Kendrick Perkins is just fine.

The Perk "Stare"

Kendrick Perkins gets a lot of grief. He gets knocked for his lack of scoring, his lack of rebounding and his lack of minutes. Perkins, starting center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, came over from the Boston Celtics in a trade that gave Boston the much loved forward,  Jeff Green. He gets grief for that as well. Perkins is so maligned by the local press and sports talk heads that rarely a day goes by that he is not blamed as the "problem" of the day for the Thunder. His name is mentioned after every loss as a contributor or the main reason. And, as the trade deadline approaches every year,  the consensus is that he should be traded. Why all the fuss? Because he doesn't have high enough scoring and rebounding averages.

So, who is Kendrick Perkins and why is he here. For starters,  he was a first round draft pick (27th) in 2003 out of high school. That's right, Perk never played a game in college. He was drafted by Memphis and traded on draft day to Boston. Perk's career stats include 23.0 minutes a game, 6.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg. In his best season (2010) he averaged 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds. He has never been a scoring threat and has average rebound numbers. Yet, The Oklahoma City Thunder not only traded for him but immediately signed him to a long term deal. Thunder GM Scott Presti obviously knew that Perkins was a necessary part to the long term puzzle that is our team. And, for those of you out there thinking, yea but....you are right. Prior to the trade for Perkins, The Thunder did sign Knicks center Tyson Chandler. And yes, he did lead the Mavericks to an NBA Championship and win the defender of the year award with New York. But, those crazy team doctors told Presti and Clay Bennet that his foot problems were long term and the deal was nixed. Perkins may have not been the team's first choice, but I'm OK with that and I think you should be too.

Does Perkins need to score? We have the NBA's highest scoring duo in Durant and Westbrook and we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. Consider this, Kendrick Perkins is one of the best in the NBA at setting screens and picks. He allows our scorers to get free and do what they are actually paid to do - score. Perk is not a bad passer either. And what about rebounding? Russell Westbrook is among the best rebounding point guards in the league, Ibaka and Durant grab more than their quota and,  though we are 8th in the NBA in total rebounds (43.5) we are only 2 rebounds a game behind the league leader. The important thing to consider with rebounds and Perk is that he is normally boxing out the opponents top rebounder and allowing his team to get in the paint to grab it.

Then there is the question about his minutes per game. Perkins has one primary role. He is responsible for setting the defensive tone for the game. He does that as good as anyone. His secondary role is to plug the lane, control the paint and not let the opponents big man get loose.He does that better than most. The center he replaced, Nenad Kristic, has a better scoring average (10.2) and a similar rebounding average (5.3) but Kristic couldn't stop anyone from scoring. And besides, who among us wants Nenad back? Back to the minutes. Once the tone is set it simply needs to be reinforced and no one questions the effort by Nick Collison or the rejuvenated career of Hasheem Thabeet.

The bottom line is this; Kendrick Perkins is here to defend and enforce. He is really good at both. The proof is in the stats of his opposing big men. In just the last 8 or 9 games opposing centers have been held to 34% shooting averaging only 7 points and 8 rebounds. We're talking about the likes of Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler and then last week, Kevin Garnett who was 3-19 shooting for 10 points and 11 rebounds.Was it all Perkins? No, but he set the tone. Perk is well respected by his peers in the league and few enjoy playing against him. He is a locker room leader, yet respects the talents and on court leadership of the teams two superstars. The most important stat is this, the team was getting better before Perkins arrived but, when he got there, they started winning a lot more than not. Perk's presence and championship pedigree took them to the next level. It's no surprise that, in addition to being the highest scoring team in the NBA, they also have the largest average margin of victory. Defense wins games and, as they say, championships.

The fact of the matter is high scoring/rebounding centers are few and far between. Those that do it and defend are even more rare. They are also expensive. Chandler makes 6.5 million more a year than Perkins. Kendrick Perkins is a specialist and he knows it. Perk also accepts his role and strives to be a better team mate. We can't ask for much more. As for the complainers and dissenters? Perk is level headed and cares far more what the guys in the paint think than what the guys that write and talk about the paint do.

Kendrick Perkins is just fine. Watch him play next game, watch him work, watch him sweat. Forget scoring and rebounding and I think you will see what I see.

For Buster.

Thunder Update 6

The Oklahoma City Thunder are now on a five game winning streak heading into tomorrows game against the San Antonio Spurs. Oklahoma City now has a record of 47-16, and things are only going to get better this season. Earlier today the Thunder defeated Kendrick Perkins former team the Celtics. The Thunder won 91-79, which is a way better outcome than the last time they played in Boston (Boston won 108-100). Kevin Durant recorded yet another double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds, which was complimented by Russell Westbrook's 15 points in this double digit victory. The Celtics limited the Thunder's average of 107 points per game (an NBA best) to 91, but the outstanding defensive effort throughout the game made it enough to get a comfortable win.

Monday nights game will be no easy win, but will most likely be the deciding matter to whether or not the Thunder get the first or second seed in the West. The Thunder will come into the game only being behind one game for the number one spot in the West. Winning this game will not only tie up the race for first, but also give the Thunder a huge mental edge heading into the post season. Oklahoma City does have one thing going in their favor as they head into the house of the best home record in the NBA... San Antonio's leading scorer Tony Parker will not be playing due to his ankle injury a few days ago. There is a debate about whether or not having home court advantage effects the Thunder considering they didn't have it last year and defeated the Spurs in six games. When asking Kendrick Perkins about the situation he states "It's important, no matter how guys try to look at it". Tomorrow will be the third matchup between these two teams this season (the fourth will be played on April 4th), the Spurs won the first game 86-84 in San Antonio, and the Thunder took the second one 107-93 in OKC. It is clear that this is a must win for OKC. Kevin Durant is only averaging 21 points per game this season against San Antonio (which is a Western Conference low). Russell Westbrook will have to have a huge game giving lots of helpers (as CGilmartin likes to call them) to the outside shooters, and the trees inside the paint.

Oklahoma City seems to be meshing well with the new comers on the team. Derek Fisher has proven that he can give valuable minutes to the team. Am I saying he is a guy who deserves first half playing time? No, not at all! He brings great experience and leadership to the team, but he is not a guy who needs to be in a tight first half situation. Fisher is averaging 4.6 points per game to go along with 2 rebounds per game and 1.6 assist. Fisher could give us that push that lead us to the finals last year. Ronnie Brewer is only getting 8:30 minutes per game, which is a lot less than I personally expected. Brewer is bringing 1.7 points per game and 1.3 steals per game to the table. Now to our franchise players... Kevin Durant is still doing what he does leading the league in scoring with 28.5 points per game. Durant recently recorded his second career triple-double although it did come as a Thunder loss. Russell Westbrook is still holding his ground at fifth in the league in assist with 7.7 per game. Our defensive player of the year candidate Serge Ibaka remains in second place for blocks per game with 2.95.

Here are the current standings through 63 games:
*3/11/13 Note Worthy: Oklahoma City moves within one game behind the Spurs for best record in the West
Eastern Conference Standings:

Atlantic:
New York(38-22)
Brooklyn(37-26)
Boston(34-28)
Toronto(25-39)
Philadelphia(23-39)

Central:
Indiana(39-24)
Chicago(35-28)
Milwaukee(32-29)
Detroit(23-41)
Cleveland(21-42)

Southeast:
Miami(47-14)
Atlanta(34-28)
Washington(20-41)
Orlando(18-46)
Charlotte(13-50)

Western Conference Standings:

Southwest:
San Antonio(48-15)
Memphis(42-19)
Houston(34-30)
Dallas(29-33)
New Orleans(22-42)

Northwest:
Oklahoma City(47-16)
Denver(42-22)
Utah(32-31)
Portland(29-33)
Minnesota(21-39)

Pacific:
LA Clippers(44-20)
Golden St.(35-29)
LA Lakers(33-31)
Phoenix(22-41)
Sacramento(22-43)

Sunday Biography: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant was born on September 29, 1988. He was born and raised in Suitland, Maryland, which is just outside of Washington, D.C. He was born “Kevin Wayne Durant” just one of the four children of Wanda and Wayne Pratt. Kevin Durant signed with the university of Texas in Austin at the age of 18. Due to his extreme success, Kevin only played one season before entering the NBA draft in 2007. The Seattle SuperSonics selected Durant as the number two overall pick. During his six-year career so far Durant is a four-time NBA All-Star, and three time scoring champion.

Being born just outside of Washington D.C., Kevin is used to a very busy life, and being on the go all the time. This life pretty much sums up an NBA career. Durant was just one of the four kids in the Pratt family that loved sports. He grew up watching and playing the sport of basketball with his sister, Brianna, and his brothers Anthony and Rayvonne. Kevin’s grandmother, Barbara, was probably one of the most influential people in his life. Durant was always teased as a child in school for his height. His grandmother made him realize that his height was a blessing from God.

Durant started his successful career with the Jaguars, which is an AAU youth basketball team located in Maryland. Believe it or not, Kevin started as a point guard for the Jaguars. During his time with the team, they won two national championships. As you may know, Durant still wears number 35 on the court to this day. He wears the number 35 in honor of his AAU coach Charles Craig, who died at the age of 35.

Durant decided to sign with the Longhorns because of assistant coach Russell Springman. Springman, a Maryland native, had kept in touch with Kevin since his freshman year in high school. Durant started every game his freshman year of college and averaged 25.8 points per game and 11 rebounds per game in the 35 games they played that season. Durant received the Oscar Robertson and the Adolph F. Rupp awards that year, making him the first freshman to ever win both awards. Durant was then drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2007. He was selected to be a member of the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team and was named the Rookie of the Year as well. After the 2008 season the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City where he has since been selected as an all-star four times, and has won the NBA scoring title three times in a row. Durant has now led his team to a Western Conference Championship and to the NBA finals in 2012, and has received a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The maturation of Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is growing up before our eyes. If you are not enjoying every minute of it,  then perhaps you should pay closer attention. Sure, Russell still makes some pretty dumb decisions and takes questionable shots but not near as much as he used to. Then again, how many of us could make the dozens of good, snap decisions he makes every game? In fact, not many NBA players can do what Westbrook does game in and game out.

Russell Westbrook came out of college as a defensive minded shooting guard. He was drafted to play point guard. At the time, most sports reporters and fans thought the idea was crazy. Very few thought it would work. Some (Skip Bayless comes to mind) still think playing Westbrook at the point is a bad idea. Many fans cry about his "inconsistency" on the court and frown at his dramatic complaints to the zebra crew after every possession. Some have even stated that Westbrook should have been traded or, at the very least, not signed to a long term contract. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, despite how silly it is. I for one think they are all wrong.

It is my contention that Russell Westbrook is not a point guard or a shooting guard. Russell Westbrook is an athlete. Not a run of the mill, Professional athlete either, he's a freak of nature. A rare athlete that possesses not just the skills that are commensurate with his size, but big man skills as well. I believe that he could also transition to other sports. Would it not be fun to watch Westbrook chasing down wide receivers as an NFL safety, or outrunning fly balls in a Major League ball park? I think he could easily do both. Don't get me started on his potential career in track and Field. I believe Thunder GM Sam Presti and the rest of the staff saw the same thing on draft day. The question they faced was not what position to play Westbrook, but rather how to get him on the court period.

The starting five and the positions they play mean a great deal right up until the tip off. After the first whistle it means a lot less. LeBron James is listed as a forward in the starting lineup. He spends the majority of the game at the point, handling the ball. Russell Westbrook can play any position and, on most nights, he does. Consider the stats for the guards on the top 7 teams in the NBA. Westbrook leads in almost every category. He leads in minutes played (35.69), points (23.63), rebounds (5.25) and is second to the Clippers Chris Paul in assist (9.51 - 7.83) and steals (2.43-1.85). Better than Parker, Ginobili, Crawford, Wade and Ray Allen. In fact, his rebound totals rival those of most starting forwards in the NBA. It wouldn't be fair not to mention the fact that Westbrook also leads in the categories of turn overs (3.52) and personal fouls (2.28) but, those categories speak to his explosive manner of play and his stingy defense. I don't know about you, but I don't want Westbrook to slow down his style of play. I'll take a few turnovers and a scrappy foul every now and then.

Watching Russell Westbrook grow before our eye's is a lot of fun. He is only 24 years old and has proven to be extremely durable. In fact, Russell has never missed a game. Not just in the NBA mind you, it has been reported that he didn't miss a game in college or high school either. And then there is his incredible upside. Compare his season stats above to what he has done since the all star break; 32 points per game, 6 assist and 6 rebounds. And, for good measure, he has 3 double doubles during that span and adds at least one steal a game. He's doing all that while shooting 52% from the field, 42% from 3 point range and a stout 88% at the line. He proves every game that he is no where near finished growing as a player or as a leader.

Russell will always have turnovers because of his style of play and his passion for the game will always be perceived as childish anger by some. But I know this, I want him around as long as he wants to be, and I hope that he plays his entire career as a member of the Thunder. Trust me, I know his teammates don't want to play against him. I promise that in the not to distant future he will be in the discussions for many NBA honors including MVP, all defensive team and perhaps a scoring title or two.

Give the man a break, let him play his style. Ride the emotional roller coaster that he puts us on every time he steps on to the court. It's the way he was made. Who are we to argue with his Creator. My advice, Just sit back and enjoy watching Russell Westbrook grow up, and hopefully grow old, with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For Buster.

Scoring Champion vs NBA Champion

        Thunder forward Kevin Durant posted his third triple double on Wednesday night in a 119 - 74 win over the New Orleans Hornets (soon to be Pelicans). All three of Durants triple doubles have come in this, his 6th NBA season. Durant has been a scorer his entire career. He has three straight NBA scoring titles and is staring down a rare fourth in a row. Durant is a pure scorer. He has shown the ability to score inside, outside and... well, from anywhere on the court. KD could have a very long and satisfying career just scoring. No one would think any less of him. In fact, there are plenty of fans and sports reporters that would like him to do just that. Many fans cringe when Durant favors passing over scoring. They cry foul when KD puts up blue collar point totals. Sports reporters claim that he is passing up good scoring opportunities in favor of serving up helpers for teammates like Thabo and Perk. Scoring a lot is fun, it's American (see soccer) and it puts fans in the seats. So why would Durant not just keep scoring? Why devote any time to anything else? After all, he is the best pure shooter in the NBA.

      Consider the following. Golden State star Steph Curry scored an NBA league high 54 points on Wednesday night.....in a 109-105 loss to the Knicks. Great individual night but not a great team result. This season, Durant came in committed to improving his rebounding and assist totals. It is my contention that KD is aware of his scoring ability. But, I believe that he also know that while individual  scoring will win games it's not likely a formula for a championship run. In addition, to be considered an elite player, in the same arena as Bird, Jordan, Magic and LeBron James, KD must be a complete player. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson all have  multiple League MVP titles and Multiple NBA Championships. LeBron will probably add another Championship to his two  MVP trophies. They also all excelled in scoring, rebounding and assists. Durant wants both trophies and he knows what he has to do to get them.

     Kevin Durant is a consummate team player. He makes those around him better. He is taking the next obvious step in his maturation as a player and a team leader. He is on the right track. KD's high scoring game this year is 52 points. That was the season high until Curry put up 54. Impressive? Yes, but let me do a little math. Durant's line on Wednesday was 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Lets say that each assist was worth 2.1 points (considering a few 3 point baskets) and half of his rebounds resulted in scores, again at 2.1 points. My math tells me that Durant had a hand in 61 of the teams 119 points or, roughly 50 percent of the scoring. And the team won.

     KD is young and smart. His scoring average is 28.5. Given the choice between Durant the scoring Champ or Durant the Triple double threat,  I'll take the triple double any day. Cut the man some slack. His new passion for passing and rebounding may not lead to many more scoring titles, but I believe it will eventually lead to an MVP or two and at least one NBA Championship, if not more.

For Buster.