Gameday 3-on-3: Spurs at Thunder

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(Photo credit: aaronisnotcool)

The Spurs are on the second night of a back-to-back and the Oklahoma City Thunder are on the final evening of a back-to-back-to-back. To celebrate the plethora of jumpers hitting the front of the rim that you can expect tonight, we had Royce Young of OKC blog Daily Thunder on for a 3-on-3 preview of the game. Remember to come back here to 48MoH tonight after the game for another live postgame show on 48MoH TV.

1. Manu won’t be there to make another soul-crushing clutch play against the Thunder, how does this make you feel?

Royce Young, Daily Thunder: You know how it feels when you find a quarter on the ground in parking lot? Kind of like that. It’s something you get excited about for like 15 seconds and then you remember that the Spurs still have Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner, who will inevitably go 11-11 from 3-point land against the Thunder.

Andrew McNeill, 48 Minutes of Hell: Disappointed for two reasons. The first is that, obviously, those plays help the Spurs win games. And it’s getting harder and harder to beat these OKC Thunder every day. The second reason is that those plays are awesome to watch. And that’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?

Timothy Varner, 48 Minutes of Hell: Typically, the absence of Ginobili would leave me flat. But I’m officially excited to track the development of the new(ish) Spurs, and not just Danny Green. The T.J. Ford/Tony Parker backcourt is a welcome delight. Leonard is playing well. And I’m still bullish on James Anderson, despite his shooting struggles.

2. How similar is the Russell Westbrook-Kevin Durant combo to Tony Parker-Manu Ginobili?

Royce Young, Daily Thunder: I don’t think they’re all that similar, mainly because Durant isn’t near the creator or playmaker that Manu is. I do think the Tony Parker-Westbrook comparison fits to a degree because neither are your traditional pass first point guards. Both are scoring weapons, but possess the ability to set up teammates as well.

Andrew McNeill, 48MoH: I think the Westbrook-Durant dynamic aspires to be as solid as the Manu-TP one. Westbrook and Durant are probably better individual players than Parker and Manu, but the Spurs duo plays much better together. Part of that has to do with Manu, who seems to be able to adapt himself to any situation. With time KD and Westbrook will be there, though, as long as no one does anything drastic.

Timothy Varner, 48 Minutes of Hell: On a per minute basis, one could spot similarities. But I think the key difference is that Durant logs so many minutes. Parker and Westbrook are great sidekicks, and Ginobili and Durant are transcendent superstars. But Durant is in a different category because of his ability to carry a team for an entire game.

3. With Sam Presti running the show, do the Thunder have a better front office than San Antonio?

Royce Young, Daily Thunder: I wouldn’t go that far. The Spurs are the ultimate model for Oklahoma City and until the Thunder sustain the kind of success San Antonio has over a decade while mixing in a few trophies, I don’t think you can say that. Presti has done a phenomenal job and is obviously one of the top executives in the league, but it’s ultimately about winning.

Andrew McNeill, 48MoH: I don’t want to say yes. I really don’t. But Presti is making some really creative moves, and he’s taking advantage of other team’s mistakes while making very few himself. That’s really the sign of a good front office. The Thunder don’t have the Spurs track record of finding cheap contributors, though, but give Presti time and I’m sure that will come.

Timothy Varner, 48 Minutes of Hell: It’s difficult to compare the two front offices because they’re in different circumstances, other than the small market similarity. Presti is an amazingly good GM, one of the best in the league. But the Spurs front office doesn’t seem to miss, even when it seems they’ve missed. Coming into the season, the Spurs’ roster looked like a failure on paper. But the Spurs’ offseason choices have more or less vindicated them against the complaints of people like, well, me.

  • Anonymous

    I’d say Russell Westbrook is himself a transcendent superstar. He has the skills to be the face of any (other) franchise. He is being challenged to round out his game. Today, TP and MG are more intelligent as basketball players, and both are better off the ball, but since MG is out, why are you using him in your comparison of all-stars. Westbrook is so much more deadly than TP. It’s funny: if these PGs switched jobs, both teams might be better this year. Although right now, it’s hard to say that OKC could be much better than they are. If I’m OKC, I try to find another PG and give RW more minutes at SG, as Miami did with Dwayne Wade. He’s awesome.

  • Anonymous

    It’s still early in the season. The difference now between 2nd in the division and 7th is just one game. Now as far as which team has the best talent at this point…it’s OKC by a landslide. But you gotta love how the Spurs are playing above what many thought they would play. How long it lasts…?

  • Anonymous

    By the mercy of God may these officials live a long life…but divinely impaired enough against some to not be able to officiate another NBA game. The so called (firmly denied) “star treatment” by the officials is alive and well in this game. And not that that is what made all the difference (which it shouldn’t as they say),,,but…it’s what started the difference making in what was otherwise a close game until then. OKC learned to have no fear in doing what they wanted after receiving the benefit of most of the calls early on while the Spurs had to “reign in” it’s aggressiveness in this game because of the lob sided officiating against them.

    Sucks to see games tilted because of that fact but, I’ve seen it plenty of times over the past 40 years of watching this sport. And…Sometimes in favor of the Spurs.

  • Bob

    The Spurs FO has never addressed the lack of a quality big to play next to Duncan.

  • Anonymous

    That horse has been beaten to death…revived…and beaten to death again. And probably will over and over again for the tenure Duncan is on this team. But relax…The FO and head coach know best when it comes to that matter.

  • spursfanbayarea

    If they know best, why haven’t they surrounded duncan with a capable center since 2007? Prior to 2007 the front office was great. They made all the right moves. In the last four years they haven’t been the same. They lost a lot of members of the front office to other teams. demps, presti. There was bound to be some slippage. The spurs still do a good job in draft evaluation. The weakness has been in making trades to improve the team now or set up for the future. I recall when they traded a malik for nazr. It was a gusty move to trade a beloved player, but the trade netted us a championship with nazr. The spurs need to do the same once again.

  • Anonymous

    I wasn’t being serious. I was being very facetious with regards to those who make that claim over and over again concerning this team’s big men.Just look at all the trade suggestions I’ve thrown out there in hopes of the Spurs getting another quality big. No, regarding this issue….I’m not of the thought the FO has done it’s best.