Story Created:
Oct 28, 2009 at 10:22 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Oct 28, 2009 at 10:22 AM CDT
Here we are, opening day for the Thunder in 2009-2010. Hope springs eternal. Youth is being served in OKC. 11 players on the roster are 26 or younger, four of the top six players 23 or younger. The team broke training camp in good shape physically.
The only real concern entering tonight's opener against Sacramento at the Ford Center centers on the still tender right ankle of Nick Collison, who missed four of the seven preseason games due to a sprain of that ankle suffered more than a week before camp opened in late September. While he'll play tonight, it's hard to know how effective he can be as his quickness off the floor rebounding and on the defensive end of the floor wasn't tested over any extended stretches of preseason play to get a true gauge. He'll respond when called upon backing up at both the four and five spots tonight, giving it all he's got.
Head Coach Scott Brooks wasn't as pleased with Tuesday's day before the regular season lid-lifter practice as he's been through most of the month of October, but seems genuinely upbeat about the effort he's consistently getting across the board as this young squad commits daily to getting better. Brooks will go with a starting line-up of Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha at guards, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green at the forward spots with Nenad Krstic manning the pivot. Expect rookie James Harden, Nick Collison, Etan Thomas and Kevin Ollie to be firmly in the playing rotation with 20 year old first year man Serge Ibaka a bit of a wild card x-factor.
Ibaka's energy, enthusiasm, athleticism and sheer 'want to' have caught the head coach's eye. Ibaka will get playing time early this season as a likely tenth man. That leaves Shaun Livingston and D.J. White as likely active players on the roster tonight, scrapping for a sniff of playing time.
As for the opener, the Kings thumped the Thunder last Thursday night by a 104-89 count in pre-season play. And did so without their premiere offensive player Kevin Martin, who sat with an ankle sprain. Martin will play tonight. As will the rest of Sacramento's key additions. Rookies Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi and veterans Sean May, (ex-osu cowboy and thunder player) Desmond Mason and Sergio Rodriguez. A season ago this was the worst team in the NBA and when the dust settles it may be again this season. However, this squad is physically tougher and is now guided by an experienced head coach in Paul Westphal. They possess the biggest starting back court in the league in 6'6" first year point man Evans and 6'7" 25 points per game scorer a season ago, Martin. Also outstanding offensive rebounding power forward Jason Thompson, skilled center Spencer Hawes and scrappy reserve forward Andres Nocioni.
Tonight figures to be an entertaining watch if for no other reason than Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin will be on the same court performing their offensive magic. Both are dazzling shot makers who can take over a game for extended stretches. While Dez Mason will attempt to tap into the experience of practicing against Durant some of last season as a Thunder teammate, it's unlikely that will deter durant from a 30 plus point scoring night. Oklahoma City does have a defender to throw at Martin that could make a difference in long armed Thabo Sefolosha.
The other key watch tonight focuses on point guard play where Russell Westbrook must avoid getting lured into a mano a mano one on one duel against kings prized first year man Tyreke Evans. If Westbrook maintains his composure and distributor mindset, evident through the majority of the pre-season, and forces the Sacramento rookie into poor decisions with stellar on the ball defense (Evans turned the ball over 7 times in the Kings pre-season finale versus Utah last friday) Oklahoma City should fair well when starters are matched against starters. Kings back-up floor leader Sergio Rodriguez was outstanding in the pre-season meeting between these two with 11 assists. It will be important that thunder reserve point guard Kevin Ollie keeps good pressure on Rodriguez as a passer to deny a duplication of that effort here. These two individual match-ups could be tale tellers as to the game's outcome at night's end.
The thunder face a brutally tough initial 17 games through the month of November this season. 11 of the first 17 games are against playoff teams from a season ago with nine on those coming on the road. Winning games like this one at the Ford Center, against a team that figures to struggle for victories this season especially on the road, will provide a needed boost to this team's psyche as it collectively learns how to consistently win games.
