OKC NBA team nickname to be announced Sept. 3

The wait is nearly over.

Oklahoma City’s NBA team is expected to announce Thunder will be the nickname at 5 p.m. next Wednesday, Sept. 3, when it releases the team name, its mark, the four team colors and logo at a press conference at Leadership Square.

OKC NBA team nickname to be announced Sept. 3 | NewsOK.com.

Desmond Mason

Things have come full circle for Desmond … In a sense … Drafted by the then Seattle Supersonics with the 17th pick of the 2000 NBA draft; the now Oklahoma City Thunder traded for Desmond (from the Bucks), along with Joe Smith from the Cleveland Cavaliers on August 13th 2008. Desmond was a super athlete, defender and scorer coming out of Oklahoma State back in 2000. And, while he might not be the scorer he once was at this stage of this career Desmond does bring a strong work ethic, solid leadership, and defensive intensity to the young Thunder. Desmond will be in a spot to step up and provide a solid role model and stablizing force for the developing Thunder. Joe Smith will have a similar influence.

Desmond Mason is a glue guy. He is someone that you can count on holding the team together. Consider the players that the ever increasingly impressive Sam Presti has added and subtracted in the offseason. Gone are big contract, under-achieving Luke Ridnour and broken down vet Donyell Marshall. In are Desmond and Joe Smith; 2 guys that will play solid minutes, work hard, and provide good role models.

It does not hurt that Desmond is super popular in Oklahoma either. The folks in OKC still remember his excellent play at OSU and for the Hornets. And the bonus is (as with Smith) that Desmond is in the last year of his deal. He will be able to be released at the end of the year. Oklahoma is going to have huge cap space to work with next year. Of course, Desmond could be resigned and would definately add value; but with all the big names that will be out there next year on the open market, Sam Presti will definately have options.

Season Tickets

I go to pick out my season tickets on Sept 8 @ 7pm. Lucky for me I guess; that is the first day that they are allowing folks to go to the Ford Center to pick their seats. So, I feel pretty good that I will get the seats that I want. ::currently taking applications from hot chicks to attend selected games with me::

I have been hearing a lot of bitching and moaning that the ticket prices are too high … So, I was comparing the OKC Thunder ticket prices with the prices that the Hornets charged whent they were here. I have been looking at “end zone” seats behind the basket. When the Hornets were here those seats were $43 a game. The Thunder is charging $50 a game. The 3rd tier level “balcony” seats were $20 a piece for the Hornets and $30 a piece for the Thunder.

OK… That is a bit of a mark up; but come on! This is a permanent team now! This is our team! And those upper level seats at center court are WELL worth 30 bucks a game. And, if you have never seen an NBA game from behind the basket, then you have no idea what you are missing! It is well worth 50 a game.

Now, they did double the deep-pocket lower bowl tickets, but lets face it; the cats buying those tickets are filing their taxes as corporations.

There are 3500 $10 tickets! 50% of the middle tier are $50 or less! And they are reserving a big chunk of tickets for walk ups. That is pretty damn good! Bitchers go watch the D-League in Tulsa!

I am not worried about the stadium being sold out. The Ford Center will be full every single home game; it just pisses me off that a few “head in the sand” small minded red necks think that the best basketball in the world should charge no more than OU or OSU Basketball. Ridiculous.

Marshall waived

OKLAHOMA CITY — Forward Donyell Marshall won’t be making the move to Oklahoma City with the Seattle SuperSonics.

The 14-year NBA veteran was waived Wednesday by the Oklahoma City franchise, which still hasn’t been renamed after its relocation last month.

Marshall was acquired by the franchise from Cleveland in a three-team trade in February that sent Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace to the Cavaliers.

He averaged 3.8 points off the bench in 15 games with Seattle and was sidelined by a sore right knee late last season.

Adrian Griffin, who was the other player sent to Seattle in that trade, was shipped to Milwaukee last week as part of a deal that brought forwards Desmond Mason and Joe Smith to Oklahoma City.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

ESPN – Veteran forward Marshall waived by Oklahoma City – NBA.
^^^ Credit where credit is due!

Interesting move by the team.  Westbrook, a hard working defender: IN; Desmond Mason, a hard working defender: IN; Donyell Marshall, a statue: OUT.  I think that are seeing a definate trend with the type of team that GM Presti is putting together.

Robert Swift

 OK … So, Oklahoma City will definately not be going to the playoffs this year … or next year for that matter.  But the difference between the 20 wins from last year and approaching a 30 win mark in 2008-2009 just may be the healthy return of Robert Swift.  His career since 2006 has been a MASH Unit of knee injuries, and 5 years after entering the league, one would begin to think that his career is just about done.  Robert has only played 8 games in the last two years after suffering a ruptured ACL in 2006, a torn meniscus in 2008 and chronic tendinitis all along the way.

But OKC GM Sam Presti obviously stills sees some of the potential that made Robert a McDonald’s All American and the number 12 overall pick in 2004.  This summer Presti made a $3.5 million qualifying offer to Swift, giving Oklahoma City the right to match any offer that Robert gets from another team.  Although, if I were Robert, I would not hold my breath waiting for another team to come calling.  After a grueling off season of rehab this season is Robert’s last chance to make a splash in The League.

Robert has career averages of 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks a game.  A healthy and mature 22 year old Swift could easily double those career averages this season.  If he has been able to retain the athleticsm that made him a Tyson Chandler type of player coming out of high school he could be the stablizing force in the middle that was missing so sorely for Seattle in recent years.  However, if Robert can’t turn it on and stay healthy, his next stop will be in Europe for the 2009 season.

On a totally different note, Robert has some wicked tats.  I may just be pulling for him for that reason if no other.

Robert Swift’s NBA Player Profile