Berry Tramel

Thoughts from The Oklahoman Sports Columnist Berry Tramel

Oklahoma City Thunder: Tibor Pleiss wait continues May 21, 2013 The Tibor Pleiss wait will continue. The 7-foot-1 German, acquired by the Thunder in the 2010 NBA draft, wrote on his blog a few weeks ago that he would remain in the EuroLeague next season. “I am in contact with Thunder GM Sam Presti and I often speak on phone with Jonny Rogers, who lives in Barcelona and he... Read More

Moore tornado: the blog will go on May 21, 2013 Late last night, I blogged something about NBA market sizes. It was past 11 p.m. I had finished what little work I had done on the tornadoes. I didn’t know what else to do. I’m headed out for some Moore coverage. Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant's relief efforts May 21, 2013 Kevin Durant on Tuesday donated $1 million to the Moore tornado relief fund. On Wednesday, Durant is taking a tour of some of the devastated areas, and I assume that means a walking tour. Durant will be out among the people. Read More

Big 12 baseball: Going back to the Big Eight days

May 20, 2013 The Big 12 baseball tournament starts Wednesday in Bricktown. Or is it the Big Eight Tournament? Oh, there’s no OU-Nebraska or OSU-Missouri games. But neither is there a Texas or a Texas A&M game. Of any kind. The Aggies have left the building, and the Longhorns have played their way out of the this... Read More

Power Lunch: Chat with Berry Tramel May 20, 2013 Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Small markets have a chance May 20, 2013 I know the new NBA collective bargaining agreement makes it possible for the biggest markets — New York and Los Angeles — to sign players to whatever they want and not sweat the luxury tax. I know that smaller-market executives worry about the financial discrepancies. Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins knows about playoff injuries May 17, 2013 Kendrick Perkins was reminded Thursday that this Thunder season isn’t the first time an injury potentially cost him an NBA championship. In 2010, Perkins suffered torn knee ligaments in the first quarter of Game 6 of the NBA Finals. His Celtics led the Lakers three games to two, but LA won Game 6, then rallied to... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Lunch chat May 17, 2013 The Thunder conducted post-season interviews Thursday during my scheduled time for the lunch chat, so I was absent without leave. But I copied the questions and am now prepared to answer them. Thanks for holding out with me. B: Is there a big man out there the Thunder will seriously considering going after this... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Who played well vs. Memphis? May 17, 2013 The Memphis series is over, and it’s time to study some plus/minus numbers for the Thunder. Did anyone play well? The answer is yes, and some of the numbers will surprise you. For instance, no surprise that Kendrick Perkins had the worst plus/minus for the Thunder: -40. Read More

Power Lunch: Chat with Berry Tramel

May 16, 2013 Power Lunch: Chat with columnist Berry Tramel Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Analyzing Game 5

May 16, 2013 Well, it’s over, this Thunder season ending just like we knew it would, ever since Russell Westbrook’s injury. Somewhere short of the NBA Finals. I don’t know if looking back at a season-ending game matters, but if it does, here’s what I heard and saw from the Thunder’s 88-84 loss to Memphis: * I’ve... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Houston TravelBlog May 16, 2013 I’ve been derelict in my duties. I’ve been slow to post travel blogs, which some readers really like. I’m really good at it with college football, but the NBA playoffs are such a grind, I get behind. So I’ll try to do better. Starting here with Houston. We headed to Houston on April 26 for two... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Amnesty Kendrick Perkins?

May 16, 2013 The question of the day in Thunderville shifts to Kendrick Perkins. Will the Thunder consider cutting Perk through the amnesty clause of the new collective bargaining agreement. Jon Hamm is a reader and an Oklahoman who is a contributor t0 Larry Coon’s website that tries to decipher the NBA’s collective... Read More

Big 12: Kansas State's magical year May 15, 2013 Kansas State leads the Big 12 baseball race with only weekend left in the season, and the Wildcats have a healthy lead. The only way KSU doesn’t win the conference is if OU sweeps three games from K-State. If KSU wins just one of three, it secures at least a tie for the title, with OSU or West Virginia needing to... Read More

NBA: Oklahoman Sam Hinkie handed 76er reins May 15, 2013 The Thunder got the opening tip of overtime in Game 4 in Memphis, and I immediately thought of Sam Hinkie. Hinkie, 35, is the new president and general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. He comes from Marlow High School; Stephens County is one of Oklahoma’s more hoops-deprived counties. Pontotoc County it... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Analyzing Game 4

May 14, 2013 The Thunder is one loss away from season’s end. Memphis beat the Thunder 103-97 in overtime Monday night to take total command of the Western Conference semifinal series. Here’s what I saw and heard: * Memphis’ defensive plan on Kevin Durant clearly is working. It seems to come down to this. 1. Use... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Could Reggie Jackson be the next James Harden?

May 14, 2013 Kevin Martin stepped into James Harden’s role this season for the Thunder. Reggie Jackson stepped into Russell Westbrook’s role this posteason for the Thunder. But Jackson next season might step into Harden’s/Martin’s role. If Martin doesn’t re-sign with the Thunder, the Thunder will be in need of a... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Series amazingly close

May 13, 2013 The Thunder-Grizzlies series is amazingly close through three games. Hard to imagine how a series could be closer. It’s not that we have dramatic finishes, necessarily, which we had in Game 1 and virtually had in Games 2 and 3. But the games are close throughout the entire 48 minutes. Through three games,... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Shades of 2011

May 13, 2013 The Thunder is in peril as Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals arrive Monday night. But is the Thunder in any worse shape than against Memphis in the 2011 West semis? The Thunder is down two games to one and struggling to find offense. There’s not much optimism outside the Thunder circle that OKC can... Read More

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant & the Beatles May 13, 2013 We’ve written extensively about Kevin Durant going into Game 4 of the OKC-Memphis series. I wrote a column about Durant needing more shots, which you can read here, and Mayberry RFD wrote an analysis of Durant needing to do more even though he’s doing a ton. You can read that here. One of our readers... Read More