Category: OKC Thunder Blog

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NBA West remains very strong

Another NBA season is upon us with a little more than a week left before teams gather for the start of training camp.

And once again, the Western Conference is where they will play hardball.

All one has to do is look at the biggest transaction from the offseason. It could be argued that the Western Conference teams came out on the better end of a four-team, 12-player trade that sent All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers, established forward Andre Iguodala to Denver, center Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia and emerging swingman Arron Afflalo to Orlando.

The deal serves as an indication that the West again holds the league’s overall balance of power with so many talent-rich teams. Not since the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season has the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff teams had an overall better record than the eight from the West. In those fourteen years, a West squad has won 10 NBA Championships (five for the Lakers, four for San Antonio, one for Dallas) and there appear to be more Western Conference teams — among the legitimate title contenders — poised to unseat the defending champion Miami Heat this season.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

OKC Thunder sign DeAndre Liggins and Andy Rautins

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed guards DeAndre Liggins and Andy Rautins to contracts, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Liggins (6-6, 209 pounds) saw action in 17 games during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Orlando Magic where he registered averages of 1.9 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.8 minutes.

After spending three years at the University of Kentucky, Liggins was selected in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2011 draft by the Orlando Magic.

Rautins (6-4, 190 pounds), a second round pick of the New York Knicks in 2010 (No. 38 overall) spent the 2011-12 season playing in Spain for Lucentum Alicante where he appeared in 17 games and averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest.

The former Canadian National Team member appeared in five NBA games with the Knicks after concluding his four year collegiate career at Syracuse University.

Four Thunder players on Basketball Without Borders trip to Africa

Nick Collison is part of a hefty Thunder presence in Africa this week. Four of the seven NBA players participating in Basketball Without Borders this year are from the Oklahoma City roster. Serge Ibaka, a native of the Republic of Congo, joins Collison, Thabo Sefolosha and Cole Aldrich as camp coaches.

Chicago’s Luol Deng, Milwaukee’s Luc Mbah a Moute and Brooklyn’s C.J. Watson are also participating in the basketball clinic for 60 African boys and girls, and helping life skills seminars and education on HIV and AIDS.

”We’re out here to not only change other people’s lives but also to change ours, to give us a different perspective on other how other people live,” Aldrich said. ”Serge grew up in a totally different lifestyle than any of us did, and we’re learning a little bit of that through this trip.

”It’s been so much fun, there’s a lot of things we’ve got to continue to do and we’re just trying to spread the word of basketball and just help people that need help.”

— Reported by Jeff Latzke of the Associated Press

Kevin Durant goes from gold medal to red carpet

Kevin Durant movie

Kevin Durant is going from representing the red, white and blue to walking the red carpet.

Adding to a resume that already includes being a three-time NBA scoring champion and Olympic gold medalist, Durant was the star as his movie ”Thunderstruck” premiered in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown entertainment district Sunday night. It opens in other theaters Friday.

Durant strolled down a red carpet in a black T-shirt, grey vest, white jeans and black sneakers to answer questions about his acting skills instead of the deadly shooting ability that propelled the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals last season.

”Of course, people are going to look at it a little different because I’m a basketball player and I’m doing something different,” Durant said. ”A basketball player is what I do. It’s not really just solely who I am. I like to do other things.

”It’s all about conquering your fears. That’s one thing I did with this, stepping in front of a camera and people yelling ‘Action!’ It’s not the norm for me. I did something outside the box, and I’m glad it turned out pretty well.”

— Reported by Jeff Latzke of the Associated Press

OKC Thunder sign Serge Ibaka to contract extension

OKC Thunder sign Serge Ibaka to contract extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward Serge Ibaka to a multi-year extension, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. According to Yahoo Sports, the deal is for four years, $48 million.

“We are very excited that Serge will continue as a core member of the Thunder for years to come,” said Presti. “His passion for our organization, our community and for continuing to build on the foundation that he and his teammates have established was pivotal to making this possible. Serge personifies many of the traits that we value as an organization; he is a tireless and disciplined worker, an elite competitor and someone who treats his profession with the utmost focus, which in addition to his character, will all be integral to his continued improvement.”

In three seasons with Oklahoma City, Ibaka has appeared in 221 games (110 starts) and registered averages of 8.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.43 blocks in 24.1 minutes per contest. During the past two seasons, the forward has blocked 439 shots which are the most in the NBA during that period.

Last season, Ibaka was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team after pacing the league in blocks (3.65 bpg). He blocked 10-or-more shots three times and became the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double which included blocked shots after recording 14 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks vs. Denver (2/19).

Originally selected with the 24th overall selection of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Thunder has qualified for the postseason in each of his three seasons in Oklahoma City. The Brazzaville, Republic of Congo native has recorded averages of 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.86 blocks and 28.2 minutes in 43 postseason contests.

This summer, Ibaka earned a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Games in London. He helped guide the Spanish national team to a 5-3 record while averaging 8.0 points, 4.4. rebounds and 1.25 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

A bit of the Kevin Durant and father story

Father of Kevin Durant quit on family when Kevin was 1

When [Wayne] Pratt was 23 years old, he was already a father of two. He says he wasn’t ready for the responsibilities. Around Durant’s first birthday, Pratt deserted the family, leaving behind his wife, Wanda, and sons Kevin and Tony.

“I felt like I was immature, selfish, I was young. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” said Pratt, now 46. “But my sons helped me realize how important it was to be in their lives by always wanting me to be around.”

Wanda Durant (her maiden name) sits courtside at most Oklahoma City Thunder games and is regularly interviewed by major media outlets. Meantime, Pratt is a lesser known figure who said he’s happy with the simple life he lives.

It took Pratt nearly a decade to seek forgiveness from his two sons and worked out a decent relationship with his now ex-wife. He said Wanda was always a positive person and strong enough to raise two sons.

— Reported by Matt Breen of the Washington Post

Scott Brooks says he must keep improving as a coach

He owns a .582 winning percentage, a Coach of the Year award and has captained his team to the NBA Finals.

Yet Scott Brooks will be the first to tell you he needs to improve.

“My job is to get better,” the Oklahoma City Thunder coach said shortly after signing a four-year contract extension last month. “I’m not going to stand up here and say that I’m great. I feel like I have a lot of room to improve.”

At this point, the continued improvement of the defending Western Conference champions is largely dependent on Brooks’ progression.

— Reported by Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder sign Daniel Orton

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed forward Daniel Orton to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Orton (6-10, 255 pounds) appeared in 16 games (two starts) during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Orlando Magic and recorded averages of 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per contest.

After attending Bishop McGuiness High School in Oklahoma City, Orton spent one year at the University of Kentucky where he averaged 3.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.40 blocks during his freshman season.

LeBron James wants Kevin Durant to shoot a lot

LeBron wants Durant to shoot a lot

Kevin Durant, the scoring champ in question, has not played in an Olympics before. Like any newcomer, he wants to be liked. So time and again during the U.S. team’s brief time together this year, Durant has passed up the sort of open shots that he drills with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I told KD (Durant) to just be himself,” LeBron James said Sunday after Durant led the U.S. with 22 points and added nine rebounds in a game that was only close for one quarter. “On a team like this you can kind of shy away because there are so many great players here. But KD’s on this team for a reason. He’s one of the best players the world has and he’s a three-time scoring champ. So we don’t want the KD that defers. We want the KD that he is in Oklahoma City.”

James seemed determined to make that KD show up on Sunday. He threw the ball to Durant every time he could, passing up one open shot after another to get the ball to Durant. It was a bit ironic, considering that Durant and James went head-to-head in the NBA Finals this season when the Miami Heat defeated the Thunder.

— Reported by Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer