My dad used to regale us with Dodgers anecdotes. He had a lot of them as he was a diehard fan who went to their games quite regularly. Bleacher seats cost fifty cents back in those days and the game of baseball was much different than it is today. Of course, Pops was a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, whom have resided in the greater Los Angeles area since I've been alive. Many teams have moved over the years but not too many have done so recently. In the last 26 years only three NBA teams have defected to a new city. Since '02, only two; the Charlotte Hornets and the Seattle Supersonics. While I enjoyed watching the Hornets battle the Spurs in the '08 Semifinals as much as the next guy, let's not kid ourselves. The Hornets aren't any better off in New Orleans than they were in Charlotte. The team is still owned by the NBA as they can't find anyone willing to buy them. They were forced to trade Chris Paul to a bigger market team and attendance is spotty at best.
The franchise formerly known as the Sonics are an entirely different story.
To say that Oklahomans have embraced their new team does not do their loyalty justice. I can say without hesitation that these are the best fans in the NBA. For the last few years, attendance has been down, even for some of the storied franchises residing in big cities. This is not the case with the Thunder. They are currently tied with the Celtics and Knicks for attendance percentage. These fans are something else at home. They do not sit until the Thunder score. I remember watching a game where it took almost 3 minutes for them to make that first bucket. Not one person sat until the ball went through the net. No arena get louder than the Ford Center and during the Playoffs, everybody in that building wears their blue OKC T-shirts. This kind of intensity is rarely seen in today's NBA.
As a sports fan, I have witnessed my share of dramatic moments. One that I will never forget was Game 6 of the 2010 Western Conference Semi Finals. The Lakers were looking to close out the upstart Thunder on the road. After a late OKC rally, the Lakers were trailing by one with 6 seconds left. Kobe had the ball at the top of the key, drove right, and shot a heavily contested fadeaway that rattled in and out. Pau Gasol was right under the basket and tipped the ball back in with a half a second remaining. After a timeout, the Thunder inbounded the ball and Westbrook missed the potentially game winning 3-Pointer. A devastated Kevin Durant and Jeff Green hit the floor in agony. There was a lot of drama in that crazy finish but what stays with me was what happened after the buzzer sounded. Every fan at the Ford Center got up and gave their team a 3 minute long standing ovation. It was as if the entire city was telling them,
"It's alright. You played your hearts out and there is no shame in losing tonight. You had an amazing season that exceeded all of our expectations. Thank you."
Thinking about that moment still gets this cynical New Yorker a bit misty eyed. I have never seen fans react that way after a loss. Let's face it. These days, most fans are spoiled. They expect their teams to win every game and their star players to stay forever, even if it means getting paid less money or forfeiting any real chance of winning a championship. Seeing fans boo their team or underperforming player has become commonplace. The Thunder fans are an entirely different breed. I would be willing to bet that we will never see Kevin Durant booed at home, no matter how poorly he is playing. Perhaps some of these big city fans could learn a thing or two from these humble Midwesterners.
Alas, sometimes bad things happen to good fans. The unfortunate reality is that owners occasionally move their team, regardless of how much the community loves and supports them. It is a shame that the good fans of Seattle lost their beloved Supersonics. The fact that the team has blossomed in their new home is probably little consolation to them but I have enjoyed watching this development. During the latest CBA negotiations, journalists and bitter owners told us that small market teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder will never have the resources to compete with big market teams like the Knicks, the Bulls, the Lakers, or the Mavericks.
This postseason, the Thunder beat the Mavs and Lakers and have gone deeper in the Playoffs than the Knicks or Bulls.
Just sayin'.
GM Sam Presti has taught us that with a little luck and a lot of shrewd personnel moves, a team in any market can become competitive. Wilt Chamberlain said, "Nobody roots for Goliath." He may be right. Seeing the Thunder get their revenge on the Lakers last week had me out of my seat cheering. Just like everybody at the Ford Center.
Showing posts with label Kevin Durant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Durant. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The MVP Conundrum
This subject has always been confusing to me. How do the powers that be choose the the NBA's Most Valuable Player? Is the Maurice Podoloff trophy given to the "most valuable player" or to the "best player on a team most likely to win it all"? The fact that Kevin Durant and Lebron James are the top two candidates on most sports writers' lists leads me to believe that the decision is based on the latter criteria rather than the former.
With 40 wins, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best record in the competitive Western Conference. Durant is averaging 27.5 ppg this season and has dropped 30 or more points on 19 different occasions. The reigning scoring champ seems even more focused this season and his buzzer-beating 3-pointer versus the Dallas Mavericks was certainly MVP-like. With 37 wins, the Miami Heat are 3 games behind the Bulls for the best record in the much improved Eastern Conference. Lebron is averaging 26.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game and on four occasions he has been 1 or 2 assists shy of triple-double. His low-post game is much improved as is his shot selection. Despite a pair of mini-slumps, the Heat have been rolling this season. Oklahoma and Miami could very well meet in the Finals and both Kevin Durant and Lebron James are having remarkable seasons.
What if the MVP award was truly about being valuable to your team? Both Durant and Lebron have a lot of help. Durant plays alongside Russell Westbrook, one of the better point guards in the NBA, and there is no shortage of talent on that Thunder squad. James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison, and Thabo Sefalosha are all very good players. Lebron James plays alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who are (arguably) one of the 3 or 4 best players at their respective positions. Russell Westbrook has carried the Thunder to a win numerous times. Wade or Bosh have taken over their share of games as well. In the fourth quarter of a close game, Westbrook and Wade are just as likely to have the ball in their hands as their superstar counterparts. How valuable does that make Durant and James to their teams?
If given a vote, I would have Dwight Howard and Kevin Love as my top two candidates. Both players are the best at their respective positions (in my humble opinion) and both certainly have the numbers to justify MVP consideration. Dwight Howard is averaging nearly 21 points and 15 rebounds a game. He has already had eight games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds this year including that ridiculous 45 point, 23 rebound performance versus the Golden State Warriors. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year single-handedly makes a bunch of mediocre defenders into a good defensive team and a mediocre team into a Playoff contender.
Kevin Love is averaging 26 points and 14 rebounds a game and leads the league with 44 double-doubles this season. Sixteen times he has scored 30 or more points and pulled down 10 or more rebounds in the same game. In the much anticipated showdown with Blake Griffin and the Clippers, Love's 39 point, 17 rebound effort capped off by his buzzer-beating game-winner was certainly MVP-like. His more recent 51 point performance versus Oklahoma City was nothing short of spectacular.
Both Dwight Howard and Kevin Love are thriving without nearly the talent around them that Durant and Lebron have. Who are the 2nd and 3rd best players on the Magic? Ryan Anderson and Jameer Nelson? Glen Davis and Jason Richardson? What about on this Ricky Rubio-less Timberwolves team? Michael Beasley and Nikola Pecovic? JJ Barea and Luc Ridnour? Do me a favor. Say these two sentences aloud.
"In other news, the Miami Heat have agreed to trade Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to the Orlando Magic for Ryan Anderson and Glen "Big Baby" Davis."
"Today the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed, in principle, to trade Russell Westbrook to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Luc Ridnour."
Both of those statements sound pretty absurd, right? The tired old adage of "rewarding winning" will probably disqualify Howard and Love from actually winning MVP honors this season, which is a shame. They are having amazing seasons despite having teams game plan to get the ball out of their hands every single night. I cannot think of two players who are more valuable to their teams than they are. Can you?
With 40 wins, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best record in the competitive Western Conference. Durant is averaging 27.5 ppg this season and has dropped 30 or more points on 19 different occasions. The reigning scoring champ seems even more focused this season and his buzzer-beating 3-pointer versus the Dallas Mavericks was certainly MVP-like. With 37 wins, the Miami Heat are 3 games behind the Bulls for the best record in the much improved Eastern Conference. Lebron is averaging 26.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game and on four occasions he has been 1 or 2 assists shy of triple-double. His low-post game is much improved as is his shot selection. Despite a pair of mini-slumps, the Heat have been rolling this season. Oklahoma and Miami could very well meet in the Finals and both Kevin Durant and Lebron James are having remarkable seasons.
What if the MVP award was truly about being valuable to your team? Both Durant and Lebron have a lot of help. Durant plays alongside Russell Westbrook, one of the better point guards in the NBA, and there is no shortage of talent on that Thunder squad. James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison, and Thabo Sefalosha are all very good players. Lebron James plays alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who are (arguably) one of the 3 or 4 best players at their respective positions. Russell Westbrook has carried the Thunder to a win numerous times. Wade or Bosh have taken over their share of games as well. In the fourth quarter of a close game, Westbrook and Wade are just as likely to have the ball in their hands as their superstar counterparts. How valuable does that make Durant and James to their teams?
If given a vote, I would have Dwight Howard and Kevin Love as my top two candidates. Both players are the best at their respective positions (in my humble opinion) and both certainly have the numbers to justify MVP consideration. Dwight Howard is averaging nearly 21 points and 15 rebounds a game. He has already had eight games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds this year including that ridiculous 45 point, 23 rebound performance versus the Golden State Warriors. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year single-handedly makes a bunch of mediocre defenders into a good defensive team and a mediocre team into a Playoff contender.
Kevin Love is averaging 26 points and 14 rebounds a game and leads the league with 44 double-doubles this season. Sixteen times he has scored 30 or more points and pulled down 10 or more rebounds in the same game. In the much anticipated showdown with Blake Griffin and the Clippers, Love's 39 point, 17 rebound effort capped off by his buzzer-beating game-winner was certainly MVP-like. His more recent 51 point performance versus Oklahoma City was nothing short of spectacular.
Both Dwight Howard and Kevin Love are thriving without nearly the talent around them that Durant and Lebron have. Who are the 2nd and 3rd best players on the Magic? Ryan Anderson and Jameer Nelson? Glen Davis and Jason Richardson? What about on this Ricky Rubio-less Timberwolves team? Michael Beasley and Nikola Pecovic? JJ Barea and Luc Ridnour? Do me a favor. Say these two sentences aloud.
"In other news, the Miami Heat have agreed to trade Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to the Orlando Magic for Ryan Anderson and Glen "Big Baby" Davis."
"Today the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed, in principle, to trade Russell Westbrook to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Luc Ridnour."
Both of those statements sound pretty absurd, right? The tired old adage of "rewarding winning" will probably disqualify Howard and Love from actually winning MVP honors this season, which is a shame. They are having amazing seasons despite having teams game plan to get the ball out of their hands every single night. I cannot think of two players who are more valuable to their teams than they are. Can you?
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