SB Nation Atlanta: All Posts by Eddie Maisonet

An Open Letter To Justin Blackmon

2013-05-02T13:06:25Z

Eddie Maisonet is the EIC of The Sports Fan Journal and regular contributor to SLAM Magazine, Complex Magazine, NBC's The Grio and SB Nation. However, Ed has intentionally refrained from writing about his favorite football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars for a variety of reasons. Mostly because his fandom would prevent him from being rational. However, with the news of Justin Blackmon's suspension hitting the airwaves, 800 words were written in an open letter fashion to the supposed WR1 on the Jaguars depth chart. What ensues is a letter of hopeless pleading, shenanigans and utter nonsense directed towards Blackmon from an Oklahoman who just so happens to be a lifetime Jaguars fan. Enjoy.

Dear Justin,

What's good brother, how you been? Hopefully this message finds you in good spirits.

I recently heard the news that you were suspended for four games by the NFL because you violated the league's substance abuse policy. Whatever the drug of choice that you abused means nothing to me, other than the fact that it was a performance-enhancing drug, otherwise we'd be having a different conversation. However, I'm here to be in your corner right now, not chastise you for what you've done wrong.

Like it or not, you've already left yourself a pretty strong legacy to live up to, all while being just 23 years old. I'm proud to say that I've personally watched you play football since your days running wind sprints up and down the field in Ardmore, Oklahoma as a member of the Ardmore Tigers, to channeling your inner Dez Bryant while doing work for the Oklahoma State Cowboys at ole' T. Boone Pickens Stadium. When you touched down into Duval County as the 5th pick of my Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2012 NFL Draft, I can honestly say that I felt like this would be the continuation of something special that had already been brewing. That you could become the next all-world wideout for Jacksonville, filling the shoes that Jimmy Smith once filled. You being a hometown kid to boot from Oklahoma? Man, we in that thang breh!

But Justin...homie....feel me on this one. Let me just share some names with you, something that the homie Alfie called out a little earlier. (Because we all know you read BCC religiously, right? RIGHT?) Do you know how much hope folks have put into former Jaguar wide receivers R. Jay Soward, Matt Jones, and Reggie Williams in the past? Dog, we thought these dudes were gonna be THE ones!?!? I mean, shame on us that we thought a dude who really went by the entire name "R. Jay" was going to be what that was in the league. Or that Matt Jones, a man who played quarterback his entire college career would easily become what that was as a wide receiver in the league. (Not to mention his penchant for chopping up that pure white in a Walmart parking lot with his Rush Card) Or even Reggie Williams, who had the gall and audacity to break the great Jimmy Smith's receiving touchdowns record (10) in 2007 and now the last time I heard was playing for something called the "Sacramenton Mountain Lions." Yeah man....this is the past life for wideouts in Jacksonville.

However, look around you homie. You see those new uniforms you were just modeling for Nike a few weeks ago? Sweet, right? Dog, you can't even wear those joints officially until damn near October. Man, what? Now Sunshine Gabbert's going to (probably) out-sell your jersey in the team shop dog, thus possibly giving this man the confidence that he might be a suitable quarterback for the Jaguars long-term. Nah man, we can't have that! We got dreams bruh! We're trying to bring Teddy "The Bridge" Bridgewater and Johnny "Money" Manziel to Duval in 2014, and we can't have Blaine getting a confidence boost out here. Yes, I know it seems that you being out of the lineup would be a hinderance to Gabbert in general, but he was going to struggle with or without you man, we all knew this.

The future's going to be brightening up for us soon man. We got a new owner, new coach, new uniforms, and hopefully a new quarterback next season too. I mean, we'd love to have you be a part of this new-new, but Sammie Watkins is gonna be in the draft coming up soon too, and at this point you're making yourself expendable.

Do we gotta bring the cancer patient from Stillwater to Jacksonville or nah?

Do we need to get you out of that #14 in back into your old #81 or nah?

Do we need to do a rain dance around a fire to make things better or nah?

Let me know. Let the fans know. Let whoever you need to know, know. Because this type of behavior is getting old, and this didn't just start with you....but it can end with you. Bring the greatness back to our wide receiver position, we've seen the flashes last season. We know you are indeed capable, now its time to act like a grown-ass man and show the world what you're truly capable of. Be peace brother, be peace.

Signed,

Eduardo "Eddie" Maisonet, III
aka @edthesportsfan
aka one of the few Oklahomans whose favorite team is the Jacksonville Bleeping Jaguars

Dear Justin,

What's good brother, how you been? Hopefully this message finds you in good spirits.

Do we gotta bring the cancer patient from Stillwater to Jacksonville or nah?

Do we need to get you out of that #14 in back into your old #81 or nah?

Do we need to do a rain dance around a fire to make things better or nah?

Signed,

Eduardo "Eddie" Maisonet, III
aka @edthesportsfan
aka one of the few Oklahomans whose favorite team is the Jacksonville Bleeping Jaguars

Damian Lillard's historic rookie season deserves your attention

2013-04-17T18:00:05Z

"I just think of how under control he is. It's like he's been here before. He's never out of his comfort zone. He's never too fast. He's never too slow. He plays in his own lane. His ability to shoot the ball and his ability to drive the ball makes him a threat." -- LeBron James

In a mere 53 words, the soon-to-be four-time MVP gave as concise a synopsis as anyone could give in assessing the Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard. In watching the Blazers play basketball this season, a team devoid of any substantial talent outside of their starting lineup and no clue whatsoever on how to play consistent defense, Lillard is the reason why we'll spend three hours watching this team play.

So yes, it's impressive that Lillard helped carry this Blazers squad near the fringes of the playoffs in a tough Western Conference up into the last month of the season, and become the undisputed rookie of the year by oh . . . January? But its even more impressive to see him perform beyond anyone's wildest expectations in a league full of extraordinary point guards and to have the respect of his peers.

See LeBron's quote above, or read Kobe Bryant's quote on going blow-for-blow with Lillard last Wednesday:

"Lillard came out and just started torching us. I figured I would try to keep up the pace. It was like a marathon runner, when a guy just takes off, and the guy behind him doesn't really want to chase after him but he has to just to keep pace."

...

"I just told him he was a bad boy. He was out there cooking with gasoline tonight. He was fantastic." -- Kobe Bryant

While LeBron and Kobe recognize what Lillard is doing in the present day, how does his rookie campaign stack up to the likes of legendary rookie point guards of yesteryear? A glance at some advanced stats and performance can help us get a better idea of how Lillard's rookie year compares.

(Quick note here: I excluded two point guards from this comparison: Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Magic's rookie season saw him play alongside Norm Nixon in 1979-80, who was the Lakers starting point guard. Oscar's rookie season of 1960-61 saw The Big O finish just 20 (!!!) rebounds away from averaging a triple-double, that same triple-double he'd average the following season. So yeah, they're both outliers as far as I'm concerned.)

Dame Be Scoring: Lillard's averaging 19.1 points/game this season, ranking him 13th in the NBA in scoring. Also of note, no rookie point guard has scored as many points per game since Allen Iverson in 1997.
Shooting The Lights Out: Lillard might have a case that his shooting performance in his rookie year is the best of all-time. Lillard's fifth in the NBA in threes made while shooting at a 37-percent clip, while his other shooting percentages (43 percent from the field, 85 percent from the free-throw line) mirror Chris Paul's 2005-06 rookie campaign.
Staying On The Court: Lillard's had every chance imaginable to contribute for Portland, as no player in the NBA has played more minutes this season (3,089, entering Wednesday) than Lillard. The last rookie point guard to play over 3,000 minutes was Iverson.

Once you begin comparing Lillard's first year performance to some of the other tremendous rookie campaigns, you see where the opportunities for growth lie. Lillard's proven that he's a capable scorer with an arsenal as vast as any point guard in today's game. His assists numbers are average compared to his floor-general peers and can improve. There's definitely room to grow on the glass, and defensively there's a big opportunity to get better.

This is the nitpick portion of the show, where we have to find something constructive to talk about with Lillard. Yes, the man doesn't rebound or defend like we'd prefer him to, but he's too damned busy carrying the Blazers on his back. However, that's really the scary point of this story with Lillard. Consider these three questions...

What if he does become a better rebounder and defender?
How would those assist numbers look if Portland had another go-to player besides the 6'10 ~~shooting guard~~ forward LaMarcus Aldridge?
Could Lillard become more efficient if he wasn't playing 40 minutes a night?

If those questions ever have positive answers, then we won't be talking about Lillard's historical rookie performance anymore. Now, we'll be calling him one of the best point guards in the game with no hesitation. Because believe it or not, he's already in the discussion (at least in the top eight). Everyone else in the league is on alert for when Lillard comes to their town.

More from SB Nation:

• Paul Flannery: A letter from Boston

• CelticsBlog: We are Boston

• 2013 NBA mock draft: An overly exuberant scout's take

• Sharp: Of course Kobe is coming back

• NBA lottery watch: Bobcats, Magic in battle for last

The 10 Things The Oklahoma City Thunder Must Do To Win The NBA Title

2013-01-07T11:00:05Z

*Note from Ed: This will be my final post on SB Nation Kansas City, as the time has come for transition and I will figure out what my next journalistic move will be. I assure you that it will be a glorious one, and I appreciate you all lending me your ear while I attempt to write poetic about the NBA.*

Life is good for the Oklahoma City Thunder. A 26-7 record and the best record in the NBA for the hometeam means that the status of top dog is squarely on the Thunder shoulders. Yet, I remain unconvinced at the Thunder's chances to bring home their first NBA title. I mean, that is the goal right? Bringing home a title? Of course it is.

I need more convincing and I have 10 axes to grind before I feel semi-confident. bear with me as I give you my laundry list.

1. Russell Westbrook has to remember how to shoot: Its been widely noted at this point in the struggles of Westbrook this season. His field goal shooting percentage (41.5% entering Monday) is the lowest its been since his rookie year. Yet quietly, no one has noticed that his three-point shooting percentage (36.7%) is the highest of his career. The Thunder offense has evolved so that Westbrook can get more open looks, so while he's converting from beyond the arc, he's not converting at his two favorite shots. The pull-up at the elbow and any layup at the rim.

My guess is that this trend will not continue, and it must change for OKC to work at peak efficiency.

2. Serge Ibaka must continue to improve as a defender: There are too many times still that on defense, there's a wide-open man setup for a jumper around the arc to capitalize from deep. Stretch 4's seem to kill OKC more than anyone else, and Ibaka's rotation is left wide open. I'm not sure if it means that Ibaka should play more center, and allow someone like Collison or Durant to play the 4, to make for a quicker defensive unit, but against a team like Miami in particular this has to be fixed. Speaking of Durant at the 4...

3. Scott Brooks has to believe in his small-ball lineup: During the finals last year, I always believed that a lineup of Westbrook-Harden-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka was the best five to counter what Miami would throw on the floor. For whatever reason, Brooks wanted to have former reserve Derek Fisher in the lineup, which frustrated me to no end. With this team, there are several iterations that could work, but with Maynor back and Durant capable of playing bigger, its something I'd like to see more of. Could a lineup of Westbrook-Sefolosha-Martin-Durant-Ibaka work? What about more Maynor? Perry Jones even? We must find out eventually.

4. Kendrick Perkins is going to have to figure something out: I've said plenty before, so all I'm going to say now is the following...Perk, you've got to play better brother. Period.

5. No injuries: Most people know about Westbrook's consecutive games streak that may or may not have started in high school, but by and large this team has stayed remarkably healthy over the last few seasons. Knock on wood, but the luck on injuries must continue moving forward.

6. Eric Maynor must come back to life: Can the Duke-killer Eric Maynor please be revived, please? I'm only asking for this one thing Lord...okay, I might've asked for three things yesterday but...can VCU Maynor please come back? I'm begging.

7. Scott Brooks should learn how to bring the corner three into the offense: Kevin Martin and Thabo Sefolosha look almost exactly like each other on the basketball court. They also are phenomenal spot-up three point shooters. So its weird to me that we are continually beat by teams with shooters in the corner, and yet we don't utilize the space nearly as much as we should. Planting a shooter in the corner could open up even more space for KD and Russ to work 1-on-1, and even Ibaka could shoot the corner jumper from 18-20 feet. Space is cool Coach Brooks, I promise it is.

8. One rookie is going to have to step up: I really wish it would be Perry Jones, only because I've been dreaming of a lineup of Westbrook-Martin-Jones-Durant-Ibaka. Scary huh?

9. Kevin Durant has to figure out a way to guard LeBron James: It was the scariest thing I remember seeing during the finals last year. James Harden was guarding LeBron James. That's when I knew we were in deep dog poop. Just look at the roster, who's the only person that can guard LeBron James?

/looking...

/still looking...

Yep, KD.

Not really sure how that's going to work, but if a Miami vs. OKC rematch happens, then Durant's going to have to shoulder this load. You'd think all that time on the Olympic team and working out in the summer would net a few notes on how to slow down The King....right? RIGHT?

Otherwise, we'll only have one option left.

10. Pray: Pray that the New York Knicks find a way to beat the Heat. Pray that Chris Bosh forgets how to play basketball. Pray that Perry Jones evolves into another Kevin Durant and then we can have two KD's on the court at the same damn time. Okay, I'm reaching, but you get my point.

OKC wins games they shouldn't, which gives Scott Brooks' chance to teach

2012-12-28T11:00:04Z

Seems like everyone loves to talk about Russell Westbrook, and we will, in a moment.

For now, lets talk about the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder won another game that they probably had no business winning. When you're as talented as OKC, these things tend to happen. In the case for the Thunder versus the Dallas Mavericks, OKC outscored Dallas 38-24 in the fourth quarter + overtime period to win 111-105 to push their home winning streak to 15 games.

Kevin Durant was amazing, by the way.

That boy is good.

Serge Ibaka was a terror on both ends of the floor (19 points, 17 rebounds) and Kevin Martin was efficiently lethal (18 points, 7 rebounds) off the Thunder bench. Yet and still the Thunder found a way into settling (or choosing) poor shots in the halfcourt set, and the primary target for blame was everybody's favorite "point guard" to hate in Westbrook.

Westbrook's final stat line on Thursday night was an impressive one at first glance: 16 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds has become the norm for Russ. Unfortunately, so has the 7-20 shooting performance that he put up while being guarded by his former teammate from UCLA in Darren Collison. Maybe Collison had a few tricks up his sleeve in guarding Russ, but even with the Thunder winning 22 of their first 28 games, Westbrook's shooting efficiency has been at an all-time low only lower than his rookie season.

When I observe Westbrook, certain things are obvious. He's still shooting those ill-fated pull-up jumpers that are indefensible and indefensible. No defender can stop Westbrook's pull-up jumper, but if the jumper isn't falling then the jumper becomes another casualty on the efficient Thunder offense. Every time Westbrook does this, its a missed opportunity to get someone involved. Be it Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka down low, or Thabo Sefolosha and Kevin Martin on the wing, or to make things even easier for the almighty Kevin Durant. Building up the flow of the offense and making folks happy can have long-term implications for everyone involved. The offense runs smoother, the defense is impassioned because everyone feels included, and the bench plays better with the starters because they know they'll have a chance to contribute. This all falls on Russie's shoulders.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I think Russell Westbrook's performance thus far 28 games into the season has been admirable. More ball handling. More distribution. More scoring. More leadership. All of these things shifted his way as the Harden trade commenced. Ranking in the top six in points, assists and steals thus far is no laughing matter, and his poor shooting should return to form eventually.

However, the thought I have is in wondering if Scott Brooks' recognizes that what's going on is something that deserves their attention and is adjustable. I mean, you have Maurice Cheeks and yourself on the bench for a reason, right? You're former point guards in the league who are now coaching the most energetic, athletic and hard working player maybe in the entire league. Isn't the ultimate coaching job right in front of them?

It could make all the difference in winning an NBA championship versus merely watching them on television. Setting up the offense, deferring once or twice more when the situation allows, keeping ones emotions in check. All things that the head coach has the opportunity to address, and are things that Westbrook can let sink in and build from.

In Jordan Rules, Phil Jackson once said that rebellion shows livelihood in the troops as they prepare for war. It shows that the soldiers ultimately do care, and their emotions can come out in lashes. The frustratingly brilliant Westbrook personifies this all the time. Be it on the bench, on the court or in some remote location. Coaching up could and should continue to commence for the young point guard, and managing their floor general is still a work in progress.

Is Scott Brooks about that life? You know, developing his star pupil even more and more? Well find out soon enough, hopefully in June.

Oklahoma City Thunder Trade Possiblities For 2013

2012-12-21T14:51:53Z

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves 99-93 on Thursday night. After winning 12 games in a row, the streak has come to an end in the great north by a team in Minnesota that was both bigger than OKC and also able to stretch out the Thunder defense with their long range shooting. The game itself reminded me of a college basketball game where a top ranked squad is beaten by hot shooting from three-point range and the favored squad just not having everything click on that night. Of course, now that the 12-game winning streak is over, there's only one logical thing to do in such a time as this.

Trade everybody.

Okay, maybe not everybody, but its not to say that there aren't a few things we could nitpick on what the Thunder could use an upgrade on, right? From adding some shooters, rebounders and a former Olympian, here are a few trade scenarios that could be in the works before the trade deadline hits in February.

1. J.J. Redick: Its something I hadn't given much thought to at first, but when my boy Royce gave his opinion and said that he thought Redick could possibly be a good fit on the Thunder, I believe I raised my eyebrow in a way that would make The Rock proud. Truthfully, on a team that only has two pure shooters in Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin, having another shooter not named Kevin could be a real asset for OKC come playoff time. Russell just might be on to something here.

Best guess on how much would it cost OKC? Possibly Reggie Jackson and a second rounder going back to Orlando in a trade.

2. Anderson Varejao: We talked about possibility of trading for Sideshow Bob in the past, but Cleveland only has five wins all season and the lack of talent on that team is still striking. Varejao brings effort on the glass, defending in the paint and a knack for making the right pass or a crafty shot in the paint. He's not a better defender than Kendrick Perkins, but they make similar money and Varejao brings a lot more to the table. Perkins is the de facto big brother on this team, but if Sam Presti sees Perkins lack of productivity an issue moving forward, then Perk could be on the chopping block.

Best guess on how much would it cost OKC? Amnesty Perkins' contract, then sending players and a first-round pick (or two) to Cleveland.

3. Kevin Love: Love simply torched OKC on Thursday night, especially in the first half. Watching Love operate that far away from the rim is always a treat, but while I expected Love to light it up from long range, his ability to pass and hit cutters with the floor opened up continued to give OKC problems. I've always thought that having a stretch big man could open up the floor for driving opportunities by Durant and Westbrook, and while Serge Ibaka's improved in hitting 18-footers consistently, he's no Kevin Love.

Is this a dream of all dreams in acquiring Love? Probably so. If Minnesota wasn't 13-11 on the season and now getting their phenom point guard Ricky Rubio back in action, I'd say that this trade could definitely be in play. Love hasn't been shy in letting his feelings be known about the lack of team success thus far in Minnesota, and OKC has the right kind of assets to get him. Too bad they're winning right now, but by February...you never know.

Best guess on how much would it cost OKC? Trade anybody not named Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka to get Love. I'm serious bro.

4. James Harden: You know, there's this guy in Houston....wait, what? Too soon? Okay, my bad.

Eddie Maisonet is the Editor-In-Chief of The Sportsfan Journal and regular contributor to SLAMonline and SBNation.

Three Thunder Thoughts: 20 Wins, The Perk Lean and the 1988-89 Pistons

2012-12-18T09:00:20Z

There's nothing like making wild comparisons with current teams to legendary teams from yesteryear to start a heated argument with a good friend. The nerve I must have for thinking that the Oklahoma City Thunder could be comparable to the....Bad Boys of the late 80's? Really?

Really.

Check my thoughts on the comparison as I share my Three Thunder Thoughts for Tuesday.

Make that win No. 20 in the books for OKC (DimeMag): For those that might've missed Monday's night's redemptive 107-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs, here's an excellent recap:

In their growth from complete garbage to a potential dynasty, OKC skipped over two or three steps. When they beat San Antonio in six in the Western Conference Finals last year, it certainly felt like they bloomed a year earlier than expected. Now, there's no question: they're the best team in the Western Conference, and proved it by giving it to the Spurs, 107-93. OKC's big four scored all but four points for the Thunder in the first half, but it was probably Serge Ibaka (25 points, 17 rebounds) alone who made all of the difference. He made his first six shots, and had the announcers screaming, "Don't touch him! Don't speak to him! You might wake him up!" The big fella has really improved this year, being incredibly assertive offensively and not looking lost on the other end (even though he's a great shotblocker, this is the first season where he's actually been a decent all-around defender). Does Ibaka become an All-Star soon? It's certainly possible...

The Perk Lean (Daily Thunder): I almost called this The Perk-o-Leaner or the Perk-o-Lator, but they just sound crazily awkward. Although I could be convinced to change my mind on this. Check out Kendrick Perkins dip and strut on the Spurs with his egregiously slow 15-foot jump shot attempt.

Dominating at the line and on the boards (Welcome To Loud City): Its been fascinating to see the improvement in key areas of the Thunder thus far in the new season. We've mentioned before about the improved ball movement and the uptick in assists, as OKC's tied for 9th with 22.4 a game. Yet, with the departure of James Harden and a shift in the depth of the frontcourt, the worry of rebounding against other big teams and getting to the line has been a cause of concern.

On Monday night, it was no concern at all:

For those looking for where the Thunder were able to separate themselves from the Spurs, OKC had 27 points from the line, compared to 14 from the Spurs. OKC was also able to dominate the boards, out-rebounding the opponent 49-37.

There's something about what Oklahoma City's doing that reminds me of the Detroit Pistons from the late 80's. A young team who grew together and experienced things together, a team who had to deal with a mega-trade of key personnel (6-time All-Star Adrian Dantley was traded MIDSEASON for 3-time All-Star and good buddy of isiah Thomas' in Mark Aguirre), lost in the NBA Finals the year prior (lost in '88 to the Lakers) and the following year feeling like things are just clicking.

The 1988-89 Pistons finished with the league's best record at 63-19 and ended up sweeping the defending champion Lakers to claim their first NBA title. While Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars were the two big stars for the Pistons, the roster of Detroit as a whole was supremely deep. Eight players played almost 22 minutes a game and were able to wear other teams down with size, speed and versatility. Its a formula that's similarly been used by OKC thus far this season, and it could give someone the belief that these Thunder players could walk in the footsteps of the Pistons 24 years prior.

Will they thought? We'll soon find out, but lets just hope that Ibaka doesn't end up bleaching his hair blonde and start wearing wedding dresses in the process.

The best point guard in the NBA at the quarterpole has been Russell Westbrook

2012-12-14T14:44:32Z

On Thursday afternoon, the NBA released its opening ballot returns in the fan vote for the 2013 NBA All-Star game in Houston. While I figured Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul would be at the top of the fan voting, along with the sensation that is Jeremy Lin also commandeering a ton of votes, I was shocked to find Russell Westbrook ranked 5th in the fan voting thus far. You're probably asking, who's in fourth thus far? That person would be James Harden. (Okay, I'm not surprised at all by this. I mean, the game is in Houston and Harden's fifth in scoring in the NBA, so I'm fine with that.)

But fifth? Really? Have you all been paying attention? Don't you all realize that the best point guard in the NBA is the one that wears No. 0 for the Thunder? Lets discuss, shall we?

Seeing James Harden ranked fourth in the All-Star voting actually helps me validate what Westbrook's been all about thus far this season. With the dynamic scorer Harden leaving for H-Town, Kevin Martin coming in from the trade to keepthe second unit afloat and Serge Ibaka's evolution of a jump-shooting machine, the burden has been a big one to carry for the team leaders. So while the great Kevin Durant's game has definitely evolved yet again this season, the play of Westbrook 22 games into the season just feels different. The team feels different.

The ball is moving even more. The players moves are more precise. You can hear the players talking even more (through the television). A lot of this credit should go to Westbrook. From being relentless in pushing the ball, setting others up, (especially Ibaka) and playing hellacious defense, that type of effort permeates through an entire team. Moreover, that "look" on Westbrook's face hasn't been there quite as much either. He even looks happier on the court.

Per Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, it seems that his teammates have noticed:

"His communication skills toward everybody have been off the charts," Perkins said. "We used to call Russ, 'Trey,' as in Russell Westbrook III. He would act like a little Trey, where he would go off and no one could talk to him last year. It happened a few times. But there's been none of that this year. He's been a great leader."

Westbrook's evolution as a playmaker has been evident, and the stats back it up. Let me just throw share a couple of factiods with you real quick that you may or may not have known.

Russell Westbrook is 6th in the NBA in scoring, 21.1
T-4th in assists, 8.5
T-6th in steals, 1.95
T-8th in free throw attempts, 5.9
T-1st in OHSHITHEJUSTDIDTHATWOWGOODNESSGRACIOUS (tied with LeBron James)

So while folks are beginning to craft the story that Carmelo Anthony should receive consideration for the MVP along with LeBron and KD, Westbrook's name should definitely be thrown in the hat. One of the benefits of Harden leaving for Houston is that someone had to pick up his slack. Westbrook's done this with the same gusto he displays when becoming the one-man fast break. The trick now will be sustainability, as the man who's gauges seemingly are always in the red will inevitably overheat from time to time.

But that's okay. When you're 18-4 with the league's best record, the opportunity to tinker with and craft the skills necessary to be ready in the playoffs. As far as I'm concerned, as long as Russ is playing hard, focused like a borderline maniac, he's all good with me. Dunks like this help.

Three Thunder Thoughts: Why Basketball Reference's Similarity Scores are awesome and hilarious

2012-12-11T11:00:39Z

Before completing this article I spent roughly five hours doing two things.

1. I built up an insane library of musical content on my Spotify playlists. From the 'Top Down Music' playlist (smooth grooves) to 'Dua Mode' (a family nickname for "Eduardo" and a group of songs that motivate me at the gym...if I ever go), from 'Jesus Is The Reason' (gospel, duh) to 'Guaranteed Victory' (forgive me Jesus) my Spotify playlists should be illegal. Thank you Sean Parker for doing something good on these here internets.

2. I read Basketball Reference looking at obscure players, stats and facts until my eyes watered. B-R is by far one of my bible's when it comes to writing and understanding what I see within the game of basketball. From comparative stats of legendary players to realizing that Alaa Abdelnaby played 5 (!!!) years in the league, this is my childhood dream come true.

One of the more fascinating things to check out are the similarity scores used to compare players historically in the NBA. While I could explain some of the fancy math that B-R uses to compute a Harris Poll-esque output, here's a simple explanation from the site itself:

It is important to note that this method does not attempt to find players who were similar in style of play. Rather, it attempts to find players whose careers were similar in terms of quality and shape. By shape, I mean things like: How many years did he play? How good were his best years compared to his worst years? Did he have a few great years and then several mediocre years, or did he have many good-but-not-great years?

Right.

So, since the Thunder have an off day before trying to push their winning streak to 9 games versus the Hornets on Wednesday, I decided to put Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins and Russell Westbrook in the similar scores blender and see what happens.

Kevin Durant: Most Similar To Dirk Nowitzki (89.8% through five seasons)

No shocker here, right? All-world near 7-foot shooters who took the league by storm early in their careers, both Durant and Nowitzki have helped transform just what a forward can actually be. While Durant was able to get to an NBA Finals appearance quicker than Dirk (four years for KD versus seven for Dirk) the Big German does have that ever elusive ring. That ring came when Nowitzki was nearing age 33 in in his 13th season in the league. While many hope and believe that KD won't have to wait that long, Durant's probably going to face the same opposition that Dirk had to run into a few times in the Finals. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Kendrick Perkins: Most Similar To Scot Pollard (91.5% through nine seasons)

Couple of things quickly.

One, I'm glad that Scot Pollard popped up at No. 1 vs. Darrall Imhoff, a 6'10" center from Cal who entered the league back in 1961. Yep, I remember those days vividly. Two, Scot Pollard? 91.5%? This thing is amazing. On wikipedia, it says that Pollard was known for his defensive play and his unique hairstyles. Similarly, Kendrick Perkins is known for his defensive play and his unique scowls and confrontations with referees and members of the opposing team!

I'll give Pollard this much, his role on those Sacramento Kings squads were integral when facing up against those ~~evil~~ Los Angeles Lakers. A big body, never afraid and a hard worker, its exactly what Perkins provides for OKC. Perk has an added leadership quality that I appreciate a bit more and more daily, and that's why OKC keeps the Big Scowl around.

Russell Westbrook: Most Similar To Jason Terry (93.1% through four seasons)

The one thing that everyone loves to get on Russ for is that he's always shooting the ball ~~more than Durant~~ all the damn time. Of course, the reality of OKC's situation is that they absolutely need Westbrook to get his 20-25 shots a game as he's the second option in holding up his end of the scoring load alongside KD. Jason Terry's always been the guy totally willing to put shots up and fill up the scoring sheet ever since he was drafted by Atlanta out of Arizona.

(Sidenote: You haven't lived unless you got to watch the 2003-04 Atlanta Hawks become the Jack'em Joe all-stars before our eyes. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Stephen Jackson and JET were on a 28-win team and put up 20, 18 and 17 points a game, respectfully. Quickly put, it was jumpers for everybody.)

Don't read more into this than their ability to shoulder a scoring output folks. I can hear Westbrook haters yelling that No. 0 should be a sixth-man like Terry. Not quite. Lest we not forget that JET has quite often finished plenty of games in the fourth quarter playing the biggest of minutes. Playing alongside Dirk, he got him a ring too be continually filling it up. Its something OKC will always need from Russ, and now that he's playing at a more efficient rate, the sky's the limit for the Thunder.

Now if we can only get Perkins to wear some of those Scot Pollard haircuts.