Erik Horne (NewsOK) on the Thunder hosting their 11th annual Holiday Assist: “A young, bespectacled boy named Cody Hardee dangled off the front of the shopping cart as the Thunder center pushed along from the electronics section to toys and then back. It didn’t take long for Adams to know who was in charge. He was happy to help.” Continue reading
Having an identity is so important to succeeding in the NBA. When the game gets close and the time starts running out, the identity of the team is what usually leads them to victory. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been without an identity since Kevin Durant decided to pack his bags and head to Oakland two summers ago. Continue reading
ESPN’s panel of basketball experts answered some questions in regards to the Western Conference: “I expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to be the second-best come May. Oklahoma City currently sports the West’s second-best differential behind the Denver Nuggets, and that’s despite Russell Westbrook missing eight games due to injury. The Thunder will still add stopper Andre Roberson to what’s already been the league’s best defense on a per-possession basis and have plenty of playoff experience.”
ESPN has OKC number 5 in their weekly power rankings: “The Thunder did exactly what they were supposed to in a light week, winning both games against the lowly Cavaliers and Hawks by a combined 32 points. They have now won 14 of 17 games to quietly inch closer to the top of the Western Conference. Paul George has been outstanding, averaging 25.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.6 APG and 3.0 combined steals and blocks during his last 10 games to keep the Thunder competitive even when Russell Westbrook has had to sit.” Continue reading
When the regular season schedule is first released, there’s a definite curiosity to predict the win/loss record based on who you think the superior team is on a nightly basis. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, there was a feeling that the early months on the schedule would be the easier ones. But then again, this season has not necessarily gone as planned in terms of how some teams are performing. Continue reading
Jon Hamm (Bleacher Report) on Oklahoma City and Russell Westbrook realizing that the reins needed to be released if the team was to be more successful: “In the 13 games Westbrook has played, he’s accounted for only 39 percent of the team’s assists. That number approached 50 percent in the previous two seasons. Surrendering the ball more often to George and Schroder makes the Thunder offense more dynamic.” Continue reading
On the latest episode of The Weekly, the Topic: Thunder crew discuss the following topics:
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Erik Horne (NewsOK) on the continued rehabilitation of Andre Roberson: “But Thursday had some of the most promising displays from Roberson in the Thunder’s post-practice sessions the media is allowed to witness. In the past month, the Thunder staff has ramped up Roberson’s conditioning drills in the non-contact, post-practice sessions, often with Donovan and general manager Sam Presti watching intently.”
Erik Horne (NewsOK) on Patrick Patterson holding a film festival for students in Oklahoma: “Patterson is teaming up with the deadCenter Film Festival to judge a movie contest for students around the state of Oklahoma. In Patterson’s “Pat Presents Oklahoma Student Film Contest,” Patterson will judge high school and college student produced short film submissions. The contest is open to all students currently enrolled in an Oklahoma high school, tech center, college or university.” Continue reading
Kameron Duncan (NBA Analysis Network) looks at three possible trades the Thunder could make: “Despite their additions, the Thunder are missing key components that can take them to the next level. At this early portion of the season, the team ranks near the bottom of the NBA in three point attempts, field goals and percentage. As we’ve seen over the last several years, outside shooting has become paramount for success in the current NBA. The Thunder have talented players, and are a formidable opponent (especially when fully healthy), but lack of shooting could be an Achilles heel in the long run.”
Jenni Carlson (NewsOK) ranks all the Thunder’s alternate jerseys: “The blue jersey featured an old-timey, script-looking Thunder running uphill across the front of the jersey. All the lettering and number was white. It was crisp and clean. It was second only to the sunset jerseys until Nike came along.” Continue reading
Erik Horne (NewsOK) looks back on the Thunder’s 7th victory in a row: “Teams like the Rockets and Warriors will more than certainly finish the season with more 3-pointers made and better field goal percentages than the often-off-shooting Thunder. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find a team that makes the Rockets and Warriors grimace more than the Thunder, who pushed its winning streak to seven games and swept a back-to-back for the second time this season with relative ease.” Continue reading
Even with the uncertainty surrounding Andre Roberson’s recovery from patella tendon surgery and Russell Westbrook’s recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery, there’s a sense of calm as the Oklahoma City Thunder embark on the 2018-19 season. Over the past three seasons, the beginning of the season has usually been accompanied with the unknown dread associated with the upcoming free agency decisions of key players on the team. Continue reading