NBA News 2012: Durant, Thunder still chasing first NBA title

English: Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunders at ARCO Arena. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Weeks after sobbing with his parents after Miami beat Oklahoma City Thunder four straight times to win the NBA championship, Durant was celebrating a gold medal with Team USA in London.

Now comes the task of trying to make up for that championship that was lost. Durant will have to lead an even younger Thunder squad back to the finals if he wants a different ending.

''It was just so tough to lose because I really thought it was our year. I felt we had a good run. We beat Dallas, San Antonio, the Lakers,'' Durant said, listing off Oklahoma City's playoff opponents from last season and the only teams that had won the West since 1998. ''I thought it was our time, but unfortunately it wasn't. Those guys came out and beat us, and it was tough to go through that.''

Television cameras caught Durant's reaction in the moments just after he stepped off of Miami's home floor for what normally would have been a relatively private encounter with his family. Instead, the whole world was able to witness the way Durant reacted, which he said was the same as it was when he was growing up.

''When you lose a tough series, there's no question it's heartache. You feel it for many days,'' coach Scott Brooks said. ''I've been around teams when you lose, the fingers are pointed and you look for blame. The thing that I'm proud of with our guys, I never saw that. Individually, nobody was outspoken. Nobody was behind each other's back.

''We understand that we had a great year but it's time to move on. It's time to focus on this season. Last year was a great experience, but it won't guarantee us an opportunity back there. We have to work for it.''

The Thunder still have the nucleus of the team that made it to last year's finals and to the Western Conference finals two seasons ago. Three-time league scoring champion Durant and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook will once again be joined by Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha in the starting five with NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden coming off the bench.

Ibaka signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason, following Durant and Westbrook in committing to Oklahoma City long term but also drawing into question whether the small-market franchise would be able to afford Harden. The Thunder will need to go over the salary cap - and pay the luxury tax - to keep him unless they shed some payroll elsewhere.

Harden is at least in the mix for this year's run.

''We're young, we have all the talent in the world. The small things and attention to detail can take us even further,'' Harden said. ''I think offensively, we can score with any team in the NBA. We have just as much firepower as any team in the NBA. I think what's going to put us over to that next level is our consistent defense. We have spurts where we look very good. We have spurts where we look average. I think for championship teams, we need to be locked in every possession.''

Beyond their big six, some of the Thunder's pieces are changing. Veteran Nick Collison remains with the team and backup point guard Eric Maynor will be back after missing most of last season with a knee injury, but three locker room leaders - Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey - were allowed to leave in free agency.

In their places are relatively inexperienced replacements, including free agent center Hasheem Thabeet and first-round draft pick Perry Jones III from Baylor.

Fisher and Mohammed were two of the team's only three players who had won an NBA title. Perkins, who won one with Boston, is now the only one left to speak from experience about what it takes to win it all.

''I think we all understand what it takes to at least get to the finals, but I think the finals was overwhelming to a lot of us,'' Perkins said. ''I think we got caught up in just being in the finals and quit playing basketball.''

The Thunder have progressed - from out of the playoffs to a first-round exit to the West finals to the NBA Finals. Perkins said the bottom line was ''we didn't reach our goal.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/durant-thunder-still-chasing-first-170314010--nba.html

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NBA News 2012: Lakers Tried To Trade Into First Round For Sullinger Or Perry Jones

English: Jared Sullinger at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Lakers made several attempts to move into the first round in Thursday's draft, targeting both Jared Sullinger and Perry Jones III.

Both players fell further than many anticipated and were selected by the Celtics and Thunder respectively.

"To get into the first round, it's not that easy to do without pledging substantial assets," Mitch Kupchak said. "To some degree, it was a challenge to look for something that was fair to do."

The Cavaliers owned the Lakers' first round pick, which was used on Jared Cunningham in a prearranged trade with Dallas. Jones would have been picked by the Lakers had they retained it.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/221877/Lakers_Tried_To_Trade_Into_First_Round_For_Sullinger_Or_Perry_Jones

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NBA News 2012: The Skyrocketing Value Of Draft Picks

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on January 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 97-90. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
At the NBA trade deadline this season, late first-round picks were at a premium.

The Houston Rockets dealt Jordan Hill, an athletic 6’10, 245, 24-year-old big man with a 15.4 PER, for a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, assuming the cost of buying out Derek Fisher’s $3.4 million player option next season in the process.

The Cleveland Cavaliers dealt Ramon Sessions, a legit NBA starter who is only 25-years-old, for the Lakers’ other first-round pick, assuming the cost of Luke Walton’s $6.1 million salary in 2013

The most eyebrow-raising move of all was the Golden State Warriors essentially paying $11.4 million dollars for the San Antonio Spurs' first-round pick. Stephen Jackson’s contract expires after 2013 while Richard Jefferson will almost certainly pick up his player option for the 2013-14 season.

In a league that typically scoffs at the value of these picks, which have usually been available for $3 million in cash, it’s fair to wonder what these teams are thinking. However, two things, both the result of the lockout, are different in 2012: the heightened luxury tax penalties in the new CBA have increased the value of first-rounders’ cost-controlled salaries while the uncertainty surrounding the 2011-12 season helped keep many of college basketball’s top players in school an extra season.

Kentucky and North Carolina, the two favorites in the NCAA Tournament, have at least five players who would have been first-round picks last year: Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb. At least five more collegiate players -- Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Jeremy Lamb (UConn), Perry Jones III (Baylor), Jeffrey Taylor and Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt) -- would have been first-round picks in 2011, one of the weakest drafts in recent memory.

http://basketball.realgm.com/news/articles/older/2

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NBA News 2011: Draft Prospect Perry Jones

Image via Wikipedia
Deemed by many scouts as the prospect with the highest upside of any player in college basketball, Perry Jones of Baylor has had an up and down freshman season that appears to be taking a turn for the better at the moment.

Standing 6-11, with long arms, an excellent frame and incredible fluidity for a player his size, Jones is a rare physical specimen by any standard. When motivated, he runs the floor about as well as any big man in this draft and is capable of beating his man off the dribble with a terrific first step. He has great hands and an exceptionally soft touch, which makes him an incredible finisher around the basket. (His length and highlight reel-caliber explosiveness help in this regard as well.

Offensively, Jones gets his touches in a variety of ways. An extremely reliable target for his teammates to throw drive-and-dish passes to, he has great potential as a pick-and-roll finisher thanks to his hands, touch and leaping ability. He is also a solid (although clearly not a dominating) presence on the offensive glass for the same reason -- he has the ability to pogo stick off the ground multiple times before his opponents can react.

Baylor has been increasingly utilizing him in post-up situations, an area in which he's been relatively effective. Jones doesn't possess the girth to establish great position against the strongest collegiate big men he'll match up against (such as the Morris twins at Kansas), but with his decent footwork, outstanding touch and phenomenal extension around the rim, he's able to do some very interesting things at this level, especially when he's being aggressive. Moving forward, it's paramount for him to add strength to his promising, yet currently underdeveloped frame.

Another area in which Jones has shown promise in is with his jump shot. He has excellent shooting mechanics and solid range out to about 18 feet, even showing flashes of being able to convert shots off the dribble at times. He should be able to develop into a solid pick-and-pop option in time, although he's definitely not as consistent as he needs to be just yet – he's only made 18 of 55 jumpers this season, or 33%.

Where Jones might be at his best a few years down the road is as an isolation threat from the high post. With his solid ball-handling skills and devastating first step, he has the ability to beat most big men off the dribble with ease, something that will only become more pronounced with the NBA's superior spacing. Jones doesn't see many opportunities of this fashion at the moment and he's been fairly erratic when he does, which often results in turnovers.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Perry-Jones-3630/

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NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Justin Harper

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Justin Harper, 6-10, Senior, Power Forward, Richmond
15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 turnovers, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, 54.9% FG, 50.8% 3FG, 68.8% FT

At 6'10, Harper has excellent size for the power forward position, but he could still stand to add strength to his 225-pound frame, particularly to his lower body. He is an above average athlete, as well, with decent quickness in the open floor and good explosiveness around the basket.

Harper has improved significantly on the offense end, where he averages 23.1 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted. He is most effective spotting up around the perimeter, where he finds over a quarter of his possessions, and shoots a blistering 50.8% on 4.2 attempts per game.

Though he does not get much elevation on his shot, he has a lightning quick release and a consistent, fluid shooting motion. His range extends well past the NBA three-point line, as well, and he shows very good potential as a pick-and-pop threat. Clearly this will be his calling card as an NBA prospect.

His scoring abilities around the basket have improved, as well, where he displays improving footwork and a developing arsenal of moves. Though he likely lacks the strength to carve out position at the next level, his touch around the basket is solid and he has become more comfortable attacking the rim as a senior.

On defense, Harper displays just average lateral quickness and could struggle guarding perimeter oriented power forwards at the next level. He is not the most consistent defender either, particularly inside where his lack of strength does him few favors, but where he also fails to contest every shot.

Players with his size, athleticism skill-set are difficult to come by, and if he can finish the season as strongly as he started, and ride that momentum into the pre-draft process, he'll definitely have a chance to hear his name called on draft night.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-162011--3608/

NBA News 2010: NBA Prospect Perry Jones

Image via Wikipedia
Simply put, no prospect in the 2010 high school class displays more NBA potential than Baylor commit Perry Jones (#12 Scout, #6 Rivals, #3 ESPN). Right off the bat, Jones wows you with his terrific physical attributes—standing 6-10 or 6-11, with a great frame, long arms and incredible athleticism. Jones runs the floor like a deer, explodes off the ground as if he has a personal trampoline at his disposal, and is extremely fluid and reactive to everything that goes on around him.

Skill-wise, there is quite a bit to like here as well. We regularly saw Jones grab a rebound and then handle the ball up-court himself, often weaving in and out of traffic before dishing off a perfectly timed no-look pass right into the path of a teammate streaking towards the basket. He also has a very nice jump-shot, showing streaky range out to the 3-point line, but with the type of touch and mechanics that lead you to believe that he can develop this part of his game into a real weapon in time.

When attacking the rim in the half-court, Jones displays an excellent first step and is capable of getting to the basket in two long strides, sometimes mixing in some very nice spins and pivot moves, often starting off a sharp crossover. Once he’s inside the paint, he finishes with the greatest of ease, typically in highlight reel fashion. Jones is certain to be a fixture many a highlight reel, as he has slamdunk contest-caliber leaping ability. His teammates regularly just throw lobs in the general direction of the rim, knowing that Jones will find a way to go get the ball and hammer it home.

In terms of weaknesses, there are a few you could point towards. One would be his complete lack of a back to the basket game, something you’d like to see him develop considering the quickness and nifty footwork he displays. He needs to get stronger in the lower body first, and probably quite a bit tougher in the paint as well.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Perry-Jones-5713/

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