He's one of the few guys in the NBA I got to know a little, in a way I usually only hockey players.

I can tell you I never expected him to "phone it in" and I always thought that the SGA pickup was a steal.

Now, that said, yes, I did think an aging guy, a journeyman guy and a really young guy who all played the same position was an iffy fit and even if this team played to its potential, they took HUGE losses from what was already not a real contender. So I expected them to be picking in the 8-12 range in the draft with their own pick.

I don't know if they can sustain this--some teams have the potential to turn it on, and injuries could torpedo OKC--but I've been very impressed with them this year.

Paul in particular I knew would give it his all, but the questions were 1) his health and 2) the lingering possibility of another trade maybe dampening continuity. Both had been pretty solid so far.