Dez Mason out for season!

Post #1 » by **wizkid27** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:48 pm

Man... that hyper-extended knee is going to cost him the rest of the year. With how well he was playing and more importantly, how well the team was playing with him in the lineup, this hurts. The silver-lining means more PT for Weaver and probably a higher draft pick. Sad to see him out though...

ljp24 · Post #2 » by **ljp24** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:02 pm

Wow, I thought he'd be out a month.

Really sucks. He's been on a another level for a few games in 2009.

Post #3 » by **wizkid27** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:14 pm

His shot blocking and ability to guard the other team's top offensive option. I think more than anything, this is really going to stretch our defense pretty thin. Get ready to see Damien Wilkins back in the rotation, unless Brooks is planning on throwing around 28-30 mpg Weaver's way. You've gotta think that there's no way Durant is pushing back over to the two for too many minutes...

TheOGJabroni · Post #4 » by **TheOGJabroni** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:21 pm

I hope Weaver gets some burn. I'd be interested to see how he does.

Big_Mac79 · Post #5 » by **Big_Mac79** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:44 pm

bosFcelts wrote:I hope Weaver gets some burn. I'd be interested to see how he does.

Me too
This is an interesting situation to be in for Brooks
I did however like the way Atkins came in and contributed
Presti has to pick up a guard now but who?

TheOGJabroni · Post #6 » by **TheOGJabroni** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 10:59 pm

Well I am first and foremost a Celtics fan, then a huge Durant fan. But what I am saying is I know there are some guards that the C's could part with and obviously the C's want Joe Smith. I wonder if there are any trade opportunities there.

Post #7 » by **SD2042** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:13 pm

Can't say, but Presti definately needs to get one now b4 the trade deadline passes.

Here's a few

Larry Hughes
Marco Belinelli
JJ Redick
Tarrence Kinsey
Sasha Pavlovic

london sonic · Post #8 » by **london sonic** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:28 pm

Well Mason wont be traded at deadline now.Never mind still have many others to deal.

wiff · Post #9 » by **wiff** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:44 pm

Part of me wonders if Desmond is really hurt as bad as they claim?

Why do I have this feeling Clay shut him down to go into tank mode?

The way the Thunder were playing it looked like the top 3 pick had sailed on them.

Oct 16th 1968 · Post #10 » by **Oct 16th 1968** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:15 am

Sucks to hear this... Dmase fan here.

Post #11 » by **wizkid27** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:52 am

I don't know wiff. As much as I agree that Bennett's interest is in the long-term and therefore getting a solid pick... Any knee injury like that is pretty serious, and when I watched it (from a complete non-expert opinion) I thought it was going to be a bad verdict. Clay also has to like the fact that not being the joke of the league anymore will help attendance, sales, marketing, etc. Plus, with Mason probably being the most popular player on the team here in OKC (yes, possibly more popular than Durant), I don't think that they want to lose that appeal.

In any case, really sucks for Mason and I hope that he's alright with sticking around OKC for another couple of years, he provided the team with a lot in skills, leadership and on/off the court personality!

88' Draft Pick · Post #12 » by **88' Draft Pick** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:57 am

Someone mentioned the Celtics wanting Joe Smith and willing to give up a gaurd. How about replacing one cowboy with another, Tony Allen! That might seem a little too hokey though, trying to appeal to the OKC area people more than concerned with winning. But anyway this is a real bummer. I was startin to become a real big fan of Dez. I have heard a number of people I know in OKC say he is a real top-notch guy. Shame it had to happen. Hopeully he will be back strong next year and ready to win some games.

In the mean time, I was reading on the Thunder blog that Brooks assigned Green to a new role on the team: lock down defender. Green said he is willing to take on the task and I personally think he is more than capable of filling in Dez's shoes in that role. He has the size, strength, quickness and smarts to be a great defensive player. He is gonna gaurd the oppositions best player from here on out.

Weaver should get some more pt. He reminds me a little of Sasha Vujacic when he came in the league. He was young and made a ton of mistakes his first couple years but you could just tell for some reason that he was gonna be a dead-eye someday. Not saying that Weaver is gonna be a shooter, but I can tell this guy is gonna be pretty good once he gets some experience under his belt. He has trouble finishing at the rim and being in the right spot on defense in the NBA (i know he was good defensively in college). But the attitude and drive is all there. Hopefully this can be the time where he can get some of that experience. I see him as being a big part of this team for the long run in the future.

Post #13 » by **wizkid27** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 1:36 pm

Green as the "lock-down" defender would be interesting...

Weaver just needs to stop chewing his stupid gum and concentrate on playing the game! hehe

Big_Mac79 · Post #14 » by **Big_Mac79** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 4:47 pm

Any word yet on who gets the start?

Post #15 » by **wizkid27** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:07 pm

Btw, here is a link to the article about Green being the new "defensive stopper":

http://www.newsok.com/article/3341746

In the same article there is a brief quote from Brooks about replacing Mason:

NEW LINEUP
Who replaces Mason in the starting lineup? Brooks said he could go big and start either Nenad Krstic or Chris Wilcox. He could go small and start Earl Watson or Chucky Atkins.

"It could be very flexible,” Brooks said. "It could be game-to-game. It could be a few games. Or it could be we’re on a roll (so stay with the same lineup). Our guys practice with each other and against each other all year. We just ask them to play hard and play together no matter who is out there.”

88' Draft Pick · Post #16 » by **88' Draft Pick** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:35 pm

Well then I hope he goes small. Our frontline has been doing just fine. If you mave everybody down one spot by going big I dont think Durant will be as effective. I would go ahead and start Watson at the 1 and Westbrook at the 2. I mean Brooks runs that lineup all the time anyway.

Post #17 » by **wizkid27** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:48 pm

Not a huge fan of Watson getting a bigger role than he already has, but I totally agree about the "going big" comment. It seems like the Collison/Green/Durant frontcourt has worked extremely well for the past few weeks. Seems like you could throw a guy like Wilkins or Weaver in there for Mason and run a lower risk of spoiling the recent successes we've had. Maybe the "going big" thought is due to the fact he wants Green (formerly their PF) to match up with SGs and SFs. You would then force Wilkins/Weaver to match-up with 6-8 SFs and Durant to bang down with the big boys...

Big_Mac79 · Post #18 » by **Big_Mac79** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:30 pm

Just leave it as it is with Weaver replacing Mason.
Its the best way to not screw with the mojo and you get a real look at what Weaver can do.
I think he would be just fine guarding Brewer or Korver.

JO_CB_FTW · Post #19 » by **JO_CB_FTW** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:06 pm

http://www.oklahomathunder.org/fan-and- ... or-season/

TheOGJabroni · Post #20 » by **TheOGJabroni** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:51 pm

Big_Mac79 wrote:Just leave it as it is with Weaver replacing Mason.
Its the best way to not screw with the mojo and you get a real look at what Weaver can do.
I think he would be just fine guarding Brewer or Korver.

+1