Thunder Forecast: February 1
I guess it’s apparent now that the Thunder will not fade down the stretch. I wasn’t really expecting such a thing to occur, but 3 1-point losses to elite 
teams in the span of a week are tough to stomach. Heck, I think threw up about it a few times myself. The slightly soured milk might’ve contributed to the vomit, but I’m pretty sure that the 1-point losses were at least 60% of the problem.
KD has not slowed down his charge of 30 point games, give or take. At this point, I think it’s safe to assume that Durant is simply on that level now. He cannot be guarded. You, as an opposing coaching staff, need to just hope and pray that he shoots something like 3-19 and you might have a shot win.
Winning these last 3 in a row against Denver, Golden State, and Atlanta were very, very important to the Thunder playoff push. First, the two weeks prior saw, like I mentioned, a series of very emotionally draining losses. Second, all once-bad teams go through the “here we go again” thoughts. I think this team has probably felt that coming on, and then pushed through it. They not only think they’re a good team, but they know it. Part of that is good coaching, and the other part is sheer determination.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 7:00 PM CT @ New Orleans (26-22) KSBI
The Hornets are 1-1 since the loss of Chris Paul to a knee injury. Paul is expected to miss 1-2 months after having his knee scoped. Prior to this latest exit, New Orleans was 4-4 without Paul in the lineup. Former UCLA star guard Darren Collison has filled in well. He recently had a game where he scored 16 points while dishing 14 assists. He certainly is no slouch, but he’s also no CP3. That means that David West and Emeka Okafor have needed to step into more significant scoring roles. Another young guard, Marcus Thornton, has seen an increase in his minutes as well, and performed accordingly. Overall, this group sans Paul does not quite matchup with the Thunder. Aside for Krstic, I would give the Thunder the edge at every starting position. Peja Stojakovic is not what he used to be, but you still cannot afford to leave him open. If OKC plays defense, I don’t expect much of a close game.
Saturday, February 6, 2010, 9:30 PM CT @ Golden State (13-34) FSOK
According to the numbers, Don Nelson and his Warriors are simply the worst defensive team in the Association. Golden State gives up a whopping 111.32 per game. That is by far the most in the league. If Dallas doesn’t win on Wednesday, I just don’t know what to think. Sure, Monta Ellis is averaging a strong 26 points per game, but his team still only has 13 wins. Steph Curry has had a nice start to his career, and will continue to improve. On any given night, Nelson can trot out any combination of 5 players to start the game, and none of them would really be a surprise, because Nelson is so unpredictable. As of right now, some dude named Anthony Tolliver is starting. I know that GSU has had to deal with loads of injuries this year, but who is Anthony Tolliver. The other Anthony’s, Morrow and Randolph, will miss the game against Dallas. Raja Bell, Speedy Claxton, Brandon Wright, and Kelenna Azubuike are also expected to miss the game. Given those things, I don’t see this going well for the Warriors. They have absolutely no one to guard KD (who really does?), and Monta Ellis is too sad about getting snubbed by the voters to guard Hussell Westbrook. Jeff Green does his best work again smaller teams anyway. Let’s hope that continues.
Prediction (2-0)
The Hornets are reeling without Paul in the lineup and there isn’t much looking up for them overall. They aren’t even a focus in their own town anymore with the “Who Dats” making a Super Bowl run right in their backyard. The Thunder need to win this game, and I don’t expect a letdown here.
As most NBA fans know, and especially Mavericks fans, the Warriors can light the scoreboard up on any given night. Given that, you can never go into Oracle Arena expecting a victory. It must be earned, but that isn’t always that difficult. Don Nelson has a simple gameplan, and Scott Brooks will figure it out in due time.
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