ClickTown – September 24th, 2019

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Berry Tramel (NewsOK) talks to Billy Donovan about the earthquake that precipitated the big earthquake that shook the Thunder: “Sitting there, next thing I know, the doors start swinging open and closed,” Donovan said. “I’m like, ‘OK, now it feels like the whole building is getting ready to tip over.’ I’ve been in a few subtle earthquakes here. Not like that. So I go to the window, because I actually felt like the building was swaying. You look out the window, it’s not moving. So I kind of went downstairs.”

Dan Devine (The Ringer) on whether the Miami Heat should trade for Chris Paul: “It’s worth wondering, though, how well Paul would fit with the other famed hard-ass the Heat just imported. Jimmy Butler could have secured a full five-year bag to run it back as one of several stars on the 76ers; instead, he took a four-year, $140.8 million contract to be the unquestioned no. 1 option for a Heat franchise that hasn’t won 50 games in a season or made it out of the second round since LeBron James left town. Now, if they brought in Paul, Miami would be adding another max-salaried marquee player whose bids for glory in both Los Angeles and Houston came up short after grumblings emerged about the “mentoring” he offered to his costars. Is Butler—no stranger to, um, complicated exits himself—going to be on board with sharing the spotlight he thought he would have all to himself? (Also, for what it’s worth: As I’ve written, I’m optimistic that a healthy version of what’s already in the Heat locker room might be good enough to be the third or fourth seed in the East. Would a 34-year-old CP3 make them a legit contender on par with the Bucks and 76ers at the top of the conference? I’m skeptical.)” Continue reading

ClickTown – August 27th, 2019

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Make sure you check out the latest podcast from the Topic: Thunder crew.

Chris Paul will appear on the latest Body issue from ESPN The Magazine: “Others appearing in the Body issue include Oklahoma City guard Chris Paul, Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks, IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe, WNBA player Liz Cambage, basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, UFC champion Amanda Nunes, former UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi and soccer player Kelley O’Hara.”

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder) chats with Nerlens Noel who stopped by the Rookie season ticket members party: “There are new beginnings for the Thunder family as well, with Noel suddenly serving as one of the most experienced players with 5 full NBA seasons under his belt at age 25. Noel will have a pair of former Kentucky Wildcats with him in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hamidou Diallo. He’ll also be alongside four fellow players (Steven Adams, Dennis Schröder, Andre Roberson and Mike Muscala) who were selected in the 2013 Draft, giving the group a mix of energetic verve and solid experience.” Continue reading

ClickTown – August 26th, 2019

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Maddie Lee (NewsOK) with an in-depth look at Darius Bazley’s internship at New Balance: “A month after news broke of Bazley’s signing, New Balance added Kawhi Leonard to the team. The pair — a rookie and the 2019 NBA Finals MVP, are the only athletes representing New Balance Basketball so far, as the company re-enters the basketball shoe market after a decades-long absence.”

Letting you guys know that Paul George always tells the truth on Twitter:

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ClickTown – August 22nd, 2019

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Give a listen to the new podcast from the Topic: Thunder crew: The Weekly, Ep. 41 – DoubleChuck

I believe Hamidou Diallo is ready to defend his crown next season:

Nick Friar (OKC Thunder Wire) with a video of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander working out in Thunder gear: “With Westbrook now gone, the title of “face of the franchise” is now up for grabs. Some think Gilgeous-Alexander, the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, can take on the mantle. His strength coach says is training him so he’s prepared to take on the role.” Continue reading

ClickTown – August 20th, 2019

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Kyle Newport (Bleacher Report) says Oklahoma City will take the patient approach when it comes to trading Chris Paul: “At this point in the league year, finding a team that can absorb Paul’s contract would not be easy. The market figures to be limited, potentially forcing the Thunder to wait until at least Dec. 15 (when players who signed as free agents this summer can be traded) to look for a trade partner.”

Apparently, Darius Bazley and Chris Paul have a 60’s music battle going on and I, for one, am enthralled.

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ClickTown – August 19th, 2019

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Nick Friedell (ESPN) with an in-depth look at Darius Bazley’s unique path to the NBA: “While some endorsers get a taste of that with their sneaker companies, Bazley got far more up-close experience, not just getting a tour on a quick visit, but having the opportunity to spend days sitting in meetings, doing product testing and contributing in meaningful ways beyond just picking a sneaker he liked. In true 21st century NBA fashion, Bazley also got to learn about building a personal brand from New Balance’s digital and social teams, even using his Instagram account to provide insight into what his internship was like.”

Per EuroHoops, Billy Donovan went overseas to meet with Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder: “I am here to meet with Danilo Gallinari who is our new player in Oklahoma City. Before arriving here, I was in Germany and met with Dennis Schroder. We like to meet with our players during the summer in their home countries and of course, it’s great to see them competing at this level.” Continue reading

ClickTown – August 16th, 2019

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Anthony Koon (Heavy) on Chris Paul, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony working out recently: “In the video, LeBron is behind the camera and can be heard making fun of Paul for complaining about Melo’s weights being lighter while Melo does some pushups in the background. While nearly impossible for LeBron’s Lakers to land Chris Paul given his contract situation, Melo is still available and the Lakers have an additional roster spot that they are looking to fill.”

Russell Westbrook celebrating Nipsey Hussle’s birthday and remembering his amazing 20-20-20 game against the Lakers in OKC last season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1MK65EHqFe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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ClickTown – August 15th, 2019

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Sam Vecenie (The Athletic) does a redraft of the 2013 NBA draft and picks Steven Adams 7th: “At Pitt, things didn’t exactly go perfectly. He averaged only 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, but his athleticism and defensive prowess were on display from the jump. In a draft that didn’t exactly feature much in the way of pedigree or sure bets, Adams was seen as a project who would likely take some time. In Oklahoma City, general manager Sam Presti is comfortable taking on athletic, developmental players. It also helped that then-Thunder coach Scott Brooks was Dixon’s roommate at TCU when the two played together in college.”

Shane Rhodes (Basketball Insiders) looks at the Thunder’s offseason: “With that in mind, he proceeded to deconstruct the rest of the roster in short order. Jerami Grant was sent to the Denver Nuggets, while Patrick Patterson was bought out of the remainder of his deal. Much of the bench was let go. Even free agents that had committed to Oklahoma City, Alec Burks and Mike Muscala, were given the option to back out of their respective agreements due to the change in circumstance. And, in what was almost certainly the biggest gut punch of the offseason, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets. With him out of the picture, the Thunder are set to face their first major rebuild since the team moved to Oklahoma City back in 2008.” Continue reading

ClickTown – August 14th, 2019

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Maddie Lee (NewsOK) focuses in on the two LA back-to-backs that helps to reduce traveling: “The Thunder is scheduled to play 13 back-to-backs (five road/road, six home/road and two home/home), which is on the high end for teams this season, and one more than OKC played last year. But the no-travel back-to-backs help alleviate wear and tear on players.”

Scott Rafferty, Kyle Irving, and Gilbert McGregor (NBA.com – Canada) discuss whether the Thunder are being overlooked: “I think they have the talent to compete for a playoff spot. I could see Paul having a bounce-back year, they have pieces that complement each other well and they should be pretty nasty defensively. (Good luck scoring consistently against Paul, SGA, Roberson and Steven Adams).”

The Thunder signed Justin Patton to a contract yesterday. Continue reading

ClickTown – August 13th, 2019

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Check out the latest episode of The Weekly by the Topic: Thunder podcast crew. 

The Thunder’s upcoming schedule.

Erik Horne (NewsOK) breaks down the Thunder’s upcoming schedule: “In the past five seasons, the NBA has used the second half of the schedule as a showcase for its Saturday night games on ABC. While the Thunder has 10 Saturday games, including several against high-profile opponents (Clippers, Lakers, Warriors), OKC won’t appear in a nationally televised game on Saturday.”

Berry Tramel (NewsOK) on this being a fan-friendlier schedule: “The result is, 22 of the Thunder’s 41 home games will be played on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. And the Sunday games start no later than 6 p.m. That means fewer late nights for Thunder fans who must work the next morning.” Continue reading