is obvious there are going to be a lot of flaws for us to nitpick.  Additionally, Lionel Hollins versus Scott Brooks is not like Phil Jackson versus Chuck Daly. Hollins made an obvious error by putting O.J. Mayo out there to foul when he had five, and don't even get me started with Mr. Brooks.

I tweeted yesterday that Brooks is the Ned Yost of the NBA.  The guy is absolutely clueless. There is no offense, and he has no idea how to manage his big guys. I understand Serge Ibaka's ankle is weak and had five fouls, but why did Ibaka only get in the game after Kendrick Perkins fouled out in the third OT?  It makes zero sense to me.  At least rotate him for defensive help, but BrooksYost babied his ankle way too much.  The other problem with Brooks' style is he forgot to tell Russell Westbrook to pass the ball.

Westbrook had 40 points, but it was a forced effort. He did not let the points come to him, instead Westbrook decided that he would have the ball at all times attempting to score each time down. He ignored the fact that he had Kevin Durant on his team who by the way, only shot 20 times compared to Westbrook's insanely high 33. Not to mention, Westbrook played six minutes less than KD making that number even more ridiculous.

The only fair defense of what happened last night would be Durant facing guys like Shane Battier and Tony Allen, two guys who are lock down defenders. Even so, I think KD can make things happen against those individuals. Durant not touching the ball for nine minutes is inexcusable. Westbrook's style of play reminded me of Allen Iverson or Stephon Marbury.  It was finally clear last night that Westbrook wants no part of being the second banana of this team.

I would like to see Westbrook dish it off to James Harden or Durant, and start to move around the court to create a better shot.  Westbrook has this theory about himself that he can do similar things to Derrick Rose, which he sure as hell cannot.  Oklahoma City isn't going to win a ton of games with Westbrook throwing up garbage at the rim. The worst thing about this all is that Brooks cannot handle these personalities so if this napalms on the Thunder, they will be split up like the Minnesota Timberwolves did back in the day when Marbury didn't realize his role of number 2.

-Charlie.

Durant v. Griffin: Who Ya' Got?!

 One of our readers Adam asked me on Facebook: "You are the GM of a NBA team. Who would you rather build your team around, Kevin Durant or Blake Griffin? I'm saying Durant, just curious as to your thoughts..." So I decided to break it down to the very core. 



                                        Shooting- ADV: Durant

This is probably the easiest one for Durant to win. Right now, Griffin is excellent underneath the basket but he hasn't mastered that 12 to 18 foot jumper that guys like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan mastered throughout the years. When Griffin gets that jumper down, look out. He will be near unstoppable, but today, Durant can do it from all places on the court. 


Passing- ADV: Griffin 
This has been heavily discussed on the blog in the past couple weeks. Durant needs to work on his court version, no question about it. Griffin isn't that much better than KD, but he creates a ton of problems when the Clippers throw it down into the post. I expect Griffin's assist numbers to grow as he gets better because teams will start to double team.   


Rebounding- ADV: Griffin
A runaway category for Griffin.  He averaging near 13 rebounds a game as a rookie. He is currently 4th in the NBA right now.  Durant does get his rebounds, but in my opinion, he doesn't crash the boards enough. I would like to see more from Durant in terms of rebounding. 


Match Up Problems- ADV: Durant
While Griffin is physically a monster, Durant creates so many problems as a shooting guard and a small forward at 6'9. The Thunder can run a smaller lineup with KD at the wing, or supersize the lineup.  Honestly, you can play Durant at every five positions, but Griff can only play the four or five.  


Scoring- ADV: Durant 
He squeaks by in this one. Griffin scores in bunches, but not like Durant can. It really happens because Durant is a decent three point shooter plus he can slash. Griffin is really all about the alley oops, dunks, and the layups inside. But as I said earlier, Griff needs to get better from the outside.  


Defense- ADV: Durant 
This one might surprise you, but if you looked at advanced statistics using opponents PER 48 minute production, Durant takes it. When KD is playing his natural 2 and 3 position, the opponents are averaging 13.2 and 12.2. At Griffin's spots, his counterparts are 14.5 and 18.3. I actually would have guessed the opposite, but statistically, KD has it.   \


Late Game Situations- ADV: Durant 
Once again, it comes down to all the spaces that Durant can score from on the court. He hit a game-winner a couple of nights ago against New York, and I am not sure if Griffin has a winner under his belt.  Not to mention, I would rather have a wing guy taking the final shot then throwing it down to the post, but that's just me.  


In three years, all of this could change but today, the answer is Durant. Both players are going to continue to grow, and take their game to an impossible level. You want to know a scary thought?  What if Griffin after his rookie contract is up decides to take his talents back to Oklahoma City. Westbrook-Durant-Griffin would be a dynasty for years to come. 


-Charlie.

Why Russell Westbrook is More Valuable than Kevin Durant

As my colleague Eric Nohelty would like to point out, I believe a NBA player's assists per game constitutes as a significant statistic in today's NBA. The list that my colleague Eric Nohelty posted earlier contains the players who average under 3 assists per game. Then, my colleague Eric Nohelty stated that he wouldn't want any of these players on his team in mock gesture of an argument we held last night.



The basic argument stemmed from my proclamation before the season that Russell Westbrook is more valuable (or important which is the same thing). Before the season, Kevin Durant was touted as a phenom the likes of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. However, although Kevin Durant scores more points than James and Bryant the last two seasons, his assists per game pales in comparison to the two other greats. The amount of touches Durant receives should dictate that he average more assists per game. NBA analysts both on TNT and ESPN have said he needs to improve his court vision and passing. That is my argument against Kevin Durant in terms of assists per game and how he should not be considered in terms of a Lebron James or Kobe Bryant.

Now, for my argument towards Russell Westbook being more valuable than Kevin Durant. Durant averages just about 6 more points per game. He averages slightly under 2 more rebounds per game. Russell Westbrook averages 5.5 assists more than Durant per game. Westbrook also averages more steals and Durant averages more blocks. Durant shoots better from the field and from three significantly. These are the statistics. They are concrete facts.

Now, why would I choose Russell Westbrook as more valuable than Durant if Durant holds a slight edge in the statistical category? Why would ESPN have Westbrook at 7 and 4 in their MVP watch the last two weeks? Charlie look here. And why would ESPN not have Durant in the top 10 of their NBA MVP watch since the first weekend they released it?

Now obviously this is not a crackpot, glue-sniffing, idiotic argument that my colleagues Eric and Charlie think it is. Maurice Brooks, ESPN NBA analyst is quoted as, "In September, when Kevin Durant was leading team USA to gold at the FIBA World Championship, who'd have thought KD would be the second best player in OKC."

Westbrook carried the Thunder through Durant's unfortunate injury early in the season. With Durant out of the lineup the Thunder went 3-1 with a road win against Boston.

I'll leave you with this little nugget to consider. It should follow the syllogism model of reasoning. Fact #1: Kevin Durant is superior in all major offensive statistics other than assists per game and steals than Russell Westbrook. Fact #2: Kevin Durant is not being considered for MVP at this moment and Russell Westbrook is. My conclusion: assists per game may play a vital role in determining a player's importance.

Thunder & Blazers Both Open With Win

Kevin Durant's New Arms

I think the fan movement is pretty cool down in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma home of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball club. Seems like their fans always want their team to do well, and they're super excited to have a team. It's pretty chill.

However, I DO NOT agree with them replacing their best player's arms with thunder sticks just so 'the people' can better identify with him.

I know you're not used to having a basketball team, but one of the first things they teach you at the town meeting the city holds when it's announced that you will be getting a new basketball team is to never replace your star player's arms with any sort of cheering apparatus. That's like Fandom 101, which is offered at any community college. Take a class, guys.

Wetsuit Shopping with Kevin Durant

This past Friday at the The Blowtorch Wetsuit Shoppe...


Kevin Durant: Yo. I need a wetsuit. You look like a man who knows wetsuits.
Trez Kerbz: I guess I do. You need a wetsuit?

KD: Yeah.

TK: Why?

KD: Because.

TK: Great answer.

KD: Chill.

TK: I don't even know why you asked me to help you if you're not going to say more than one word at a time. You're not Don Draper, Kevin.

KD: Jetskiing.

TK: You're going jetskiing?

KD: Indeed.

TK: When did you get a jetski?

KD: Today.

TK: Why?

KD: Dunno.

TK: Alright. Well try this on. It's a medium.


TK: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

KD: Not funny man. This is way too big.

TK: That's why I'm laughing.

KD: Man, I don't know why I even asked you to help me.

TK: Me neither. Maybe you need to try a ladies size.

KD: I'm not going to wear a ladies wetsuit. I'm a man.

TK: But look how wide that is around the thighs.

KD: GET ME A SMALL MAN'S WETSUIT!

TK: Okay, okay. I can't believe we even have these here. No one has bought one this small since Gilbert Arenas was planning his birthday party. Try this on.

TK: Looks great, Kev.

KD: Yeah.

TK: You don't really have a jetski do you?

KD: Nah, man. I just like the look.

Luke Ridnour Misses the Point

Mo Williams: This new commercial is going to be insane.

Rashard Lewis: For real, we look tight.

Kevin Durant: Yeah.

Rashard Lewis: Who else they got comin'?

Mo Williams: I don't know. You know, Kev?

Kevin Durant: No.

Rashard Lewis: I think Iggy coming. And I heard Luke Ridnour was coming, but that can't be true.

Mo Williams: Who is Luke Ridnour?

Rashard Lewis: He play for the Sonics.

Kevin Durant: No.

Rashard Lewis: Oh, right. He play for the Thunder.

Kevin Durant: No.

(door opens)

Mo Williams: Iggy! What up?!

Andre Iguodala: (grimaces)

Rashard Lewis: You bring anybody with you?

Andre Iguodala: (grimaces)

(door opens, knocks over Connect Four game)

Luke Ridnour: Hey, guys. Did I do that?

Mo Williams: Who dat?

Kevin Durant: Ridnour.

Williams/Lewis: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Luke Ridnour: Awwww, not again. They said "dress like the early 90s." They specifically said EARLY 90s. Why does this always happen to me?

Williams/Lewis: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Andre Iguodala: (grimaces)

Welcome To The Big Show

Today is the day ladies and gentlemen. We will find out in just a few short hours what fate has in store for the future for many of the NBA's current and future stars. I know that many of the issues surrounding the draft have become rather muddled in the past month or so, between trade demands, rumors, mock drafts, and rampant specualtion about what will happen with just about every single major player in the NBA. To help clear the air on a few things, here is a little primer on some of the major stories that will be sorted out in the next 24 hours:

Who Goes #1?: While there has been a push by some members of the media in the past week for the Blazers to take Kevin Durant with the first pick, I just do not see it happening. And if ESPN's Ric Bucher is to be believed Portland has already told Oden and his camp that the Blazers will be selecting Oden over Durant.

Where Will KG Go?: The Garnett trade rumors have become the largest story in all of sports the past few days. "Proposed" trades have had him landing in Boston, Phoenix, and L.A., with other teams also rumored to be involved as facilitators in those various scenarios. Here is the cut and dry of the Garnett situation; if something does not happen today, it is probably not going to happen at all. In all of the most serious trade rumors the Wolve's desires have been focused on two things. For one thing, they want cap relief. That is why large contracts such as those of Kurt Thomas, Kwame Brown, and Theo Ratliff have been discussed so widely in recent days. The motivation for this is obvious. 2008 is set to be one of the most impressive free agent seasons in recent memory, and the Wolves want to put themselves in a position to get in on the action. The second thing that the Wolves desire is a high draft pick in this year's draft. The reason for this is also quite obvious, as even though this draft is perhaps not quite as deep as first advertised it is still arguably the best at the top since the 2003 Draft which saw LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh enter the league. The Wolves already own the #7 pick and acquiring either Boston's #5 pick or the Hawk's #3 pick would allow them to potentially draft two players that could be the cornerstones of their franchise for the next decade. The problem is, after the draft gets going tomorrow that window of opportunity will have evaporated, and the Wolves would have to face the prospect of either getting the best remaining package for KG (likely something from the Lakers involving Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum) or risk getting nothing for Garnett. Which is why in all likelihood, if anything happens it will be before the draft begins tonight.

Oden, Durant, and then...?: What is especially appealing about this year's draft beyond the great talent level present is one simple fact; after the top two picks, nobody has any clue what is going to happen. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. There are too many teams that either 1.) are shopping their picks in trades and 2.) are unclear as to whom they are picking that there is no real consensus as to not only which players will be picked at eahc selection, but also which teams will be doing the selecting. For example, in the past week the #3 pick, #4 pick, #5 pick, #7 pick, #8 pick, #9 pick, #11 pick, and #12 pick have all been involved in multiple (and allegedly serious) trade discussions. And beyond Al Horford at #3 there does not seem to be any consensus as to how the rest of the lottery will play out. (Though it is worth noting that at various times both Brandan Wright and Mike Conley were "locks" for the #3 spot, so take the Horford rumors with a grain of salt) What this all is going to result in is that this draft, between major trades and suprise picks, could literally be the most entertaining draft for fans in recent memory. Buckle up NBA fans, this is going to be a fun ride.

Yi Means Drama In Chinese: Not literally of course, but at the moment Yi Jianlian is the center of a great deal of intrigue as the draft approaches. The fact that he refused to work out for certain teams and rumors that he and his camp have certain teams they will refuse to play for could combine to produce a modern John Elway situation if a team like Milwaukee selects Yi.

Here We Go Again

You knew it was coming, right? It was way too easy for people to just fall in line and agree that the Trail Blazers would be insane not to take Greg Oden. So now people like Bill Simmons are calling for the Blazers to take Kevin Durant, and even Blazers' GM Kevin Pritchard seems to be sending mixed signals about who he is going to spend the pick on, saying:

"We're gonna look at everything," Pritchard said. "I think what's going to be important is putting them in a position out here where we can see both their strengths and their weaknesses with our coach putting an emphasis in those areas. Because in a game, all you see is a coach putting their players in a (position) of strength."

To play devil's advocate for a moment, here are the reasons why people are suddenly jumping on the Durant to Portland bandwagon:

- The Blazers already have Zach Randolph and LaMarcus Aldridge inside, so they don't need Oden.
- If the Blazers do take Oden, they would have to dump Randolph for cheap.
- Oden might have some long term health issues with his wrist.
- Oh Golly! Kevin Durant is so good!

Granted, these arguments all have varying degrees of validity. These arguments however, and the people that make them, are ignoring some simple facts:

Fact #1: Big Men Win Rings
Take a look at recent NBA history. The Spurs have won 4 titles with Tim Duncan being the main reason for those wins. Shaq has 4 titles in recent years as well. Hakeem won 2 titles while Jordan was retired. To put it simply, NBA titles in the past 15 years have been won by teams led by either a dominant big man or Michael Jordan. (The Pistons being the one exception, though one could argue the Wallace Brothers were the key to their win.) Greg Oden just happens to be a dominant big man; Kevin Durant does not happen to be the next Jordan. Try this one on for size: do you think that Durant is better than LeBron? If not then after seeing LeBron fall to Tim Duncan in this year's Finals how can you reasonably advocate picking Durant over Oden?

Fact #2: Reggie Bush Is Better Than Mario Williams
Stay with me on this one. Two years ago the Houston Texans had the easiest choice in the world at the top of the draft. Reggie Bush was sitting there having just won the Heisman Trophy and producing more insane highlights on a college football field than any man since Barry Sanders. So what did the Texans do? They decided that since they had a decent running back in Domanick Davis (Zach Randolph) and a weakness at defensive end (small forward) that they should take Williams (Durant) over Bush (Oden). Granted, Durant is a better football player than Mario Williams, but the comparison still holds true. The Saints actions in that draft are the model which the Blazers should follow. Even though New Orleans still had Deuce McCallister they took Bush anyway, and the Blazers would be wise to follow their example even though they already have Randolph and Aldridge. If the Blazers talk themselves out of drafting Oden they will be cursing themselves in four or five years when Oden and Ray Allen have a championship and the Blazers are merely one of the highest scoring teams in the league.

Fact #3: Joe Dumars > Dominique Wilkins
The header on this one could also read "Tim Duncan > Steve Nash" or "Shaq > Vince Carter". Point being, people that are rooting for the Blazers to take Durant over Oden are rooting for excitement over actual common sense. Is Durant really any better than Carmelo Anthony, the last freshman small forward to take the country by storm? At least Anthony won the national championship, something that cannot be said of Durant. People that want Durant over Oden are the same people that think the Spurs are boring and want the Phoenix Suns to be NBA champs every season. They are missing the point. Substance > Style.

So will the Blazers take Durant? I don't think so, not just because it would be the wrong move but also because Pritchard would find himself out of the NBA for life if it didn't work out. In this case Oden is both the safe pick, and more importantly, the right one.

NBA Lottery: Initial Thoughts

The NBA Draft Lottery has concluded, and the order for this summer's draft has been set. The top three picks ended up going to Portland, Seattle, and Atlanta. So in the aftermath, here are some initial thoughts on what tonight's proceedings are going to mean a few months from now:

Portland Needs To Think Like New Orleans: What I mean is that Portland needs to ignore the temptation of trading the top pick, or even selecting Kevin Durant, and instead follow the example of the New Orleans Saints, who selected Reggie Bush even though they already had a Pro Bowl back in Deuce. The Blazers already have Zach Randolph and the promising LaMarcus Aldridge, but Oden is just too good to pass up. Don't do anything stupid Blazers. Pretty much the only acceptable trade would be something along the lines of Kevin Garnett, the #7 pick, and a future first rounder in exchange for the #1 spot and Darius Miles (to get the three years remaining on his contract off of the books).

Seattle Just Got Nasty...Maybe: With the presumptive choice of Kevin Durant the Sonics could boast a starting lineup next season of Earl Watson, Ray Allen, Durant, Rashard Lewis, and Nick Collison. The trio of Allen, Lewis, and Durant would give the Sonics more skilled scorers than just about any team in the league, and allow them to play more of the up tempo style that is all the rage in the NBA these days. This might come undone however, if Lewis opts out of the final two years of his contract. Will the allure of teaming with Durant be enough to keep Lewis in Seattle?

Atlanta Lucked Out: The temptation is to say that Atlanta missed out on one of the top two picks, and therefore should be dissapointed in the results. If you really look at it though, the lottery worked out perfectly for the Hawks. If they had finished outside the top 3 they would have lost their pick to Phoenix, and if Indiana had cracked the top 10 Atlanta would not have received their pick. Neither scenario occurred, and the Hawks now find themselves with two of the first 11 picks. Looking at their roster, it would seem that their needs are fairly obvious. Between Shelden Williams, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Josh Childress they have four lottery picks at the 3 and 4 spots, and then they have Joe Johnson manning the 2 spot. The areas of need rest at PG and C, so don't be suprised if the Hawks go against the draft board and take Mike Conley with the #3 pick, and perhaps Spencer Hawes or Roy Hibbert at the #11 spot to fill their need at center.

Bill Simmons Needs A Tissue: Wow. This is essentially the worst case scenario for the Celtics. Instead of landing a difference maker in Oden or Durant, the Celtics fell all the way to #5. At that spot, assuming that the top four picks go something like Oden, Durant, Conley, Wright, the Celtics could be faced with selecting either Yi Jianlian, Jeff Green, or Corey Brewer. At this point, it really would not be a suprise if the Celtics traded down, but the release of rumors to that effect might make getting a fair deal much more difficult.

Philly Better Have A Good Cell-Phone Plan: Every trade needs two partners, and the 76ers with picks #12, #21, and #30 would seem to be in the best position to jump further up into the top ten. The Sixers could be interested in a number of the PF prospects projected to be at the top of the draft, but could also stay put and look to fill their holes at SG and C later in the first round.

Well, There Goes Any Chance The East Had Left: With Oden and Durant both headed to the Western Conference, this year's lottery has helped to assure the Western Conference's dominance over the Least-ern Conference for the foreseeable future. That is, if it wasn't already assured.