Category Archives: NTTB Rumblings

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 28 June 2017

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Are you still buzzing off the Westbrook MVP win? I know I am. Here are the Thunder happenings for this Hump Day on DTR.

The Westbrook extensions looms large on the mind of Oklahomans: “Some 1,500 miles away, the reporter’s question still lingered in Oklahoma City: “Saturday you have a chance to sign a long-term extension and be with the city for a long time. Is that something you’ve thought about or are you ready to commit to stay with the Thunder for the long-term?” Monday night marked the second time since the end of the season that the All-Star point guard has evaded questions about whether or not he will sign the so-called super-max extension this summer, which would pay him an additional $201 million and keep him in Oklahoma City through 2022-23.”

Fred Katz looks at the difficulty in bringing in another superstar: “There may be a deeper meaning when general manager Sam Presti boasts about the talent already on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reach back to almost two months ago, when Presti spent much of his end-of-season exit interview discussing continuity, the value in keeping together a youthful group that was actually the NBA’s youngest playoff team this past season. He was signaling more than just faith in the present talent when he explained the Thunder’s offseason prospects.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 28 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 27 June 2017

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In case you didn’t know, Russell Westbrook won some sort of award last night. Here’s some Thunder news related to that and other things on DTR.

Royce Young’s write up on Westbrook MVP coronation: “It was a goal to win, and while Westbrook’s focus of course remained on the Thunder winning games, as he closed in on the MVP, he wanted it. In year one without Kevin Durant, Westbrook produced something memorable, something that will stand the test of sport history. It was a season that transcended the game. It was a total eclipse, something probably seen only once in a lifetime. Westbrook didn’t erase the pain and heartbreak of Durant’s leaving, but he did somehow make it seem less important. Which was maybe his greatest achievement of them all. But with all of that done and the book finally closed on his 2016-17 season, hardware in hand, it’s the same two words Westbrook asked following the departure of his All-Star teammate: What’s next?” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 27 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 26 June 2017

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Hello, Monday. Don’t be mean. Let’s Thunder Up with some DTR.

ESPN’s Royce Young looks at the Thunder selection of Terrance Ferguson: “If he had gone to college, maybe Ferguson would have caught more attention and shot up draft boards. He certainly wasn’t that impressive in the NBL, averaging just 4.6 points on 38 percent shooting while playing only 15.2 minutes per game. But Ferguson’s size, length, athleticism and speed made him an attractive prospect, especially to Oklahoma City. The Thunder prioritize certain qualities in players, such as size at their position, and Ferguson checked a lot of boxes.”

Oklahoma City signed OKC native Rashawn Thomas to a partially-guaranteed contract.

Malcolm Hill, formerly of the Fighting Illini, will play for the Thunder during summer league.  Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 26 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 23 June 2017

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Honestly, I went into draft thinking the Thunder would draft like 8 guys, but they only came away with one. Here’s the Terrance Ferguson edition of DTR.

Tim Kiernan of Sports Illustrated grades the Thunder’s selection of Terrance Ferguson: “Ferguson shut down his workouts late in the predraft process and was believed to have a promise somewhere in the first round. The Thunder may have been that promise. OKC takes a nice upside swing here in a draft where three-point shooting is at a premium.”

Basketball Insiders looks at the Thunder’s selection: “Known for his athleticism and perimeter defense, Ferguson presents qualities that ideally fit today’s league as a “3-And-D” player. Oklahoma City will likely elect to use him at the shooting guard or small forward position, as he has a 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame. Ferguson has length that will allow him to disrupt passing lanes and contest shots, which will definitely help the Thunder get out in transition.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 23 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 22 June 2017 (Draft Day Edition)

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Welcome to Draft Day. Let the madness begin…..

According to NewsOK, Sam Presti is the top draft day decision-maker in the league.

Brett Dawson looks at what the Thunder may do with their pick based on recent draft history: “There’s a school of thought that the Thunder has enough young players, so it should be looking to trade for a veteran – or, at the very least, take an older rookie who’s closer to contributing. There’s the notion that you can’t have too many good young assets, and so OKC should take the most desirable player possible in the hopes of creating a trade down the road. There’s plenty of debate about what the Thunder should be looking for. A backup point guard? A shooting wing? One of the many available big men with upside?” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 22 June 2017 (Draft Day Edition) →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 20 June 2017

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Happy Transformers Day to all (at least the early screening). Here are the rumblings for this Tuesday.

Former Thunder scout Chuck Martin was hired by the University of South Carolina as an assistant coach.

Ben Collins of SLAM Magazine asks the question we’ve all been asking since the regular season ended: Why is the MVP award even up for debate?: “Fifty years from now, when your self-driving car casually plows through a half-dozen jersey barriers and into a bridge stanchion while you’re flipping around Basketball Reference, you will exit the remains of your TeslaFord 27 Coupe Presented by Starbucks™ and you will be furious. You won’t be pissed at the car. (You tried to hack the in-car blender and it messed with the GPS. That’s on you.) You will be pissed at the Basketball Reference thing. You’ll have been looking at Russell Westbrook’s 2016-17 stats and there will not be the appropriate technology to explain why a 2017 MVP debate even existed.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 20 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 16 June 2017

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Enes Kanter thinks Russell Westbrook will finish out his career in Oklahoma City: “Enes Kanter has been very outspoken this summer, but this time it was about Russell Westbrook. In an interview with SI.com published Thursday, the Thunder center said he thinks Westbrook, who isn’t a free agent this summer but is eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Exception contract which would keep him in Oklahoma City an additional five years, will stay with the Thunder his entire career. “One thing I saw about him is he’s a loyal guy,” Kanter said. “I understand he’s from L.A., he loves L.A., he goes to L.A. every summer, but he’s a loyal player. “I think he’s gonna finish his career in Oklahoma City.”

In the midst of a Jerry West to LA Clippers article, we start to see the bread crumb-like rumors of Blake Griffin possibly going to Oklahoma City: “Paul also has plans to talk with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets, one executive said. Griffin can sign a five-year deal worth $175 million with L.A., or sign a four-year deal worth $130 million with another team. The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder are two teams that will make a bid for Griffin, according to several executives.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 16 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 14 June 2017

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So Russell Westbrook won the MVP yesterday. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it was for Shaqtin-A-Fool.

Russell and Nina finally introduced Noah to the world yesterday. And lil’ man did not disappoint.

The Charlotte Observer reviewed the recent history of the No. 11 pick, which is dripping with Thunder past and present histrionics. Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 14 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 13 June 2017

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Here are the rumblings for Tuesday.

He may have won a title, but Kevin Durant will never be able to escape his decision. Never change, Alex Trebek. Thank you, Jeopardy!

Rumble visited Rohan Rajeev, a 14 year old Edmond kid who finished second in the lastest national spelling bee. Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 13 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 12 June 2017

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This is DTR and here’s your Thunder news for this Monday.

Brett Dawson wrote a great article on the 365-day scouting process that culminates on draft night: “There was no shot at the kid from Indiana. Oklahoma City held the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, and he would be off the board long before that. By the second pick, as it turned out. There was never a chance he’d fall so far. But at the Draft Combine in Chicago that spring, the Thunder met with Victor Oladipo anyway. “Because you never really know what’s going to happen down the line,” said Will Dawkins, OKC’s director of college player personnel.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 12 June 2017 →