Category Archives: Thunder At a Glance

Let It Rip: Why you’re probably overreacting about Shai’s 3 ball

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins Feb. 6 to Feb. 12 Western Conference Player of the Week - Yahoo Sports

We have been blessed as a fanbase to see a superstar blossom right in front of our eyes in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The centerpiece of the Paul George trade, we have watched him go from bench guy, 3rd option, to running the show. And run it, he has.

Over the last four seasons, Shai has led the league in drives per game in three of those four seasons. Shai has boasted the efficiency of a wing player, shooting over 50% from the field and averaging about six free throw attempts per game.

Because of this, the fanbase, and the NBA at large, have associated Shai’s game to three things: driving to the basket, shooting the mid range jumper, and getting to the free throw line. 

And he’s been pretty good at it. Averaging over 30 points per game in each of the past two seasons, Shai is widely considered one of the top 5 player in the world and is on the shortlist for MVP for everyone who has a pulse.

So, going into his 7th season, fresh off back to back All-Star appearances, being named a starter in the All-Star game, and being a back to back 1st Team All-NBA recipient, many people think Shai should just stick with what got him there, and leave well enough alone.

But that’s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He summed this up in 2021, with a banger of a quote.

“I’m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.”

He is always adding to his game. Whether it was the stepback, catch and shoot 3, off ball defense, playmaking, etc., Shai has gone into the lab every offseason, and every offseason he comes out acting different.

I imagine him stepping into a lab (for some reason this one I’m picturing in my head has automatic sliding doors) normal Shai, but after some time,  when he emerges from the sliding doors, smoke billows out of the room with a green haze in the background, and somewhere, somehow, an organ is playing and angels are singing. Anyways, back to the point.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legit MVP candidate - BALLERS.PH

Is it awesome that he is a top 5 player in the world right now? Absolutely. Would it be easy to just continue what he’s doing now? Absolutely. Could he have similar success doing exactly what he has done the past couple of seasons? Absolutely. (Topic: Thunder listeners have drank themselves into a coma with all the absolutely) BUT, Shai doesn’t want what he already has, Shai isn’t ok with the status quo, Shai doesn’t want to just go through the motions and be remembered as just another good player.

He’s on some Ash Ketchum energy. This dude wants to be the very best, like NO ONE ever was.

So yes, he will continue to add to his game, and we have the fruits of those seeds he planted the offseason (IN THE LAB).

He looks engaged and disruptive when he is playing on ball defense.

His playmaking reads are sharper than ever, and he’s making passes we have never seen him make. Live dribble skip passes from one end of the court to the other, one hand dump offs to a cutter, hitting the roller in stride, hitting the shooters in their pockets; consistently.

But one addition to his game that has been met with uproar and outrage by a large (and troubling) portion of the Thunder fan community, is his increased 3 point shooting volume.

First off, it fits Sam Presti’s ethos to a T. Exploration, and experimentation are the reason you see the roster you see today for the Thunder. Presti has tried things, failed at things, and succeeded at things. All in all, he collected data, learned from his mistakes, enforced his correct decisions, and now we have a juggernaut in Oklahoma City.

It’s not different with Shai. Yes, that dude is and has been unguardable, but if he learns how to shoot high volume, off dribble, pull up 3-pointers, he will become unstoppable.

It adds a new weapon to your offense that opponents have to account for. They can’t build a wall in the paint and dare Shai to shoot middy’s over it. Shai can force them to play him close, and then it’s curtains. Play him to close, he’s blowing by you. Sag off on him just enough, and he’s comfortable and confident to pull that 3 in your eye; without having to first simulate the drive and get to his stepback.

That’s the why he should do this, (which I feel should be fairly obvious?), let’s get into the why now.

It’s simple. We are 4 games into the regular season.

Continue reading →

Gordon Hayward: The punch the Thunder needed

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All-Star Weekend is in the rear view. And all in all, it was a fun weekend for Thunder fans.

Cason Wallace helped bring Team Pau back from its early deficit to Team Detlef, and was then scapegoated for not being able to carry a team of top 3 picks back from the early hole it dug itself.

Chet Holmgren contributed to Team Jalen’s ultimate victory in a variety of ways. Layups, blocks, windmills. Just not lobs. Maybe just catch those for now, Chettar Bob.

Jalen Williams showed he is a 2-way demon, knocking down middies, 3-balls, spreading the ball around, being an on-ball pest, and off-ball menace. All in route to knocking down the game winning 3-pointer, showing the world what “Dub Time” is. Dub, indeed.

Then of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show in his first (hopefully of many) starts in the All-Star game. The antithesis of his game was on full display. Instead of acrobatic finishes through contact and an assault of mid-range jumpers, it was an uncharacteristically scorching hot 7/10 shooting from the 3 point line and an array of high flying dunks, including a self alley-oop off the glass… IN TRAFFIC!

Yes, All-Star Weekend couldn’t have gone better for Thunder fans, sans Isaiah Joe being in the 3-point contest. And the weekend’s series of events is enough to get the fans excited for the return from All-Star break on Thursday against our rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. But through the excitement of the break, people have forgotten that the Thunder may or may not have added the piece that takes this team from young and fun overachievers, to bonafide contenders in the Western Conference.

Last week, the Thunder…

SIGNED BISMACK BIYOMBO!

That’s right! We are getting Bizzy with it! With our big Biyombro, we will be standing on Bizness for 48 minutes. *angry emoji with smoke coming out of nose*

As excited as I am for Biyombo, because of his ability to fill a role and his ability to raise the overall vibes for any locker room, it’s another move that this article is based around.

The trade that sent Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, and Davis Bertans to Charlotte in exchange for none other than Gordon Hayward.

This trade is already a sore subject for Thunder fans. Tre had become a fan favorite, from his highlight reel dunks and stepback, to his fun and vibey personality on the bench and online. There were many (yours, truly included) that were sad to see him go. He has done well in his opportunities with the Hornets since then, making it hurt just a little more.

Micic, while he hasn’t been as consistent, has flashed many moments that have Thunder fans envying the former Euroleague MVP for the playoff run. And then you have Bertans, who has been fine, I guess.

On the Thunder side, we haven’t as much seen Hayward in a Thunder jersey. But I’ve been watching some film on him from this season. Not as a Celtic or during the Obama administration in Utah. No, from the 2023-24 NBA season, just to clear things up. While the name isn’t as big, flashy, or coveted as some of the other names around the league, his tape tells me Hayward is going to fit this team seamlessly.

Playmaker:

Not including his rookie year, Gordo (gotta find a nickname for this guy, let me live) hasn’t averaged less than 3 assists per game. This season, before he got hurt, he was averaging 4.6 assists per game. Which would be 2nd highest in his career (and .1 more than Josh Giddey has…).

There’s not much flashy about Gorgon’s passing. He doesn’t really bring the ball up the court and he doesn’t try to pretend to be Steve Nash. While he doesn’t always make jaw dropping, high level reads, he is constantly moving the ball and often times creating scoring opportunities for his teammates as the secondary, or even, tertiary creator.

While he isn’t necessarily a maestro with the basketball, Hayward can more than hold his own as a playmaker.

He gets it done in a variety of ways. Off the drive, off the catch, touch passes, in transition, dump offs, entry passes, the whole shebang.

Despite what the video above would lead you to believe, Hayward’s passes don’t lead to buckets 100% of the time, I’m sorry to deceive you.

But what’s important, and why he fits with the Thunder in this regard is, the ball doesn’t stick with him. There is no record scratch. He isn’t a ball stopper. He simply gets the ball, he drives it, he shoots it, or he quickly makes a pass.

Based on the tape above he’s going to create a lot of easy looks for Chet, Dub, Ous, Wiggs, and Boom (Jaylin Williams for those uninitiated). But he’s also going to be able to put Shai, Giddey, and Dub in scoring, and playmaking scenarios just with his willingness and participation of moving the ball around.

Shut up and drive:

When you watch a guy like Shai or Jalen Williams, you always hear the commentators talk about how relentless they are with their straight line drives to the basket. Shai has led the league in total drives going on 4 seasons, and even in his first season with the team, he still ranked 10th in the league. Dub, has a bit more variety to his game with the willingness to shoot a higher volume from deep, but particularly in late game situations, the gearshift is on D for him as well.

If you watch Gordon Bombay (yeah, that one felt wrong) you can tell he’s cut from that same cloth. While he can’t even smell the exhaust from Shai’s tailpipe at 23.9 drives per game, he is not far behind from Dub (12.6) with 10.8 drives per game.

While he adds some variety to his game in post work, catch and shoot, etc., a lot of his playmaking, as evidenced by the video in the playmaking section, is dependent of his drives.

Even at age 33, Hayward is a strong driver to the basket.

It’s no wonder he is constantly driving, as the Warden (I saw it on Twitter/X, I’m not married to it) is shooting an impressive 69.3% at the rim this year. To put that into perspective, Shai is shooting 66.5%. Dub is shooting 66.3%. Chet is shooting 71.7%. And the finishing god squad of Cason, Ous, and Joe are shooting 72.8, 73.9, 76.5 respectively. And since you keep bugging me, Giddey is shooting 55.2%.

Cut to the chase:

Wiggs made his early career off of knowing how to cut to the basket. OKC has plenty other really good cutters. Dub, Cason, Kenny, and even Giddey have shown some juice as cutters this year.

He’s no Edward Scissorshands, but my Hayward son (you see it) is a stealthy good cutter, and sneaky effective at it. Snake eyes (yeah this is bad, just having fun with the last sentence) averages 1.47 points per possession, while shooting 75%, on cuts but only at a frequency of 4.5%. For perspective, Shai is averaging 1.67 PPP on 80.8% shooting on 2% frequency. The aforementioned Aaron Wiggins is shockingly averaging only 1.3 PPP on 64.7% shooting, but on a team leading 15.6% frequency.

Hayward is literally playing Fruit Ninja with NBA defenses.

LaMelo Ball is a phenomenal playmaker. But he is one man. The Thunder’s entire roster has some playmaking juice. Pair that with his basketball IQ and understanding of space, and you have a smart and opportune cutter to add to the death by 1000 basket cuts.

There are a lot of things to like about Hayward. His shooting, while percentages are a tad down at 36.1%, he is shooting 40.8% on catch and shoot 3’s, 41.2% from the corners, and 42.4% on open 3-point jumpers.

He is averaging almost 5 rebounds per game, which will help a bit with that side of things. As well as averaging 1.1 steals per game. With guys like Dort and Dub at the point of attack and Chet as the back line, Hayward should be able to generate a number of steals for this already stingy defense.

Overall, the fit is very nice. And the price for the trade, with the flexibility to possibly re-sign him moving forward, makes the deal a no brainer.

Gordon Hayward is the type of player that can add one more punch to the Thunder’s push to the finals.

And if all I’ve said above comes to fruition, that punch may just end up being a Haymaker.

Hmmm, Haymaker.

I LIKE IT.

Special shoutout to @derthun_ and @homahoops for showing me the ways of the force and video editing. Be sure to follow them for great Thunder content. As well as me @ThunderChats, and my podcast @OKCTopicThunder. Thunder up.

Tag Team: How the Thunder get it done in the clutch

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It was 2020, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were playing the Houston Rockets in the bubble. The happiest place on Earth was suddenly a lot happier in a very sad time, because it meant the return of NBA basketball back into our lives.

It was a bittersweet series for Thunder fans going into it. We were facing our beloved “king of the prairie”, the Brodie, Russell Westbrook in the playoffs for the first time since he was traded. The Thunder were run off the floor in the first two games of the series. But, in spite of the rough start they had, they were able to fight back and make the series 3-3 to force a game 7.

The Thunder, unfortunately, fell short in a WILD game 7. Crazy things happened throughout the game. Lu Dort, a then 29% 3 pointer shooter, knocked down 6/12 3’s. James Harden, former Thunder legend and known lazy defender, decided to play defense very late in the game to block the aforementioned Dort’s go ahead 3 point attempt. And Chris Paul, the player acquired in the Russ trade, missed a crucial and absolute bunny of a shot to put the Thunder up 1 with under 45 seconds remaining.

As he missed the shot; we knew, and he knew, that was likely the game.

“I had a floater right there in the middle of the lane that would have put us up 1.” Chris Paul lamented postgame. “I said (to the team) ‘Just keep it close, and we’ll finish it.‘ That’s on me.”

Chris Paul was something else that season, man. Went from a guy that many thought was washed and silenced every doubter. Took a team with a .2% (still insane) chance at the postseason and carried them to a 5 seed. Was 5th in MVP voting and led the NBA in points in the clutch.

Just the game prior, he hit two huge 3’s late to put the Thunder in position to win game 6.

The issue was, as he alluded to after Game 7, that it was “on me.” And it was. It was ALL on him. Whether it was scoring, creating, or distributing in the clutch, the Thunder relied solely on the play of Chris Paul.

And when it mattered most, he couldn’t deliver.

This isn’t an indictment on CP3. As I mentioned, he was AWESOME on and off the court in 2020. But it makes you think, what it would have looked like if he had someone he could also rely on in those moments. Someone, possibly, on both sides of the court. What might that have looked like?

Well, it might just look like the #1 team in the Western Conference, currently.

Today, we see a Thunder team with a similar dominance late in the game. In the clutch this season, this team boasts the highest field goal percentage (53.7%), the highest offensive rating (129.6), and the 2nd highest net rating (23.4).

And unlike that team in 2020 that lived and died off the performance of Chris Paul, it’s 3 different guys, affecting the game in a variety of ways.

(All the upcoming stats are for players who have taken at least 10 shots in the clutch)

((Shoutout Aaron Wiggins though, who is the first name that comes up if you search FG% with no filter))

First, you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The head of the snake on offense, a perennial MVP candidate, one of the most unguardable players in the entire league, widely regarded as one of the clutchest shot makers in the world. He is currently 10th in clutch points (70), and field goal percentage (61%), which is phenomenal in and of itself.

However, much like most of the discourse around Shai this year, the offense doesn’t tell you the whole story. Shai is also tied for 2nd in the league in steals made in the clutch (5). He clearly made his defense a point of emphasis over the offseason, currently leading the league in steals by a wide margin. And that clearly reflects in late game situations as well!

Then you have Chet Holmgren. A rookie who has defied every expectation, has provided an unprecedented impact to a team that was in the play-in game just last year, is the lead for Rookie of the year, a borderline All-Star, and is already one of the best rim protectors in the game. He, to a lesser but still impressive degree, is 29th in clutch FG% (53.6%) which is still great for a 3rd option on offense, and he’s already had a couple clutch moments on offense this year.

But much like Shai, it’s the defense where his impact is mostly felt. Chet is currently 4th in blocks per game (2.6) and 3rd in total blocks (111), and that has trickled into the clutch as well. Chet currently leads the league in clutch time blocks with 9 (!!) , that’s a full 2 blocks more than the 2nd highest, which, interestingly enough, is his rookie nemesis Victor Wembanyama who has 7. Late in the game, teams look for the best shots they can get, and there is no better look than at the rim… unless Chet is there and then you should probably look elsewhere.

Finally, you have arguably the most impressive stat in this article. Jalen Williams, known as JDub, Dub, or around the holidays he is affectionately referred to as Santa (real ones know what’s up). Dub is in his sophomore season, but he has been playing like a seasoned vet as of late.

In the game against the Magic on January 13th, he scored a quick flurry of points at the beginning of the 4th quarter and started tapping his wrist declaring that it’s “Dub time”! That’s the time when Shai is off the court to start the 4th quarter (and to a lesser extent the 2nd quarter). For about 6 to 7 minutes, it’s alllllllll Jalen Williams. Buckets, creation, defense, what have you; this is his time to cook, this is truly Dub time. It’s helped us cut into leads, hold leads, and extend leads. Dub time.

But what he does at the end of the 4th, is even more eye popping.

As of this writing, Jalen Williams leads the league in clutch FG% with 72.7% on 22 shots. Just last night against the Blazers, he had 3/4 shots go down (all in about the exact same spot), including what ended up being the game winner, in almost the exact same spot Shai called game against the Blazers the year prior.

What’s important about these shots? The Thunder used Shai as a screener for Dub, and then had him flare to the top of the three point line as a decoy, leaving Dub 1 on 1 against the diminutive Anfernee Simons.

Chet also had 3 of his 6 blocks in the 4th quarter. And despite Dub hitting the shot, it was Shai who stole the inbound alley-oop attempt as the clock expired to finally ice the game.

In its early conception, the Thunder relied on Kevin Durant. In 2016-17, the Thunder relied on Russell Westbrook. In 2020, the Thunder relied on Chris Paul. And in the years prior to this one, the Thunder relied solely on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the first time in forever, it’s not a one man band in OKC. It’s not Shai against the world. The Thunder have carefully hand picked, home grown, and developed three players at different positions, who have a killer mentality, buy in on both sides of the ball, are unselfish, and aren’t afraid of the moment.

The Thunder are no longer a one man show in the clutch. They are a tag team.

And no matter what area of the game they are effecting, no matter which one of them are tagged in, they’re coming for the belt.

They’re coming for the title.

Thunder @ Timberwolves Preview (Game 64 of 82)

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okc logo at twolves

  • When: Tuesday, 05 March 2019 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: MIN -2.0 | O/U: 236.5
  • Off Rating: OKC – 109.9 (15th) | MIN – 110.6 (12th)
  • Def Rating: OKC – 105.6 (3rd) | MIN – 111.0 (20th)

Injuries never come at a good time. Gordon Hayward got injured at the beginning of the season last year and Boston’s entire game plan had to change from that point on. It worked for them, as they made all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, but a healthy Hayward, in his prime, may have pushed them even further. Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 05 March 2019

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img_4063Beef…..it’s what’s for dinner (according to Steven Adams)

The Thunder tumbled a little in ESPN’s Power Rankings, which was to be expected: “The Thunder have lost five of their past seven games, and are in clear danger of sliding down to the 5-seed in the West. Paul George has missed three straight games with a right shoulder injury, and his health is paramount. If George and Russell Westbrook are both healthy going into the playoffs, the Thunder will have a puncher’s chance against any opponent, regardless of their ultimate playoff seeding.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 04 March 2019

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img_4063Brett Dawson (The Athletic) on Russell Westbrook’s late game heroics last night: “He’s done it less this season, both because George has done so much of the heavy lifting and because the shots he made so often that season have been so hard to come by. The Grizzlies were the latest team to pack the paint against the Thunder, to dare Westbrook to launch from long range.”

Maddie Lee (NewsOK) recaps the Grizzlies game: “Russell Westbrook pump-faked and eyed the basket from the left wing. “No!” a fan yelled. The same fan had dissuaded him from shooting his last 3-point shot, which he missed with two minutes on the clock. Yet again, Westbrook ignored his advice. This time, Westbrook drained the 3-pointer to tie the game.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 25 February 2019

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img_4063Matt Moore (aka Hardwood Paroxysm) stopped by the podcast to talk Thunder basketball. Good stuff here from a writer who hung around the team for several days and follows them closely.

Zac Dubasik (Complex) on the Thunder’s obsession with saving their players’ shoes: “What that storage would eventually become, at least on the footwear front, was an archive that went on display at the Chesapeake Energy Arena for the team’s 10th anniversary season. “Every player that’s come through our organization has contributed,” says Mahoney. “Every person that’s come through our organization—player, staff, coach—everybody matters and everybody’s played a role. And as we look at the players, one unique way to mark each of them that comes through is to have pieces of what they’ve contributed, and the shoes are really a vital part of that and a concrete way showing what they were able to express.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 22 February 2019

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img_4063Jackson Frank (FanSided NBA) on the development of Jerami Grant and if he’s the X-factor to their playoff success: “The most prominent new wrinkle in his game has been a serviceable outside jumper, connecting on 37.3 percent of his 3.1 3-point attempts per game — both career-highs. Slotting in next to Steven Adams, who’s 0 of 6 from deep in his six-plus seasons, Grant now (semi-)comfortably operates as a floor-spacer at the 4-spot. When defenders sag off to muddy up Russell Westbrook’s, Paul George’s or Dennis Schröder’s forays to the tin, Grant nails corner 3s at a 39 percent clip.”

Brett Dawson (The Athletic) on whether there should be more attention paid to Russell Westbrook’s accomplishments: “But as a reminder, he also is averaging a triple-double. Westbrook is attempting to do something for a third consecutive season that only one other player has done even once. He’s a run of consecutive stat-stuffing games that’s never been matched, and it’s something of a footnote.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 20 February 2019

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img_4063Topic: Thunder podcast brethren Stephen Dolan (Thunderous Intentions) looks at the fit of Markieff Morris on the Thunder: “The reason I’ll be mentioning Patterson a lot is in my opinion, Morris will be taking most, if not all of his minutes. According to Basketball Reference, Morris has played exactly zero minutes at anything other than power forward or center in his entire career, actually playing more at the five this season. Morris will not be playing any 3. Morris is a big. With that said, and Shams reporting a significant role, anything close to 20 minutes a game will come largely out of Patterson’s 14.7.”

Berry Tramel (NewsOK) looks at the story du jour for the Thunder: Morris’ fit on the team: “Markieff Morris has spent no discernible time as a designed perimeter player. That’s at both Phoenix and Washington. That’s different from Marcus, who has played for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons and now Celtics. Basketball-reference.com estimates that 52 percent of Marcus’ career has been played as a wing, with 44 percent at power forward and four percent at center.” Continue reading →