September 10, 2008 – 1:06 pm
And now the starting lineup for YOUR Oklahoma City THUNDER. Wow that sounds pretty cool. I can’t wait to see the Jerseys and the court that they will be playing on coming up in about a month. I think the logo is pretty cool. I’m not as big a fan of the THUNDER above the logo but it doesn’t totally kill me, but the logo itself, I think is pretty sharp.
Plenty of moves in the NBA this offseason, too many to list. Locally the biggest deal was the acquisition of Desmond Mason and Joe Smith. I understand wanting to have Mason on the team. The Hornets did the exact same thing. It’s great to have a local guy on the team. Mason is a great guy and a good player, especially defensively and he will be an assett to the team. The best part of the deal for me is Joe Smith. I know that he has been somewhat disappointing as a number one overall pick, but he is a legitamate starter for this Thunder team. I think he can rebound and add some junk points underneath. That is what the Thunder need the most is someone to rebound when Westbrook, Durant and Green miss a shot, which hopefully won’t happen all that often.
Let me know what you think of the name, colors, and logo. I want your opinions and what do you expect from this team this year. See you soon here on the nba blog.
OK so the Boston Celtics were too much for the Lakers to handle in the Finals. Even though I rooted for the Lakers, I thought the Celtics would win and they did win easily. The key for a rematch next year is the Celtics staying healthy and the Lakers getting tougher.
Now on to more important things. A settlement has been reached and the “Sonics” are coming to Oklahoma City. There were a ton of scenarios that I though would happen with the trial and the verdict that was going to be announced last Wednesday. First and foremost, I thought the judge would side with Bennett and the Sonics. I also thought that there was a chance that she would side with the city of Seattle. To be totally honest, I didn’t think it would make it to trial. So the bottom line is…I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life. The level of excitement has never been higher and I can’t wait to renew my residence at the Ford Center for 41, yes a full 41, game home season of NBA Basketball.
Now the name game. I am tired of hearing all the suggestions for names for the NBA team. The thunderbirds, the rush, the tornados…enough is enough. I’m ready to see the name and I’m ready to see the logo and buy my first Oklahoma City NBA hat. The leader in the clubhouse, as of Thursday at 11am, is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Don’t hate it and don’t love it. I think it is something that will grow on most people and is something that everyone can except.
What everyone needs to remember is that this team is still not that good. Expectations need to be at a level that can be met. This team only won 20 games a year ago. I think that the Ford Center crowd will be good for a few extra home wins. I reserve the right to change my mind when we do our pre-season predictions but right now I would say a good season would be 27+ wins. If this team can make it to 30, after the turnaround the Hornets had in OKC, then there is definately something magical about the Ford Center and about Oklahoma City NBA Fans.
I want to know what your expectations are for the new NBA Team. What win total do you think they can and should reach? Let me know…
