We beat Boston tonight on the road and the Bulls lost at Memphis, so at 12-2 we now have the best record in the league... And a 7-game winning streak.

Have a bunch of tough games coming up but these guys seem to consistently find a way to win.

Let's just be thankful the Hornets didn't stay instead lol

Awesome Celtics tribute to Perkins.First time back in Boston since the trade!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0U77Udqsfw&feature=player_embedded

Let's just be thankful the Hornets didn't stay instead lol

While we did end up with the better team in the end, the hornets had to shed players after leaving OKC because it was too soon to move them back and keep the level of salaries they had at the time. Also the owners were able to clean up a lot of the mess the team was in before moving them to OKC, we missed out on the two dismal last years of the team being the Sonics (granted several of the years before that were not much better but they were under different owners then), which directly lead to them having so many losses they got #2 pick in Durant the year before the move and #1 pick in Westbrook as they moved. I am not sure if even one of the original coaches was retained from the time the bought the team to the time it was moved two years later.

Snowman 50% of what you just typed is completely wrong. Starting with your analysis of the Hornets salary situation (they could afford players, but made bad decisions by giving crappy players huge contracts) to when Westbrook was picked (#4) to no coaches being retained (Carlesimo was the coach in both Seattle and to start in OKC). Are you just completely guessing?

Cool tribute to Perk by Celtics fans. Very classy.

Great win tonight, but this team still has a lot to work on to seriously contend for a championship. It's a good sign they're winning while not playing their best though.

Snowman 50% of what you just typed is completely wrong. Starting with your analysis of the Hornets salary situation (they could afford players, but made bad decisions by giving crappy players huge contracts) to when Westbrook was picked (#4) to no coaches being retained (Carlesimo was the coach in both Seattle and to start in OKC). Are you just completely guessing?

Westbrook I apparently was remembering wrong, the ticket sales did went down for the Hornets after they went back which should hit some other BRI as well. Carlesimo was hired a year after they bought the team.

The NBA season is early and our OKC Thunder players are young. The attention this team is now getting will only add to the expectations of another banner year.

The Thunder appear to be a team with a lot of potential and promise to continue to excel. Let's hope we don't attract the type of attention that the Miami Heat did when Wade-James-Bosh trio put the bullseye taget on their backs. The last time the Thunder played the Heat in Miami, they played an outstanding game in their defeat of the Heat at the American Airlines Arena.

All signs point toward a successful season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let's get behind our team!

Lost to the worst team in the NBA tonight. OKC has been getting close wins with a lot of flaws... despite their exceptional record, there's a lot of improvement to be made still with this team.

Miami has received such a negative because of the way they were put together. The Thunder were put together the opposite way. They'll never be treated the same, but the better you get the more scrutiny that will come...

Obviously the higher the expections the more scrutiny you get. There are no gimmes in the NBA. You have to bring it every night and even that doesn't mean you're going to win against the worst team. The best teams still end up on top even if they get there different ways.

The talking heads at TNT all said recently that they would favor the Lakers over OKC. Anything is possible but I wonder if they have noticed that the Lakers have now lost three in a row and are 10 - 8. The Lakers are capable of beating any team in a series but I doubt that Vegas would bank on it.

The Lakers are always dangerous although Pau's recent decline in play along with Bynum's inconsistency, and no bench... I think OKC takes them. There are other teams that worry me more.

The loss of Phil Jackson is HUGE for the Lakers. They probably won't even win their division this year.

Miami still looks like the team to beat but the Bulls are very strong as well.


This is probably the season the guard really starts to change in the NBA... Where the younger teams like Chicago and the Thunder overtake aging teams like the Lakers and Mavericks.

The talking heads at TNT all said recently that they would favor the Lakers over OKC. Anything is possible but I wonder if they have noticed that the Lakers have now lost three in a row and are 10 - 8. The Lakers are capable of beating any team in a series but I doubt that Vegas would bank on it.

There will be at least a couple talking heads that will play to the larger markets as long as the team is not totally out of contention.

Thunder are tied with the Bulls again for the best record in the NBA after the Thunder won tonight and the Bulls lost to Indiana at about the same time the Thunder game ended.

Thunder are tied with the Bulls again for the best record in the NBA after the Thunder won tonight and the Bulls lost to Indiana at about the same time the Thunder game ended.

With 8 of the next 9 games on the road that may be hard to sustain but we'll be happy with it for now anyway.

There will be at least a couple talking heads that will play to the larger markets as long as the team is not totally out of contention.

It may become difficult to keep playing to the Laker market if their trend continues. They are now 11-9 including 1-7 on the road. Not impressive. They could be in danger of not making the playoffs if that continues. They are currently 9th in the West in winning percentage.

The loss of Phil Jackson is HUGE for the Lakers. They probably won't even win their division this year.

Miami still looks like the team to beat but the Bulls are very strong as well.


This is probably the season the guard really starts to change in the NBA... Where the younger teams like Chicago and the Thunder overtake aging teams like the Lakers and Mavericks.

The change is startling even in their own division. As of today, 01-28-12, the CLIPPERS lead the Pacific division. L.A. hearts are being torn for the first time in how long? With Griffin & Paul, the Clippers have a good chance of being the team of the future in SoCal with kids growing up with one darn exciting basketball team. That must take some getting used to out there.

It may become difficult to keep playing to the Laker market if their trend continues. They are now 11-9 including 1-7 on the road. Not impressive. They could be in danger of not making the playoffs if that continues. They are currently 9th in the West in winning percentage.

Their best chance is having a better record than the Clippers, since someone has to win the Pacific division which gets an invite even if not in the top eight of the West. The Kings, Warriors and Suns do not seem likely to do so this year.


The change is startling even in their own division. As of today, 01-28-12, the CLIPPERS lead the Pacific division. L.A. hearts are being torn for the first time in how long? With Griffin & Paul, the Clippers have a good chance of being the team of the future in SoCal with kids growing up with one darn exciting basketball team. That must take some getting used to out there.

The Lakers have much better management and finances, I would be surprised if they do not have legitimate playoff team in three to five years. The question is are the Clippers going to turn around how they run the team over the long term.

The Lakers can (and probably will) just go out and buy a superstar or two.

They are already talking about getting Kevin Love from Minnesota.

The Lakers can (and probably will) just go out and buy a superstar or two.

They are already talking about getting Kevin Love from Minnesota.

Love just signed a 4 year contract extension with the Wolves, but it does have some kind of opt out, just not sure what it is.

Love can opt out his fourth year. He added the opt out clause because Minnesota wouldn't give him a 5 year contract, rumor has it. There are always lots of silly trade rumors out there.



www.okcthunderfans.com

Speaking of Clippers, it looks like their going to kill the Thunder tonight.

Speaking of Clippers, it looks like their going to kill the Thunder tonight.

Yes, that's why I mentioned them earlier as one of the challenges on the Thunder's current road schedule.

Speaking of Clippers, it looks like their going to kill the Thunder tonight.

Yes, our team blew up a "we suck" floatie and used it swimmingly to tread water at the Staples Center last night! They'll learn from it. I doubt that even if we had had Thabo, there would have been a W. Clippers are that good.

Yes, our team blew up a "we suck" floatie and used it swimmingly to tread water at the Staples Center last night! They'll learn from it. I doubt that even if we had had Thabo, there would have been a W. Clippers are that good.

I doubt it as well. The only players in double digits point wise for the Thunder last night was Kevin Durant (36), Russell Westbrook (31), and Daequan Cook (12). James Harden was the 4th highest scorer last night with 7(!) in his second start this season.

The Clips had a license to mug Harden without fouls being called all night long. The Clippers don't play nearly as good on the road so it's critical the Thunder end up with a better overall record. With Thabo, you've got someone who can guard Billups or Butler. Big factor in winning or losing. Last night, mostly due to sharp passing by Blake and Paul, these guys were wide open, uncontested.

I'd zone the Clippers with Thabo and Durant up top and Westbrook hounding Paul.

The Clips had a license to mug Harden without fouls being called all night long. The Clippers don't play nearly as good on the road so it's critical the Thunder end up with a better overall record. With Thabo, you've got someone who can guard Billups or Butler. Big factor in winning or losing. Last night, mostly due to sharp passing by Blake and Paul, these guys were wide open, uncontested.

I'd zone the Clippers with Thabo and Durant up top and Westbrook hounding Paul.

While I say that normally we would beat them we're talking about last night and last night we just wasn't going to beat them no matter who was on the floor. I say we won't lose to them more than twice not counting last night in the year 2012. I agree that we missed Thabo last night but I don't think we lost because of his absence and I doubt we would have won just because of his defense. It would have been a closer game but the Clippers were shooting lights out, period.

While I say that normally we would beat them we're talking about last night and last night we just wasn't going to beat them no matter who was on the floor. I say we won't lose to them more than twice not counting last night in the year 2012. I agree that we missed Thabo last night but I don't think we lost because of his absence and I doubt we would have won just because of his defense. It would have been a closer game but the Clippers were shooting lights out, period.

Injuries are part of life in the NBA. Can we win it all? Possibly. But can we win a majority of games against upper division teams -- Clippers, Mavs, Spurs, Heat, Bulls, Grizzlies -- without both Maynor and Thabo? I don't think so. We're pretty boastful about our league leading record but don't discount that a lot of our wins came against teams who were hampered by injuries. Spurs (Ginobli), Grizzlies (Randolph), Mavs (Dirk), etc.

Could we have won last night, even with Thabo? Probably not. But getting off to a hot three-point shooting night can sometimes be curtailed by the right defensive specialist. Plus you have to count Thabo as one more three-point shooter, and this year, a very good one. I'd match our 3-point guys - DC, KD, Harden and Thabo against most. When Westbrook starts jacking, we sometimes lose ground.

The Clippers had the good fortune to have ALL their components healthy and together at the same time. Billups & Paul had been out in several of their past games. Mo Williams, Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and Randy Foye may be as lethal a group of outside shooters as there is in the league and combined with their inside game, they might be better than the Thunder, at least offensively.

Injuries are part of life in the NBA. Can we win it all? Possibly. But can we win a majority of games against upper division teams -- Clippers, Mavs, Spurs, Heat, Bulls, Grizzlies -- without both Maynor and Thabo? I don't think so. We're pretty boastful about our league leading record but don't discount that a lot of our wins came against teams who were hampered by injuries. Spurs (Ginobli), Grizzlies (Randolph), Mavs (Dirk), etc.

Could we have won last night, even with Thabo? Probably not. But getting off to a hot three-point shooting night can sometimes be curtailed by the right defensive specialist. Plus you have to count Thabo as one more three-point shooter, and this year, a very good one. I'd match our 3-point guys - DC, KD, Harden and Thabo against most. When Westbrook starts jacking, we sometimes lose ground.

The Clippers had the good fortune to have ALL their components healthy and together at the same time. Billups & Paul had been out in several of their past games. Mo Williams, Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Chauncey Billups and Randy Foye may be as lethal a group of outside shooters as there is in the league and combined with their inside game, they might be better than the Thunder, at least offensively.

I agree with all that except we beat the Mavs with Dirk, but we also got blown out by them with Dirk. Losing Maynor has hurt us but if we were to lose Thabo for the entire season as well it would make a significant difference I believe, those 2 are bigger assets than many realize. Thabo has also become an amazing 3-point shooter this season in addition to his defensive presence, and Westbrook generally hurts us when he starts jacking up shots but sometimes he helps us quite a bit by jacking up shots, i.e. the Boston game.

Us leading the NBA record wise is something we can be proud of but we're only 20 games in of a 66 game season. Ultimately the best team will be the team raising the trophy this year not the team who finishes the regular season with the best record.

This team needs to keep improving throughout the season to win a title because they're not there now... but never put too much into a game like last night. Does anyone remember how awful the Mavs were before the playoffs started last year? They looked terrible.

Didn't want to start a whole thread for this question, so going to put it here.... why is it that every team we play lately has ONE player with God-like shooting ability, for just that one game?

It looks like we can overcome a few hot hitting players, but the current West Coast road trip looks like it's going to be all nailbiters. Overtime last night and a last second win tonight. As I've mentioned before, the Thunder would have lost those kind of games in the past.

As I've mentioned before, the Thunder would have lost those kind of games in the past.

I agree, even as recently as the beginning of last season they probably would have lost this game. I believe this year the Thunder are 7-1 in two possesion or less games counting tonight's win.

I agree, even as recently as the beginning of last season they probably would have lost this game. I believe this year the Thunder are 7-1 in two possesion or less games counting tonight's win.

This can be looked at 2 ways:

1. We're a good team that has learned how to win close games.
2. We're not as good as our record indicates as our record in close games is deceiving.

I think the answer lies somewhere in between. I think we have a pretty good team, but there are some pretty big flaws (e.g. too many turnovers, terrible offensive movement, bad defense lately) that could cause us to lose a tough series. We'll see in time...

This can be looked at 2 ways:

1. We're a good team that has learned how to win close games.
2. We're not as good as our record indicates as our record in close games is deceiving.

I think the answer lies somewhere in between. I think we have a pretty good team, but there are some pretty big flaws (e.g. too many turnovers, terrible offensive movement, bad defense lately) that could cause us to lose a tough series. We'll see in time...

Of course they're not a perfect team but you still have to admit that they have a toughness and confidence in games decided late that they haven't had before. That was my point. In the NBA all that counts is wins and loses. It doesn't matter how many are in overtime or by one point.

This can be looked at 2 ways:

1. We're a good team that has learned how to win close games.
2. We're not as good as our record indicates as our record in close games is deceiving.

I think the answer lies somewhere in between. I think we have a pretty good team, but there are some pretty big flaws (e.g. too many turnovers, terrible offensive movement, bad defense lately) that could cause us to lose a tough series. We'll see in time...

I agree with everything you said whole heartedly, KT. As you said it seems they are somewhere in the middle and as ljbab said they're getting the job done and getting the win most of the time.

They have definetly gotten better at closing out a game. Nothing worse them watching a team fall apart right at the end and blow a winnable game. They are doing a good job at not just keeping it together, but almost stepping it up a notch right at the end.