Pregame 16: Return of the Beard

In a few short hours

In a city very,  very close to home...

Game 16 

Return of the Beard

James Harden has returned to his home city 

of Oklahoma City in an attempt to save his

new ailing team from the clutches of mediocrity

Little does James know that THE THUNDER

have received a new player more efficient than

James was when he was on his first team.

When hot, this new player along with THE THUNDER

will spell certain doom for the team from the south

trying to become playoff contenders and bring

power back to Houston.

Yes, I did take a few liberties with the crawl from Return of the Jedi, but who can blame me when trying to create cheesy comedy? And my apologies to those who take offense with me placing the Thunder as the Dark side. Literally, it was the only way my joke would make sense. Anyways, on to business. This is the first game back for the former player, James Harden, who was traded two days before the trade deadline. James Harden has since become a force in the NB by being in the top 10 players as far as points per game, averaging 25.2 points. He has become a favorite topic for anyone in the NBA with the argument of whether or not he can lead Houston to the Playoffs. This is one of many games that James Harden can prove that he is all the player that people have seen him be in the last month and that he can lead his team to victory against playoff contenders, such as the defending Western Conference champion Thunder. Only time will tell who will make the best of the trade, whether it be the Thunder or James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Now on to the stats.

Jimmy V Week

Jimmy V Week

 

This week is in rememberence of one of the most inspirational men in all of sports, Jimmy Valvano. Most remember Jimmy V by his inspirational speech he gave at the ESPY award night in 1993. He was a coach for NC State or North Carolina State and in 1983, he coached the Wolfpack to the NCAA championship. He was diagonsed with bone cancer in 1992 and succomed to the year long battle just 8 weeks after he gave his famous speech.

 

In rememberance of Jimmy V and all those who have lost their life to cancer and those who still fight it to this day, take time to enjoy that which is precious and that which is most important.

 

The Jimmy V foundation takes donations that go directly to cancer research and no where else. If you feel compelled, the link is here.

 

Two quotes of Jimmy Valvano in his famous speech convey most what he was trying to convey to the people listening. First he told them, " Take time out of your day to laugh, think, and cry" and for all those who have had to fight cancer or know those who have had to deal with it through family members, he encouraged those by saying " It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."

 

Jimmy Valvano made this speech when I was not even 1 year old and was diagnosed a month after I born, but this speech has kept with me even though I was not even old enough to understand it at the time it was made. To all those in the fight for cancer and for those who have dealt with family members and their fight for cancer, Keep fighting, Don't give up,  and remember to do those three things that Jimmy V said 19 years ago.

 

 Laugh. Think. Cry.

 

 

The video link is here if you would like to watch the whole speech.

The Rookie Problem

 The Rookie Problem

One of the most documented occurrences in the NBA is the ongoing drama of players rookie season. This season defines what a rookie will contribute to his team and to the NBA as a whole for the rest of his career. The rookie can either become a offensive or defensive force, changing the landscape of his team and the NBA, or he can slip into non-importance, forgotten by his team, coach, and fans and only remembered as a bust. The rookie season can be deceiving. A great player can sometimes have not the greatest of NBA seasons. A great player can have a great rookie season and be a bust for the whole of his career. However, what a rookie learns in his first year in the NBA, what he experiences and how he defines himself will influence the rest of his career. 

The NBA draft is very inconsistent in being able to predict the success a player will have in his career. Many top 10 draft picks have busted and completely fallen from the conscience of the collective basketball community. Players such as Greg Oden, the #1 pick the year Kevin Durant entered the draft, come to mind. However, many picks outside the top 10 have been known to produce and even become great players, ones remembered in retired jerseys and HOF nominations. Former player Steve Kerr and current Spurs guard Manu Ginobli are justifications of such. So when determining the destiny of current rookies, it becomes hard to follow a trend, because there is none.

The Thunder, as they have been created in their current form, have focused on the most part on development of young players in a conducive environment that helps them harness their skills and their full potential. The likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and the current Houston player James Harden are prime examples of such. However, all of these current and former members of the Thunder were given ample time, a clean slate to build from in which development mattered and wins were second in importance. Kevin Durant was molded into a stone cold killer from arch, Russell developed into the conundrum of athleticism and carelessness that we all love dearly, and Serge Ibaka became "Air Congo", a one stop block machine. 

Unfortunately for the Thunder rookies, who the team picks up by the mere fact that they are included in the draft, there is little to no playing time available. Wins and championships are now what the Thunder has set it sights on, and the development of the rookies has fallen by the wayside. Minutes in close game no longer go to the rookies who are looking to learn, but to veteran all-stars who built the team from scratch. And so the Thunder has been plagued with the question, what to do? The lineups are quite strict, as can be deduced from any investigation of the way in which Scott Brooks coaches. The offense and defense are working their kinks out with new player in and traded players out, which warrants more time for the starting bunch. Now the Thunder have been given great talent, two top 12 talents, and have no room to develop. As can be seen with the garbage time on the floor during blowouts, even with no pressure these rookies are nowhere near ready to warrant playing time or even starting time. So with great talent sitting on the bench, the Thunder have backed itself into the corner. Either risk playing rookies to ensure valuable playing time at the expense of points and possibly wins, or continue to let the talent sit on the bench and allow potential to never be realized. 

Perry Jones III is an asset the Thunder picked up with the 28th pick in the first round of the NBA draft. Jeremy Lamb was a rookie that the Thunder acquired in the trade that included Kevin Martin and James Harden, Thunder role players (Cole Aldrich, Dequan Cook, Lazar Hayward) and draft picks from Houston. Both these players had great promise, Perry Jones III as a solid backup to Kevin Durant and Jeremy Lamb as another guard in the already potent stable of guards for the Thunder. However, the rookie problem has led to these players being destined for the bench, only kept on the bench for garbage time and seat warmers.

The rookie problem the Thunder have is not the worst to have. Many teams have rookies that compete and have excelled, but still have loosing records. However, it is one that should not be ignored. Having good back up is always a safe bet, and relying on your best players never to get or get into situations where  they cannot pay is not intelligent. It is the decision of the Thunder and Coach Brooks on whether not to play these rookies, but they will have to face the consequences of their actions down the road, and the decision will effect the Thunder in some way or another in the months and years to come.

Thunder Peakes: Breaking the Seal

This is the OFFICIAL FIRST POST OF THUNDER PEAKES. Yes, I understand my overuse of caps lock is quite annoying, but I am quite excited and I don't know any other way to express. Over the upcoming season, I will be passing on information on games, news, and all things Thunder that I can get my grubby little hands on. This is a work in progress, I am only an amateur sportswriter. So bear with me, give support or criticism when possible, and we together can make this blog something more. THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS HO!