Blackjack
11-14-2009, 01:27 AM
Spurs shaken by Thunder (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_shaken_by_Thunder.html)
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
It is simple to pinpoint the highlights of the Thunder's inaugural, 2008-09 season in Oklahoma City after their ugly, politically charged departure from Seattle.
After all, the Thunder started the season by losing 29 of their first 32 games and won only 23 games all season.
Two of the victories, however, came at the expense of a Spurs team that would win 54 games and the Southwest Division title. One of them came at the AT&T Center on March 31, a dramatic, 96-95 victory that was one of their most meaningful of the season, their lone road victory over an elite team.
The Thunder won only five games over teams that finished the season with winning records. They regarded both victories over the Spurs as evidence the rebuilding job undertaken by general manager Sam Presti, the former Spurs player personnel assistant, was on the right track.
The Spurs viewed their losses to the Thunder as proof of something else: the need to get younger and more athletic.
“It added to the body of evidence,” said Presti's former boss, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford.
“I'm not sure it was any more of an indicator than anything else.
“I think the AARP magazines that kept showing up at our players' lockers might have been an indicator, too.”
Tonight the Spurs will get their first opportunity to find out if the upgraded role of 23-year-old George Hill, plus the additions of 29-year-old Richard Jefferson, 29-year-old Keith Bogans and 20-year-old DeJuan Blair give them a shot at matching the energy of a Thunder lineup led by three players under 25: forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and point guard Russell Westbrook.
Injured stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker practiced Friday. Parker missed the last three games with a sprained left ankle, and Duncan was scratched from the past two games with a sore left ankle.
They are officially listed as questionable for tonight's game.
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili painfully recalls watching the final Spurs-Thunder game of the 2008-09 season. He had just learned he had a stress fracture in his ankle, so he watched the telecast of the game with a mixture of sadness and analytical delight. His teammates responded to the bad news with a determined effort against the Thunder to produce a 99-89 victory.
“I don't know for what reason, but they were always a tough matchup for us,” he said. “They always had great games, Green and Durant. Westbrook is a tough cover, too.”
Presti added another talented rookie to the Thunder's mix when he selected James Harden, a 20-year-old, 6-foot-5 rookie from Arizona State, in the NBA draft.
Harden has been in coach Scott Brooks' player rotation in each of the first eight games. He finished Wednesday's game against the Clippers at point guard, filling in for Westbrook, who turned his left ankle.
He is averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 assists, second only to Westbrook among Thunder players.
“They're getting more talent now,” Ginobili said. “We've really got to respect them, compete as if we are playing Dallas, and everything will be good.”
Ginobili called Wednesday's 92-83 victory over the Mavericks their most energized effort of the season, a result of historic hostility.
Mustering up enmity for the Thunder is nearly impossible, even for veteran Spurs who recall a tough, 2005 Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Thunder's prior incarnation, the SuperSonics.
Forward Nick Collison is the only remaining player from that Seattle squad.
“It's hard to relate Oklahoma City Thunder to the Seattle SuperSonics, because they changed so much,” Ginobili said. “When they started to change, they really changed. I take it like it's two different franchises and everything. Oklahoma City's the new thing.”
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
It is simple to pinpoint the highlights of the Thunder's inaugural, 2008-09 season in Oklahoma City after their ugly, politically charged departure from Seattle.
After all, the Thunder started the season by losing 29 of their first 32 games and won only 23 games all season.
Two of the victories, however, came at the expense of a Spurs team that would win 54 games and the Southwest Division title. One of them came at the AT&T Center on March 31, a dramatic, 96-95 victory that was one of their most meaningful of the season, their lone road victory over an elite team.
The Thunder won only five games over teams that finished the season with winning records. They regarded both victories over the Spurs as evidence the rebuilding job undertaken by general manager Sam Presti, the former Spurs player personnel assistant, was on the right track.
The Spurs viewed their losses to the Thunder as proof of something else: the need to get younger and more athletic.
“It added to the body of evidence,” said Presti's former boss, Spurs general manager R.C. Buford.
“I'm not sure it was any more of an indicator than anything else.
“I think the AARP magazines that kept showing up at our players' lockers might have been an indicator, too.”
Tonight the Spurs will get their first opportunity to find out if the upgraded role of 23-year-old George Hill, plus the additions of 29-year-old Richard Jefferson, 29-year-old Keith Bogans and 20-year-old DeJuan Blair give them a shot at matching the energy of a Thunder lineup led by three players under 25: forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green and point guard Russell Westbrook.
Injured stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker practiced Friday. Parker missed the last three games with a sprained left ankle, and Duncan was scratched from the past two games with a sore left ankle.
They are officially listed as questionable for tonight's game.
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili painfully recalls watching the final Spurs-Thunder game of the 2008-09 season. He had just learned he had a stress fracture in his ankle, so he watched the telecast of the game with a mixture of sadness and analytical delight. His teammates responded to the bad news with a determined effort against the Thunder to produce a 99-89 victory.
“I don't know for what reason, but they were always a tough matchup for us,” he said. “They always had great games, Green and Durant. Westbrook is a tough cover, too.”
Presti added another talented rookie to the Thunder's mix when he selected James Harden, a 20-year-old, 6-foot-5 rookie from Arizona State, in the NBA draft.
Harden has been in coach Scott Brooks' player rotation in each of the first eight games. He finished Wednesday's game against the Clippers at point guard, filling in for Westbrook, who turned his left ankle.
He is averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 assists, second only to Westbrook among Thunder players.
“They're getting more talent now,” Ginobili said. “We've really got to respect them, compete as if we are playing Dallas, and everything will be good.”
Ginobili called Wednesday's 92-83 victory over the Mavericks their most energized effort of the season, a result of historic hostility.
Mustering up enmity for the Thunder is nearly impossible, even for veteran Spurs who recall a tough, 2005 Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Thunder's prior incarnation, the SuperSonics.
Forward Nick Collison is the only remaining player from that Seattle squad.
“It's hard to relate Oklahoma City Thunder to the Seattle SuperSonics, because they changed so much,” Ginobili said. “When they started to change, they really changed. I take it like it's two different franchises and everything. Oklahoma City's the new thing.”