This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.
Records: The Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) vs. The Miami Heat (1-0)
Time: 7:30 PM Central Daylight Time
Place: The Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: NBATV, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Sun Sports
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)
Enemy Blog(s): Peninsula is Mightier, Hot Hot Hoops
Previous Meeting(s): None.
Rarely this early in October do you get to say, "Man, I can't wait for tonight's game!" Besides yesterday's matchup of the Los Angeles Lakers against Barcelona, this is easily the best Pre-Season game so far, especially for Thunder fans. We get to see the Thunder play the enigma of the off-season, the Miami Heat. Just in case you've been in a coma or have spent the last 3 months watching Communist North Korean news, I'll let you know that over the off-season, LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat, creating a power trio with Dwayne Wade that has never been seen before. Nonetheless, questions do surround the team. Can 3 players really do it on their own? Are the personalities of each player too big? Is Miami a viable market? This game won't answer those questions, but we will be able to glimpse beyond the preamble of the Miami Heat book. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to predict what will happen in the final chapter. The prediction will be shaky at best, but it's all we've got.
Below: The Thunder Side of Things, Why in Kansas City?
On the Thunder side of things, hopefully we'll get to have a glimpse at who is figuring into and out of the rotation. Elijah Milsap is making a run at D.J. White's roster spot, Cole Aldrich and Morris Peterson are fighting to crack the rotation, Jeff Green is fighting for relevance, and Daequan Cook will be looking to get a bit of revenge against his old team.
The game will be held in Kansas City, so it will be interesting to see the turnout. Of course, it's not indicative of how a real NBA team would do there, as when there were exhibition games in Oklahoma City in the Pre-Hornets days, attendance was something like 5,000 to 10,000. But I bet there are still lots of people there who miss the Kansas City Kings days, or simply would like to see an NBA team in their city. They may not get their wish for some time, but the NBA couldn't have picked a better matchup for them.
As for the game, I think it will be a high-scoring affair with lots of superstars making big plays. Did you really expect me to say anything else?
Prediction: Miami 101, Oklahoma City 97
Loading comments...