Feb 6th AT Oklahoma City

[ucatchtrout]

Feb 6th AT Oklahoma City
Gametime 5 pm Pacific Time
CSN

Our first official look at the NEW Oklahoma City Thunder. Seems kind of weird saying that. NBATV has a season preview of the Thunder here, if you haven't had a chance to catch them play yet this season. After leading the Thunder to an underwhelming 1-12 start the Thunder sacked coach PJ Carlesimo and replaced him with Scott Brooks. The Thunder are short on talent other than Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green, and are long on young players and may be starting to respond to Brooks. Going into Wednesday nights game against the Nuggets they have won four out of their last home games and over the last month have won half their games.

As the trade deadline approaches the Thunders name often comes up in trade rumor discussions. Whether it be veteran Nick Collison or the expiring contract of Joe Smith in exchange for John Salmons, it seems certain that the Thunder have a lot of tinkering to do with their roster if they want to improve their win-loss record.

Desmond Mason had surgery on his knee after injuring it against Memphis last week. Although he is expected to recover fully, it does mean he will not be playing again this season. Kyle Weaver, from Washington State, has taken over Masons spot in the starting lineup.


Projected starters
Portland Trailblazers

Sergio Rodriguez -PG
Brandon Roy-SG
Nic Batum-SF
LaMarcus Aldridge-PF
Greg Oden-Center


Projected starters
Oklahoma City

Russell Westbrook-PG
Kyle Weaver-SG
Nick Collison-Center
Jeff Green-PF
Kevin Durant-SF


As always there will be pregame, gametime, and postgame discussion of the game in the gameday forum

If you happen to miss the game you can click here and catch the video recap and hdtv highlights of the game

 

[Natebishop3]

If we lose I'll cry in a corner lol

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Like I said on realgm - please to be having guards passing the ball into Greg instead of passing him over.

 

[ucatchtrout]

The Thunder is playing a lot better lately. They took Denver to the wire. If we don't show up ready to play we could lose this one.

 

[TripTango]

I think I will always have a strong negative bias against the Thunder after their team-stealing shenanigans. I want a win, and I want it to be by double-digits, please.

 

[alex42083]

This game scares the hell out of me. Nothing to gain, and everything to lose if we fall to OKC

Thunder wins this season:
New York
@ Chicago
Utah
Detroit
Golden State
New Jersey
Memphis
Toronto
Golden State
Minnesota
@ Memphis

I can see this game going down to the wire easily... ugh.

 

[maxiep]

This team is a LOT better than their record indicates. The one area where they can't compete with us is at the pivot. We need to get GO involved and let him push around anyone that gets in his way. Nick Collison is a fine player, but he's simply overmatched against Greg.

 

[MrJayremmie]

This one worries me as well... but we NEED to win this... its close to a must win for me.. If we don't win the games vs. teams sub .500 then I am worried about our playoff chances.

Anyway... Durant vs Oden... Durant vs Roy... Green vs LMA... Westbrook vs Bayless... all should be exciting. I think we should win by 10-15 points, but we haven't been playing too great the last 2 games (before CP went down vs NO and then Dallas)... our guys NEED to wake up and not coast through the first half.

I will be quite upset if we blow this one. GO BLAZERS!

 

[MIXUM]

good news....after watching howard kill us....durant is up next to destroy batoom while sergio gets dismantled by westbrook.

 

[azsun67]

were coming off a disappointing loss, playing against a bad team, and people on this board are worried? We are a good team that fights, this game is ours. We are so much bigger then they are it is not funny, we will dominate that boards. If you really look at the teams they have beaten this year we are much better then all of their wins. We are better then Utah and please don't tell me Detroit is better then us, have you watched them play, they don't have a clue on what they are trying to do.

We will see a very focussed Blazer team that will get a double digit win on the road!!!

 

[Boise Blazer]

were coming off a disappointing loss, playing against a bad team, and people on this board are worried? We are a good team that fights, this game is ours. We are so much bigger then they are it is not funny, we will dominate that boards. If you really look at the teams they have beaten this year we are much better then all of their wins. We are better then Utah and please don't tell me Detroit is better then us, have you watched them play, they don't have a clue on what they are trying to do.

We will see a very focussed Blazer team that will get a double digit win on the road!!!

These are the games that playoff teams win so we better win. Thats the point. And you have to admit that the Thunder are playing a whole hell of a lot better than they were. This game is very winnable and a should win for that matter but it certainly is NOT a gimmie.

 

[azsun67]

Not a gimme, that is why they play the game. Of course they are playing better then before. At the start ofthe season they were getting projected as possibly the worst record of all time. They are 2-5 thier last 7 games. All their wins minus 2 were against all the bottom feeders of the NBA. We are not a bottom feeder, we are a very solid team in the Western Conference. I just look at the matchups and this game is ours. If we break it down by some positions LMA vs Green? Roy vs Weaver (who) Oden/Pry vs Nick KD vs Batum (they win this one) Westbrook vs Sergio (they win this one, but Bayless will be trying to prove to OKC that they should have picked him instead and will make them pay since they have no shot blockers on their team. Our bench is of course far superior then theirs.

Go Blazers

 

[MIXUM]

We dont match up well with them at all.

Westbrook is gonna eat sergio alive.

Durant is gonna man handle batum.

They shoot well and we cant get out on open shooters.

They beat us twice last year.

They score a lot and we dont. cant get in ashoot out or we are are in trouble.


Lets just hope our size gives them trouble.

 

[alex42083]

We dont match up well with them at all.

We don't match up with ANYONE well in your opinion!

 

[THE HCP]

Just in case it counts, this is the ugliest town in the NBA!!!! Maybe tied with Milwaukee and Cleveland! Flat, Brown and Cold.............. just like my girlfriend in 6th grade!

 

[Boise Blazer]

Just in case it counts, this is the ugliest town in the NBA!!!! Maybe tied with Milwaukee and Cleveland! Flat, Brown and Cold.............. just like my girlfriend in 6th grade!

Dude, that was some funny shit right there. Made me laugh out loud at work and everyone looked over.

 

[MIXUM]

obvioulsy you have never been to hartford

 

[alex42083]

What's there to do in Oklahoma City? Any good eats? Attractions? Bars? Strip clubs for the players?

 

[Natebishop3]

What's there to do in Oklahoma City? Any good eats? Attractions? Bars? Strip clubs for the players?

Watch sooner football?

 

[THE HCP]

What's there to do in Oklahoma City? Any good eats? Attractions? Bars? Strip clubs for the players?

Last time we were to play the Hornets we went to the OKC bombing memorial. pretty amazing. Other the that, nothing!

 

[THE HCP]

obvioulsy you have never been to hartford

I was in Hartford last summer to work the Traveler's golf tourney. A lot more scenic then this place!