Loud Links: 02|19|10

A love poem to Harden's beard? Drop by the Dank Game and give some love for the creativity.

Dank Game: James Harden's Beard
Look at it.

Appreciate it.

Let it look you in the eye.

James Harden isn't being interviewed, His beard is being interviewed.

And it's loving every second of it.

Baron Davis used to have a beard, And then James Harden's beard showed up.

Kevin Durant's season is being overshadowed, By a beard.

It is a beard that takes heed to no warning.

A beard that knows no boundaries.

It covers Harden's face, Like the Thunder's D smothers their opponents.

It grows stronger as time goes on, Also kinda like the Thunder's D.

It is a fortress.

Resilient and bountiful, Prominent and proud.

It is a promise, A promise to the people of Oklahoma City.

A promise that one day a Championship will come.

Oklahoma City hasn't seen a beard the likes of this.

The world hasn't seen a beard the likes of this.

Teenage Mustache hasn't either, Because he's a teenager, Who can hardly grow a mustache.

Take notice of James Harden's beard, 'Stache.

One day it will lead you to your wildest dreams.

Your wildest dreams being the Thunder, Winning the NBA Championship.

That is what your wildest dreams are, right?

Harden Just Makes Plays – HoopAngle
Harden was billed as the safe pick, who had excellent skills in nearly every area, but nothing mind blowing. He wasn’t really even considered a big-time scorer, a rarity for someone picked in the lottery not from Nigeria.

At this point, it appears clear, at least to me, that Presti (and do I get any credit?) knew what he was doing. All of Harden’s shooting, defensive prowess, playmaking ability, and team concept came together on Tuesday night against the Mavericks. Harden was super efficient in his 17-6-5 effort and was the clear reason why OKC was able to surge ahead of Dallas on the offensive end. Sure, the Oklahoma City defense was stifling, but Harden’s ability to split double teams, hit open deep balls, and find teammates cutting to the basket were key in the dominating victory.

Despite his subpar foot speed and less-than-ideal height, James Harden has the potential to be a super star in the league. He may never be 1st team All-NBA, but he is what championship teams are made of. Let us not forget the Beard. It has taken on a personality of its own. The maturity and staying power of the Beard represent the development and creation of James Harden: superstar. I don’t know if Harden will choose to keep the beard throughout his career, because he obviously hasn’t had it forever, but he is simply playing too well right now to shave it anytime soon.

House Edge - Betting on Oklahoma City on the Road
What is the absolute best bet in the NBA this season? Cleveland on the money line? Nope Lakers on the money line at home? Taking the over on Grizzlies games? All money-makers, to be sure, but the best way to cash this season resides in flyover country and once again is navigating under the radar. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been an astounding 19-7 against the spread on the road this season, a startling number that almost defies wagering logic and, assuming it continues, presents great opportunities.

NBA.com: Every team has a pressing question as stretch run starts
Oklahoma Thunder -- When you're GM Sam Presti and already have the best bunch of up-and-comers in the league, is there any reason to panic and try to rush the process?

Revamped Mavs will be a work in progress | Dallas Morning News
The new Mavericks weren't the problem. All they did was follow suit with everybody else and miss shot after shot against Oklahoma City. The first rule of the game is that it's hard to win if you don't score. The Mavericks didn't do enough of it after the first quarter. The Mavericks' offense continues to be the NBA's answer to Spam. It's just mystery meat right now. But a really bad shooting night doesn't spell doom for the new Mavs. It just reinforces that it's going to take some time.