Thunder get one more shot at Warriors

(Photo by Torrey Purvey)

By Michael Kinney

OKLAHOMA CITY — The last time Golden State paid Oklahoma City a visit, it was the biggest spectacle of the NBA season. With Kevin Durant making his first trip to Oklahoma City in a visitor’s uniform, it spawned cupcake chants that rang throughout the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
But the one indelible image that came out of the Feb. 11 confrontation was Durant standing on one side of half court going back and forth with his former teammate Russell Westbrook, who was yelling, “I’m coming. I’m coming” and Enes Kanter pats him on the chest.
It was the most exciting moment of what ended up being another blowout win by the Warriors over the Thunder. However, when Oklahoma City (40-29) hosts Golden State (55-14) Monday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, both teams will look drastically different than their previous confrontations. But that hasn’t changed the intensity of the contest.
“The most important thing is not worry about them,” Kanter said. “Just worry about us. If we play our game, then we’re going to be fine.”
For the Warriors, they will be without Durant, who torched his former team in each of their three wins. He is still recovering from a grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise that has sidelined him since Feb. 28.
However, Durant will be in the building as he makes his first road trip since his surgery.
The Warriors picked up Matt Barnes to replace Durant. He has started to fit in to what the squad is doing as of late.
“He’s not a great shooter but he’s a guy who you have to honor if you’re out there defending him,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the Associated Press. “He doesn’t have to make shots to be effective. He does everything else so well. He’s already picked up our offense, like that. He’s been a tremendous addition.”
What hasn’t changed is how dangerous Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are for the Warriors. They are the core that guided the Golden State back from a 3-1 deficit during last season’s Western Conference Finals. So the Thunder players and coaches know exactly what they are capable of, even without Durant.
“They are not much different,” Thunder center Steven Adams said. “They still pose a threat. They are really unselfish with the ball.”
Oklahoma City has also made wholesale changes since their Feb. 11 defeat. Almost two weeks later, the Thunder added Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott.
This will also be the first time against Golden State that Oklahoma City will be healthy. Kanter missed the last game with a fractured arm while Adams sat out the game before with a concussion.
Having both bigs in the lineup along with Gibson could provide the Thunder with a physical advantage they will look to use.
“When you re-post, the defender is relaxing,” Kanter said. “That’s when the bigs should bury their defender. My teammates are doing a really good job of reading that.”
But it’s defense Oklahoma City will need to make sure is on a high level. Golden State is still the No. 1 scoring team in the league.
However, one of the least noticed elements of the Thunder during its recent win streak is the defensive improvements. They are holding teams to 99 points a game over their last five contests.
On the season, the Thunder have been one of the best in not allowing opponents to take 3-pointers. They are fourth in the NBA with 24.4 3-pointers attempted by opponents. However, during their current win streak, they brought those numbers down to 20.8.
Golden State takes 31 per game.
Oklahoma City have also cut down the amount assists they allow during games. They went from 21 to 16 over the past five contents.
“We’ve made strides in a positive direction,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “There are more to be made. The only thing you can do is come in here intentionally every single day and be committed and focused on how you want to play offensively and defensively and be committed to doing those things and not get to a place of complacency.”

NOTES: A report came out late Sunday night detailing from anonymous sources how upset the Golden State organization is with Oklahoma City over its treatment of Kevin Durant during the Feb. 11 matchup. According to the report, the team sources blamed Thunder officials for letting the fan base get riled up and treat Durant badly.

Michael Kinney is a Freelance Writer with Eyeamtruth.com

March 20, 2017 0

Will the book be closed on KD saga after tonight?

By Michael Kinney

OKLAHOMA CITY – At 1:15 a.m., Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors made their way into Oklahoma City. After all the talk, preamble and questions, the day Thunder fans have been waiting for finally arrived. They have Durant back in their backyard.

With a build up like no other regular season game since the first game the Thunder ever played in Oklahoma City, tonight’s confrontation between Golden State and Oklahoma City isn’t just another day on the schedule. The biggest question on anyone’s mind seems to be how should Thunder fans treat their former hero.

“Obviously, Kevin’s done a lot for Oklahoma City and our team when he was here, so it’s kinda up to them,” Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook said. “It doesn’t really matter to me one way or another. It’s a basketball game, and we’ve gotta go out and compete.”

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. central at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. It is being broadcast live on ESPN/ABC, which has given the game a playoff style treatment.

But they are not the only ones. According to Thunder officials, the media credential list compares to recent Western Conference Finals.

Since the day the 2016-17 NBA schedule was released, this contest has been circled on almost every calender through the league. That includes Durant, who knows his welcome will be slightly different than the ones he got when he wore a Thunder uniform for eight seasons.

“As an opposing player, I know how fans are,” Durant told ESPN’s Marc Stein. “I know what’s important to them and their team. It’s way more important than just one player. But I have so many great memories there. It’s something that always going to be part of me until I die. I’m not going in there acting like I’m going to be praised. I know how it is.”

The Thunder are doing their best to try and down play the significance of the game. But even Nick Collison, who teamed with Durant for nine years, still remembers how he felt that July 4 day when Durant made his announcement .

“I would just say disappointment,” Collison said. “We wanted to get our team back. We felt like we could win a championship. We had a lot of success here. So definitely disappointment.”

After tonight’s game, will the disappointment, anger and in some cases sadness, be out of the system of Thunder fans? There is no telling because the feelings and emotions run deep with a segment of the fan base.

At some point Durant will be welcomed back to OKC with open arms for all he did for the franchise and city. Just not tonight.

But once all the initial boos are over and the awkward interactions take place, a game is going to be played. And if judging by the previous two encounters, the Warriors won’t be phased by the story lines associated with the game.

Golden State won the first two games by an average of almost 24 points. But they were both played in Oakland.

The Thunder hope having the Warriors in Oklahoma City will be some sort of an advantage.

Another factor that could work toward Oklahoma City’s advantage is that the Warriors are playing the second half of a back to back after making a stop in Memphis Friday night.

The Thunder want to bring the same team effort from its win over Cleveland into tonight matchup.

“You have to be able to do it every night,” Collison said. “We had a good one last night. We have to turn the page and try to do it again tomorrow.”

Michael Kinney is a Freelance Writer with Eyeamtruth.com

February 11, 2017 0

Part one of Westbrook, Durant drama unfolds tonight

But matchup on the court should be most important story at the end of the night

By Michael Kinney

It’s easily the most anticipated game of the early NBA season. When the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors tip-off at 9:30 p.m. tonight on TNT, the basketball watching world will have all eyes on them.

The drama surrounding former Oklahoma City teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant has made the NBA relevant two months earlier than normal. Well, at least for one night.

Durant’s departure from Oklahoma City after the Thunder lost a 3-1 lead to Golden State in the Western Conference Finals last season was stunning. The fact he went to the same Warriors squad was earth shattering.

For months after the July 4^th announcement, every word out of Durant’s mouth was dissected to see if he was slighting his former team. Or in today’s vernacular, throwing shade. Many times, it seemed that he was.

But recently in an interview with the Mercury News, Durant said he and Westbrook are still brothers and that he handled his departure wrong. That interview just happened to come days before the two teams faced off for the first time. Obviously, not a coincidence.

On Westbrook’s part, he hasn’t said to much publicly about the divorce except to say that he hasn’t spoken with KD yet.

What he has done is lead the revamped Thunder to the best record in the league while averaging a triple double. They and Cleveland are the only undefeated teams left heading into tonight. He has also transformed himself from the moody, angry talent into the fiery MVP candidate and who didn’t run from the challenge of leading the Thunder. At least that’s the way fans around the league see it. For the first time Durant is looked upon as the villain while Westbrook has snagged hero part.

And Part 1 of their three regular season encounters will play out on the Oracle floor tonight in Oakland.

Match up wise, the Warriors have serious advantage. They are No. 1 in the league in scoring at 113.8 for a reason. Even though the nucleus of Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still trying to merge their games, after the season opening loss, they have won three straight. Durant is the team’s leading scorer at 28 ppg.

Oklahoma City was already a brand new squad even before adding Jerami Grant two days ago. Yet, In one game he has proven trading for him was the right move by General Manger Sam Presti.

But, besides Westbrook, the team’s biggest advantage continues to be their size. Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Domantas Sabonis and Grant give the Thunder the advantage on the front line. They are averaging 51.8 rebounds per contest.

With Victor Oladipo stepping up his game, the Thunder may feel they can match the Warriors backcourt.

So, while most the television and radio talk shows and newspaper columnist will focus on what will Durant and Westbrook do when they come out for the jump ball, the most important question is are the Thunder for real.

If Oklahoma City can come away with a victory or the very least a competitive game, Golden State will know the Thunder are a serious team they will have to deal with down the road.

After the Thunder beat the L.A. Clippers 85-83 Wednesday, Westbrook was told people expected Oklahoma City to fall off after Durant left.

“That’s where they went wrong,” Westbrook responded.

November 3, 2016 0

Presti looking forward to seeing ‘new’ Thunder come together

By Michael Kinney

After tumultuous offseason in which the Oklahoma City Thunder lost its best player and resigned its leader, general manger Sam Presti didn’t show any signs of stress or worry when he met with the media Wednesday afternoon.

That included when he was asked about the most controversial topic in sports today, the National Anthem protest. It’s a NBA rule that players must stand during the National Anthem, but players around the league have hinted at making some kind of gesture during the season.

“Our viewpoint on it is obviously we’ve had players and staff stand for the National Anthem over the past eight years,” Presti said. “We’d love to see that continue. At the same time, our players have the opportunity and ability to express themselves as people, and we respect that above all… we have good relationships with our players. We want to work with them. We want to learn how we can help them take the symbol and try to create platforms for action. And I think that’s one of the great roles that any organization can play, especially here in Oklahoma City, which is great, given our relationship with the community.”

Presti was just as encouraging when talking about the upcoming 2016-17 season.

“Our approach to each season has been the same,” Presti said. “We want to build great habits. We want to understand that the work that we put in each day isn’t going to necessarily give us immediate results, but we’re working towards building the best team and finding the best version of ourselves every year.”

Whatever the best version of the Thunder turns out to be, it will undoubtedly have Russell Westbrook leading the charge. The spirited point guard signed an extension over the summer that will keep him in Oklahoma City at least through 2018. That was enough to lift up a disheartened fan base still reeling from the loss of Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors.

However, once the season begins Oct. 26, it will be all about what Westbrook does on the court to lead his team into the post-Durant future.

“I would say for anybody as a leader, you know, coming into a different environment and different circumstances, I think the expectation would be that you would continue to grow and evolve I think, and I think that’s his expectation,” Presti said. “So there’s opportunity across the board for our entire team, our entire roster, entire staff, and that’s where I think a lot of the excitement and enthusiasm comes from. But Russell has been a player and person that’s evolved every step of the way, and I think this is another opportunity for him to do that.”

Along with Westbrook, the Thunder return key veterans such as Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Andre Roberson and Anthony.

Newcomers such as Victor Oladipo, Ronnie Price, Ersan Ilyasova, and Domantas Sabonis are expected to be key performers.

“Victor is definitely a player that presents great athleticism, great speed, high-character, professionalism, and a competitive spirit that we value,” Presti said. “How that fits into an entire team, that’s to me the path of the season for us.”

One player who will not be in the lineup for at least the first 14 games is forward Mitch McGary after he was suspended by the NBA. But with 16 players under contract heading into the season, there is no guarantee he will have a place on the roster when he returns.

“For me, I’m disappointed in the fact that he’s in that situation. He’ll be with us in training camp with an opportunity to compete,” Presti said. “All that being said, I think it’s going to be a competitive camp. We’ve got probably more deserving players lined up to come to camp than we have roster spots. But I think that’s a strong position to be in as a team, as an organization. We’re excited about that. I know the coaches are, and we’re probably going to have some tough decisions to make.”

Oklahoma City’s annual Blue and White Scrimmage is set for Sept. 27 at John Marshall High. Their first two preseason games will take place Oct. 3 and 5 in Spain when they take on Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. They return home Oct. 11 for a game against Dallas.

September 22, 2016 0

Westbrook sends message with extension

By Michael Kinney

OKLAHOMA CITY – When Russell Westbrook arrived at the Chesapeake Energy Arena Thursday afternoon, it looked like the old Thunder alley had opened back up. Hundreds of fans lined up outside and greeted him like he was a conquering hero coming back to the Roman Coliseum.

In many respects, that’s what Westbrook represented as he climbed onto the podium and to address the media concerning the new contract extension he had signed earlier in the day. After a month of

of hearing that they couldn’t compete with the bigger markets for top tier talent, Westbrook seemingly sent a message with his actions.

“I love where I live. People ask me all the time, Why do you love Oklahoma City? I say, The people,” Westbrook said. “You guys are the nicest people I’ve ever been around. I’m not just saying that because I’m here. Just to be able to be around and walk around. Everywhere I walk around, nobody has never said anything to me negatively. Everything is always positive. Always great encouragement. That’s what I like to be around. I like to be where I’m loved, where I’m wanted. Obviously this is a place for that.”

When Westbrook was asked why now was the right time to make this deal, his answer was simple and also seemed to throw daggers at a former teammate who now resides in California.

“The city, the people around here, myself,” Westbrook said. “There’s no need to wait if you know where you want to be. There’s no need to waste time. I’m a straightforward type of guy. I shoot you straight. No need to go back and forth and try to figure out any other options, create this hoopla, rumors and all this stuff. This is where I want to be, and that’s what I made the decision based on.”

Westbrook’s extension is reportedly a 3-year deal worth $85.7 million. He holds a player option on the final season.

Since he was going to be a free agent after the end of the 2016-17 season, the extension adds one more guaranteed year under contract for the Thunder. After that, he can leave or stay with the franchise that drafted him.

“It was a lot of things that came into play. It really comes down to being around the guys and the people in the organization,” Westbrook said. “I love my teammates. They go to battle every single night. The group of guys we have, I’m looking forward to playing with them, continue great things for Oklahoma City. Obviously the organization has done nothing but great things for me and my family. I can do nothing but respect that and go out every night and compete at a high level.”

Some may look at the extension as just a temporary plug in a leaking ship. With no promise Westbrook will be in Oklahoma beyond 2018, the Thunder will have to go through this same tumultuous offseason in two years.

Even though the new deal isn’t long term, it was a win-win for both the player and the team.

For Westbrook, he gets a raise from the $17 million he was scheduled to make this year to $26.5 million. After two years, he can opt out of his contract, and sign a new one with the Thunder that could see him earning a five year contract worth more than $200 million.

The extension also gives Westbrook more freedom, not that he didn’t have any before. But without having to share shots with Kevin Durant, he could be in store for a historical offensive season.

Despite Durant leaving the franchise to play for the team that beat the Thunder in the playoffs, Westbrook contends their relationships is not over.

“We’ve been together eight years. You don’t throw that away,” Westbrook said. “Obviously he’s now with a new team. But we definitely will talk eventually. But obviously now we haven’t.”

For the Thunder, the extension stabilizes what has been an unsettling offseason. Losing Durant turned the franchise on its head and put them into emergency lock down mode. Keeping Westbrook became the top priority.

Being able to guarantee that their remaining star attraction will be around for at least two more seasons settles everything down and gives General Manager Sam Presti and his crew a chance to put together a game plan and direction going forward.

“I think his commitment and confidence is telling about him as a person. At the same time we’ve known him for eight years,” Presti said. “As excited as I am, I’m also grateful because you have an opportunity for a legacy player to put his stamp on continuing with the organization. I think his spirit, his competitiveness, aside from being a great player… I’ve seen him play for eight years and I’ve never seen him take a night off. If you can have that, that’s an incredible thing.”

For the fans, it gives them somebody to root for instead of someone to just root against. The same player that half the fan based wanted to trade five years ago is now going to champion their cause of being a city where big time players will want to come to and play.

No matter how long its for or what his reasons were, Westbrook did choose to stay in Oklahoma. For now, that may be enough for a fan base that has been rejected once already.

“Obviously with Kevin going, it opened up a few things for me in different ways,” Westbrook said. “Me being able to see the team we have, the guys we have, the fans, the support, I felt like this is the best place for me and the best team. I love being here. This is the place I wanted to be.”

Michael Kinney is a freelance writer.

August 5, 2016 0

How happy should Thunder fans really be?

By Michael Kinney

When Oklahoma City Thunder fans woke up Thursday morning and saw the news that Russell Westbrook had agreed to sign an extension with the team, there was a celebration on social media. Of the two top 10 NBA players who were on their team for the past eight years, one of them said he wanted to stay put and that was a cause for a party.

However, as the exact details of the proposed deal started to get digested, some of the shine was worn off, but not enough to detract from the fan’s celebration.

According to various reports, Westbrook will sign a 3-year extension worth $85.7 million. He will hold a player option on the final season.

So should Thunder fans be happy or not?

Even though the new deal isn’t long term, it was a win-win for both the player and the team.

The extension also gives Westbrook more freedom, not that he didn’t have any before. But without having to share shots with Kevin Durant, he could be in store for a historical offensive season.

When Durant was injured two years ago and played in only 21 game, everyone got a glimpse of what a Westbrook led team would look like. With a rookie Steven Adams and Enes Kanter playing only half the year in Oklahoma City, they were one game away from making the postseason and Westbrook collected triple doubles like they were baseball cards. Now the team is older, more mature and hopefully more talented with the addition of Victor Olidipo and others.

No matter how long its for or what his reasons were, Westbrook did choose to stay in Oklahoma. For now, that may be enough for a fan base that has been rejected once already.

August 4, 2016 0