Monthly Archives: December 2013

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview (Game 22 of 82)

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Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison

  • When: Friday, 13 December 2013 at 7:00 PM CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

The Los Angeles Lakers are down this season. Kobe Bryant has looked meh in his first two games back from the torn Achilles injury that he suffered late last season. The Lakers’ bench looks better than its starters. The Lakers have too many injuries.

The narrative could go on and on about how the Lakers have looked this season. And yet, they are still the Lakers, and that player wearing No. 24 is still Kobe Bryant. So there will always be intrigue when it comes to this match-up. Back in 2008, the Lakers were the team the Thunder wanted to knock off the perch. They gave us our first taste of playoff basketball in 2010 and Kobe Bryant has served as something of a big brother to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The roles have now reversed, with the Thunder being one of the top teams in the West and the Lakers clawing to stay in playoff contention. This is the first of four meetings between the two clubs. The Thunder won the season series last season 3-1, winning by an average of almost 13 points in those three victories.

The Opponent

kobe meeks henry lakers

The Lakers currently find themselves at 10-11, in 13th place in the Western Conference. They are a Mike D’Antoni-coached team, but without the weapons to make that sort of team succeed. When Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion were running D’Antoni’s system, it was run almost to perfection. But with Kobe coming back from injury and the roster in salary strapped shambles, the results are a team that is 14th in points per game at 101.3, but next to last in points allowed, at 103.5. With Kobe back, and all 3 of their point guards out with injury, D’Antoni is depending on Bryant to run the offense for him. An offense, that this Kobe is probably not familiar enough to successfully run. Joining Kobe in the back court will be Jodie Meeks. Up front, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill will run the high low and may prove to be a difficult match-up at times. The bench was one of the strengths of the team, but injuries and the return of Kobe have negated that weapon. Continue reading Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview (Game 22 of 82) →

Kevin Durant: The Backpack Baller

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backpack baller durant

If you follow my site any, you know that I don’t ever push any products and I don’t advertise. Part of that has to do with the fact that Word Press won’t allow you to place ads in your blog. But I also don’t advertise because I don’t want to. This is purely a labor of love for me. I do it for free and I do it because it is a hobby of mine to write about my team. While I don’t advertise on my site, I wouldn’t be opposed to supporting something that I feel is worthwhile, though.

Recently, I received an email from Brad Graham regarding a project he was working on. The project is a 250 page book chronicling the rise of Kevin Durant.

Here’s Brad summary of the book:

The Backpack Baller: The Fantastical Basketball Voyage of Kevin Durant will be a 250 page magnum opus taking a forensic and satellite view of KD’s on-court conquests, as well as his off-court challenges. 

The book will explore his devotion, brilliance, and cultural standing, and much like the player on which it’s based, The Backpack Baller is non-traditional. Neatly broken up into a series of essays, magazine-style features, and interviews with Durant himself, the book will cover everything KD has touched over his first 25 years. 

During the early stages of research, the book’s author, Brad Graham, planned to write a sprawling 5000 word magazine article, but after conversing with a collection of renowned reporters, international fans, Durant’s childhood friends who now play pro, his teammates, competitors, retired greats of the gam, and of course, the man himself, Brad realized there was more than enough content to craft a compelling book – and with his background in graphic design, he was just the man to take on such an ambitious project. 

Now, I’m skeptical by nature, especially when it comes to receiving something via email. But the more I read into the project, the more I wanted to find out whether this was something legit. So I emailed Brad back and asked him about the project, and more specifically, whether Durant, himself, knew about the book. This was his response: Continue reading Kevin Durant: The Backpack Baller →

Oklahoma City Thunder at Sacramento Kings Preview (Game 16 of 82)

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collison westbrook cousins thompson kings thunder

  • When: Tuesday, 03 December 2013 at 9:00 PM CST
  • Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, CA

After 2 weeks of great home cooking (6-0 homestand!), the Oklahoma City Thunder head west for a 2 game back to back set, before ending up in New Orleans for the 3rd game of the road trip. The first leg of the road trip takes the Thunder to  Sacramento for their first of four meeting with the Kings this season. The Thunder come into the game riding a 7-game win streak after having lost 2 games in a row on their last road trip.

The Thunder swept the season series against the Kings last season, 3-0, with an average margin of victory just below 10. After nearly losing the franchise to Seattle in the off-season, the Arco faithful (Sleep Train, really?)  may be clamoring and cow-belling from this type of game.

The Opponent

kings mclemore cousins thomas

The Sacramento Kings come into the game with a 4-11 record, having lost 4 in a row. The misleading part is that the Kings have been close in 3 of those 4 consecutive losses, losing by 7 points combined in two games versus the Clippers and losing by 2 points to the Warriors. The Kings are in the bottom third of four major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists per game and points allowed). The team is in the midst of a second consecutive rebuild after the Tyreke Evans/DeMarcus Cousins duo failed to mature and develop. Gone is Evans, whom the team traded to New Orleans for Greivis Vasquez. Joining Vasquez in the back court is rookie guard Ben McLemore, who has shown flashes of greatness, but is still struggling with consistency. The newly acquired Derrick Williams joins Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousin in the front court to form an offensively formidable trio with a penchant for struggling defensively. Though inconsistent, the bench can provide a big punch with sparkplugs Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton providing instant offense, and Patrick Patterson and John Salmons providing anything else that is needed. Continue reading Oklahoma City Thunder at Sacramento Kings Preview (Game 16 of 82) →