The loss still hurts. I've never seen an arena go from pure jubilation to deep depression so fast. Literally. What was it, like a 30 second difference? Still, it brought me back to the days of the Hornets, where David West could always be counted as our savior. And who would have thought that at the time? David West? We were supposed to be cheering for guys like Jamaal Magloire, J.R. Smith, and "The Birdman." Anyway, at least the excitement is back as the Ford Center. I was getting worried early on when we were getting destroyed that the electric atmosphere would lose its luster. But we've now proven, even if we're on the losing  end, that we can keep a game close against even the best teams. Speaking of the best teams, tonight we're playing...the Knicks?!?! OK, so they can't be counted as elite yet, but they aren't too far away from .500, which itself isn't too impressive, but in the awful East, thats get you into the playoffs. That's saying something considering the Knicks were the model franchise of imperfection back in the day.

Backstory: This has been talked about earlier, but I think I'll reiterate. The Thunder had a chance against the superior Nuggets because of the great play from, of all people, Damien Wilkins and Earl Watson. If this can continue, which it won't, the Thunder will be a formidable force. When you get down to it, the terrible talent at the end of the roster is weighting this team down, that and sheer inexperience from the starters. The good news: this is fixable. That is, as long as the team management, from Sam Presti and others, remains good, which it has.

Match-Ups:

Russell Westbrook vs. Chris Duhon

Edge: Westbrook

Have you voted for Russ yet? I haven't. Go Joe Alexander.

Desmond Mason vs. Quentin Richardson

Edge: Richardson

Quentin Richardson is the better scorer and Desmond Mason, though he's shown flashes at times, is not as amazing in the starting five as I once had thought.

Kevin Durant vs. Wilson Chandler

Edge: KD

This one ain't close. Does KD have another heroic shot up his sleeve?

Jeff Green vs. Al Harrington

Edge: Harrington

I know theres times wher he's lible to throw up bricks, but he's very versatile, and I think theres some Warrior fans that miss him.

Robert Swift vs. David Lee

Edge: Lee

He's the most impressive player on this roster to me. He plays with so much energy. Curly hair, lots of energy, like the toy lap dog you always wanted...

Battle of the Benches

Edge: Thunder

They'll probably have to go to the bench a lot in this one. Look for Joe Smith to step up, as he usually does when called upon.

Coaching and Intangibles

Edge: Knicks

D'Antoni is way better than Brooks, that wasn't even worth saying. Still, the Thunder are playing well, so it isn't too one-sided.

Player to Watch: Joe Smith

God of Thunder's Pick: Thunder 100 Knicks 99

Comments

April

0

 

 

I'm happy to hear your thoughts about the crowd at the Ford Center. The first game I went to was against The Hornets and I thought I had gone to another planet. Such a difference in the crowd!! The second game I went too against the Raptors the whole row in front of me did not stand up for the first basket. I said to myself Holy Cow. There is such a difference in feeling in that crowd. These can't have been Hornet fans.
I'm happy to hear your choice for a win. These guys are working their butts off and deserve a win.

Tuesday 06 January 2009, 10:51

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