Published: November 23, 2008 09:26 am      

Literal no-win situation for ex-Thunder coach

DUNCAN — Oklahoma has a pro basketball team and everyone should rejoice. For the first time since the ill-fated Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League, the Great State has a team that it can call its own on the highest levels of professional sports. Even if it does have Earl Watson and Robert Swift in the starting lineup.

Never heard of those guys? That’s OK. If not for the fact that they played for the Thunder, only the most knowledgeable of basketball fans in the state would know who they were. And maybe that goes a long way toward understanding why the Thunder have the worst record in the NBA at 1-12 on the season. It also may go a long way towards explaining why P.J. Carlesimo is out of a job.

Carlsimo was handed the pink slip late in the witching hours Friday night following a blowout loss to New Orleans. Blowouts have become a trend for the beleagured franchise that is void of experienced, talented players. But when Carlesimo took the job, it was pretty much the same roster that is being wheeled out every week in the guise of an NBA team. To get a head coaching job in the NBA, you have to want it bad. And Carlesimo must have wanted it pretty badly to take over a team that gutted itself in hopes of a brighter future.

Going into this week, it would not be hard to see why some conspiracy theorists would think Oklahoma City was merrily dropping games in order to obtain the maximum pingpong balls to win the rights to Oklahoma Sooner man-child Blake Griffin in the NBA lottery. But that just isn’t the case. The Thunder are just that awful.

The team only has two legitimate players in the starting line-up, and one, Kevin Durant, spent the majority of the second half against the equally woeful Los Angeles Clippers getting locked up by journeyman Rickey Davis. Durant has out-of-this-world offensive potential, but because of a lack of red meat, also has the ability to pull off a Houdini disappearing act every night. Jeff Green gives the Thunder a solid player at forward, and first-round pick Russell Westbrook has potential at point guard, although he struggles to get the team into an offense.

Once those three positions get settled, the Thunder can begin to build up. And, thankfully for NBA fans from across the state, the building blocks are in place for a better future.

Over the next three years, the Thunder have six first-round picks. And the way things are looking, at least three of them have the potential to be high picks.

For General Manager Sam Presti, this season is not about instant gratification, it is about the forest rather than the trees, and that is a good thing. Otherwise, there would be many a sleepless night wondering why this team is worse than it was last year with many of the same pieces in place.

Carlesimo also must have had several sleepless nights. No one likes losing and Thunder fans are no different. Following the loss to the Clippers, the radio shows were abuzz with not-so-polite requests for Carlesimo’s head. Well, guess what? Phil Jackson would be challenged to pick up wins with Earl Watson and Robert Swift in his starting line-up. But in all fairness, it doesn’t really matter when the team doesn’t respond to you. And unlike the fans, the media held up kid gloves for Carlesimo as part of the all-important grace period that has been extended.

So as the Thunder continue their spiral pick up of a gang-load of pingpong balls, there is a potentially bright future. And, with the team locked into having that new-car smell we have all grown to love, there will be a longer grace period than most teams would have a right to expect. The grace period only lasted 13 games for Carlesimo. But at least he won’t have problems sleeping after the next 69 games.

In the meantime, yea for pingpong balls.



Michael Pineda is the Sports Editor for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 143, or via e-mail at m.pineda@duncanbanner.com.