You Gotta Love Perk

We've known for some time now that Perk isn't backing down from anyone, and that goes for the back up centers on his own team.  In an interview with NewsOK, he made it be known that the starting spot is his. 

As long as Perkins is physically capable, he's the starter, and he let that be known after a Thunder Fit clinic at Deer Creek Middle School last Wednesday.
“We're all teammates, but at the end of the day, the center position over here is mine and that's the way we're going to keep it,” said Perkins, wearing a brace on his left wrist. “Any other way, backup minutes or whatever they want to go about, that's their problem. Once I hit the court, I'm going to make it known — and it's going to be known — that that's mine.
“It's no beef, but at the end of the day, that's what it is.”

Now, if you were a center on the Thunder, would you want to take on Perk for that starting spot? I didn't think so. Some people discounted Perk after a substandard post season but when you figure that the guy was playing with a torn ligament in his wrist and a torn groin muscle, you have to say that Perk is an absolute beast. Most players would be on the sidelines with bandages and crutches and ice packs. But not Perk. He was out there battling for his team. He was step slow, but that was understandable, considering the injuries.

The groin is healed and the wrist is still not quite there but I expect Perk to be out there in training camp making good on that claim to the starting spot. The other OKC centers will be wisely competing for the back up spot.