Ric Bucher Likes OKC Over Blazers In A Few Years

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in
ABM

ABM

Happily Married In Music City, USA!
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
31,865
Likes
5,785
Points
113
Interesting. (Although, in my mind, Oden is the x-factor.)

From: NewsOK.com

Ric Bucher left town convinced the Thunder has a bright future after spending a few days in Oklahoma City for an upcoming story in ESPN the Magazine.

So bright, Bucher said the Thunder could be a more formidable playoff threat than Portland a few seasons from now.

"There are key components to building a championship team,” Bucher said. "You have to have a superstar who dominates his position. And you have to have a point guard.”
Bucher was referring to Kevin Durant, the reigning Rookie of the Year who is fourth in the league in scoring.
The point guard is rookie Russell Westbrook, one of a handful of players close to averaging 15 points, five assists and five rebounds.

"Kevin can dominate his position to command a double team to try and stop him,” Bucher said. "As good as Brandon Roy is, there are certain matchups you don’t have to double him hard.
"The Thunder isn’t at the same place right now. But their flexibility, their room to grow, is better. And they already have some key parts you have to have. Portland doesn’t have that point guard, yet. And in my mind they don’t have that superstar player.”...............

................The main reason Bucher likes Oklahoma City’s future better than Portland’s is he believes Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green are a unique trio that will improve with experience.
"(Portland’s) chemistry of their core three is good. There’s nothing wrong with it,” Bucher said. "But it’s not as good as the chemistry (in Oklahoma City). Add it all together and I just like the Thunder a little better a few years from now. Maybe it’s because everybody is on the Portland bandwagon.”....
Click to expand...
 
Get a big man that's worth (even half) a shit and we'll talk, Ric.
 
Yeah Roy is no superstar, who needs him.
 
Ric Bucher has been a consistent source of entertainment over the years. It is good to see he is continuing in this line of success.
 
Wow, this article just pisses me off. Portland is actually the younger of the two teams, yet has more than double the wins. Way more proven. And Roy isn't a superstar? Ok.......
 
I really hope we pound the Blunder tonight and Roy goes off for 50.
 
JE said:
Roy is not a 'superstar'.
Click to expand...

The hell he isn't. It's not like he is 7th in the league in PER and leading the 2nd youngest team in the league to 50+ wins all while putting up impressive numbers in the slowest offense in the NBA.

Oh wait...
 
And of course, OKC's trio has room to grow, but Portland's quartet of Roy, Aldridge, Oden and Fernandez, well, they will, apparently, shrink. Despite the fact that the two non-rookies have gotten better every year. Guess they've reached their plateau.
 
What does it take to be a superstar? How many all stars? How many 50 point games? how many 30+ point games?
What defines superstar? Market exposure? is that why some think he's not a super-star?
 
"Maybe it’s because everybody is on the Portland bandwagon.”....
Click to expand...

There's your sign. :cheers:
 
OdenRoyLMA2 said:
The hell he isn't. It's not like he is 7th in the league in PER and leading the 2nd youngest team in the league to 50+ wins all while putting up impressive numbers in the slowest offense in the NBA.

Oh wait...
Click to expand...
So Brandon Roy is up there with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard? Those are the league's superstars.


I hope you don't answer yes to this.
 
blue32 said:
What does it take to be a superstar? How many all stars? How many 50 point games? how many 30+ point games?
What defines superstar? Market exposure? is that why some think he's not a super-star?
Click to expand...

I guess it's because Roy's game isn't flashy. So most people don't take notice to him. But he certainly produces like one.
 
JE said:
So Brandon Roy is up there with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard? Those are the league's superstars.


I hope you don't answer yes to this.
Click to expand...

I guess your definition of 'superstar' is different than mine. By that definition, no, he isn't. But IMO there are more than four superstars in the league, and Roy is one of them, or on the cusp of becoming one of them. Like I said in another thread, a good playoff run may solidify that for him.
 
JE said:
He produces like an all-star.
Click to expand...

7th in the league in scoring, 7th in player efficiency rating, 4th in offensive rating, 3rd in offensive win shares, 7th in total win shares in producing like a superstar (by my definition).
 
It annoys me how sports writers communicate with the diction of a 9 year old.

"There are key components to building a championship team,” Bucher said. "You have to have a superstar who dominates his position. And you have to have a point guard.”

Umm, doesn't every NBA team have a point guard? Like Derek Fischer or Avery Johnson or John Paxson?
Does Bucher think he's some sort of genius GM, giving us the keys to success?

"Kevin can dominate his position to command a double team to try and stop him,” Bucher said. "As good as Brandon Roy is, there are certain matchups you don’t have to double him hard."
:sigh:



"The Thunder isn’t at the same place right now. But their flexibility, their room to grow, is better. And they already have some key parts you have to have. Portland doesn’t have that point guard, yet. And in my mind they don’t have that superstar player.”...............

The Thunder isn't at the same place right now? :sigh:
The game isn't played in your mind Ric, it's played on the court. And Kevin Durant is a really good scorer, but I think he's close to a Carmelo Anthony type. But I guess Russell Westbrook makes them a championship contender. Their room to grow might be better because they suck so badly right now, but sorry, no GM in the league would trade Portland's roster for Oklahoma City's. We're not comparing a baby team to a veteran team here. Portland has the youngest roster in the league, and they are playing big minutes.

Having a "superstar", which Durant is not, and "a PG" doesn't necessarily make anything but a good team. The Blazers actually have more championship ingredients with Batum, LA, Roy, Oden, and possibly Bayless(who I think will be just as good as Westbrook). Not to mention a supporting cast that still has a lot of potential.
 
Last edited:
Bucher's a dork. Interesting that he doesn't mention the ownership of the team. Paul Allen will keep the team together, and that will cost huge bucks. Do you think that Clay Bennett has the wherewithall to do that?

When the rookie contracts are up, we'll see who has decisions to make, and who will cut the checks.
 
I hope Nate posts this article to the locker room tonight. A little ammo to put things in perspective. "Superstar", "All-Star" who gives a crap? Just keep winning.
 
JE said:
Roy is not a 'superstar'.
Click to expand...

But apparently Durant is. And a pretty unique one - I can't think of another superstar who has a net negative effect on his team when he's on the court.

This article is so stupid that it's not worth responding to. But it's so annoying that you can't help it.

So, you have to have a player that "dominates his position". Durant, apparently does that. I doubt the player he's "guarding" ever feels particularly dominated. And what position is it, exactly, that Durant is dominating? I guess not SG, because that failed, so is it SF? So Green is their PF?

And "you've got to have a point guard"? Westbrook is not, in fact, a point guard. At best he's a "combo" guard. He's good at that, but nobody will be confusing him for Jason Kidd or Steve Nash any time soon.

And "you've got to have a point guard"? So - who was that dominant PG that the Lakers had in their three-peat? And apparently Jason Williams counts, because otherwise the Heat didn't actually win a championship. Oh, and where would the six-time championship Chicago Bulls have been without star PGs John Paxson and Steve Kerr?
 
well thats the one thing we have they dont... Paul Allen.

With that said... make no mistake about it.... Thunder have a great future ahead and will def be a thorn in our side and many others. In a few years teams like the Blazers and Thunder will be top 4 in the west for quite a few years. Teams like SA, Phoenix, Dallas, and maybe Houston will be rebuilding.

3 Years from now...

Blazers
Lakers
Utah.... but they coud also slide
Thunder
 
What Bucher totally and completely overlooks is OKC's complete and utter lack of good young big men. Defense and rebounding wins championships.

Where is the Thunder's dominant rebounder?

Where is there intimidating interior defender?

They are completely lacking in both areas. Nenad Kristic is decent offensively, but he's a weak defender and poor rebounder. Nick Collison is a good rebounder, but below average in all other areas, and he'll be past his "prime" before the Thunder are potentially contending for anything other than the lottery. Sene and Swift are busts, as was Petro, who they traded. Wilcox was their most talented big, but they finally managed to trade him. If the Chandler deal hadn't fallen through, it would have given them the interior defense and rebounding they lack, but without someone like that in the middle, they are a doughnut team that won't go anywhere in the post season.

BNM
 
Rastapopoulos said:
But apparently Durant is. And a pretty unique one - I can't think of another superstar who has a net negative effect on his team when he's on the court.

This article is so stupid that it's not worth responding to. But it's so annoying that you can't help it.

So, you have to have a player that "dominates his position". Durant, apparently does that. I doubt the player he's "guarding" ever feels particularly dominated. And what position is it, exactly, that Durant is dominating? I guess not SG, because that failed, so is it SF? So Green is their PF?

And "you've got to have a point guard"? Westbrook is not, in fact, a point guard. At best he's a "combo" guard. He's good at that, but nobody will be confusing him for Jason Kidd or Steve Nash any time soon.

And "you've got to have a point guard"? So - who was that dominant PG that the Lakers had in their three-peat? And apparently Jason Williams counts, because otherwise the Heat didn't actually win a championship. Oh, and where would the six-time championship Chicago Bulls have been without star PGs John Paxson and Steve Kerr?
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
Aldridge + Oden > any big prospects OKC has, currently.

And unlike what Bucher is stating, you win with size, not with All-Stars and point guards (Jordan excluded).
 
Actually - you win with defense. Size helps your defense - but Jordan's Bulls and the '04 Pistons showed that defense wins. If you look at all the recent champions - they had a good defensive team or anchor - The Celtics, the Spurs, the Heat when Shaq and Zo' still played defense, Detroit, LAL during the Shaq/Kobe years, The Bulls.

When your superstar is a defensive liability, as Durant has been so far - you are not going to win championships. It's that simple.

The good news is that Durant is very young, Westbrook will be a defensive stud and they have a chance to get someone like Thabeet in the upcoming draft. They could be a very dangerous team in the future - but it is far from a given. They could just as well turn into the Allen/Big Dog/E.T. Bucks. Lots of fire-power with prolific scorers... and not much more.
 
I don't know that he's correct with respect to the Thunder having more potential than the Blazers, but Ric does have a point about the typical formula for success having been to get two superstar players surrounded by a bunch of role-players; usually a star guard and a dominant big man.

The real key to me is what wil OKC do with all of their available capspace this summer? Are they going to try and go after Chandler again, is another big man on their wish list? If they can somehow add a strong defensive presence at the post position, then yes I do think the Thunder have a legitimate shot at being a contender in a few years and could even overtake the Blazers.

What's not to like about a mature core of?
Westbrook
Sefalosha
Durant
Green
'Mystery Big Man'
 
I want Nate to have this article translated into French, then hold it right in front of Batum's face prior to the game. Add that little personal touch, ifyouknowwhatimean. ;)

Then, watch-see how Nicolus goes after Durant.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top