Monthly Archives: December 2023

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 30 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (20-9, 3rd in the West) @ Denver Nuggets (23-10, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Friday, 29 December 2023 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
  • Offensive Rating – DEN: 118.6 (7th) / OKC: 118.8 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – DEN: 112.3 (8th) / OKC: 111.0 (6th)
  • Net Rating – DEN:6.3 (4th) / OKC: 7.8 (3rd)

The Set-Up

The road to greatness is a usually a series of tests that move you from bad to good and then from good to great. The process usually takes years, unless you skip the development step and get yourself some star players via free agency or trade. The Thunder almost appear to be skipping the good step and moving into greatness. There is, of course, a huge difference between regular season greatness and playoff greatness (ask James Harden, Paul George, Joel Embiid, etc). But OKC appears to be the anomaly because not only has this happened quickly, but it’s also happened with home-grown talent.

January presents another test for the Thunder. Seventeen games in 31 days is a task. The 2-3 day breaks that presented themselves between games in December will yield to 5 back to back in January. Come out of that month with another successful record, and the Thunder could find themselves in very good standing for the rest of the season. Again, small tests that lead to greatness.

This is the 3rd of 4 meetings between these division rivals. The Nuggets beat the Thunder early in the season 128-95. The Thunder came back a couple of weeks ago and beat the Nuggets in Denver 118-117.

Betting Info

  • Line: DEN -1.5
  • O/U: 236.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Jaylin Williams (hamstring) – Questionable

DEN

  • Vlatko Cancar (knee) – OUT
  • Aaron Gordon (face/hand) – OUT
  • Reggie Jackson (skin lesion) – Probable
  • Michael Porter Jr (quad) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Battle for 2nd place – This game has epic importance for both the Thunder and the Nuggets. The winner gets sole possession of 2nd place in the West and has a 2-1 lead in the tiebreaker between these two teams.
  2. The Chet/Jokic match-up – Chet Holmgren did a great job of adjusting to how Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were defending him in their 2nd meeting of the season. Now it’s time to see the adjustment from Jokic and the Nuggets against Chet. The loss of Aaron Gordon could prove to be big in this scenario.
  3. Win one for my sister – My sister did that thing where she visited another city for New Years and that city happens to be hosting the Thunder for a basketball game. So she will be obnoxiously cheering for the road team in this game in person.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Thunder preview (Game 26 of 82)

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  • Los Angeles Clippers (17-10, 4th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-8, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 21 December 2023 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – LAC: 117.9 (7th) / OKC: 117.3 (10th)
  • Defensive Rating – LAC: 111.7 (7th) / OKC: 110.1 (4th)
  • Net Rating – LAC: 6.2 (5th) / OKC: 7.2 (3rd)

The Set-Up

It’s taken a while. But we can finally start to compare the effects of the trade that occurred in the wee hours of July 6th, 2019. The day most Thunder fans woke up to tons of text messages from their Thunder-obsessed friends and a Twitter timeline that was in shambles. For Thunder fans, we knew what awaited us. A complete and total rebuild. For the Clippers, it was redemption for all those years of being seen as the Lakers’ little brother. Fast forward four years later, and the seeds that were planted during that trade are now starting to bear fruit.

The Thunder find themselves in the 2nd spot in the West, with one of the brightest futures imaginable for a team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into a top-5 player in the league, Chet Holmgren has been an immediate-impact “rookie”, and Jalen Williams (acquired via a Clippers pick) has all the makings of a third star. Even though injuries have derailed the Clippers’ chances at a title the last three seasons, they are in prime position to make a run this season with the additions of James Harden and Russell Westbrook and the newfound health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. As big of a trade as this was four years ago, it appears both teams are in position to succeed because of it…as of now. Remember, the Thunder still control the Clippers’ picks for the next four drafts and the Clippers will only get older from here.

This is the first of three meetings between the Thunder and Clippers. They also meet on January 16th, 2024 and February 22nd, 2024.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -4.5
  • O/U: 233.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

LAC

  • Paul George (illness) – Questionable

Kawhi Leonard (hip) – Questionable

Mason Plumlee (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. SGA – There is definitely an “I’ll show you” feeling whenever SGA faces the Clippers. The star guard started his career with the Clips, playing his rookie season in Los Angeles. As we all know, he was shipped off to the Thunder with a bevy of picks for Paul George in the offseason. Since the trade, the Thunder are 5-7 against the Clippers, but have won four of their last 5. In those 12 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 24 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 51/46/98 shooting splits. This also includes a ridiculous game winner in 2021.
  2. Streaking – Since December 1st, the Clippers are one of the top teams in the NBA per most metrics. They’ve won every game since the month turned and are 2nd in the NBA in Offensive Rating and Net Rating during that time. The chemistry between Harden, Leonard, and George is starting to coalesce and Leonard is starting to play like the Leonard of San Antonio and Toronto lore. In addition, since Russell Westbrook removed himself from the starting lineup, the Clippers have gone 13-3 and the bench has been more impactful.
  3. Russ – Russell Westbrook is in the sun-setting phase of his career. He is 16 years in and considering how he plays, his body has performed admirably. But the signs are starting to show and energizer bunny that once was, only makes an appearance once every couple of games. That’s not to say he still isn’t a good player, but he isn’t the player that we remember. As he makes another visit to OKC, let us appreciate everything Westbrook has done for OKC hoops. He stuck with us in the toughest of times and helped bridge the gap between the last Thunder “dynasty” and this current iteration. So, here’s to Russell. Give him his flowers while he still has an NBA contract and is contributing to a good team.

Thunder @ Sacramento Kings preview (Game 23 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (15-7, 2nd in the West) @ Sacramento Kings (13-9, 6th in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 14 December 2023 at 9:00pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • Offensive Rating – SAC: 114.5 (14th) / OKC: 117.8 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – SAC: 115.0 (20th) / OKC: 110.2 (5th)
  • Net Rating – SAC: -0.5 (20th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

On Tuesday, the city of Oklahoma City voted on whether to continue a one cent sales tax to pay for a new arena to essentially keep the Thunder in the Great Plains state for the foreseeable future (25+ years). The result: A 71-29 landslide victory for those in favor of the city paying for a new arena. The noise about whether the city would be able to keep the team has now been deemed null and void. OKC did what Seattle couldn’t do: which is keep their team via arena vote.

With that out of the way, it is now time to fully focus on this team. The vote nullified an air of uncertainty that had been around since OKC Mayor David Holt first suggested this situation would be decided by a vote. A surprising start has fueled the idea that this team could possibly do things come playoff time. With the worry of the unknown out of the way, could this pave the way for the team to start using their sizeable asset chest to bring in star talent/veteran role players? I would say “hold off on that thought”. The organization seems content on seeing how this current squad plays out. They have the makings of having three bonafide stars and could see a Durant/Westbrook/Harden-type situation happening a lot sooner than later. Only time will tell. But the good thing is that we have plenty of time now.

This is the second of four meetings between the Thunder and Kings. Sacramento won the first meeting 105-98.

Betting Info

  • Line: SAC -1.5
  • O/U: 244.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

SAC

  • Alex Len (ankle) – OUT
  • Trey Lyles (illness) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Attack the paint – In their last meeting against Sacramento, the Thunder settled way too much for mid-range jumpers. They were outscored in the paint, 46-58, and shot only 42% from the field. The Kings do not have a rim-protector and rank near the bottom of the league in blocks and points in the paint allowed.
  2. Little House of Horrors – It does not matter what the building is called (Arco, Golden 1, etc), the arena in Sacramento always seems to be a little house of horrors for the Thunder. Since the rebuild started in the 2020-21 season, the Thunder are 0-7 in Sacramento. In fact, over that span, that team is 1-10 vs. the Kings. For some reason, this team has the Thunder’s number. Which is a little worrying because I could definitely see the Thunder facing someone like the Kings in the first round of the playoffs this season.
  3. Play your game – The Kings are elite at defensive rebounding and getting back on defense. They lead the league in defensive rebound percentage and are 2nd in opponent fast break points. The team leading the league in allowing the least amount of opponent fast break points: the Houston Rockets. And we saw how well we fared against their defense. The Thunder have got to find a way to enforce their will on the Kings. Whether that’s turning them over to get into transition or running the break off a defensive rebound, the Thunder will have to get on the break to establish their game.

Utah Jazz vs. Thunder preview (Game 22 of 82)

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  • Utah Jazz (7-15, 12th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-7, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Monday, 11 December 2023 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – UTA: 109.4 (26th) / OKC: 117.3 (8th)
  • Defensive Rating – UTA: 118.0 (25th) / OKC: 110.1 (6th)
  • Net Rating – UTA: -8.6 (27th) / OKC: 7.2 (3rd)

The Set-Up

That signature win at home. That win that made the Paycom feel like it was the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Where the thunderous drum guided the chants of defense and the crowd chanted “O…K…C!” when the team was on offense. We finally got that with the game against the Warriors. That feeling like we’re finally back. Walking back to my car that evening, the crowd was still in a fervor, chanting “OKC” as we crossed the underpass on Reno. It felt like the good ol’ days. Hopefully more of those days are forthcoming, because it was a great feeling.

As we head to a vote on Tuesday, December 12th, to determine if the city will continue the $0.01 cent tax in order to pay for a new, state of the art arena, remember that feeling. Remember what it feels like to have Oklahomans cheering for the same team, not divided by crimson and orange. Remember what it’s like to have Oklahomans coming together to enjoy something like the Thunder, instead of coming together in tragedy. This is what the MAPS program has created. And this is what can continue if the vote is YES on Tuesday, December 12th. Go vote! and vote YES!

This is the first of four meetings this season between these Northwest Division rivals.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -12.5
  • O/U: 234.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Lu Dort (ankle) – OUT

UTA

  • John Collins (illness) – Questionable
  • Walker Kessler (foot) – OUT
  • Lauri Markkanen (hamstring) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding – Utah is one of the best rebounding teams in the league, especially on the offensive end. While I know that two of their bigs are out, rebounding is still that much of an issue for OKC that I feel it needs to be addressed. Utah is down two of their best players in Kessler and Markkanen. They don’t need any motivation/incentive to remain in striking distance in this game. Offensive rebounding could give them that.
  2. Turning them over – The Jazz are the fumbliest team in the league, leading the NBA in total turnovers and turnover percentage. Consequently, the Thunder are one of the best defenses and can turn defense to offense on a dime. It’s not that difficult. If both teams play their games, the Thunder will be more advantageous.
  3. Trap game potential – Great win at home the previous game. Some players a little banged up (SGA, Dort). Utah kinda sucks. This has trap-game written all over it.

Golden State Warriors vs. Thunder preview (Game 21 of 82)

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  • Golden State Warriors (10-11, 11th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (13-7, 2nd in the West)
  • When – Friday, 08 December 2023 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where – Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – GSW: 113.6 (15th) / OKC: 117.2 (6th)
  • Defensive Rating – GSW: 113.2 (16th) / OKC: 109.5 (3rd)
  • Net Rating – GSW: 0.4 (17th) / OKC: 7.6 (2nd)

The Set-Up

Yesterday, I was busy. So busy, in fact, that I didn’t have time to do my favorite “work, but not work” activity, which is to scroll through my Twitter timeline. When I did finally have some time to myself, I went to my adult pacifier and opened up my Twitter app. And, my word, was it a shit show. Listen, I get it. Sometimes a passionate fanbase can lend itself to hyperbolic statements from time to time. But, in the words of the youths: Bruh…stahp!. It was one bad game. Yes, it was against Houston. The team we’ve formulated this weird Twitter rivalry against ever since the James Harden trade. The team that probably killed the Thunder’s best chance at winning a championship (I’m looking at you, Pat Bev). But it was, honestly, just a weird vibes game. The Thunder had no energy from the start and Houston had a player that went supernova (Aaron Holiday). In an 82-game season, it’s going to happen from time to time.

The picture of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking disappointed on the bench was turned into a call for the GM’s job, the coach’s job, and the trading of every player not named SGA. Building a contender takes time (years). The Thunder are 2-3 over their last 5 games. They lost to the No. 1 seed in the West by three points, the No. 4 seed in the East by 4, and then to Houston. In the process, they beat the In-Season tournament finalist Lakers by 23 and the Mavs in Dallas by 6. This team is honestly ahead of schedule and progressing just fine. Patience in a virtue, not just in life, but also in fandom. Woo-sah, people.

This is the fourth and final meeting this season between the Thunder and Warriors. The Warriors won the first meeting in Oklahoma City, while the Thunder won that last two in the Bay Area.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -2.5
  • O/U: 236.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

GSW

  • Gary Payton II (calf) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Rebounding – The ugly rebounding monster is rearing it’s ugly head again. After a couple of weeks of improved rebounding, the Thunder fell off the wagon, losing the rebounding battle 30-53 on Wednesday. Every attempt for OKC to come back in that game was thwarted by a back-breaking offensive rebound by Houston and by Super Saiyan Aaron Holiday. The Warriors are one of the better rebounding teams in the league, so the Thunder will need to be hyper-focused on making sure the rebounding battle isn’t too unbalanced.
  2. Tre Mann – I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the minutes Mann gave the Thunder on Wednesday. Thought to be lost to the abyss that is lack of developmental minutes, Mann came in and performed extremely well on both sides of the court. If teams are going to completely slack off of Josh Giddey, this may be the opportunity for the Thunder to try a new look at times in the game with Mann in as the de facto point guard. Orrrrrr, he could go back to the bench and play “victor cigar/blowout loss” minutes. It’ll be interesting to see how Coach Daigneault moves forward in this situation.
  3. Chris Paul – As we head towards an important arena vote on December 12th, I just want to give my flowers to the man who was OKC’s first professional superstar…even as a rookie. Paul’s rookie and sophomore seasons were played in OKC as a member of the OKC/NO Hornets and his passion for the game spilled over into the fan base pretty quickly. We’ve all had a love/hate relationship with CP3 over the years, but there’s no doubt the importance he’s had on Oklahoma hoops.

Thunder @ Houston Rockets (Game 20 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (13-6, 2nd in the West) @ Houston Rockets (8-9, 10th in the West)
  • When – Wednesday, 06 December 2023 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where – Toyota Center, Houston, TX
  • Offensive Rating – HOU: 112.6 (20th) / OKC: 117.9 (5th)
  • Defensive Rating – HOU: 110.0 (5th) / OKC: 109.5 (4th)
  • Net Rating – HOU: 2.6 (12th) / OKC: 8.4 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The come-up has been something to marvel for these teams that were bottom feeders just a few seasons ago. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder were bottom 5 in the league just a couple of seasons ago. Now, all three of the teams listed are either at the top of their conference or in second place. In addition, teams like Houston and Indiana have become extremely competitive and have the possibility of moving up in the standings as the season progresses. The cycle of change in the NBA is as consistent as the four seasons. Teams at the top now will inevitably be at the bottom in a couple of seasons. And visa versa. So here’s to the upcoming era of these teams for the next couple of seasons.

Season Series: This is the first of four meetings between the Rockets and Thunder this season.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -2.5
  • O/U: 226.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Ousmane Dieng (G-League assignment) – Not Available

HOU

  • Jock Londale (illness) – Questionable
  • Victor Oladipo (knee) – OUT
  • Amen Thompson (G-League assignment) – Not Available
  • Cam Whitmore (G-League assignment) – Not Available

Three Big Things

  1. Giddey – Our point guard is averaging 1 assist per game over the last 3 games. He played a season low 16 minutes in the Thunder’s last game and seems to be struggling with his confidence. I know he has a lot going on in his personal life, but he has to play better. While the team has been successful despite Giddey’s erratic play, a normal Giddey type game could boost this team up even more. Maybe Mark Daigneault will find a line-up that can fit more to Giddey’s strengths when SGA goes to the bench. Maybe something like Giddey, Chet, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins/Kenrich Williams. Shooters and defenders around Giddey.
  2. Pace – Houston is one of the slower paced teams in the league, while OKC is one of the higher paced teams. Both teams also do a good job of limiting turnovers. That said, if OKC can play their brand of basketball and cause Houston to turn the ball over, it should help facilitate their transition opportunities and shift the game towards their style of play.
  3. Big man battle – The match-up we’ve all been waiting for. Chet vs. Sengun. On Twitter, Houston and OKC fans can be a bit contentious towards each other, and one of the main sticking points is Alperen Sengun. Houston fans love to point out the fact that OKC gave Sengun up in a draft day deal and that he is going to be one of their core pieces moving forward. OKC loves to point out the fact that Sengen is a traffic cone on defense and the Thunder still own the Rockets’ future for the next few seasons. The reality, as always, is somewhere in the middle. Sengun has been great this season, leading the Rockets in scoring (21 ppg) and rebounding (9.2), while being on a team that is 5th in defensive rating. But the Thunder have a better record, are further along in their rebuild, and still have a ton of assets (to include multiple first and second round picks from Houston). In addition, while channeling my inner Iron Man from the first Avengers movie, “We have a Chet”.

Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks preview (Game 19 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (12-6, 3rd in the West) @ Dallas Mavericks (11-7, 4th in the West)
  • When – Saturday, 02 December 2023 at 8:00pm CST
  • Where – American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
  • Offensive Rating – DAL: 117.5 (5th) / OKC: 117.6 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – DAL: 117.0 (23rd) / OKC: 109.1 (5th)
  • Net Rating – DAL: 0.5 (17th) / OKC: 8.5 (2nd)

The Set-Up

The I-35 rivalry. The rivalry that is created because of location. Because of distance. But, luckily, for us fans, this rivalry has usually been a good one. The KD game-winner in the playoffs. Dirk completely decimating the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals on his way to his only championship. The various playoff match-ups. The Lu Dort defense on Luka. The Isaiah Joe game.

Luckily for all of us, there appears to be another rivalry budding with this current iteration. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have given the Mavs two superstar players that have performed at the top of their profession in every scenario possible in their careers. Luka finally has a collection of players around him that seem to complement his style of play. But Lu Dort awaits….

And Isaiah Joe.

Season Series: This is the first of four meetings between the Mavericks and Thunder this season

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -4.5
  • Spread: O/U 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

DAL

  • Dante Exum (personal) – OUT
  • Josh Green (elbow) – Day to Day
  • Tim Hardaway Jr (back) – Day to Day
  • Kyrie Irving (foot) – Day to Day
  • Maxi Kleber (toe) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Luka Doncic – Luka is having another amazing season. Of the 5 players in the league that are averaging over 30 points per game, Luka and SGA are two of them. In games past, though, Luka has struggled with efficiency when playing against the Thunder. A lot of that can be attributed to Lu Dort’s defense. Doncic’s physical style suits Dort’s defense more than a fast, twitchy offensive player.
  2. Rebounding Battle – Neither of these two teams are good at rebounding, with both being at or near the bottom of most rebounding categories. But the Thunder has shown improvement and effort in the rebounding department over the past week or so. It has allowed them to blow some teams out that were also near the bottom of those statistics with them.
  3. Chet – For some reason, I feel like this is a game where Chet can dominate. Not just in the scoring department, but also in all the things big men are supposed to do well (rebounding, interior defense, etc). The Mavs will be trotting out rookie Derrick Lively and Dwight Powell. Lively has been a lot better than I expected this season. And Powell is a good, aging veteran. It just feels like Chet will dominate over these two tonight.