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So what's that about the Lakers running away with the West?
Published: 10/31/2012 6:11 PM
Last Modified: 10/31/2012 6:11 PM

I guess we should wait a little bit longer before crowning the L.A. Lakers as the Western Conference champs.

Despite the much-trumpeted editions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the Lakers dropped their home opener to Dallas.

L.A. trailed by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter and lost to a Mavericks team playing without Dirk Nowitzki.

The best line about the Lakers came from Charles Barkley, who had this to say about L.A. coach Mike Brown's decision to rely on the Princeton offense.

"I've always said I want my accountants from Princeton, not my offense."

Even Magic Johnson was critiquing his former team Wednesday on Twitter.

"I do know one thing: the ball should be in @SteveNash hands much more. How about some pick & roll?"

So, it appears, the Lakers will need some time to adjust -- which brings us to the Thunder.

Oklahoma City opens its season Thursday in San Antonio with a Western Conference finals rematch against the Spurs.

It will be our first time to see the new-look Thunder, which picked up Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb from Houston for James Harden late Saturday night.

With Harden in the fold, we knew exactly who the Thunder were. What we didn't know was if OKC could legitimately overthrow Miami for the NBA title.

Now, we're not really sure who the Thunder is and what its ceiling can be.

Obviously, OKC will be a Western Conference contender as long as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook stay healthy.

Martin becomes the X-factor. He's a talented, if not overly durable, scorer. He's played more than 62 games in a season three times in a nine-year career.

In 2011-12, he had the lowest scoring average (17.1 ppg) since his second year and missed more than 20 games with a shoulder injury.

Part of the knock on Martin in Houston was his inability to be a franchise guard. That won't be a problem in OKC, but chemistry likely will.

Harden talked in his introductory press conference how disappointed Durant was in Saturday's trade. Those hard feelings -- and the integration of new teammates in new roles -- won't be dealt with over night.

It will be interesting to see how the Thunder adjusts. But just like the Lakers, it would be wise to wait a little while before making too many assumptions.

Reader Comments

3 Total

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217719 (4 months ago)

Martin doesn't play defense. Let's see how that goes over with Brooks and his teammates.

Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters (4 months ago)

It will be a matter of how much defense he needs to play and if his scoring makes up for it.

Someone mentioned Saturday that this trade gives the Thunder three first-round draft picks and Martin's expiring contract to trade before the mid-season deadline.

If the chemistry isn't working, that might be the direction OKC goes.

colhi64 (4 months ago)

Wasted money on Perkins that should have gone to Harden. I have no confindence in the Thunder's ability to get over the hump this year.

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Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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