Weekend Retrospective: DurantWatch, AM Throttling, Viva Nigeria Diaspora

When I was a kid, I thought baseball defense was pretty standard, that everybody had pretty much the same amount. Of course, I was watching MLB. It took a long time for me to understand that it was something you had judge carefully, as in:

What balls can a guy get to (speed, agility)?
What kind of arm does he have?
Can an outfielder hit the cut-off man?
Does he make routine plays routinely?

It’s probably the latter question, answered affirmatively, that is of significant value at every position. In college, you have more variance. But I think every coach would live with a SS who can’t hit if he can field well — not spectacularly, but well.

Westbrook will continue to abuse Fisher…that matchup isn’t even close to fair. And Durant will heat up, probably as soon as game 2. But it won’t be enough because of the post differential. I know you hate Green, but their lack of post defense/rebounding isn’t just on him. Ibaka is the only guy on OKC that can even really bother Gasol or Bynum, and no one can board with them. Not picking up Camby on the cheap, when they had the chance will never make sense to me.

Thanks for the usual excellent summary, Scipio. Today’s coffee spitting line:

“Our bullpen was bored lighting farts and killing crickets.”

Just so. Putting a big hurt on our rivals’ conference standing on consecutive weekends works for me.

A&M baseball is about to have its Franchione Test. Do they fire a coach who has led the team to the post season the last 4 years despite declining performance and blowout losses?

Let’s not get cocky, folks. Our bullpen had an astronomical 4.50 ERA this weekend.

Yeah if it weren’t for Ruffin being very undude-like in game one, we’re looking at three consecutive shutouts.

http://recruitocosm.fantake.com/2010/04/19/rb-brandon-williams-switches-committment-from-baylor-to-oklahoma/

Brandon Williams commits to OU. I can only imagine this is a positive sign that Brown will eventually pick UT. On the other hand, it’s disastrous if Brown goes with a third party school.

I caught most of the Lakers/Thunder tilt and was reminded of how bored I am watching NBA basketball, even with the greatness of Kobe and Durant. Definitely saw some rust from Kobe today. It’s really no fun to watch the Lakers when their offense is going through Gasol/Bynum in the post. Give me some Kobe! If Fisher and Farmar don’t hit those second half shots, this could have been a completely different outcome.

Kudos for the Thunder for staying close even with a less than stellar game from Durant. I expect him to pick it up as the butterflies wear off and he learns Artest’s D. I still envision Lakers in 5 or 6, but that doesn’t mean the Thunder can’t make it competitive. Not sure why Krstic picked up so much PT. I think Brooks’ optimal line-up is Ibaka on Bynum, Collison on Gasol, Green on Artest/Odum, Durant guarding Kobe, and Westbrook anal raping Fisher. Durant has the size to bother Kobe, and maybe he gets rid of some of those butterflies focusing on D and just letting his offensive game come to him. Besides, going big forces Phil to make some moves, unless he wants Kobe on Durant or Green. Not sure why Brooks had Westbrook sagging so far off Fisher. Fisher is pretty much only good for dagger 3’s. It’s not like he’s going to blow by. Ibaka needs to be in the game. Bynum and Gasol are stomping on Krstic. Harden and Maynor were also mostly black holes, while the Lakers got positive minutes from Brown and Farmar. Experience, experience…

A sweep over aggy always warms the heart, especially when they get anally probed to the point of rectal prolapse on their own field on consecutive days.
Cole Green has really come on and showed he’s no weak link in this pitching staff. When the season started, it looked like he might be the odd man out in the rotation, but he has proved beyond a doubt he belongs out there as the Saturday starter. If our rotation stays healthy, I don’t see us missing out on Rosenblatt’s going away party.

Marcus Camby is an unrestricted FA. If he doesn’t demand much, the Thunder need to go after him. He’s a little old, but it’s painfully obvious he’d be just what the doctor ordered. Other enticing options? David Lee is a FA this summer as well. He’s young and crashes the boards well.

Roethlisbergerian is my new favorite word. Well done.

It’s also a synonym for Kevinbergerian.

Potentially interesting free agents (unrestricted and restricted) after this season who might help the Thunder with post defense and rebounding:

Boozer
David Lee
Camby
Tyrus Thomas
Brad Miller
Jermaine Oneal (Ok, just kidding)
Tyson Chandler

There’s a more complete list here: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=15458

Not sure about the signability of some of those guys. I assume Boozer would create cap problems, but Utah was looking to unload his contract earlier in the year.

Bob -
 
I think your last check-off is what makes Loy special. Every play he should make, he does. At the college level, that has a lot of value.
 
HipHop -
 
I agree on all. It’s not that I hate Green so much as I see him for what he is. The lack of a Camby move irritates me.

alma -
 
Is making the postseason in college baseball all that challenging given A&M’s resources? There are only about two or three dozen programs in college baseball that devote real time and energy to success. A major university sitting in the sun belt with fan interest should make postseason play a minimum expectation. To answer your question though, I hope Childress stays.
 
jc25 -
 
I agree. I don’t love the NBA game, but I do love Durant. And it’s hard not to appreciate how skilled and athletic those guys are given their size. Your big lineup suggestion isn’t a bad one.
 
Brandon Williams is a huge get for OU. He’s a guy that will torture us down the road. I have no doubt.
 
burnt orange –
 
Agreed. I thought Cole might be the weak link as well, but the guy has an extraordinary ability to create ground balls and garbage coming off of the bat.
 
BOW -
 
David Lee is an excellent rebounder and he can score, but he doesn’t play much D and I’m not sure what you’d have to pay to get him.
 
Sundance -
 
Thanks for that.

Scipio

You caught me on the defense, I obviously haven’t watched the Knicks once all year so I wouldn’t know. Because he’s white he’ll get the 30% discount that may have him selling at a decent value, but will still likely get offered too much by a stupid GM. All it takes is one Donald Sterling or Joe Dumars…

Scip,

I think we both agree that it’s not. But given A&M’s budget woes, I wonder if he gets another season since the administration can tap it’s finger on the certificate of participation in the Chapel Hill Regional for 2010 when asked why Childress was given another season.

BOW – I think Scipio hits it…Lee is a nice player, but he doesn’t fix their problem.

I’m a little Big 12 biased, but I think Aldrich or Udoh would be great draft picks for them. Unfortunately, they’d probably need to trade up to get one of them, and I’m not sure they’re willing.

I just found out that Paul Mokeski played at Kansas.
 

Hiphop,

Aldrich might be the perfect fit. Trading that far up would cost them a lot though, more than Presti probably wants to deal. I like Boozer, but he would probably ask for more than they want to dish out with a Durant max contract coming in the next year. I’ll be real curious to see what they offer Green. I hope they don’t overvalue him due to his being a perceived integral part of the talented young core.

Presti comes from the San Antonio chemistry school of managing, so he’ll be loathe to break up any of their chemistry. However, his time at SA should have also taught him to never overpay any player. SA has dropped numerous players that helped them win a title when it became apparent they’d ask for more than they were worth. See Jackson, Stephen. Oberto. Elson. etc.

You’re damn right he did. Was part of our 1978 Big Eight champs.

Agree on the Thunder. The lack of any post presence could be masked against the Jazz, Nuggets or maybe even the Blazers, but the Lakers are just too much for them in the paint.

Although I thought the Green pick at #5 overall was terrible at the time and still do, the 2007 draft really had no big men worth drafting that high. The best available would have been Joakim Noah, Brandan Wright, Spencer Hawes, Carl Landry, and Marc Gasol (Who honestly thought Noah, Landry or Pau’s mongoloid brother would turn into double double guys?)

In 2008, they did a great job getting Westbrook and Ibaka and last year there wasn’t a single big man worth his weight in dead horse glue available after Griffin, so its hard to say they’ve made any real blunders in not picking up a big man over the last few years (aside from their unexplainable reluctance to do so through free agency).

Y Los ACHOS están repletas de sabor de bondad.

I know that I shouldn’t be surprised, but I was amazed at how many fouls weren’t called on the Lakers for over the back or simply pushing a Thunder player in the back as they attempted a put-back. Gasol was unbelievable.

“Carl Landry”

I want to say the Thunder drafted him and the Rockets traded for him. He would be great for the Thunder right now. Green would only be kept around if the Thunder thought that KD liked him and it would help him resign long term with the team. Really the only goal over the next 15 months for management is getting KD locked up. Competing now is just gravy.

Baseball now ranked #2 in Baseball America:
   
1. Arizona St. (31-3) 494 1
2. Texas (30-7) 492 3
3. Georgia Tech. (31-5) 490 6
4. Arkansas (31-6) 487 8
5. South Carolina (28-8) 486 5
6. Louisiana St. (30-6) 485 7
7. Coastal Carolina (32-5) 483 9
8. UCLA (27-5) 482 2
9. Miami, Fla. (27-9) 479 13
10. Virginia (29-9) 478 4

I think Noah (especially), Landy, and Gasol would all be better for them than Green. Maybe it wasn’t a total blunder, but you countered your own argument there I think.

Portland just resigned Camby on for two more years, so he’s out of the running.

Yeah, of course they did.
 
Joakim Noah is a good call, HipHop. I also enjoyed his Cleveland comments.

Noah would have replaced Kristic so they’d still have a hole at the 4 and no low post scoring, not to mention he’s a d-bag. Green is a sixth man plain and simple, don’t get caught up in what he’s not, appreciate what he is. I saw him hurt the mavs pretty bad Easter weekend. As for the offseason, i’d prefer two from the list below. Players who know their place and won’t try and hijack shots or break the bank.

Brendan Haywood
Udonis Haslem
Luis Scola (restricted) although Houston has said they’d match any price
Channing Frye (PO – owed $2.1 million in 10/11) already says he’s opting out
Tyrus Thomas
Brad Miller

also, there is no way Tyson Chandler is opting out of an $13M payday next year

Joakim may be a d-bag, but the kid plays hard all game. Rebounds like crazy and averaged probably 1.5 – 2 blocks a game. He’d be an nice fit, but the Bulls aren’t letting him get away. They’d be foolish to do so.

bizness -
 
Right. I do appreciate what Jeff Green is. And it’s not future 2nd or 3rd highest paid player on the Thunder. They’re a small market team with a salary cap. This isn’t a fantasy team. You don’t pay a 6th man that way.
 
If they keep Green, they’re disallowing others. Zero sum game etc.

Scipio-

Agreed, he’s a 5-6 million a year player and i’d pay no more than that. He’s not a free agent this year just eligible for an extension. They need a Gasol/Bosh/Aldridge type and will mostly likely have to deal Green to get that guy.

Maybe Hassan Whiteside? Anyone seen much of him?