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Washington Wizards vs. Thunder preview (Game 6 of 82)

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Alex Roig

Washington Wizards (1-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-0)
When: Thursday, 30 October 2025 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: FDSN-OK
Offensive Rating: WAS: 111.0 (23rd) / OKC: 111.9 (21st)
Defensive Rating: WAS: 119.1 (24th) / OKC: 103.6 (1st)
Net Rating: WAS: -8.1 (25th) / OKC: 8.4 (6th)

The Set-Up

Little brothers. I never had one growing up, but I hear they can be a little annoying from time to time. Always copying what you do and then trying to eventually one up you. The Washington Wizards are currently in the “copying” phase of their little brother-dom. In the summer of 2023, after years of mediocrity, the Wizards finally charted a course towards a total rebuild. One of their first steps was hiring Will Dawkins, who had previously held the position of Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Oklahoma City Thunder, under the tutelage of Sam Presti. Dawkins played a big part in overseeing the OKC rebuild which began in the summer of 2019 and saw them be a play-in team by the time he departed in 2023.

Under Dawkins, the Wizards are charting a similar path in their rebuild. They started by offloading their aging, expensive star in Bradley Beal in exchange for Chris Paul and a haul of draft picks (sound familiar?). Then they traded Kristaps Porzingis and somehow acquired Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala (again, sound familiar?). In all, they’ve started to build through the draft and a currently in the “roster exploration” phase of their rebuild. The team looks like they have some good pieces, but the question in any rebuild is always: do you have a potential top-5 player on your team? And that answer is currently “No” for the ‘Zards.

This is the first of two meetings this season between the Thunder and Wizards. The Thunder have won 6 straight games against Washington, dating back to 2022, by an average margin of 21 points.

Betting Info presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -15.5
O/U: 230.5

Injury Report

OKC

Chet Holmgren – OUT (back)
Isaiah Joe – Questionable (knee)
Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee – ACL)
Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
Jalen Williams – OUT (wrist)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

WAS

Marvin Bagley III – Questionable (ankle)

Three Big Things

Upset Potential – I wouldn’t say this is a trap game, because the previous game and the next game after this one aren’t necessarily match-ups of interest. But, for as young as the Wizards are, they’ve at least been competitive in their first four games. With the champs coming into this game tired and injured, this could be a game where the young Washington squad comes into it inspired, trying to win one for their general manager.
Scoring in the Paint – The Thunder are 9th in the league in points in the paint at 54 points per game. The Wizards are the 8th worst team in defending points in the paint, allowing 55 points per game. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell consistently getting into the paint, this could be how the Thunder take control of this game.
Nikola Topic – As I was typing this up, I just received the news that Topic, who had a testicular procedure several weeks ago, is confirmed to be suffering from testicular cancer. It’s another tough break for the young man who sat out his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL and now sees his sophomore season in jeopardy because of this God-forsaken ailment. Prayers up that they caught it early and it becomes just a blip on Topic’s life journey. As someone who lost a parent to cancer, this cuts deep. As always when it comes to this subject matter: Fuck Cancer! If you want to help in the fight, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society. And if you donate because of this, please mark it down as: in honor of Nikola Topic.

Indiana Pacers vs. Thunder preview (Game 65 of 82)

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Alex Roig

Indiana Pacers (36-29, 7th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-19, 1st in the West)
When: Tuesday, 12 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – IND: 120.1 (2nd) / OKC: 119.1 (3rd)
Defensive Rating – IND: 118.5 (25th) / OKC: 111.3 (4th)
Net Rating – IND: 1.5 (12th) / OKC: 7.9 (2nd)

The Set-Up

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two teams. Their next and final meeting is on April 5th.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 8
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 11

Betting Info

Line: OKC -6.5
O/U: 240.5

Injury Report

OKC

Jalen Williams (ankle) – Questionable

IND

Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) – OUT
Doug McDermott (calf) – OUT

Three Big Things

High Scoring Affair – These are two of the top offenses in the league. If there is a team that is the modern version of the “7 Seconds or Less” Suns, it’s the Indiana Pacers. They are 2nd in the league in pace and lead the league in Effective FG%, field goals made, and points in the paint. Their offensive system is top-notch. To slow this down, the Thunder may need to do something they aren’t accustomed to: they may need to slow the pace down themselves. Muddy the game a bit and have Indiana play in slosh.
Attack the Paint – The Pacers’ Achilles heel is their interior defense. It’s bad. Like, Washington Wizards bad. The Pacers allow the 2nd most points in the paint, ahead of the Wizards by just a tenth of a point. The Thunder, meanwhile, are the 8th best team at scoring in the paint. Methinks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may find himself in the painted area a lot this game.
Statement Game – Speaking of the aforementioned SGA, Nikola Jokic is making a late-season push to distance himself from SGA in the MVP race. The Nuggets are 9-1 in the 10 games since the All-Star break and Joker is putting up monster triple-doubles seemingly every game. At this point, with the narrative going around, keeping OKC in the top spot in the West may not be enough to win SGA the MVP. That trophy is usually won by magical moments, especially late in the season. For as great as SGA’s consistency is, his lack of an explosive game here or there, may be hurting his MVP campaign. I know, I know…”what more do you want him to do?” But the reality is that statement games matter in the MVP races.

Thunder @ Washington Wizards preview (Game 35 of 82)

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (23-11, 3rd in the West) @ Washington Wizards (6-29, 14th in the East)
When: Monday, 08 January 2024 at 6:00pm CST
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.
Offensive Rating – WAS: 111.3 (25th) / OKC:119.3 (4th)
Defensive Rating – WAS: 121.6 (30th) / OKC: 111.7 (7th)
Net Rating – WAS: -10.3 (27th) / OKC: 7.6 (3rd)

The Set-Up

Wait…so this team isn’t perfect? You mean to tell me that the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely not going to win every game this season from here on out? I totally feel like I’ve been sold a bill of goods. I mean, this team was supposed to buck all the trends in the world and become the greatest team since the 73-9 Golden State Warriors…while winning the title. Like, if this team isn’t going to do that, then we might as well start tanking again, right?

Let’s take a breath, Thunder nation. *cue Martin Lawrence’s “Woo-sah” from Bad Boys 2.* Yes, the Thunder have suffered some losses to some inferior opponents. The Atlanta loss was what they call in the NBA “a scheduled loss”. Second night of a back to back while the first game was an epic win at home. Flight delay that caused the team to arrive in Atlanta around four in the morning. No energy. No legs. Scheduled loss. But the Nets game was the anomaly. Here’s the thing: those things happen in the NBA. Bad night shooting. The other team gets off to a hot start and goes up big early. Your weaknesses (rebounding) come to the forefront for that evening. It happens. You “Men In Black” that out of your memory and move on to the next one.

This is the first of two meetings this season between these two teams. They meet again on February 23rd.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -10.5
O/U: 247.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

WAS

Landry Shamet (hamstring) – Day to Day
Delon Wright (quad) – Day to Day

Three Big Things

Attack the paint – The Washington Wizards rank 29th in the league in points allowed in the paint. The Thunder are 7th in the NBA in scoring points in the paint. Outside of Daniel Gafford, the Wiz don’t have a ton of interior protection. This game is tailor-made for the Thunder to go off offensively.
Rebounding, Advantage: Thunder – This is literally the only team in the league that is worse at rebounding than the Thunder. As a matter of pride, we better win this rebounding battle.
Fool’s Gold – I hope the Thunder don’t get goaded into thinking this will be a cake-walk. Yes, the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league. And, yes, they are very inefficient. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have weapons. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole have each had 50-pieces in their careers. Corey Kispert and Tyus Jones are adept at their positions and good shooters. We all know what former Thunder players Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari are good at. We all know how awesome of a teammate Eugene Omoruyi is. What you saw in Brooklyn could repeat itself in DC if the Thunder don’t stick to their defensive principles and start off disciplined.

Thunder @ Wizards preview (Game 51 of 82)

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Alex Roig

Washington-Wizards

When: Tuesday, 30 January 2018 at 6:00 pm CST
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.
TV: FSOK
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
Line: OKC -2.5 | O/U – 219

The Set-Up: Consistency was something the Oklahoma City Thunder struggled with early in the season. They’d play like the best team in the world against the likes of the Golden State Warriors, but then lose by 15 to the struggling Dallas Mavericks. The talent on this team is evident, that is for certain. But it’s a talent that consists of veteran alpha scorers. Guys who tend to get bored when the level of competition on the opposite end of the court is not on par with them. Continue reading →

Wizards vs. Thunder preview (Game 48 of 82)

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Alex Roig

Washington-Wizards okc thunder

When: Thursday, 25 January 2018 at 7:00 pm CST
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: TNT
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
Line: OKC -5.0 | O/U – 213

The Set-Up: There’s a purveying thought in the NBA that the mark of a good team is taking care of business at home, beating the teams you are supposed to beat handily, and winning some of the games against the teams either at your level or above you. While that all may be true, one of the “shhhhh, it’s a secret” signs that you are a good team is the ability to coast through much of a game against an inferior opponent and then completely snatch their heart out at the end of the game. Continue reading →

Scoreboard Watching: The Last 10 Games

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Alex Roig

In a season that started off with championship aspirations, the Oklahoma City Thunder still find themselves in a position to achieve that goal, albeit a lot lower in the standings than previously envisioned. If healthy, the Thunder would clearly be atop the Western Conference standings. But as is the case when the words, “if healthy,” are used, the Thunder this season have been anything but healthy. Of the players currently on the roster, the Thunder have lost about 164 games due to injury. That figure would likely rival the last 5 seasons combined. Regardless of all of this, though, the Thunder are still firmly entrenched in the 8th spot of the Western Conference with 10 games to play. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 8.

Anytime you are in the middle of a playoff race, you always have to look at the teams you are trying to gain ground on and the teams that are looking to gain ground on you. You watch out for, not only your team’s scores, but also the scores of those teams you are looking out for. Here’s a look at some of the teams who fortunes directly affect the future of the Thunder’s playoff hopes and beyond.

The Predators

Phoenix Suns

Current Record – 38-34
Position in the Conference/Position in relation to the Thunder – 9th in the conference, 3 games behind OKC
Remaining Schedule – vs. Portland, vs. OKC, @Portland, @Golden State, vs. Utah, @Atlanta, @Dallas, @New Orleans, @San Antonio, vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Winning Percentage of Remaining Opponents – .630

After the trade deadline, Phoenix had to adjust after trading two of their top three guards (Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas). While they gained Brandon Knight, the adjustment period did cause the Suns to lose 7 of their first 11 games after the All-Star break. That spurt allowed the Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans to push ahead of the Suns in the battle for the 8th spot. The Sun have probably the toughest remaining schedule of the three teams looking for the 8th spot. Not only is the winning percentage of the teams remaining on their schedule .630, six of those ten games are on the road. The only solace the Suns can take is that some of those teams may be resting players in preparation for the playoffs.

New Orleans Pelicans

Current Record – 37-34
Position in the Conference/Position in relation to the Thunder – 10th in the conference, 3.5 games behind OKC
Remaining Schedule – vs. Sacramento, vs. Minnesota, @Los Angeles Lakers, @Sacramento, @Portland, vs. Golden State, @Memphis, vs. Phoenix, @Houston, @Minnesota, vs. San Antonio
Winning Percentage of Remaining Opponents – .495

While the Pelicans have a much easier upcoming schedule, they are still dealing with injuries to two key players. Point guard Jrue Holiday remains without a timetable and Ryan Anderson is still about a week or so away from returning. The lack of depth in their guard rotation has started to rear its ugly head in the last few close games. Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon have had to log major minutes in the last two months, and seem to be tiring at the end of games. Anthony Davis is doing everything he can to help the Pelicans, but teams are starting to double him in the post. If the Pelicans are going to make any moves, it’ll be in the next four game, as their next four opponents have a winning percentage of .307.

The Prey

San Antonio Spurs

Current Record – 45-26
Position in the Conference/Position in relation to the Thunder – 6th in the conference, 4.5 games ahead of OKC
Remaining Schedule – vs. Dallas, vs. Memphis, @Miami, @Orlando, vs. Denver, vs. Golden State, @OKC, vs. Houston, @Houston, vs. Phoenix, @New Orleans
Winning Percentage of Remaining Opponents – .568

The Thunder had a golden opportunity to make up ground on the Spurs last night, but watched that wilt away before halftime, as they fell behind by as much as 30 points in the 3rd quarter. The Spurs’ remaining schedule is not easy, but, luckily, they play the more difficult opponents at home. In year’s past, the Spurs would usually rest their players during this stretch of the year, but with the Mavs and the Thunder on their tails, the Spurs will likely not be doing that so much this season.

Dallas Mavericks

Current Record – 45-27
Position in the Conference/Position in relation to the Thunder – 7th in the conference, 4 games ahead of OKC
Remaining Schedule – @San Antonio, @Indiana, @OKC, vs. Houston, vs. Golden State, vs. Phoenix, @Denver, @Los Angeles Lakers, @Utah, vs. Portland
Winning Percentage of Remaining Opponents – .538

The Mavs have been prone to inconsistencies of late (6-7 in their last 13 games) and may still be suffering from chemistry issues. Monta Ellis’ effectiveness hasn’t been the same since the Rajon Rondo trade and the Mavericks’ big man depth is questionable. They struggle a bit on the road and have two 3-game road trips coming up. The Thunder have one more game against the Mavericks and it comes at the back end of a tough 3 game road trip. If there is a team that may relinquish their positioning, it may be Dallas.

The Future Commodities Stakeholder

Washington Wizards

Current Record – 40-32
Position in relation to the Thunder – 1 game worse than OKC
Remaining Schedule – vs. Charlotte, vs. Houston, vs. Philadelphia, vs. New York, @Memphis, @Philadelphia, @Brooklyn, vs. Atlanta, @Indiana, @Cleveland
Winning Percentage of Remaining Opponents – .476

While the Wizards’ fortunes hold no bearing for the Thunder’s playoff implications, they do hold significance for the Thunder’s first round draft pick. The Thunder currently have a better record than the Wizards which would give them the 19th pick in the upcoming draft. The trade that garnered Dion Waiters for the Thunder came at a cost of the Thunder’s first round pick. That pick had a restriction of Top 18, meaning that if the pick was in positions 1-18, the Thunder would keep the pick. If the Thunder were to pick in the 19-30 spot, that pick would be conveyed to the Philadelphia 76ers (via Denver from Cleveland). If the Thunder and Wizards finish with the same record, the position of the pick will be decided by a coin flip, with the winner of the flip getting the 18th pick.

The Thunder are firmly in the 8th spot in the West. Their playoff destiny could be decided in the next 6 games. They have a tough 2 game road trip remaining (@Phoenix and @Utah) and then play the Texas triangle and Memphis after that. Come out of that gauntlet with a winning record, and you control your playoff destiny. Finish less then .500 in these next 6 games, and things could get very harry. This is my favorite time of year to not only watch the games involving the Thunder, but also watch the games of the teams that can affect the Thunder’s future. Here’s to the last 3 weeks of the season.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards preview (Game 42 of 82)

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Alex Roig

When: Wednesday, 21 January 2015 at 7:00 PM CST
Where: Verizon Center, Washington D.C.

Finally! It took exactly half the season to get a game over .500. With the Thunder injurious past (hopefully) behind them, it is now time to conquer the next mountain, which is getting the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The schedule makers did the Thunder no favors as they face three of the Eastern Conference’s top teams on the road in the next 5 days. With little room for error, the Thunder need to start piling up the wins in bunches in order to stay afloat in the West. The four teams above the Thunder are currently on a collective 11 game win streak.

This is the 2nd and final meeting of the year between these two teams. The Thunder beat the Wizards in OKC, 109-102 on January 2nd. On that night, Kevin Durant scored 9 of his 34 in the final 6 minutes of the 4th quarter to keep the Wizards at bay in what was a very close game throughout.

The Opponent

The Washington Wizards currently sit at 29-13, good for 2nd in the Eastern Conference. They aren’t nearly as explosive as you would think with John Wall and Bradley Beal in the backcourt, but they are great defensively. They allow just under 97 points per contest (3rd best in the league) and have the league’s 8th best defensive rating. This is where their bread and butter lies. As mentioned before, the backcourt is one of the better ones in the league. Wall has become a top-10 point guard and is moving quickly into the conversation of being a Top-5 PG. Beal has regressed a bit from the season he had last year, but is still one of the best two-way SG in the league. On the other wing, the veteran Paul Pierce continues to move up the scoring list with his perimeter shooting and penchant for getting to the line. Up front, Nene and Marcin Gortat are two fleet footed behemoths that can cause problems with their size and rebounding. Off the bench, Andre Miller always gives the Thunder issues and Rasual Butler has turned into one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Also, Kris Humphries and Kevin Seraphin form a pretty good back-up duo that would start on some other teams in the league.

Probable Starting Line-up

Washington Wizards

PG – John Wall
SG – Bradley Beal
SF – Paul Pierce
PF – Nene
C – Marcin Gortat

Oklahoma City Thunder

PG – Russell Westbrook
SG – Andre Roberson
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Serge Ibaka
C – Steven Adams

3 Keys to the Game

1. Perimeter Defense – The most important thing will be keeping John Wall (and Andre Miller, for that matter) out of the paint. Once those two get into the lane, they become chaos-creaters and can hurt you in several different ways. At the same time, the Thunder have to contend with the shooters on the outside. The Wizards have 3 rotation players that shoot 39% or better from the 3-point line. It’s a little bit of a pick your poison type recipe, as guarding a player like Wall is an “all hands on deck” type directive, while hoping that the shooters miss some of their shots.

2. Pace – The Wizards are a lot like the Memphis Grizzlies in that they have two skilled big men, a talented PG, and two good shooters on the wing. So they love to run their halfcourt offense. The Thunder on the other hand, need to turn this game into a track meet by causing turnovers and getting out on the break. The last game these two teams played together was more at the Thunder’s pace and the outcome was a Thunder victory.

3. D.C. aka The Little House of Horrors – The Thunder have not won in D.C. since the 2010-2011 season. That’s 3 straight seasons of going to Durant’s hometown and losing in front of his kinfolk. That needs to stop. Not because we want to solidify our footing in the KD2016 campaign. But because we need as many wins as possible to get into the playoffs. Thinking about this season, not the offseason after next season.

On a side note, I hope Thunder fans don’t fret too much about Durant’s decision in the summer of 2016. Is it fast approaching? Yes. But this team will do everything it can to put a winning product out there on the floor. That’s what these last few moves (the Waiters trade and the proposed Lopez trade) are about. They’re not about impressing Durant. They are about putting the pieces in place to get better. The Thunder may finally have their most talented team yet, and their record would have reflected it if it wasn’t for the injuries at the beginning of the season. Enjoy this game for what it is (a match-up of two great teams) and not for what everyone outside of Oklahoma will turn it into (small market vs. big market politics).

Washington Wizards vs. Oklahoma City Thunder preview (Game 34 of 82)

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Alex Roig

When: Friday, 02 January 2015 at 7:00 PM CST
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

I feel like the Oklahoma City Thunder have been on the cusp of being .500 for about a month now. Every time the team gains a little momentum, something (usually an injury) gets in the way. Now, though, they are about as healthy as they have been all year with the possibility of finally reaching .500. After such a tumultuous path, the Thunder seem to be getting back on track at the right time.

This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder and Wizards have split their meetings the last two seasons. Washington DC has been a house of horrors for the Thunder the last 3 seasons, losing all their games in the Beltway.

The Opponent

The Washington Wizard currently find themselves with a 22-9 record, good for 3rd in the Eastern Conference. They are a defense-heavy team that can also score. The Wizards, along with the Chicago Bulls, are probably the two most balanced teams in the Eastern Conference. Leading the charge is point guard John Wall, who has turned into one of the better floor generals in the league. He leads the Wizards in scoring (17.4), assists (10.3), and steals (2.1). His backcourt mate, Bradley Beal, is developing into one of the better shooting guards in the game. On the wing, Paul Pierce provides shooting and a calming veteran presence. Up front, Nene and Marcin Gortat are the East’s version of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Nene is the bull strong power forward with a soft touch around the rim and Gortat is the skilled center with nimble feet. Off the bench, veteran Rasual Butler provides the Wizards with sharpshooter, while Kris Humphries is the energetic big man that can gobble up offensive boards.

Probable Starting Line-up

Washington Wizards

PG – John Wall
SG – Bradley Beal
SF – Paul Pierce
PF – Nene
C – Marcin Gortat

Oklahoma City Thunder

PG – Russell Westbrook
SG – Andre Roberson
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Serge Ibaka
C – Steven Adams

3 Keys to the Game

1. Perimeter Defense – John Wall does a great job of breaking down the first line of defense and getting into the paint to cause havoc. It will be up to Russell Westbrook to stay in front of Wall. Also, the Wizards have 5 players that shoot over 36.3% from 3-point territory.

2. Rebounding – Though not a huge part of their game, the Wizards are one of those teams that you don’t want getting 2nd chances. The amount of space their bigs take up help them in getting offensive rebounds.

3. Limit Turnovers – The Wizards aren’t knowing for getting up and down, but they do have one of the more athletic backcourts in the league. If you cough up live ball turnovers, the Wizards will get out and turn defense into offense quickly.

2014-15 NBA Season Preview: Southeast Divison

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Alex Roig

Southeast Division Preview

1. Washington Wizards

Last season: 44-38 (2nd in the Southeast Division, 5th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Indiana Pacers

Key Additions:

DeJuan Blair – Sign and trade from the Dallas Mavericks
Kris Humphries – Sign and trade from the Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce – Free agent signing

Key Departures:

Trevor Ariza – Signed with the Houston Rockets
Trevor Booker – Signed with the Utah Jazz

Season Preview – The young players for the Wizards finally started coming into their own last season. John Wall became an All-Star for the first time, and Bradley Beal showed signs of being one of the best 2-guards in the league. In addition, the acquisitions of Nene and Marcin Gortat have given this team an inside/outside balance that is one of the better ones in the league. The loss of Trevor Ariza may show itself more on the defensive end, but Pierce should be an adequate stop-gap as the Wizards wait on the development of Otto Porter. The only trip up I see with this team is perimeter depth. If Wall or Beal go down for any extended amount of time, this team could be in trouble.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Wizards make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 49-33

2. Charlotte Hornets

Last season: 43-39 (3rd in the Southeast Division, 7th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Miami Heat.

Key Additions:

P.J. Hairston – Draft (No. 26 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Brian Roberts – Free agent signing
Lance Stephenson – Free agent signing
Noah Vonleh – Draft (No. 9 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Marvin Williams – Free agent signing

Key Departures:

Luke Ridnour – Signed with the Orlando Magic
Josh McRoberts – Signed with the Miami Heat
Anthony Tolliver – Signed with the Phoenix Suns
Brendan Haywood – Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Chris Douglas-Roberts – Signed with the Los Angeles Clippers

Season Preview – The Hornets (formerly the Bobcats) come into this season with as high of expectations as they’ve ever had in their 10 year reincarnation. Michael Jordan and GM Rich Cho have slowly put together a balanced team that is built on defense. The key now will be developing the young talent they’ve obtained over the past 2 seasons, while also learning how to consistently win. Al Jefferson provides the Hornets with a go-to scorer, while Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be nightmares on the defensive end for opposing wings. If the Hornets can find consistent scoring from the perimeter, they may be a surprise team in the East.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Hornets make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 47-35

3. Miami Heat

Last season: 54-28 (1st in the Southeast Division, 2nd in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 5 loss in the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs

Key Additions:

Luol Deng – Free agent signing
Danny Granger – Free agent signing
Josh McRoberts – Free agent signing
Shabazz Napier – Draft (No. 24 in the 2014 NBA Draft)

Key Departures:

LeBron James – Signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers
James Jones – Signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Ray Allen – Unsigned
Shane Battier – Retired
Rashard Lewis – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Toney Douglas – Signed overseas
Michael Beasley – unsigned

Season preview – It was a good run, boys. The four year “Big 3” experiment yielded four consecutive trips to the Finals and two championships. “Not 1, not 2…” wait, yeah, only 2. LeBron James returning back to Cleveland has brought the Heat back down a notch or two on the NBA spectrum. While Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are still in tow, the engine that made the team run is no longer there. The team that we’ve seen for the past four years will be completely different. No longer will the threat of a driving James cause defenses to collapse into the paint, leaving a plethora of wide open shooters. Instead, Miami will likely run its offense inside/out through Bosh. Gone are the shooters that provided that floor spacing for James and Wade to operate. And the lingering concern over Wade’s health still remains. The Heat will still win games, but there will be a significant drop-off from the previous four seasons.

2014-15 will successful if: The Heat make it to the Eastern Conference Finals

Projected 2014-15 Record: 44-38

4. Atlanta Hawks

Last season: 38-44 (4th in the Southeast Division, 8th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Indiana Pacers

Key Additions:

Kent Bazemore – Free agent signing
Adreian Payne – Draft (No. 15 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Thabo Sefolosha – Free agent signing

Key Departures:

Lou Williams – Traded to the Toronto Raptors
Elton Brand – Unsigned
Gustavo Ayon – Signed overseas
Lucas Nogueira – Traded to the Toronto Raptors

Season preview – If there is a team in the league that wants the season to start already, it is the Atlanta Hawks. The offseason can be a cruel time for a team that is embroiled in controversy. The Bruce Levenson/Danny Ferry race fiasco is a situation that probably won’t be completely resolved until next season. On the court, Atlanta is one of those teams that’s always good enough to win more games than it should, but loses out on getting a good draft pick because of that. Al Horford returns after missing most of last season with a torn right pectoral muscle. Their front line of Horford, Pero Antic, and Paul Millsap will be one of the more dynamic front courts in the league. The addition of Sefolosha will help shore up the perimeter defensively, but will provide little from an offensive standpoint.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Hawks make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 40-42

5. Orlando Magic

Last season: 23-59 (5th in the Southeast Division, 13th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Last day of the regular season

Key Additions:

Evan Fournier – Obtained in a trade with the Denver Nuggets
Channing Frye – Free agent signing
Aaron Gordon – Draft (No. 4 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Ben Gordon – Free agent signing
Willie Green – Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Clippers
Elfrid Payton – Draft (No. 10 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Luke Ridnour – Free agent signing

Key Departures:

Jameer Nelson – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Arron Afflalo – Traded to the Denver Nuggets

Season preview – The Magic are at the point in their rebuild where they need to decide on what to do with some of their young guys. Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris will be coming up on restricted free agency next offseason, with Andrew Nicholson, Maurice Harkless, and Fournier coming up with offseason after that. The Magic will probably be a big player at the trade deadline as they need to start moving some of their young pieces for either a big name player or assets. On the court, the Magic will continue to be an uptempo transition team, especially with Payton manning the point. Victor Oladipo will need to show improvement on his jump-shot, but Ben Gordon and Frye will provide some of the spacing Oladipo needs to operate. I see the Magic slightly improving, but still struggling to consistently win.

2014-15 will be successful if: The young guys continue to develop and the Magic end up with a Top 7 pick.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 26-56

Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns preview (Game 62 of 82)

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Alex Roig

When: Thursday, 06 March 2014 at 8:00 PM CST
Where: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ

With their recent 6 game home stand behind them, the Thunder hit the road for the first time since February 13th. With 21 games left, the final quarter of the regular season is about positioning and health. With two starters down because of injury, it’s the Thunder’s depth (and their two superstars) that has been their saving grace. Having the ability to spring a player like Perry Jones III or Andre Roberson off the bench to be a starter is a luxury most teams do not have. Bringing a player that has only logged 44 minutes the entire season, only to have him play 53 quality minutes over the next 3 games like Hasheem Thabeet has, is a testament to the Thunder’s “next man up” philosophy.

This is the second meeting of the season between these two teams. The Thunder, and the Phoenix Suns for that matter, have come a long way from that early November game. In that game, which the Thunder won 103-96, Russell Westbrook made his regular season debut after missing the last 9 games of the playoffs the previous season and the first two games of this season.

The Opponent

The Thunder’s last opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers, were what the Phoenix Suns were supposed to be this season. Heading into this season, many thought the Suns would be one of the main contenders for the Number 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The Suns even appeared to be playing the part of a tanking team before the season started by trading starting C Marcin Gortat, PG Kendall Marshall, and SG Shannon Brown to the Washington Wizards for Emeka Okafor, who was probably going to be out for the season with a neck injury, and the Wizards’ 2014 1st round pick (that was top 12 protected). Then the season started, and something weird happened. First year coach Jeff Hornacek allowed the team to play to its strengths, instead of trying to integrate his system. The Suns won 5 of their first 7 games with a run and gun style that is very reminiscent of the “7 Seconds or Less” Suns of a couple seasons back that featured Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Instead of Steve Nash, the Suns have the two-headed combo guard duo of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. And instead of Amare Stoudemire, they have Miles Plumlee and Channing Frye. They’ve kept on winning, and currently find themselves with a record of 35-25, good for 7th in a tough Western Conference. They are a rag-tag bunch of good athletic players that were mostly cast-offs from their previous teams. Gerald Green and P.J. Tucker are perennial journeymen who have seen their NBA dreams take them to different leagues in different countries, the Morris twins have been reunited, and Leandro Barbosa has found the fountain of youth in Phoenix (actually, its probably just Phoenix’s medical staff working their old man shaman magic).

Probable Starting Line-ups

Phoenix Suns

PG – Goran Dragic
SG – Gerald Green
SF – P.J. Tucker
PF – Channing Frye
C – Alex Len

Oklahoma City Thunder

PG – Russell Westbrook
SG – Perry Jones III
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Serge Ibaka
C – Steven Adams

3 Keys to the Game

1. Battle of Rookie Big Men – This past draft was touted to be one of the better ones to find a quality big man. Alex Len, Steven Adams, Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee, and Gorgui Dieng are all playing rotational minutes for NBA teams. Nerlens Noel would be playing if it wasn’t for his recovery from an ACL tear. This is the first regular season match-up between the two rookie centers. They met in the preseason and Len was a DNP-CD in their first meeting of the season.

2. Perimeter Defense – Phoenix is not afraid to jack up the 3’s. They are top 3 in 3-point field goals made and in the top 10 in 3-point FG%. They have a bevy of shooters (Frye, Green, Marcus Morris, Tucker) and a great paint attacker in Dragic. This is where the Thunder can lose this game.

3. Bench – Phoenix has been decimated recently by injury. Miles Plumlee, Leandro Barbosa, and Eric Bledsoe will all miss the game due to injury. While the Thunder have their own injury issues to deal with, they have better depth and should be able to take advantage of this. For the second straight game, the Thunder welcome another player, as recently signed D-Leaguer Reggie Williams will be active for tonight’s game.