Beef…..it’s what’s for dinner (according to Steven Adams)

The Thunder tumbled a little in ESPN’s Power Rankings, which was to be expected: “The Thunder have lost five of their past seven games, and are in clear danger of sliding down to the 5-seed in the West. Paul George has missed three straight games with a right shoulder injury, and his health is paramount. If George and Russell Westbrook are both healthy going into the playoffs, the Thunder will have a puncher’s chance against any opponent, regardless of their ultimate playoff seeding.”

Montezz Allen (HoopsHabit) on whether the Thunder are truly contenders: “Truth is, as currently constructed, the Thunder have the ability to beat any team in the Western Conference playoffs outside of the Warriors. They can disrupt you defensively, ranking seventh in the NBA with a defensive rating of 105.6. They also allow 110.9 points a game, which ranks 13th. The team can score with the best of them too. OKC averages 115.2 points per game. That ranks third in the league behind the Warriors (118.6) and surprisingly, the New Orleans Pelicans (116.0).”

Berry Tramel (NewsOK) on the Thunder’s offense suffering without Paul George: “The truth is, everyone seems to be struggling without George. Dennis Schroder is 16-of-52 shooting these last three games, including 4-of-14 on 3-pointers. Jerami Grant is 18-of-42, including 4-of-15 on 3-pointers. Terrance Ferguson is 7-of-16 but only 2-of-10 on 3-pointers.”

Maddie Lee (NewsOK) on Hamidou Diallo playing in the G-League to stay fresh: “It was the second time in as many days that the reigning NBA dunk contest champion joined the OKC Blue. On Sunday, Diallo recorded 21 points, seven rebounds and two steals at the Cox Convention Center before joining the Thunder across the street at Chesapeake Energy Arena. There he sat on the bench for a sloppy win over Memphis.”

Kristian Winfield (SB Nation) with a different perspective on the “young fan hitting Westbrook” incident from last week: “Westbrook, though, went over and gave the young fan and his father some counseling immediately after. “I just let him know, you’ve got to control your kids,” he said after the game. “It’s that simple. He’s responsible for his kids.”