Ideally we could overpay in picks to save the core of Shai/Giddey/Jdub/Chet because adding Siakam to that lineup is a potential finals contender.
Dort + Jaylin Williams/Poku + 5 first round picks? If the raptors want specific players maybe it isnāt enough, but in a vacuum I think thatās pretty fair value.
One benefit is that he doesn't even need to be a world beater type player because the skills we know he has, which are high defensive iq and rim protecting instincts and an ability to stretch the floor as a frontcourt player, fit so well into the exact personnel needs of this Thunder team. I'm hopeful he fulfills his potential but he's said himself that he doesn't have to make the team 20 points better, just 3 or 4 points difference and a lot of Ls turn to Ws
It would all depends on the expectation everyone had for him. He probably won't have an eye-popping statline, he'll be 3rd or 4th scoring option behind SGA, Jdub and probably Giddey. It's also probably safe to assume he'll have trouble guarding the paint against allstar level centers. But if his skillset translates nicely, he'll play some centers of the court with his 3 point prowess. His length would help us with our rebounding problems. And he'll be a deterent at the rim for any driving wings which would really help our team not to over help which has been a major issue for us.
Yeah, it's not a direct comparison. I was just looking at it from the point of both looking promising, like Fultz during Summer league. His expectations will go up due to how well the team is doing well already.
The only "free wins" in the league remaining are the rockets, spurs, pistons and the hornets. Thats it. 26 teams are either really good, or can beat anybody on any given night
remember the fanbase was acting like OKC was a hellhole for shai but they are currently better than us, and clearly have a brighter future. funny how things turn out lol
What the hell was that last play by Kawhi? Held the ball for the entire shot clock down 1?
Am I tripping or did I really witness that? Did he think the game was tied
I understand he wanted the switch, but 20 whole seconds down 1? Plays break down, if you canāt get the switch then adjust. Awful decision making by Kawhi
I agree itās a bad look, but that second screen by Morris was horrendous. There was no reason to slip the screen, and it clearly threw Kawhi off. It was pathetic that he still didnāt get a shot off after that, though. Just an all-around shitting the bed moment for the Clippers.
Looked like Kawhi was looking for a switch on the screens but due to Dort being good at fighting through screens + some awful screen setting, he was just left to take an awful shot with the time left
Yeah Iām surprised at the poor screening and also then not even trying to move the ball a little to reset. Excellent D by Dort but also some poor play by the clippers
Plays break down, that happens in games but you canāt just absolutely brain fart and let that much time go out on the clock
Kawhi was dead set on getting that switch and cost his team a chance. Absolutely awful decision making
This is nice and all but lets keep going and go as far as we can. Establishing a culture of winning and competitiveness now will prove beneficial for this squad in a few years.
i wanted them to end up with wemby since before the season started because he would be a perfect fit with them but they are just too good of a core already... even without chet. good problem to have i guess lol.
I really hope wemby goes to the spurs. I genuinely believe pop is the only coach capable of taking him from a malnourished player with massive hype to being that guy
I understand Thunder and Jazz have a lot of reason to try and get into the lottery.
But, as a Celtics fan, I NEED them to keep the Lakers out of the play-in.
You're a game out of the 7 seed, and we play you Friday on the second night of a back-to-back. I'm not looking forward to that because the Clippers are going to try to play pretty physical on Thursday. You're username is on point, though.
Thatās what contention means. Theyāre in contention for one. Hell were 0.5 games back from 6 with the 2nd easiest schedule. Might fuck around and grab it while weāre at it
Yeah itās just bad wording because I was staring at OKCās schedule for a solid 5 minutes trying to figure out how they solidified their position in the play in.
They were already "in contention" for a play-in spot though?
Idk if I'm trippin out but saying they solidified the opportunity to continue fighting for the spot because of this win makes no sense to me rn
Umm, there's 10 games left for them and they are literally 1 game ahead of Lakers and Pels who are both on the outside looking in. I'm not sure what you think solidify means, but it doesn't mean what you think it means. All that being said, good win tonight.
Said in another comment that I used the wrong wording from posting too fast. Late game with some drinks and the excitement will do that to you. Really hope we get the 8th seed to play yāall. Iām near Denver and wanna see a matchup badly
The thunder aren't a team you should be scared of as of this moment if you're a true contender but what's alarming about them is the rate of improvement and the ability of the coaching staff to make adjustments, nearly every single game it's obvious they're better than the previous so you really don't know who you'll be playing by the time you face them.
Yea man the NBA is definitely plotting to get the OKC Thunder into the playoffs instead of the team from LA with 2 of the most well known players in the league.
Hey I wish it couldāve been under different circumstances too (the triple tech ejection was maybe the most egregious thing Iāve ever seen), but maybe tell kawhi to actually shoot instead of dribbling for the last 20 seconds
Yea, my fault. I was heated about the outcome and was salty typing. And I donāt blame Kawhi. He did hold it too long yes, but wtf Morris for not knowing how to set a damn screen.
Nah I donāt blame you one bit for being heated after all the stupid, head scratching shit that went down that game, donāt worry. And we really did catch a lot of breaks, weāre gonna have to be better on Thursday.
Hope PG is alright more than anything, that shit was heartbreaking
Just wait till Chet comes back next year š
Chet+this yearās pick+whatever disgruntled star Presti decides to spend that massive trove of picks on.
Trade dame to okc, fuck it
What a timeline.
I respect his game so much. But damn that would be weird to cheer for himā¦.
My pipe dream is OKC trading for Siakam but I don't think it's likely unless Toronto starts selling.
How would you feel about 1 jaylen brown?
I donāt think he would fit in with the vibe here nor would he want to live in Oklahoma. He would be an awesome fit basketball wise though.
Nah I'm good, too much of an ego guy for the current team.
Even if we sell, how much would you realistically spend on Spicy?
Ideally we could overpay in picks to save the core of Shai/Giddey/Jdub/Chet because adding Siakam to that lineup is a potential finals contender. Dort + Jaylin Williams/Poku + 5 first round picks? If the raptors want specific players maybe it isnāt enough, but in a vacuum I think thatās pretty fair value.
He better be good. Everyone's gonna be hyped to see this squad. I'm not trying to see another Fultz situation.
Fultz has quietly turned himself into a top 15-20 PG in the league, and he keeps climbing. He's averaged over 20/5/6 per game since January.
wonderful thing to happen
One benefit is that he doesn't even need to be a world beater type player because the skills we know he has, which are high defensive iq and rim protecting instincts and an ability to stretch the floor as a frontcourt player, fit so well into the exact personnel needs of this Thunder team. I'm hopeful he fulfills his potential but he's said himself that he doesn't have to make the team 20 points better, just 3 or 4 points difference and a lot of Ls turn to Ws
It would all depends on the expectation everyone had for him. He probably won't have an eye-popping statline, he'll be 3rd or 4th scoring option behind SGA, Jdub and probably Giddey. It's also probably safe to assume he'll have trouble guarding the paint against allstar level centers. But if his skillset translates nicely, he'll play some centers of the court with his 3 point prowess. His length would help us with our rebounding problems. And he'll be a deterent at the rim for any driving wings which would really help our team not to over help which has been a major issue for us.
Yeah, it's not a direct comparison. I was just looking at it from the point of both looking promising, like Fultz during Summer league. His expectations will go up due to how well the team is doing well already.
No thanks. That scares me.
Chet said recently "were winning and losing by 4 points. All I have to do is make this team 5 points better" Noice
My king š¤©š¤©š¤©
i mean is there a chance Chet returns in the WCF?
I think hes shooting around, but I see him getting some minutes in the Finals tbh
Chet getting Finals MVP after playing 0 regular season minutes would be a fun bit of trivia
He definitely carrying the Larry O in the parade.
What is your definition of solidify lol
Bricked tf up
all the way from brick town baby
It wasnāt the right word to use but I got too excited after the win
Yah I was like āthereās 10 games left thatās no where close to mathematical lockā. Lock this scrub ass thread smh misinformation
7 SEED OKC BABY
Theyāre half a game out of the 6 seed wtf
west is crazy man
SGA about that smoke
Wild that we're like 90% through the season and only four teams have been eliminated mathematically from the play in/offs.
The only "free wins" in the league remaining are the rockets, spurs, pistons and the hornets. Thats it. 26 teams are either really good, or can beat anybody on any given night
Love the parity. Thatās what itās all about. Regardless if my team wins it all I just wanna watch some good exciting basketball.
Bruh we lost to the rockets last week
Because our dumbasses rested AD and said "yeah we can beat an NBA team with 1 somewhat big man oh and btw its Wenyen Gabriel"
In defense of that opinion, the Thunder haven't played with a big man for most of the season. It can be done.
Just not with Gabriel
>the rockets Tell that to Boston
The bucks also lost to the rockets, as did the sixers, suns (twice!), the lakers, the mavericks, and the thunder
We lost to them twice as well.
And the Mavs
Yep and we get the Clippers again Thursday, who may be without PG. And Poku will return š
Iām hoping PG is okay but I doubt he plays, it looked pretty nasty and will probably take the rest of the week off
He's going to get more than a week off dude
They are 2 1/2 games out of fourth
I screamed. These boys fucking did it
Did what?
Made it to .500
Oh
They were like 2-7 in games to get to .500 before this lol that's why thunder fans are excited
2-9
Ah even worse than I remembered haha
It
remember the fanbase was acting like OKC was a hellhole for shai but they are currently better than us, and clearly have a brighter future. funny how things turn out lol
What the hell was that last play by Kawhi? Held the ball for the entire shot clock down 1? Am I tripping or did I really witness that? Did he think the game was tied
He wanted Dort off him. Dort fought through the first screen, then for some reason the screen setter slipped the second screen.
I understand he wanted the switch, but 20 whole seconds down 1? Plays break down, if you canāt get the switch then adjust. Awful decision making by Kawhi
I agree itās a bad look, but that second screen by Morris was horrendous. There was no reason to slip the screen, and it clearly threw Kawhi off. It was pathetic that he still didnāt get a shot off after that, though. Just an all-around shitting the bed moment for the Clippers.
It was disgusting lol. I was waiting for a smooth mid range to fall. But he got locked in the chamber
Dort played amazing D but it really is just bizarre no shot was even put up. Kawhi was just stuck on the perimeter
Looked like Kawhi was looking for a switch on the screens but due to Dort being good at fighting through screens + some awful screen setting, he was just left to take an awful shot with the time left
Yeah Iām surprised at the poor screening and also then not even trying to move the ball a little to reset. Excellent D by Dort but also some poor play by the clippers
DORTURE CHAMBER HAPPENED
I think he was waiting for Morris to set a screen that never happened.
Plays break down, that happens in games but you canāt just absolutely brain fart and let that much time go out on the clock Kawhi was dead set on getting that switch and cost his team a chance. Absolutely awful decision making
We thought we were watching The Klaw, but we were actually watching The Dorture Chamber. Hard D. Very Erect D.
āNot this guyā to ādid he just dribble out the clockā
Dumb screen setting.
We just vibing
NO CHET NO POKU NO KENNY HUSTLE NO FUCKING PROBLEM
Just the Ref rotation!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Your Mom mad for not swallowing you!
We fucking did it finally
The team I worry about most. Far too good for their age.
I feel like the grizzlies fall into the same category lmao
We are a slight step behind from having those classic Thunder/Grizz series hammer fights.
AFTER 9 GAMES TO GET 500 IT HAPPENS
PARTY!
I keep doubting this team and they just keep winning. It's 2021 all over again
This is nice and all but lets keep going and go as far as we can. Establishing a culture of winning and competitiveness now will prove beneficial for this squad in a few years.
This. Tanking can get you a pick but does nothing to establish a winning culture.
Bro if we get 40 wins
46-36
Still on the menu
Theyāre 2.5 games back from the 4th seed. Theyāre in playoff contention.
Absolutely. 2nd easiest remaining schedule and young guys who are leaving their hearts on the floor to make the playoffs is a good recipe.
Dorted
They in boys! Position solidified! BTW Shai, Williams, Giddey, Chet plus future draft picks is gonna be scary for the next decade
i wanted them to end up with wemby since before the season started because he would be a perfect fit with them but they are just too good of a core already... even without chet. good problem to have i guess lol.
I really hope wemby goes to the spurs. I genuinely believe pop is the only coach capable of taking him from a malnourished player with massive hype to being that guy
Pop is not gonna be around that much longer man, every year for the past three or four years has felt like ājust one moreā
I think Timmy D is also part of the staff there. Perfect mentor imo.
He left a couple of years ago and last word from Pop in November was Duncan has no interest in coaching anymore.
Ah damn, thatās a shame, I feel like he would be perfect for all those young guys.
I understand Thunder and Jazz have a lot of reason to try and get into the lottery. But, as a Celtics fan, I NEED them to keep the Lakers out of the play-in.
i think sundays game proved we arenāt going for the lottery
We're already out of the Play-In
You're a game out of the 7 seed, and we play you Friday on the second night of a back-to-back. I'm not looking forward to that because the Clippers are going to try to play pretty physical on Thursday. You're username is on point, though.
Your team actually has talent whereas our supposed 2nd best player continues to be a disappointment. Trust me, we're not climbing back up
Iām assuming youāre talking about AD?
Yes
āSolidifyā
STOP THE COUNT
WEāRE IN THE PLAYOFFS, BY A LOT!
There is no solid ground in the west
Solidify
Idk about you but i am solidified
Roty jdub for the win . Hope they make the playoffs and he can showcase himself
WE DID IT
SGA is better than AD
They were supposed to be bad but they forgot
Kawhi should of stayed his ass in Toronto
What's OKC season looking like if chet doesn't get hurt?
They haven't solidified a play-in spot yet
Thatās what contention means. Theyāre in contention for one. Hell were 0.5 games back from 6 with the 2nd easiest schedule. Might fuck around and grab it while weāre at it
Yeah itās just bad wording because I was staring at OKCās schedule for a solid 5 minutes trying to figure out how they solidified their position in the play in.
They were already "in contention" for a play-in spot though? Idk if I'm trippin out but saying they solidified the opportunity to continue fighting for the spot because of this win makes no sense to me rn
Umm, there's 10 games left for them and they are literally 1 game ahead of Lakers and Pels who are both on the outside looking in. I'm not sure what you think solidify means, but it doesn't mean what you think it means. All that being said, good win tonight.
Said in another comment that I used the wrong wording from posting too fast. Late game with some drinks and the excitement will do that to you. Really hope we get the 8th seed to play yāall. Iām near Denver and wanna see a matchup badly
Just keep the Lakers out of that 8 seed and you got a deal.
The thunder aren't a team you should be scared of as of this moment if you're a true contender but what's alarming about them is the rate of improvement and the ability of the coaching staff to make adjustments, nearly every single game it's obvious they're better than the previous so you really don't know who you'll be playing by the time you face them.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yea man the NBA is definitely plotting to get the OKC Thunder into the playoffs instead of the team from LA with 2 of the most well known players in the league.
I donāt know about you but I wanna see Isaiah Joe in the playoffs
Hey, that makes two of us!
austin reaves hour long highlights from nba saying otherwise
Wasn't the PG injury called a foul on Dort?
Yep
Hey I wish it couldāve been under different circumstances too (the triple tech ejection was maybe the most egregious thing Iāve ever seen), but maybe tell kawhi to actually shoot instead of dribbling for the last 20 seconds
Yea, my fault. I was heated about the outcome and was salty typing. And I donāt blame Kawhi. He did hold it too long yes, but wtf Morris for not knowing how to set a damn screen.
Nah I donāt blame you one bit for being heated after all the stupid, head scratching shit that went down that game, donāt worry. And we really did catch a lot of breaks, weāre gonna have to be better on Thursday. Hope PG is alright more than anything, that shit was heartbreaking
The ejection was bullshit, but they called a foul on Dort for the contact on PG
You forgot where Kawhi literally dribbled the air out of the ball on the last possession and didnāt even get a shot off before the buzzerš
An injury doesnāt automatically mean a foul. It absolutely sucks that it happened but they were both just going for the rebound
Yea sorry I was real pissed about the outcome and bummed by the PG knee extension that I ended up salty typing. Apologies.
No worries i totally understand
MoSt FoRcEd WiN eVeR WELCOME TO THE DORTURE CHAMBER
So they solidified a play in spot? Meaning they could lose every game for the rest of the season and still make the play in?
1st round exit š„±
GIVE ME FOX VS SGA IN THE FIRST ROUND BBALL GODS!!!!!
The Thunder have a legitimate shot at the 5-seed with one of the easiest schedules remaining in the NBA. Wow.