Memphis Grizzlies vs.  Oklahoma City Thunder

If Zach Randolph continues playing basketball the way he is now, it is hard to imagine any team stopping the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2007 to be the #8 seed to knock off the #1 seed.

Memphis emphatically dismantled the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games, and it would likely have been five games had Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal missed those unbelievably clutch 3s in the waning moments of game 5 to push the game into overtime.

The Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to combat Zach Randolph and Gasol. They also scored at the trade deadline and stole Kendrick Perkins away from Boston (Boston will regret this move before their post season is finished) for Jeff Green.

In fact, the Thunder’s roster boasts Perkins, Serge Ibaka, Nick Colison, and Nazr Muhhammed to throw at Marc Gasol and Randolph. That is a lot of depth, and expect the Thunder to wear out Memphis as this series goes on.

But we cannot forget that Marc Gasol dominated Tim Duncan in round 1, and when paired in the front court with Randolph the two mutated into some sort of mythological, twin-towered beast for the Grizzliest whom terrorized the Spurs.

This series should come down to the performance of two players performances that will decide the outcome:

Can Russell Westbrook can keep his turnovers low and push the transition game?

If Westbrook is on so are the Thunder, this has catastrophic results for most opposition, and makes life more pleasant for Kevin Durant on offense by reducing his load, and saving his game for the 4th quarter.

If Zach Randolph continues to dominate the game as he did in round 1? How will he handle the myriad of never-ending size the Thunder throw at him?

The Grizzlies might make this a series, but it is hard to bet against the Thunders talent and depth.

Prediction: Thunder in 7

Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will be facing off against the tallest version of Dallas they have ever experienced in the playoffs.

The Mavericks will have Dirk Nowitski, Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood – three seven-footers- to battle Andrew Bynum, Pao Gasol, and Lamar Odom – another three seven-footers – which will take away the height advantage the Lakers used on New Orleans in round 1.

Even though the height might be equal in numbers, it does not account for the fact that the Lakers talent level over-matches the talent of the Mavericks.

Jason Kidd has the upper hand over Derek Fisher at point guard, but how do the Mavericks have any chance whatsoever at slowing or doing anything to disrupt Kobe from imposing his will on them?

Jason Terry or DeShawn Stephenson, maybe even Corey Brewer, perhaps. Brewer is the better defender of the group, but his limited offense (major offensive regression this year) and lack of playoff experience with a winning club all but rule this out the chance of making an impact.

Rodridgue Beabois is lightning fast, but at 6’2″, he has no chance to stop Kobe.

This gives the Lakers the ultimate advantage, and should be allowed to dictate most of the pace of this series.

The Lakers are simply overall a much better team.

I would consider predicting a sweep, but can’t beat against a sweep if Jason Kidd is involved. Even at the age of 38, Kidd can still be expected to will Dallas into stealing at least 1 game.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

The Kendrick Perkins trade to the Oklahoma CIty Thunder makes the Thunder  immediate title contenders.

The Thunder lose the talented-but-inconsistent Jeff Green, but gain a formidable defensive presence who possesses championship experience against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder shipped Nenad Kristic along with Green to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

This deal is significant because the Thunder had already pressed the Lakers hard last season during the playoffs without a legitimate center. All bets are off now in the Western Conference now that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have a defensive stalwart  in the middle.

No offense to Kristc, but he falls directly into the category of “Euro Softie” as a seven footer who as a starter was ineffective on the glass.

It became clear early on this season that Green was not in OKC’s long term plans once they refused to offer him an extension.

Add into the mix the acquisition of Nazr Mohammed from the Charlotte Bobcats, and the Thunder are now stacked with Perkins, Mohammed, Serge Ibaka, and Nick Collison.

The Thunder possess enough strength up front now to give the Lakers all they can handle.

Will there be enough time for the Thunder to gel together, and challenge the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs for Western Conference supremacy?

One thing is certain, the playoffs will be far more interesting to watch now that the Thunder have made these moves.

Russell Westbrook has always been regarded as a special talent since entering the league as the #4 selection in the 2008 NBA draft. A brief collegiate career at UCLA featured him at shooting guard alongside Darren Collison raised questions by scouts about how he would adapt to the point in the NBA. They are no longer wondering.

Westbrook surfaced as the most reliable and dominant player during the Thunder’s first trip to the playoffs, with the pinnacle of his performance happening during game 6: 21 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals. The highlight of his performance? He committed zero turnovers.

Fisher was ineffective at stopping Westbrook.

Though it wasn’t enough to offset a miraculous offensive tip in by the Lakers’ Pau Gasol with 0.5 seconds remaining, giving the Lakers a 1 point lead and costing the Thunder the series, Westbrook unquestionably carried the Thunder against the defending World Champion Lakers.

The Thunder are now on the map.

While Durant was contained and Jeff Green was shaky at best, NBA teams have to realize they must stop Westbrook in order to have any chance at stopping the Thunder.

During the infancy stage of his career Westbrook was heavily criticized for his turnover proneness and low shooting percentages, and with good reason. As a rookie he shot 39% from the field, and only raised this to 41.8% during his second season. He consistently averaged 3.3 turnovers both seasons, but that number is very misleading. Westbrook was notorious for constant inconsistency by having a low turnover game, then a turnover-plagued game.

Definitely what you want to see out of a young player: signs of hope plagued by games of regression. A coach’s dream.

For the playoff series Westbrook finished with averages of 53% from the field, 87% from the line, and only 2.3 turnovers. If you toss out the abysmal game 5 in which he committed 8 turnovers, that percentage drops down to only 1 turnover per game.

It’s highly promising for his future that he reduced his turnover average by 1 at a time where it’s expected for a younger player to see a significant increase. Sometimes all a player needs is a NBA playoff series to reach the next level.

Seriously, having the ball in your hands, running the point for 36 minutes a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but committing only 2.3 turnovers a game while dominating so hard that Kobe is assigned to defend him? That is serious dominance.

Westbrook had his way against the Lakers.

Kobe rattled him during game 5, but Westbrook posted dominant numbers in game 6 with Kobe defending him. Kobe’s defense could not slow him down, and Westbrook reduced his turnovers from an abysmal 8 to 0. Westbrook did this while being defended by the legendary Kobe Bryant. Not bad.

We seldom see young players make these sort of strides during the postseason. Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, and Westbrook all exemplify the unexpected and swift emergence of a young player exceeding all expectations but yet attaining all hopes and dreams. It’s not easy to do this (as evidenced by Kevin Durant’s regression with each passing game)which makes it even more special to witness when it does happen.

For those special players who perform when the pressure is on, while every possession counts, the game becomes easier for them after experiencing the playoff epiphany.

Look for Westbrook to continue building of his postseason emergence while elevating the Thunder into newer heights in 2010-11.

Kevin Durant’s sentiment is that of disrespect on Phil Jackson’s comments of Durant’s preferential star treatment and prowess of excessively getting to the free throw line. Durant is saying all the right things, taking the high road, and planting countering seeds via the media into the minds of newspaper-reading referees.

The thing I takeaway from Durant’s rebuttal is one thing and one thing only: Don’t disrespect Kevin Durant:

“I respect Phil Jackson,” Durant started. “It really doesn’t matter, to be honest.”

“Ever since KG said something, everybody’s been questioning how I get to the line.”

“If you watch our games, you wouldn’t question it. The NBA should put us on national TV more, I guess.”

“Because it’s taking away from what I do,” Durant said. “That’s a part of my game, getting to the free-throw line and being aggressive. If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that’s just taking away from how I play. That’s disrespectful to me. I don’t disrespect nobody in this league. I respect every coach, every player, everybody. I never say anything bad about anybody else or question why they do this or do that. So for them to say that about me, I don’t even want to use no foul language.”

Jackson is infamous for using media to voice his concerns on officiating, but this time he might want to shut his mouth. Kevin Durant is not the type of player whom simply disappears when the pressure rises. Also, in the defense of Duran,t or any other NBA player for that matter, it blows my mind to smithereens when the coach of Kobe Bryant is the accusser of preferential treatment.

Making Durant angry is strongly unadvised.

Durant is the player you should reconsider making such statements about. He is a scoring machine who just won his first NBA scoring title this season at the age of 21, making him the youngest NBA scoring champion in league history. So yeah, this kid is a ridiculous superstar of all things NBA. Portland fans go ahead and go puke, then come back and finish reading. The rest of you, please continue.

Under Durant’s leadership the Thunder have won 50 games this year and earned a playoff birth in the super tough Western Conference. They face off against the Lakers in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Jackson should be careful.

Also, Durant and the Thunder beat the Lakers the last time they met recently in March, 91-75. Durant dropped in 26, and was 7 for 7 from the line. Are 7 free throws really worth crying out to the press about? Or are the Lakers personnel you so worried about Durant that they will use any tactic possible to aid in suppressing his game?

Durant is a mellow, polite, mild mannered and friendly person. He is a model citizen, and an all-around nice guy. However, if you are going to lead the league in scoring at the age of 21, you have ice-cold blood running through those veins behind those innocent kid grins. The way I see it, waking up the beast inside Durant, and having him feel disrespected leaves one of only two possible outcomes.

Outcome 1: Durant gets psyched out, and implodes while the Lakers sweep the Thunder in Round 1.

Outcome 2: Durant goes nuts, lets his playing provide the explicates towards Jackson, and the Thunder defeat the Lakers.

However unlikely outcome 2 seems, I pray it happens. Durant is simply uncanny to watch. At an age where most of us are/were trying to figure out who we are by wasting hours on introspection, this kid outscored LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the season.

While leading his team to one of the best turnarounds in losing to winning records in NBA history, without a blockbuster trade including Kevin Garnett, Durant has obviously just barely begun realizing his potential.

My point is this kid is like an unstable radioactive isotope waiting to cause catastrophic levels of damage in the playoffs, and Phil Jackson is applying the heat. In my opinion, this method is a highly unwise move.

Kevin Durant scored 36 points last night in a losing effort against the Phoenix Suns, snapping a 9-game winning streak for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was Durant’s 29th consecutive game in which he scored 25 points or more.

The only player owning a longer streak is none other than Michael Jordan, whose record of 40 consecutive games might be shattered this season. Durant currently leads the league in scoring over LeBron James by a fraction of a point (29.9 to 29.8), but there is more to his case for league MVP than just that.

Durant's game is light years ahead of schedule. (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Durant’s Thunder are far ahead of schedule this year. Last season I read tons of articles and watched countless NBA analysts discuss how bright OKC’s future would be a few years from now. That was last year. This year OKC has jumped a few years beyond expert projections, and it is solely because of Durant.

Sure, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green are vital components of this turnaround, but how could you argue that these guys would be nearly as successful without Durant?

The amount of attention Durant commands from opponents is LeBron-like, and allows Green and Westbrook to flourish. He is undoubtedly the Thunder’s MVP.

With OKC currently ranking 6th in the playoff standings with a record of 33-22 a strong argument can be made favoring Durant for serious MVP candidacy. Seriously, lets look at the one fact that justifies Durant as MVP more so than anyone else in the league, shall we?

The this-season-to-last-season-turnaround factor.

With basically the same roster as last season, the Thunder have transformed a 2008-09 losing record of 23-59 into the current record of 33-22. Nothing spells out M-V-P like a dramatic transformation of losing into winning.

With 27 games remaining OKC ranks 6th in the playoff hunt, their 21-year-old small forward is leading the league in scoring, and they are coming off a 9-game wining streak. OKC are gaining ridiculous momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. Durant is leading his team when it matters most: closing out.

Additionally, Durant and company have been consistently as good on the road as they are at home. Surely you would expect OKC to play better at home, but playing .600 ball regardless of location signifies they will not roll over on the road, which is rare for a young team like OKC.

Not only is Durant flirting with shattering Michael Jordan’s consecutive 25-point-game scoring streak record, be he is doing so without being detrimental to the team winning. He is scoring a ton while keeping teammates involved. That says it all.

The bottom line is whoever sees OKC in the first round of the playoffs might have more than they can handle while facing off against the league’s MVP.

There are 7 players making their first ever all star appearance during the 2010 NBA All Star Game: Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Zack Randolph.

Those noteworthy, yet snubbed, include David Lee of the Knicks, Chris Kaman of the Clippers, and Mo Williams of the Cavaliers. Better luck next season guys!

DERON WILLIAMS

Deron Williams joins fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant in Dallas. (Credit: picapp.com)

Deron Williams is long overdue. He had a legitimate grief for not being named to the game for the past two years. They finally got it right! I might be biased, but that is because I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the business. No disrespect to Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but when I see Williams play, I feel he is more of a pure point like Nash, but has the ability to overtake a game like Paul. Only time will tell if I am right or not, but Williams size and strength play to his favor over Paul over the long haul. KEVIN DURANT

Sorry David, your All Star chances are "Rejected!" (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Durant is not only deserving of an All Star nod, but people should seriously consider putting his name in the MVP hat this year. He is playing brilliant basketball, has a current of 19 games with 25 points or more, his team is a respectable 24-21 and tinkering on the brink of playoff contention.

More importantly, Durant has focused on defense, and as he told me during this twitter interview, and is committed to working hard to improve on every facet of his game. His off season work has proven to be effective this year as his defense is vastly improved this season.

AL HORFORD

Horford's relentless hustle earned him an All-Star appearance. (Credit: picapp.com)

Al Horford is the quiet force in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of the most athletic, self sacrificing big men in the NBA today. He might have lower statistical output than David Lee, but coaches understand how good Horford is. He is a walking talking double-double who would be putting up crazy numbers if he got to play his natural position, power forward. Plus, it never hurts your chances if your team has a winning record of 29-15. David Lee knows the Knicks suck, and if anyone on a losing team deserves an All Star bid it’s Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. DERRICK ROSE

Rose is emerging as one of the leagues best in his 2nd season. (Credit: picapp.com)

Derrick Rose is the Chicago Bulls lately. He has shaken off residuals from his preseason ankle injury while steadily increasing his scoring from 16.2 in November to 23.5 in January. The result is  a 9-5 record thus far during January.

There are few players in the league that possess the “all-in-one” game that Rose has. He will defend his skills challenge this year during the all star weekend as well. I would not be too surprised to see a slam dunk contest in his future. The dude can fly.

RAJON RONDO

It's plays like this that make Rondo an All Star. (Credit: picapp.com)

Rajon Rondo has been an All-Star since day one of the NBA season. He is a vicious defender, leads the league in steals, and is only 0.3 APG away from averaging a double-double on the season. Rondo is on an elite Celtics team in the East, and he is an integral role of the team being so. His selection comes as no shocker. GERALD WALLACE

Wallace joins Duncan among the leagues elite stars. (Credit: picapp.com)

Simple fact: Gerald Wallace is a downright nasty basketball player. He rebounds (11.0 RPG), scores (18.6), and is an all-around stat machine (1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG). With the Bobcats contending for the playoffs, Wallace is a extremely deserving All Star. An winning argument could be made for him being an all star for a few years now. Now that Charlotte is winning, Wallace finally gets the nod.

You will also be able to see his insane dunking ability in the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

ZACH RANDOLPH

Randolph has revived his career in Memphis. (Credit: picapp.com)

Last, but certainly not least, is Zach Randolph. Randolph has had a stigma surrounding him his entire career. He has been considered a distraction, selfish, or a long list or other words I dare not type, by teammates, coaches, and fans alike.

This year Randolph appears to have matured, taken the Grizzlies under his wing, and is making Memphis a team nobody wants to play. They currently rank 7th in the Western Conference playoff standings, and if San Antonio does not get it together soon, the Griz might rise higher before the end of the season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder already matched last years 23 win total this year, with 42 games remaining. They currently occupy the 8^th playoff spot in the Western Conference, and boast a .561 winning percentage. Houston has an identical record as OKC, but appears to be cooling down of late. Look for OKC to ride the hot shooting of Kevin Durant and crew to rise up the playoff table in the second half of the season. This team appears to have be on the verge of something very special.

KD is giving OKC fans something a future to smile abut. (Credit: picapp.com)

These kids are dangerous. Stopping all of them is nearly impossible, with Durant being the hardest of all. He has eclipsed 30 points 22 times already this year. Kevin Durant should be mentioned in MVP discussions. If you see how much better he is on defense, and the fact that he is averaging nearly 30 points a night.

This miraculous turnaround is attributed to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and rookie sensation James Harden. Durant has always been known to be a prolific scorer, but this season his defense has been on par with his scoring. The result has been a vastly improved defensive toughness.

These kids are gelling together well, and as Westbrook learns wiser shot selection, the Thunder’s future will become brighter. Westbrook is already a triple-double threat If he gains the ability to make people honor his shot selection, his capabilities to drive and dish will dismantle teams in the future.

Jeff Green is coming evolving into a solid player this year. His numbers might not be all star caliber, but he is wiser, and making sound judgment calls in tight situations. Just watch this decision he makes with the shot clock down and Durant unavailable.

If Green can continue to develop into an all around threat, it is hard to imagine anyone shutting down all 3 on any given night.

James Harden is a veteran in a rookie’s body. He has come on strong for OKC of late, giving the Thunder the 6^th man they need to transcend the second unit to the next level. He is intelligent, wise with the ball, and can shoot from long range.

OKC is on the road to title contention, and sooner than you might think. If you were a team in the playoffs, would you honestly want to face them?

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Eric Maynor along with Matt Harping’s contract  in exchange for the rights to 2002 draft pick forward Peter Fehse. Fehse is in Germany with zero chance of ever playing in the NBA, but gives Utah much needed salary cap relief. The Thunder plan to allow insurance policies to pay the majority of Harpring’s salary.

Oklahoma City Waived Shaun Livingston and Mike Wilks to create space on the roster.

Eric Maynor revs up the PG depth for OKC. (Credit: dallythunder.com)

Eric Maynor has impressed this season and will secure long-term depth at the point guard behind Russell Westbrook. He averaged 18.5 PPG and 7.5 APG in 2 games as a replacement starter while Deron Williams was out, proving he is a viable option to step in should Westbrook go down with an injury.

This deal is a brilliant move by Sam Presti, whom dealt draft picks last year to acquire defensive stalwart Thabo Sefolosha from the Chicago Bulls. Presti is flexing his cap space to hand-pick key young talented components to build around Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green.

The Maynor trade represents the first transaction for salary alleviation by Utah to offset matching Portland’s offer to Paul Millsap during the offseason.

Dumping Harpring’s salary removes $6 million off the books. It is unlikely Harpring will ever join the Oklahoma City thunder. He recently announced he wouldn’t pursue a comeback this year after dealing with infection in his leg after having surgery.

Utah will save up to $10 Million total from the deal.

This must come as a liberating start through Eric Maynor’s eyes. He was not going to get any significant run in Utah behind Deron Williams.

Look for Utah to continue wheeling and dealing, with Carlos Boozer or Mehmet Okur likely to be the next players traded to facilitate more salary cap room. With Chicago floundering wildly in the East, look for talks of Calros Boozer for Tyrus Thomas with a combination of leftover discussions to rekindle soon.

Could this be a 1st Round Matchup in the Playoffs? (Credit: picapp.com)

With Portland depleted by injuries, the final three spots in the Western Conference are up for grabs this year.

It is likely the Spurs will get it together as the off season acquisitions are still gelling together, and Houston could slip as the season progresses. All of these variables play into the Thunder’s favor.

Kevin Durant is coming emerging this season. Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green are improving as well.

Rookie James Harden is integrating his game into the system as if he were a 10-year veteran.

These core players are evolving faster than anyone could have predicted. In addition to these young superstars, OKC has a wealth of talent at every position.

• Nenad Kristic was a steal last year.
• Nick Collison is a gristly, all-hustle player who adds toughness in the paint.
• Thabo Sefolosha was a steal of deal being acquired for a future draft picks from Chicago. He is a lockdown defender who will not take away shots from Durant, Green and Westbrook.
• Serge Ibaka is making solid strides and might be one of the most agile and athletic 6’10” players in the NBA. Should his skills continue to develop, he could be the starting center by the end of the year.
• D.J. White is the odd man out in OKC’s rotation so far. You can’t count on that to continue given the way he lights up the basket in his minutes. His per 40 minutes numbers are mind blowing: 21 PPG, 8 RPG, 2 SPG and 1.5 BPG. Sure those are projections, but it emphasizes the fact that the dude can flat out play.
• Shaun Livingston is showing signs of regaining his pre-injury form, and is a strong defender.

Westbrook is leading the attack. (Credit: picapp.com)

As the season progresses and OKC continues to gain confidence, look for OKC to secure the 8^th this season. Look for the Thunder to make major noise if they can claim the 7th spot. Teams will not want to play these guys as they might just be the most unpredictable team since the 06-07 Golden State Warriors.

While checking the Protect the Paint twitter feed,  I saw Kevin Durant was still up, tweeting feverishly, and decided to ask  for an exclusive “twitterview”, where I ask him 10 simple questions, and he gives me 10 simple answers.

He said sure, so I started in.

Of these topics we had decided to ask him about: the Differences between Oklahoma City and Seattle, DJ White being underrated, James Harden’s chances at being Rookie of the Year, and if he ever thought he might have felt like he was about to choke PJ Carlesimo.

Just kidding about the choking thing.

Durant was happy to oblige, and he is what went down. Enjoy!

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