Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on the energy shown by the Thunder in their win against the Atlanta Hawks: “Rookie Hamidou Diallo again was impressive, utilizing his athleticism, tenacity and intelligence to make plays, garnering more minutes after starter Terrance Ferguson went down with concussion-like symptoms. Sure, as a 20-year old, Diallo will have moments like when he hesitated on a cut to the rim. But he made up for it by receiving the pass from a posted-up George and turning the corner quickly to attack the rim to draw a foul. Diallo was aggressive on the glass in keeping loose balls alive and finished both at the rim and at the charity stripe as he chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds.”
Rylan Stiles (Thunderous Intentions) with 3 takeaways from yesterday’s game: “The OKC Thunder shot 36 free throws, making 28 of them. That earned them a solid 77.8 percent from the line. The Thunder season average at the charity stripe a year ago was a lowly 71 percent. That ranked 29th in the NBA. That was one of the many reasons, that OKC struggled to put teams away. Especially bad teams. Today, against the basement level Hawks, albeit preseason the Thunder kept their foot on the gas and earned a dominate win.”
Visual proof that Steven Adams can eat an entire restaurant
Bill Haisten (Tulsa World) on the match-up between Dennis Schröder and Trae Young as Russell Westbrook watched from the bench: “After his April 2013 right-knee injury, no one expected that Westbrook would miss 36 games during the following season. That’s why the Thunder is so patient now. The investment in and reliance on Westbrook are too great to do a rush job on his comeback. When the time is right, he’ll play.”
Danny Small (Clutch Points) on Westbrook being “Coach Westbrook” during the preseason: “Thunder assistant coach, Mo Cheeks is helping Westbrook diagram the play before the former MVP rips the board away and draws up what he wants. Of course, this is all in good fun and Cheeks doesn’t mind letting his star player take charge of the team’s scheme. Westbrook might have a career in coaching after his playing days are over.”
