Tag Archives: Mark Daigneault

The Future Is Now

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Before we get started here, lets talk about a few things as it pertains to Luguentz Dort. He is the longest tenured member of the Thunder roster, seeing as we signed him as an undrafted free agent prior to making the trade to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has been here as we transitioned from a fools gold contender to an over-achieving playoff team to a full-on rebuild to NBA Champions to being the hunted. I’ll never forget Lu’s debut game.

We had just made the trade to jettison Paul George for Shai, Danilo Gallinari, and picks (lots of picks, juicy ones even). We made a move that many thought blasphemous in trading the King of the Prairie, the *then* greatest player in Thunder history, our Brodie, Russell Westbrook, for a seemingly washed up, flopping, complaining Chris Paul. We started off that season slowly, opening up just 1-4, and then 8-12 going into a road matchup against the 10-10 Minnesota Timberwolves. Dort entered into his first NBA game with OKC down 3 to start the 2nd quarter, and almost immediately, he forced a jump ball, which led to OKC gaining possession. He would then miss a layup, collect a rebound, and strip Jarrett Culver all within 3 minutes of action before he checked out. He returned to the game down 1 with 4:21 left in the 3rd and… nothing happened. He checked out about 2 minutes later, with not a single stat. He came back in with :30 left in the 3rd, and in :18 did nothing.

Tale as old as time, young undrafted kid gets his shot in the big leagues, has a couple of promising moments, but ultimately isn’t quite ready for the moment. Oh well, can’t blame Billy Donovan for trying. He would sit out for what seemed like the rest of the game, until he didn’t.

After a tough miss from Dennis Schroeder and a tough KAT rebound, the Wolves called a timeout with :17 seconds left in the game. Shai, CP3, Dennis Schroder, Gallo, and Steven Adams had all played great that day with the guard trio tallying over 100 points between the 3 of them. But in this moment they needed a stop, and none of them were most notably known for their defense. As the horn buzzed to end the timeout, you see Gallo take a seat on the bench and #5 walk back out onto the court in a defensive stance in front of Shabazz Napier. Napier gives him a move and heads towards the sideline, Josh Okogie whips a pass to Napier who has a step on Dort. He fumbles the ball, and out of instinct Lu lays out onto the floor to secure the ball and calls a timeout with :14 left to play.

What happened next is a thing of Thunder legend. The infamous Chris Paul/Jordan Bell untucked jersey delay of game call to put the Thunder within 2 instead of 3, the Hail Mary pass from Steve to Dennis on a go route, securing the catch and having the wherewithal to bank it in simultaneously as the clock expires to send the game to OT.

Shai would go onto scored 11 of the final 17 Thunder points (he was that dude, even then), the Wolves would only score 6 more points, and the Thunder would improve to 9-12. They would go on a run after that, going 31-12 going into the infamous Rudy Gobert covid game. And that win against the Wolves, the turnaround in the season, taking the Rockets to 7 in the playoffs, you can legitimately say is all because of Lu Dort.

Since then, we have had some truly iconic moments with Lu. The Dorty Fourty, the steal and lay up against De’Arron Fox, “can’t hit what you can’t see” against LeBron James, and many many more. Dort has been a fan favorite since that fateful day in Minnesota and has been a vital piece to this franchise.

Now that that has been said, lets address the linebacker looking elephant in the room.

Lu Dort, for whatever reason, has regressed in almost every statistical category.

In the 19 games he has played in (almost 1/4 of the season) Lu is averaging the worst FG% and 3P% of his entire career. Its heart breaking to see the ball swing, and swing, and end up in Lu’s hands in the corner, the fans expectantly bellowing “LUUUUUUUU” for the also collective “awwww” of disappointment, but that seems to be the case so far in this season for Dort.

It hasn’t been much better on defense, which is where Dort hangs his hat. He is averaging a career low in steals at .8 per game, as well as allowing a team high 46.7% DFG%. This means that when he is matched up with an opposing player, they are more effectively scoring on him than any other player on the team. In the past couple of season, Dort was at 41.9 DFG% and 44.6 DFG%, both near the lowest allowed on the team, for context purposes.

It gets worse, not only is he struggling individually on the court, but that is exacerbated when you look at it from the grand scheme of lineups. When Lu is on the floor, the team is hurt both offensively and defensively. They are 4 points worse offensively, which is kind of to be expected. What isn’t expected, and a bit maddening, is when a reigning 1st Team All-NBA defender is on the floor, the Thunder’s team defense is 6 points worse, allowing a higher TS% and creating less turnovers as a unit (which is one of this team’s superpowers). You put that all together, and the team is 10 points better, net rating wise, when Lu is off the floor.

Conversely, let’s look at Cason Wallace. The offense is better with him on the floor. The defense isย better when he is on the floor. The net rating isย better when he is on the floor. As a starter, he is shooting almost 10% better than Dort from the field AND from the arch. He leads the league in total steals AND steals per game by a significant margin. I tend to stay away from individual defensive rating, but he is in the top 8 in both defensive rating and net rating. He has made his way to the top 10 in DPOY odds, and is a LOCK for All-Defensive team. The ball doesn’t stop with Cason, opponents’ leads are not safe with Cason, and the ball is not safe with Cason.

That’s not to say let Lu go by the way side. This isn’t a call to action for him to be traded, cut, or excommunicated in any way. Its simply a call to action to shift from the old guard to the new one (no pun intended).

The game is constantly changing, and if you don’t adapt to those changes, it will leave you behind. The Thunder have seen this play out in previous regimes. Its been clear in every game by the eye test, and even backed up by the numbers, that Cason has been the better player for the Thunder at this point of the season. And even though Lu is only just shy of 27 years old himself, Cason has long been seen as a foundational piece for OKC with the possibility of being someone who could replace what Dort does on this team.

Again, Lu can still be an impactful player for us. Big game Lu is absolutely a thing. When he gets hot, he gets HOT. There is possibly no player in the NBA who is more annoying to have guard you. And we love him for that. *I* love him for that. We used to have a running bit on the pod (Topic: Thunder podcast, check it out), ok we still do, of when Lu has a phenomenal game saying “We love you Lu and we hope you’re doing well.” (Shoutout, Jerry). Ask me how many times we have gotten to say that this season…?

We have only lost 3 (three[*three*{THREE}]) games all year, and Lu didn’t even play in one. Is he the only reason we lost? Absolutely not. Did Anthony Edwards not literally just hit a game winning 3 pointer over Cason (albeit, while playing perfect defense)? Absolutely. Its not going to perfect, there are going to be growing pains, and that’s what the regular season is for. And for a coach that likes to explore the roster and experiment with rotations, it kinda feels like it’s getting to the point that its undeniable a change needs to happen.

As I myself have made the point to address, we DO NOTย win a ring without Lu Dort. He got hot like never before in that game, and it came in a stretch that we needed him the most. All the while, being the fan favorite that had the crowd screaming “LUUUUUUUU” louder and louder with each passing make. And if Mark continues to start him, I myself will be tweeting/saying “LUUUUUUUU” right along with you when he inevitably hits 5 3’s in his next game after this publishes.

I love Lu Dort and he is forever a Thunder legend, but Cason has been better in every metric and if we want to chase history we have to adapt to what our eyes are telling us.

Both things can true.

The future is now.

 

 

Thunder Media Day was boring…and that’s perfectly fine

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When you are in the media, you’re always hoping for that one nugget of information that can spark an article. Spark a narrative. Spark a controversy. Something you can write and talk about. But when you’re a fan, while you may wish for something exciting, what you should really be hoping for is consistency…especially if your team just won the championship the season before. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they head into training camp, the team brings back 14 of the 15 players who were on the playoff roster and one of their two-way players. That’s 15 of the possible 18 roster spots taken up by players who already know the system. The only change was exchanging a seldomly used rookie from last season (Dillon Jones) for a rookie this season who won’t see the floor (Thomas Sorber) due to an ACL tear. That’s it. Everything else remains basically the same.

What did change was the fact that everyone who was on the team last season can now walk around saying their nickname is “Champ”. But when asked what has changed since winning the NBA title in June, many answers boiled down to “not much”. Head coach Mark Daigneault, who kicked off media day, when asked what had changed since winning the title: “Not much, to be honest with you. Cycle of the season. Cycle of the offseason. We had a draft. Summer league. The only changes my life has taken on is with my kids and our family.” Thunder guard Lu Dort said that while the recognition has increased since winning the title, he went right back to the same offseason routine once he took some time to allow his body to recover. Thunder center Chet Holmgren said the first two weeks of the offseason were different (you know, having never won an NBA title before), but said it was the same after that.

Another theme during media day was how the different players enjoyed their experiences with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Dort got to sign the Golden Book of the City of Montreal, while bringing the trophy to his neighborhood. Jalen Williams was able to take the trophy to his alma mater, Santa Clara University, and share the experience with the same coaches who coached him when he was in college. Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams gushed about bringing the trophy to Fort Smith, Arkansas, with Williams adding that the players don’t necessarily worry about the safety of the trophy because “the Thunder made sure we took care of it.” Holmgren said when he took the trophy to Minnesota, he wanted to show the kids because when he was growing up, “there were no trophies in Minnesota”. Thunder guard Alex Caruso was finally able to take the Larry O’Brien trophy to College Station, Texas. As a member of the Lakers’ 2020 championship squad, he was unable to take the trophy to Texas A&M due to covid restrictions. When asked if the trophy was a part of his wedding, he gave an emphatic “No”, mentioning that he wanted to keep some thing separate from basketball and wanted to focus on his wedding.

Another thing that showed up during media day was the appreciation the players have for each other. Rookie second rounder Brooks Barnhizer was asked what was something he was surprised to see as he started his NBA journey: “I think everyone sees how close they are. Many people think when you get to the NBA those things go away, but here those things get amplified.” Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell gushed about his experience with fellow second-year guard (but really a rookie) Nikola Topic during summer league: “He’s a high IQ guard. Really excited for him. I know it’s been a tough year with the injury, but I’m excited for him. It was a great learning experience for both of us. It was fun.” Thunder lead guard and current league (and Finals) MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, when asked about Holmgren: “Everyone sees that we’ve only seen a fraction of what Chet can be. He’s made to play basketball. His height, his instinct, his feel. He has a mentality to sets him apart. Aside from everything that’s God-given, he also has the mentality. He can do whatever he wants.” SGA and J-Will both called Jalen Williams a “warrior” when asked to recall the struggles Williams went through with his wrist injury during the playoffs. J-Will finished his description off by asking “How could you not go to war with a guy like that?” Holmgren, when asked about the pairing with fellow big man Isaiah Hartenstein said, “We still have a long way to go as a pair and as a team. He goes out there and gives it his all. He does the gritty things. Goes out there and fractures his nose and keeps battling.”

A team that gets along. Players that appreciate each other. An organization that sees a new goal in front of them and knows that reminiscing on past goals completed won’t help them in their new journey. A team that rewards the players on their team and recognizes the importance of continuity. A organization that really rests on the ethos that they draft people, not players. I know…hella boring. I’ll leave you with quip from J-Will, when asked if he ever fancies going to another situation (team) where he may get more playing time or be higher on the pecking order:

Let It Rip: Why youโ€™re probably overreacting about Shaiโ€™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 Shaiโ€™s game to three things: driving to the basket, shooting the mid range jumper, and getting to the free throw line.ย 

And heโ€™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 thatโ€™s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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

โ€œIโ€™m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.โ€

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 Iโ€™m picturing in my head has automatic sliding doors) normal Shai, but after some time,ย  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 heโ€™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 doesnโ€™t want what he already has, Shai isnโ€™t ok with the status quo, Shai doesnโ€™t want to just go through the motions and be remembered as just another good player.

Heโ€™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 heโ€™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 Prestiโ€™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.

Itโ€™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 canโ€™t build a wall in the paint and dare Shai to shoot middyโ€™s over it. Shai can force them to play him close, and then itโ€™s curtains. Play him to close, heโ€™s blowing by you. Sag off on him just enough, and heโ€™s comfortable and confident to pull that 3 in your eye; without having to first simulate the drive and get to his stepback.

Thatโ€™s the why he should do this, (which I feel should be fairly obvious?), letโ€™s get into the why now.

Itโ€™s simple. We are 4 games into the regular season.

Continue reading →

OKC @ Denver Nuggets Post-game Thoughts (1/82)

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Oklahoma City starts the season with a resounding 102-87 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Here are some post-game thoughts.

  • Thunder’s defense was in mid-season form. Held the Nuggets to 36.5% shooting for the evening. Had 13 blocks and 9 steals, while forcing 15 turnovers. Hands and arms everywhere. Deflections, recovering, bothering the hell out of Jokic. It was a master-class.
  • The Thunderโ€™s depth is going to be a PROBLEM for the league.ย 
  • This team can flip a switch quickly. They were down 9 at the halfway point of the first quarter. They finished the quarter up by 7. Once the Thunder got their altitude legs under them, it was off an running.
  • Player of the Game: Chet Holmgren – 25 pts, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Just a game full of MF’er energy. His Defensive Player of the Year campaign is off to a great start. Was more physical and banged on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds (4 of those on the offensive end). Had the play of the game with the denial of Jokic on one end and the hammer on the other end.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was his great, consistent self. 28 pts, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. MVP! If you want to focus on one play to signify his leadership, look no further than the play in the fourth quarter where Denver threw the ball away over the half-court line and SGA full-on sprinted to the Thunder’s side of the court to get the ball and score a transition lay-up. Mind you, the Thunder were up by 16 at that point with 4 minutes left.
  • Aaron Wiggins messed around and got a shoe deal with Under Armour before the game. Then goes out and starts his own 6th Man of the Year campaign, putting up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He was a stabilizing force on the floor throughout the game, hitting big buckets at times in the game when the Thunder needed them.
  • Jalen Williams had a quiet game, but he was great in the beginning of the 4th quarter with SGA and Holmgren on the bench. He finished the evening with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Was more of a facilitator this evening, and that’s alright. There will be nights where his scoring is needed and nights, like today, where his ball-handling/facilitation is needed.
  • Check out Alex Caruso’s line: 0 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists….and a team high +19!!!! He was a disruptor the entire evening and was key to spurring the Thunder’s run in the first quarter that put them up for the rest of the game.
  • Mark Daigneault is 2/2 on coach’s challenges so far. He called a great timeout ijn the beginning of the 3rd quarter when Denver came out the gates and put a little run together. After the timeout, the team settled down and coasted from there.

Great start to the season. Next up: At Chicago on Saturday.

Thunder vs. Pelicans – Game 4 Adjustments

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  • Series: OKC leads 3-0
  • When: Monday, 29 April 2024 at 7:30pm CST
  • Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
  • TV: NBATV/BallySportsOK (WTF?)

Game 3 Notables

  • New Orleans was held to 28.1% shooting from deep, while OKC registered 47.2% from distance.
  • Lu Dort and Josh Giddey tied for the most 3-points made on either team with 4 each.
  • The Thunder forced 20 turnovers.

Game 4 Adjustments

  1. Close-out Game – This is always the hardest game from a mental standpoint. Take into account that this is the Thunder’s first close-out game under this recent iteration. The only players on the team that have any sort of experience in close-out games are Mike Muscala, Bismack Biyombo, and Gordon Hayward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort were part of a Game 7 against Houston in the 2020 Bubble, but lost that game in close fashion. Psychologically, the Thunder have to be tougher than ever in order to avoid a let-down due to being up 3-0 in mostly dominant fashion. As we’ve seen in these playoffs, you don’t want to leave anything up to chance. If you can avoid playing games and avoid injuries, you do that if at all possible.
  2. Continue playing your game – There hasn’t been any over the top performances by the Thunder players in this postseason. It’s been a hard-hat and lunch pail approach in these first three games. Force turnovers. Hunt the best shot. Focus defensively on the opponent’s top guys. Block another Trey Murphy III dunk attempt. Listen to the Coach of the Year. Rinse and repeat. Oklahoma City had a plan heading into this series and are executing it flawlessly. Any deviation from this norm could prove to be detrimental.
  3. Watch out for shenanigans – The Pelicans will be in desperation mode. The refs, in an effort to see this series extended, may either allow more than usual contact or may have a quick whistle. Either way, the Thunder will have to be smart about how they defend and will need to keep their cool, which will eventually be tested.
  4. Congratulations to the Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault. – MVP next???
  5. The Ultimate Disrespect – If you are wondering why the Thunder shunned Allie LaForce on the TNT post-game interview after Game 3 in favor of Nick Gallo, look no further than to what is happening tonight. The game tonight will be televised on NBATV….only if you have NBATV and only if you live outside of the OKC and New Orleans viewing area. Unfortunately, if you live in the OKC and NO viewing area and have NBATV, you will be blacked out from watching the game unless you have Bally Sports. If you are blacked out and chose not to get Bally Sports (such as myself), you will have to either illegally stream the game or watch it on a gamecast. This is so wrong, on so many levels. But, hey, we’ll remember that the next time you want to interview the guys and Nick Gallo is standing there waiting.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Thunder preview (Game 82 of 82)

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Dallas Mavericks (50-31, 5th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-25, 1st in the West)

When: Sunday, 14 April 2024 at 2:30pm CST

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Offensive Rating – DAL: 117.4 (7th) / OKC: 118.2 (4th)

Defensive Rating – DAL: 114.7 (16th) / OKC: 111.4 (4th)

Net Rating – DAL: 2.7 (11th) / OKC: 6.8 (2nd)

The Set-Up

In a recent interview, Thunder head coach talked about the teamโ€™s philosophy on sustained success as โ€œstringing days togetherโ€. To start each day with a 0-0 mentality and go from there. That type of thinking has permeated through the entire team and this is where they find themselves: on the brink of being the No. 1 seed in the West. If for nothing else, that should make coach Daigneault the Coach of the Year this season.

This is the fourth and final regular season meeting between these two teams. The Thunder currently lead the season series 2-1.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -19.5

O/U: 225

Injury Report

OKC

None

DAL

Greg Brown III – OUT

Luka Doncic – OUT

Dante Exum – OUT

Daniel Gafford – OUT

Kyrie Irving – OUT

Derrick Jones Jr. – OUT

Maxi Kleber – OUT

Dereck Lively II – OUT

P.J. Washington – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. 1. Stay Healthy – The most important thing heading into the playoffs is health. DONโ€™T GET HURT!
  2. Scoreboard Watching – The only way we get screwed over is if Denver loses. If we win and Denver wins, the Thunder end up at one. Supposedly, Denver is looking to play most of their guys. So we shall see.
  3. Reflective – Be proud of our guys. This young team has played with a maturity beyond their years. Hopefully, great things incoming for this team.
  4. Happy birthday, J-Dub!!!!

Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs preview (Game 59 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (41-17, 2nd in the West) @ San Antonio Spurs (11-48, 15th in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 29 February 2024 at 7:30pm CST
  • Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
  • Offensive Rating – SAS: 109.0 (27th) / OKC: 119.4 (3rd)
  • Defensive Rating – SAS: 117.5 (24th) / OKC: 111.1 (4th)
  • Net Rating – SAS: -8.5 (27th) / OKC: 8.4 (2nd)

The Set-Up

It’s scary how quickly this team has gotten good. The previous iteration of the Thunder with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were great because those two players were top-5 players in the league and their combined talent overwhelmed most teams. Their major flaw was the scheme, both offensively and defensively, around them. As they got into the playoffs, elite coaches could scheme against the lack of options on the team once you got past those first two players.

What we are seeing with this new version of the good Thunder is that while the top 2-3 players on the team aren’t yet on par with prime level KD and Russ, the scheme around them allows more leeway, not only for the big 3, but also the supporting cast. While both teams fielded talented players, this team has great coaching on its side. And the scary part is Coach Daigneault is still learning.

This is the 3rd of four meetings this season between the Spurs and Thunder. Oklahoma City has won the previous two by 36 and 26 points, respectively. They meet for the final time in April.

Magic Numbers

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) โ€“ 15
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) โ€“ 17

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -11.5
  • O/U: 236.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

SAS

  • Marcus Morris Sr. (Not With Team) – OUT
  • Charles Bassey (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Track Meet potential – Both of these teams are top-10 in Pace and in Fastbreak Points, which makes sense with both being two of the youngest teams in the league. The difference is on the defensive end where Oklahoma City is the 3rd best team at defending in transition, whereas San Antonio, is the 11th worst.
  2. The Chet vs. Wemby match-up – The first four minutes of the fourth quarter in their last game was a glimpse into what most fans want to see from these two. The battling, the shit-talking, the snarls, the passive-aggressiveness, the “calling for the ball”. But here’s the reality: that doesn’t happen if OKC isn’t up by 24 heading into the final quarter. The Thunder coaching staff wouldn’t have allowed it and Chet wouldn’t have allowed himself to get lured into a detrimental one on one match-up in the middle of a tight game. While both players are highly competitiveness, I think Chet has a slight leg up in the maturity department. With all that said, though, Chet has been on a tear since the All-Star break and it would be awesome to see him have a great statistical game against Wembanyama.
  3. Turn them over – The Spurs turn the ball over a ton and the Thunder create a ton of turnovers. Sounds like a match-up that will favor the Thunder.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Thunder preview (Game 55 of 82)

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  • Los Angeles Clippers (36-17, 3rd in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-17, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 22 February 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: PayCom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – LAC: 119.7 (3rd) / OKC: 119.2 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – LAC: 114.3 (13th) / OKC: 111.9 (4th)
  • Net Rating – LAC: 5.4 (5th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

And we’re back to your regularly scheduled program. From the studio that brought you “28 Days Later”, “28 Weeks Later”, and “28 Years Later” comes the latest film, “28 Games Left”. An action-drama-comedy that follows a young cast of characters as they battle numerous villainous foes on their way to the promised land. A land, they once thought their ancestors would capture, but never could. The film stars up and coming action star and poet laureate Shay Gilly, eye-wear model Squints Diaganolt, comedian Dub Will-I-Ams, and method actor extraordinaire Sticks Homegren. The movie will be directed by 20-time Oscar winner and head of the Boston chapter of the Mensa Institute, Samson Prezzi.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first meeting, 134-115, in Oklahoma City in December. The Clippers returned the favor on their homecourt, 128-117, the following month.

Magic Number

  • To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guarantee) – 20
  • To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 24

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -1.5
  • O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • None

LAC

  • None

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – There isn’t a ton that separates these two teams statistically. They are both great shooting team that are both disruptive defensively. Where they differ a bit is in their pace of play. The Thunder rank 10th in pace while the Clippers rank 22nd. In their win against the Clippers in December, the Thunder made it a focus to push the ball early in possessions and catch the Clippers off-balance defensively. The Clippers were more aware of that in their 2nd meeting and consistently shut that off for the Thunder.
  2. Gordon Hayward and Bismack Biyombo – The new acquisitions for the Thunder will make their debuts tonight. If you haven’t already read Dylan’s article, there are many reasons why the debut of Hayward should make you excited. Don’t expect to see too much of Biyombo. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault already said that he would be more of a situational player. We will also see the debut of married man Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If the All-Star game was any indication, married man SGA may be a completely different animal for the NBA to handle.
  3. Games of hella consequence – These are the games we were longing for when we were watching Jaylen Hoard and Georgios Kalaitzakis ball out there for the Thunder several years ago. The tie-breaker between these two teams is at stake tonight. Second place in the West is at stake tonight. Keeping pace in the top of the West is at stake tonight. And SGA’s continued MVP campaign is at stake tonight. All the rotation players for the Clippers have been in similar situations to this multiple times in their careers. For the Thunder, games like tonight are continued learning experiences, but at an accelerated pace. It’s like they are in an NBA honors class.

Portland Trailblazers vs. Thunder preview (Game 37 of 82)

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  • Portland Trailblazers (10-26, 14th in the West) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (25-11, 2nd in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 11 January 2024 at 7:00pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Offensive Rating – POR: 108.0 (29th) / OKC: 119.9 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – POR: 116.0 (19th) / OKC: 112.3 (7th)
  • Net Rating – POR: -8.0 (26th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

I need a show of hands of everyone who had “Mark Daigneault coaching in the All-Star Game” on their 2023-24 Thunder bingo card. Nobody? Nobody. But here we are, 36 games into the season, sitting a half-game back of the top spot in the West. In order for Daigneault to coach in the All-Star game, the Thunder would need to be first in the West two weeks prior to the All-Star game, which is on February 18th. The Thunder play 14 games in that time frame, with two of those games being against the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves and one of those games being against the no.3 team in the West, the Denver Nuggets. Denver coach Mike Malone is disqualified from coaching in this year’s All-Star game due to having coached in the game last season. So if for some reason, Denver ends up 1st in the West and OKC 2nd, Daigneault would still end up as the All-Star game coach. The ball in the Thunder’s court.

This is the 2nd meeting of the year between these two Northwest division rivals. The Thunder won big in their last meeting, winning 134-91 in Portland. They play two more times after today (Jan. 23rd and Mar. 6th).

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -12.5
  • O/U: 235.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Davis Bertans (illness) – Day to Day
  • Olivier Sarr (illness) – Day to Day

POR

  • DeAndre Ayton (knee) – Doubtful
  • Robert Williams III (knee) – OUT
  • Moses Brown (shoulder) – OUT
  • Jabari Walker (knee) – Questionable

Three Big Things

  1. Dominate the Paint – The Trailblazers are one of the worst teams in defending the paint (currently ranked 28th in the league). The Thunder are one of the best at scoring in the paint (currently ranked at 5th in the league). On the other end of the floor, the Thunder are the 2nd best team at defending the paint, while the Trailblazers are the 2nd worst team at scoring in the paint. When you add to that the fact that all three centers for the Trailblazers are likely out, this becomes a much easier game for the likes of Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
  2. Turn Them Over – The Trailblazers are the 28th ranked team in terms of protecting the rock. The Thunder rank first in the league in scoring points off turnovers and blocks and 5th in steals. This totally plays into the Thunder’s hands.
  3. Fight for First – If the Thunder win tonight, they’ll be tied with the Timberwolves for the best record in the West. Unfortunately, they’ll still be listed at no. 2 by virtue of a tiebreaker. The head to head match-up between the two teams is tied at one apiece, but the Wolves currently have a better division record than the Thunder. Damn you, tiebreakers!

Thunder @ Miami Heat preview (Game 36 of 82)

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  • Oklahoma City Thunder (24-11, 2nd in the West) at Miami Heat (21-15, 5th in the East)
  • When: Wednesday, 10 January 2024 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
  • Offensive Rating – MIA: 114.8 (17th) / OKC: 119.7 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating – MIA: 113.5 (13th) / OKC: 112.1 (7th)
  • Net Rating – MIA: 1.4 (15th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

The grind. That arduous part of the season where you live life to the cadence of Kendrick Lamar’s song Swimming Pools.

Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)
Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)
One day rest (drank)
Play a game (drank)
Hop a plane (drank)

Over the next 20 days, the Thunder play 12 games in all four contiguous time-zones. There’s a reason why we are seeing funky line-ups and inconsistent play. Coach Mark Daigneault can’t risk completely tiring out the players that will likely be in the rotation come playoff time. That’s why you see a Lindy Waters III play a 20-minute stretch here or there. That’s why you see Vasilije Micic play a game and then not play another. While that keeps players fresh, it does tend to lend itself to inconsistent play on the floor. The hope is that all this will allow not just the team to be fresher come playoff time, but also, for more players to have seen time on the floor to get comfortable with whatever situation may be thrown their way in high-pressure games.

This is the first of two meetings between these two teams. They will face off again on March 8th in Oklahoma City.

Betting Info

  • Line: OKC -4.5
  • O/U: 233.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Davis Bertans (illness) – Questionable

MIA

  • Jimmy Butler (toe) – OUT
  • Kyle Lowry (hand, illness) – Doubtful
  • Caleb Martin (ankle) – Doubtful
  • Dru Smith (knee) – OUT

Three Big Things

  1. Pace – OKC’s pace of play is the 6th highest in the league. Miami’s is the 4th slowest. I think whoever plays their brand of basketball wins this game. If the Thunder are able to get into transition, they have the advantage. But if Miami allowed to muck things up and zone the Thunder into running a lot of half-court offense, it’ll definitely be to Miami’s advantage. Miami is that weird team that doesn’t get a lot of blocks (last in the league at just 3.3 a game), but does a good job a protecting the paint (13th best, allowing 48.6 points in the paint a game).
  2. Josh Giddey – I actually think this could be a big game for Giddey as a connector piece. Miami will probably play a lot of zone, and having Giddey at the nail allows him to survey the floor and find the best possible option to eventually get a good shot.
  3. A Rookie Duel – This game pits the reigning Rookies of the Month in Chet Holmgren and Jaime Jaquez Jr. For revered as Oklahoma City’s scouting department is, I think flowers should also be thrown in Miami’s direction for their scouting department also. It seems like they’ve got another good one in Jaquez Jr.