Training Camp: Day 8 News and Notes

IBAKA TO START

Head coach Scott Brooks said after Tuesday’s practice that forward Serge Ibaka will get the start in tomorrow’s preseason opener against the Charlotte Bobcats, joining guards Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha and forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green; Nenad Krstic and Nick Collison are recovering from injuries and will not play.

“Serge is one of our players that’s not a finished product,” Brooks said. “He’s going to get better every game, every month, every year and this is an opportunity to get out there and play with the starting unit. He has a tendency to play a little fast and we’re going to try to slow him down a little bit because he’s excited. He wants to do well but he has to take it down a level but also keep that intensity on the defensive end. Offensively, you’ve got to slow it down a little bit. Defensively you’ve got to always be ready to go and he is.”

Ibaka has continued to make strides on the defensive end as well as with his midrange jumper, which we got a taste of during Friday’s Open Practice scrimmage. Last season, Ibaka played with an energetic, physical style of play that impressed both teammates and coaches, which is something they’re hoping to see more of this season.

Brooks said that a focal point heading into training camp has been the need to set better, harder screens, and Ibaka has been a model of consistency in that area, although that praise extended to all the big men in camp.

“He sets some great picks,” Brooks said. “We’ve been emphasizing it and our guards have been feeling it, which is good. It’s important that we do.”

And as far as whether Ibaka is most useful as a power forward or center, Brooks said it’s not fair to peg players at certain positions.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s the same thing as is Kevin a 2 or a 3, is Thabo a 2?" Brooks said. "I mean, those positions really don’t matter. Whichever we feel the best matchup for him is…but Serge, he can play 4 and 5. He’s quick enough to guard some of the 4s and he’s strong enough to guard some of the 5s. That’s what makes our big man unit pretty good, because each man brings in something different and Serge can guard either 4s or 5s. I feel comfortable with him.”

TIME CHANGE
Tomorrow’s tip-off against the Bobcats has been changed to 7:30 p.m. and can be heard on WWLS.

CATCHING UP WITH MULLENS

We caught up with Byron Mullens on Monday for the first time since training camp opened, and the Thunder center talked about how big of a difference this training camp has been compared to that of his rookie season.

Of course, that’s to be expected from second-year players, but with Mullens you can really sense that he’s progressing at the rate he’d hoped.

“It’s great this year,” he said. “Last year was my first year of course and I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know how to push myself in practice and this year is a big difference.”

Mullens is pushing himself hard enough to the point that all his offseason workouts – the triathlon-type training with assistant coach Mark Bryant, the Orlando Summer League and the Tim Grgurich basketball camp – are starting to stand out. And Mullens continues to talk about his time with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League as the best thing that could have happened to him as a rookie.

Head coach Scott Brooks singled out Mullens for his play during Friday’s Open Practice scrimmage, lauding the big man for his defense, footwork and the way he used his length.

I’m not sure how much weight or muscle Mullens has tacked on since the end of last season, but it’s evident that he came into training camp in top shape and he’s certainly filled out his seven-foot frame, which he said has made a difference when he’s going up against the likes of Cole Aldrich, Serge Ibaka and Longar Longar.

“Last year this time, I probably would have been sore, probably would have been sitting on the sideline,” Mullens said. “This year I’m getting past the physical part in practice and now I’m just trying to get past the mental part. It’s going great. I’m still taking care of my body.” I asked Mullens what the biggest challenge was mentally, to which he said, “When your body feels tired, keep going, because your mind is telling you to rest on this next play but you’ve just got to get past that.”

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Mullens always rim-running, as the coaching staff likes to say.

As far as what to expect during preseason games, Mullens said it’s out of his control.

“I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I know I’m working hard and if coach calls my number I know that I pushed myself hard enough in practice that I’ll be ready. There might be a little butterflies but there’s always butterflies.”

LATER TODAY
The Thunder will hold an early practice today before leaving for Fayetteville, N.C. I’ll have a practice report up later this afternoon.