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Why Not Us?

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Dylan Huntzinger

The Oklahoma City Thunder have done it.

Against all odds, against every expectation, prediction, and assumption: The Thunder are once again the #1 seed in the Western Conference.

And yet, it doesn’t really feel like it.

Sure, for us Thunder fans, it was a celebration (clap, clap, bravo) like we haven’t had in a long time. From the hilarious nature of seeding watch day, to the harrowing decimation of the Dallas Mavericks in the regular season finale, Thunder fans had/have a lot to celebrate. This is the same team after all, that was going through seeding watch day last year as well; for the 10 seed.

All year long the Thunder have faced and conquered seemingly every challenge that came their way.

But it still doesn’t seem like its enough… for some people.

Bill Simmons on his podcast could barely mention and congratulate OKC for making the 1 seed before he fell victim to an old habit of Thunder hatred, saying to his co-host Ryen Russillo definitively “OKC cannot beat the Lakers.”.

He’s not the only one who thinks that.

ESPN’s Mike Greenberg suggested on Get Up that the Lakers “should not play Lebron James, should not play Anthony Davis, they should tank the 7/8 game, they should take their chances Friday night, one and done, at home against Golden State or Sacramento and go in and play OKC (instead of playing Denver) in round one…” and as wild as that statement and ideology is, its actually began to hit an echochamber amongst the talking heads.

To Greeny’s credit, he did start the statment by saying “Give them all the credit in the world, its going to sound like I’m disrespecting them…” which kinda feels like whenever someone says “No offense, but….”

Well guess what Greeny? Offense taken. You do sound like you’re disrespecting them, because you are disrespecting them. And he’s not alone. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew to find someone that is picking the Thunder to not only lose in the playoffs, but to lose in round one… again.

It feels like people look at this team, they notice a couple things, and that’s what they make their assessment on. They see Shai’s (out of context, early in his career, in a different role) playoff stats, they see youth (combined age of 23.4 [youngest 1 seed in NBA history]), they see the size (or lack thereof).

I recoginize that I am not the most objective person, but I do have to objectively say that they couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, not only would I say that the Thunder have what it takes to make it out of the first round, regardless of who makes it out of the Play-in tournament. This team, dare I say, has all the makings of a team that could win the whole freaking thing.

In a West that’s as wide open as its ever been, the Thunder could have potentially broken the franchise record of 60 wins, if not for late season injuries to their two star players, I want you to ruminate on a question throughout the remainder of this article.

“Why not us?”

Lets dive in, shall we?

Numbers

You know the saying. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. And the numbers speak very highly of this young Thunder team.

3rd in Points per game: 120.1
3rd in Field goal percentage: 49.9%
1st in Three point percentage: 38.9%
4th in Free throw percentage: 82.5% (AND ONLY 17TH IN ATTEMPTS, WHERE IS THE FOUL MERCHANTRY IN THAT)
2nd in True shooting percentage: 60.8%
3rd in Effective field goal percentage: 57.3%
7th in (fewest) Turnovers per game: 12.7
1st in Steals per game: 8.5
1st in Blocks per game: 6.6
3rd in Offensive rating: 118.3
4th in Defensive rating: 111.0
2nd in Net Rating: 7.3
5th in Pace: 100.85
7th in Fastbreak points per game: 15.8
3rd in Fastbreak points (allowed) per game: 12.5
1st in Points off turnovers per game: 20.5
3rd in (fewest) Points off turnovers per game: 14.8
7th in Points in the paint per game: 52.5
7th in Points in the paint (allowed) per game: 47
2nd in Halfcourt offensive rating: 106.3
3rd in Halfcourt defensive rating: 97.3

I realize I threw a bunch of numbers and stats at you, and some of them may be confusing and out of context, but let me summarize this in three words: Them dudes good.

Allow me to elaborate.

VARIETY

One of the most dangerous things about this team is the many different areas that it excels in.

You need buckets? They are top 5 in scoring.

Opposing defenses building a wall to stop the drives? We are the best three point shooting team in the league.

Is the pace slow and possessions limited to the halfcourt due to the slowed down nature of playoffs? We’re top 5 in both halfcourt offensive and defensive rating.

Teams want to get up and down the floor? We are top 5 in pace, scoring fastbreak points, and limiting fastbreak points. Not to mention tops at steals AND blocks, so we will turn you over. Oh, and we are the best in the league at converting those turnovers into points.

You see what I’m getting at here? The Thunder excel at every single aspect of modern basketball.

So much so that what is considered one of our biggest weaknesses (rebounding) has DRASTICALLY improved. On the season we are 29th in offensive rebounds, 12th in defensive rebounds, and 27th in rebounds overall; post all-star break however things have changed. 24th in offensive rebounds, 8th in defensive rebounds, and 15th overall.

They still aren’t great numbers, but they have improved throughout the year, and prove to keep up those numbers going into the playoffs.

Shooters everywhere

Whenever the Thunder brought in renowned shooting coach Chip Engelland, all Thunder fans were worried about was the shooting improvements for Josh Giddey. Little did they know, that the entire team was about to become deadly from deep.

12 players on this Thunder squad are shooting at least 37% from 3.
10 players are shooting over 39%.
8 are shooting over 40%.
2 of them (Aaron Wiggins and Gordan Hayward) are shooting around 50%.

To put this into perspective, lets look at the 2022-2023 Thunder.

7 players shot over 37%.
6 players shot over 39%.
3 players shot over 40%.
Only 1 player shot 50%, but sadly, Jared Butler only appeared in 6 games, so we do not count his contributions.

For years, Thunder fans have clamored (BEGGED!) the front office to go and acquire shooting, and at long last, they have.

They show up when it matters most:

This can be true in two different ways.

First: Clutch.

The Thunder have played in 38 games in the clutch. In those 38 games they are 24-14 for a winning percentage of 63.2%, which places them 5th in that category. All the things they do well as a team on a game to game basis, are also done well in the clutch. They score efficiently, they shoot the piss out of the ball, and they create turnovers. In a word, they are still a well oiled machine.

Part of this is because they have not one, not two, but three of the most efficient clutch performers. Of players who have taken 40 shots in the clutch (58 eligible players) Jalen Williams ranks #1 with 68.3%, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks #4 with 58.1%, and Chet Holmgren ranks 9th with 52.5%. That is quite literally ABSURD.

Second: They rise to the occasion

Down the stretch of the season, you saw some juggernauts, or at least seemingly superior teams, get shocked and beaten by the bottom feeders of the league. But from the time Shai and Dub returned from their injuries, this team did not play with their food, winning their last 3 games by a combined 105 points.

Not convinced? How about this stat then: The Thunder had the highest point differential in the Western conference and 2nd highest in the league at +7.4. Against the other teams in the top 10, the Thunder has the best record against teams in the top 10 going 19-8.

There is one more reason, however.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Yes, Shai has had a special season. He is the first player to do things that only Michael Jordan and Steph Curry have done in an NBA season. He leads the league in 30 point games. He lost the steals title in the final hour of the regular season. He has the efficiency of a wing player as a guard. He is still just 25 years old. His previous playoff experience was a mixed bag, first as a rookie playing against the dynasty Warriors and then as a 3rd option on a makeshift Thunder playoff team. All these things can be true, and they are. But so is this.

No matter who we are playing, we will have the best player on the floor.

Alright except for Jokic, maybe Luka. But we know Shai’s work ethic is maniacal. We know how much he likes to prove people wrong, put narratives to rest, silence his critics. I think Shai is going to come into these playoffs and just absolute dominate at every stage of the game.

He’s already been doing it all year, against whatever defender the opposing team wants to throw at him. He’s dropped 30, he’s dropped 40, he’s dropped defenders, he’s dropped game winning buckets, he has set up this expectation for us. This is his coming out party, this is the stage he needs to announce himself not only a star, or an up and coming player. Nah, bump that. This dude is a superstar, a transcendent talent, a skillset that is unique, a demeanor that does not waver. This is going to be a statement, an announcement, a coronation, an alert, and final notice that Shai is here at the top of the league, and he isn’t going anywhere. He has arrived.

And just like Shai’s arrival, so shall it be the Oklahoma City Thunder’s.

This team is built for the postseason. This roster is built for competition. This squad thrives in adversity.

They have every excuse not to win it all. They’re too young. They overachieved. They needed this loss. But all season long, this team has flipped the script on every excuse given to them.

Chet could have sat games, but he played all 82. Cason could’ve developed in the G league, like most rookies do. Instead, he also played rotational minutes in all 82 games. Isaiah Joe could have been just a 3 point shooter, but he’s also top-10 in charges taken. Jaylin Williams could have sulked in the fact he didn’t get much playing time early on, but, instead, he stayed with it and became one of the Thunder’s most impactful players post all-star break. Josh Giddey could’ve let his off court drama, and his ego get the best of him when things were at their worst. Instead, he changed his mentality and play style, and now, and he and the team are thriving. Aaron Wiggins could have let the fact that he was the 55th pick, or the fact that he was still catching DNP’s early this season affect his game, but he stepped up every minute he’s on the court and is now widely considered one of the most underrated players in basketball.

This team doesn’t care how many MVP’s are in the way. This team doesn’t care about how many games they have or haven’t played in the playoffs. This team doesn’t care about how young they are. This team doesn’t care about the haters, the expectations, the predictions, or the assumptions about them. This team doesn’t need your excuses.

They have what they need, and they’re ready to rise to the occasion once more in the quest for 16 wins.

And with every pass, dribble, three pointer, dunk, crossover, block, steal, and scream at the raucous crowd of Loud City, they will play the game like they belong here. They will play the game with dominance and defiance.

They don’t care if they’re ahead of schedule.

They only have one question:

“Why not us?“

Ten Possible Candidates for the Oklahoma City Thunder coaching vacancy

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Alex Roig

For the first time in seven seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in search of a new head coach. Since their arrival in 2008, the Thunder have always had a head coach in place. PJ Carlesimo started as the head coach for the Thunder in 2008, but after beginning OKC’s inaugural season 1-13, Carlesimo was let go in favor of assistant coach Scott Brooks. Though he initially started with an interim tag, Brooks quickly shed that tag after finishing the last 50 games of that season with a 20-30 mark. In the next 6 seasons, Brooks led the Thunder to 1 Finals appearance and 3 Western Conference Finals appearances. He was awarded the 2010 NBA Coach of the Year award, and was the coach behind James Harden’s 2012 6th Man of the Year award and Kevin Durant’s 2014 MVP award. But as successful as he was in developing top-notch talent, he was just as lacking in a lot of the coaching aspect of coaching. His offense was very simplistic, but the coup de gras may have been is inability/stubbornness to change on the fly, in-game. With that in mind, the organization decided that Brooks had likely hit his glass ceiling with this team and parted ways with him.

No separation is ever without tension. But this one seems to be amicable on both sides. The Thunder, and Brooks, himself, did not want to go into this next season with the lame-duck status over their heads. With Durant’s impending free agency quickly approaching, any misstep or change in-season could be seen as a desperation move. The organization decided that if a change was going to be made, it had to be now, so that there is some consistency heading into the season. With that said, this becomes the first ever head coaching search in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder. As soon as Brooks’ departure was announced, several names were dropped as potential candidates for the now vacant head coaching job. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka currently in tow, this is likely one of the more desirable jobs for a head coach. Here are 10 possible candidates for the Thunder’s head coach gig.

Internal Candidates

Rex Kalamian – Kalamian has been one of Brooks’ top assistants for the past 5 seasons. He has overseen the development of the Thunder’s players and has also been the coach of the Thunder’s summer league team the last 3 seasons, winning the Orlando Summer League in 2013. Kalamian has been an NBA coaching lifer, starting as scouting assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992, and moving onto to stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings, before settling into his current position with the Thunder. He appears to have a great rapport with the players and a hiring like this would lessen the blow of the coaching change.

Troy Weaver – The Thunder’s current vice president/assistant general manager also has an extensive coaching portfolio. He started by coaching AAU ball in the Washington D.C. area from about 1992-1996. He went on to be an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, University of New Mexico, and then onto Syracuse University, where he is credited with recruiting Carmelo Anthony to the school. In 2004, he became the head scout for the Utah Jazz. Later he promoted to director of player personnel in 2007, and held that post through the end of the 2008 season. He was then hired by the Thunder in his current position, where he assists with roster building (NBA Draft preparation and free agency) and day to day basketball operations. Remember, the Spurs, whom the Thunder tend to emulate, once hired their general manager as their coach and went on to win 5 championships in a 16 year period.

College Coaches

Billy Donovan – The current University of Florida coach has a good relationship with Thunder GM Sam Presti, who hired two of Donovan’s assistants in the past year (Mark Daigneault as the coach of Oklahoma City’s Development League team and Oliver Winterbone as a basketball information analyst). Donovan currently boasts a 467-186 record at Florida, leading the Gators to consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007. He has been named SEC Coach of the Year in three of the last 5 seasons. He has a reputation as a great player developer and values depth on the offensive end and toughness on the defensive end.

Kevin Ollie – The current UCONN coach has a history with the Thunder that can still be felt today. Ollie played his final season in the NBA with the Thunder and was sited as the veteran that taught Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook how to be men in the NBA. Durant even notes him as being the purveyor of the current culture that is the Thunder. After retiring from the NBA in 2010, he went on to be an assistant coach under Jim Calhoun at Connecticut. After two seasons, he took over for Calhoun and went on to win the 2014 NCAA Championship. According to various media outlets, Ollie has removed his name from consideration for the Oklahoma City job.

Fred Hoiberg – The Iowa State coach is one of the hottest commodities in current coaching circles. His innovative, almost Spursian-like offense, made the Cyclones one of the top scoring teams in the NCAA’s throughout his coaching tenure. Players to come out of Hoiberg’s system are usually jack of all trades that are good at all aspects of the game, but not great at any one thing. In his 5 seasons in Ames, he has amassed a 115-56 record. He also has professional experience, as he worked in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ front office from 2007-2010.

NBA Coaches and Assistant Coaches

Tom Thibodeau – The current Chicago Bulls coach is known as one of the best defensive minds in the game. Before working in Chicago, he was one of the top assistants in the league from 1989-2010. The work he has done with the Bulls the past few injury-racked seasons has proven his worth as a coach that is able to excel, even in difficult situations. The Bulls’ coach has amassed a 255-139 record in his 5 seasons in Chicago. The knock on Thibodeau has always been the amount of time he plays his main players and his lack of player development/depth. That may come into play with the Thunder’s top players suffering from injuries in the past few seasons. Various media outlets have reported that Thibodeau may be on his way out in Chicago, regardless of where they finish this season.

Alvin Gentry – Gentry is currently the associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors, serving under head coach Steve Kerr. His “Spursian/Phoenix Suns 7 second or less hybrid” offense has worked wonders for the Warriors. Gentry is currently one of the highest paid assistants in the league. In his career, Gentry has gone 335-370 in previous stints with Miami, Detroit, the Clippers, and Phoenix.

Rick Carlise – While there is nothing that points to Dallas letting go of Carlisle, his frustration over the Rajon Rondo situation may boil over in the offseason, especially if the Mavericks don’t get out of the first round. Carlisle will be heading into the final year of his contract next season. If the team or Carlisle don’t see eye to eye on the future direction of the team in the offseason, I could definitely see a Scott Brooks situation where Carlisle walks away from the final year of his contract to go to another team with a guaranteed long-term deal. Carlisle has amassed a 619-431 record in his 13 years of coaching with Detroit, Indiana, and Dallas. He won a championship with Dallas in 2011.

Spurs’ Assistant Coaches

Chip Engelland – The Spurs assistant is credited with honing the shots of many Spurs’ players. He is known as the top shooting specialist in the league, and has built his portfolio up as an assistant in the past decade around the league. He has a reputation for developing a great rapport with his players and is routinely tasked with monitoring the Spurs’ players training/shooting regiments in the offseason.

Ettore Messina – Before being hired on by the Spurs as an assistant coach, Messina was the top European coach in basketball. He led two Euroleague teams (Virtus Bologna and CSKA Moscow) to two championship apiece and was twice named Euroleague Coach of Year in 2006 and 2008. Messina is revered in basketball circles as a great basketball mind, almost like a European Larry Brown. Messina’s coaching philosophy fits in line with the Spurs’ model of floor balance and ball movement. He loves to balance the floor to keep the defense moving, especially with post-ups. With the Thunder’s recent acquisition (and hopeful re-signing) of Enes Kanter, they now have an interior scorer that could completely balance the floor in a Messian-run offense.

Wild Cards

Jeff Van Gundy – Anytime a good coaching vacancy opens up, Jeff Van Gundy’s name is always brought up. The former Knicks’ and Rockets’ coach has been out of coaching for the past 8 years, and while he has never said that he is interested in coaching again, he’s never said he isn’t interested in coaching again. Van Gundy amassed a 430-318 record in his 11 seasons of coaching. With a nice broadcasting gig with ESPN and ABC, Van Gundy can wait for the right opportunity to get back into coaching. If both parties (the Thunder and Van Gundy) are interested, he could be possible candidate.

Mike Krzyzewski – Coach K is well on his way to being on the Mt. Rushmore of college basketball coaches. He just got done capturing his 5th NCAA championship this past season. For the past 10 seasons, he has been the head coach for USA Basketball, where he has coached Durant and Westbrook in international competitions. What if for a second, Coach K decides that there is nothing else he can accomplish in college basketball and would like to see what he could do in the NBA before it comes time for retirement. The Thunder vacancy would be the perfect opportunity of Coach K to pursue this.

The Thunder coaching vacancy is one that should generate plenty of interest. The opportunity to coach Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and possibly Kanter in their primes has to a dream for many coaches. As it stands right now, Donovan seems to be the front runner for the job. But if the Thunder still have not decided on a coach within the next two weeks, look for the Thunder to be leaning towards one of the coaches in the NBA circle.