|
Oklahoma City Thunder
at
Sacramento Kings
Preview
The History
Sacramento seems like a long time ago now, but just under 2 weeks ago they served as the home opener for the Thunder. In a game that served to energize the Thunder fans and set a new benchmark for success the Thunder claimed victory over the Kings 102-89. This would be the first game Thabo Sefolosha would frustrate and limit an established scorer but it wouldn't be the last. This time around the Kings are in even worse position to get the win as Kevin Martin, who led the Kings with 27 points, will not be playing.
The Matchups
Beno Udrih v Russell Westbrook
With Kevin Martin out the Kings have shifted Tyreke Evans to shooting guard and put Beno Udrih into the starters spot, and he has rewarded them with points and a decent assist to turnover ratio. In the past four games he has put up double digit points and has had more assists than turns in every game but one. Westbrook torched the Kings last time he played them with 13 assists, 14 points, and 7 rebounds. Look for more of the same tonight.
Edge
Tyreke Evans v Thabo Sefolosha
Tyreke had issues with the defense of Hustle in the previous matchup; with no offense to Westbrook I think Thabo is a step up the ladder defensively. Without Martin to be the focus of the offense the Kings tend to spread the ball around more so while Thabo may shut Evans down it will be up to the team to make sure someone else doesn't pick up the slack. Hopefully Thabo can build on the "Sniper" nickname KD gave him after his performance against Orlando but as long as he contains Evans the Thunder have a great chance to win.
Edge
Andres Nocioni v Kevin Durant
Nocioni is a nice player but not really anything special, KD is generally considered one of the top players in the league and a scorer of the Kobe, LeBron, and Wade type of talent. Who do you think gets the edge in this matchup. I actually expect to see more Omri Casspi since he was one of the bright spots in the loss earlier in the year.
Edge
Jason Thompson v Jeff Green
Jeff Green scores more Thompson rebounds more. In the opener I thought this would be a good game to judge how far Green has come defensively against larger more physical power forwards, in the game he abused Nocioni and to a lesser degree Thompson for 24 points on 9-13 including 4-5 from three and grabbed 7 rebounds. Thompson meanwhile had 11 points on 3-4 shooting and 9 rebounds. So really we didn't learn a whole lot from watching these two the first time. This will be the matchup I watch during the game as we try to figure out the mystery man Jeff Green.
Edge Push
Spencer Hawes v Nenad Krstic
Krstic had a great game that really raised expectations for him in the home opener. Krstic went 6-10 but went to the line 11 times paying 8 off. He also had 7 rebounds which is still his season high. Hawes went 4-10 with 6 rebounds, so pretty much an average performance. As Krstic goes so goes Westbrook it seems so if Krstic gets going early on look out.
Edge
Bench v Bench
Omri Casspi came in and really impressed with the effort and efficiency he displayed in limited minutes in the first loss. Casspi is averaging almost 10 points off the bench shooting .558 from the field. Ime Udoka was signed and has provided some minutes off the bench but doesn't do anything particularly well; the same can be said of Sean May who actually started for the Kings against the Thunder last game.
Harden, Thomas, Ollie, and Collison continue to come in and produce in the minutes they are given. Thomas in particular is looking impressive down low. Collison continues to come in and provide great energy and hustle plays. Ollie has stepped up and is playing better the past couple of games; he is taking smart shots and hitting them. Harden continues to come in and even if his shot isn't falling the assists are as he is evolving into an effective combo guard running the point with Ollie. In Hardens first game he played only 13 minutes in part due to some really bad defense, since this game his defense has improved considerably and hopefully he can have a bigger impact on this game than the last.
Edge
The Prediction
The Thunder start this road trip off right, with a win. The Kings without Martin spread the ball around, much like the Rockets, which could spell trouble for the Thunder. But the Kings also lack the depth of the Rockets. When Westbrook and Thabo, who I will forever call sniper if he goes 3-3 from three tonight, can shut down Evans and Udrih then Nocioni, Thompson, and Hawes will be hard pressed to keep up with Krstic, Green, and Durant. And with little to no help off the bench except Casspi for the Kings the Thunder should be able to get DJ White and Serge Ibaka into the game with little risk of losing. Thunder win 95-86
|
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 