Daily Thunder Rumblings – 03 August 2017

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img_4133-5Another week, another connection to a superstar. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. 75 days until the first day of the season. Here are the Rumblings (and I’m not talking about your earthquake, Edmond).

A great article by Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated on how the Thunder might deploy Russell Westbrook and Paul George: “Somewhere deep within Russell Westbrook’s triple-double season was a call for help. Westbrook took what he could while he could, approaching his superstar positioning with a marauder mentality. Every possession was an opportunity; no one defender could really stop Westbrook, and thus his—and much of the team’s—internal calculus put the ball in his hands for wave after wave of attack. Few have worn their high usage so well. No player in the modern statistical era has posted a usage rate so high, and yet Westbrook drove ferociously into the teeth of the defense on possession after possession.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 03 August 2017 →

How the Warriors may force LeBron James to Oklahoma City.

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I feel like I’m writing these types of articles at least once a week. Not that I’m complaining. There was once a time when the Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t even mentioned in the same breath when discussing names like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. But the Golden State Warriors have gone all Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on the NBA and flipped things upside down. In order to combat that, the big names of the game are figuring out, in order to compete against the Dubs, they will likely have to join forces together.

Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated is the premier basketball writer of his time. If there is a big story to tell, Jenkins is probably the one telling it. His stories are bits and pieces of not only the player, but also the people around said player. His articles are about as insider as they come; like a literal reality show. Don’t get him confused with Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Jenkins isn’t in the business to break news, he’s in it to the tell the story behind the breaking news.

When Jenkins speaks, it’s certainly not off the cuff. There is a lot of contexture behind his statements, especially when he says something that may be considered “breaking news”. He gets an insider’s view into a lot of the players’ lives, and with that, probably a lot of one on one time when the cameras aren’t on. Players tend to relax a little bit when the cameras aren’t focused on them. To say that Jenkins may “know” a player is probably understating it. Continue reading How the Warriors may force LeBron James to Oklahoma City. →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 02 August 2017

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Hopefully everyone who got paid yesterday is rich in mind, body, and soul. Here are the Rumblings for Tuesday.

A look at how the Thunder stacks up against the rest of the West: “The biggest improvement the Oklahoma City Thunder will need to make is three-point shooting. Last season, the Thunder shot 32.6% from three. This will also change with George as he is a career 37% three point shooter. PG will demand the ball more this season than Victor Oladipo did last season, therefore taking away shots from below-average shooters like Andre Roberson. Defensively, the Thunder guarded the three moderately well. They held opponents to 35% shooting. However, their opponents shot 50% from the floor last season. Oklahoma City had trouble in the post. The loss of Serge Ibaka was troubling for the Thunder on the block. However, the addition of Patterson paired with Adams, should change that percentage easily.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 02 August 2017 →

NTTB Podcast (Episode 5) – Talking Terrance Ferguson with Will Crouch

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IMG_4109On Episode 5 of the NTTB podcast, I got to interview Will Crouch of 9News Adel in Adelaide, Australia. Will covered the Adelaide 36ers while Terrance Ferguson played for them last season. We discussed the following topics:

  • Australian Rules Football
  • What his feelings are on the Kiwi, Steven Adams
  • NBA players from Down Under
  • Terrance Ferguson’s year in Australia
  • Strengths/Weaknesses
  • And Will Crouch’s hilarious summary of an incident that ended with him being pushed into a glass wall by a South African cricket player. Here’s a video of the incident.

Thank you for listening. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

We are on ITunes under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 01 August 2017

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img_4133-5It’s the first of the month, wake up, wake up, wake up…..Here are the Rumblings for Tuesday.

Is Oklahoma City on the cusp of being the next superteam: “James will once again be a free agent in 2018, and we’ve learned our lesson: Be prepared for anything. It’s time to start sketching the free agency possibilities now and try to map out where the next superteams will be. So, who is most likely to assemble the next powerhouse to challenge the reigning-champ Golden State Warriors? Joining up with ESPN’s Bobby Marks with an eye toward 2018 free agency, we look at the three primary models to building a superteam. This list looks beyond current contenders Cleveland, Houston and Oklahoma City — each of whom already has at least two superstars — to the next generation of potential superteams.”

An article looking at Dakari Johnson being a worthwhile investment: “For starters, Johnson has been developing nicely in the Thunder’s pipeline. He has played three seasons in the Summer League with Oklahoma City and in two G-League seasons. Each year he has shown growth and development, especially offensively. Playing for some loaded Kentucky teams, Johnson never had much of a chance to showcase his talents and flourish. But once he joined the Thunder’s organization, that changed. Johnson increased his scoring output from 12.3 points per game in his first season with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League to 18.5 per game this past season.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 01 August 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 31 July 2017

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img_4133-5Hello new week. Let’s get this thing going. Here is Monday’s edition of DTR…

The Thunder signed UCLA guard Bryce Alford. The deal is likely a training camp invite.

Russell Westbrook was rumored to be playing in the Drew League against former teammate James Harden. Instead, he was at Disney Land with his new teammate, Noah Westbrook: “Westbrook even brought baby Noah, who despite being a few months old has been a major part of the Westbrook family’s travels this offseason. Westbrook took his newborn son to Paris back in June. Westbrook was reportedly supposed to play in the Drew League on Sunday night against a team which featured Chris Paul and James Harden. If Westbrook has enough energy to play pickup basketball after a day at a hot amusement park, he truly has a non-stop motor.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 31 July 2017 →

NTTB Podcast (Episode 4) – A New Hope

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IMG_4109On Episode 4 of the NTTB podcast, we discuss the following topics:

  • The Carmelo Anthony rumors
  • New Uniforms
  • Doug McDermott’s frustration
  • Thunder’s unofficial workout in LA
  • Westbrook working out with LeBron James in Vegas
  • Terrance Ferguson’s FIBA clearance and signing
  • And Western Conference snubs

Thank you for listening. We will be doing a podcast once a week. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

We are on Itunes under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

NTTB’s Weekend Programming

Weekend Programming,

Terrance Ferguson is finally signed. While it is likely he spends a lot of his time with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League, there is also the possibility he plays a little on the Thunder. While you watch this video, just imagine a fast break involving Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Ferguson. Lord, help the defender that gets caught in that 3 on 1 fastbreak.

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 28 July 2017

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img_4133-5Hello, Friday. Thank you for getting here. On to the weekend. Here are the Rumblings…

When in the presence of teammates and a hot mic, you will get roasted for your (recent) past trangressions.

Fred Katz looks at if Russell Westbrook can take a step back next season: “Russell Westbrook made sure last season went his way. He may not have that control this year. Westbrook and four-time All-Star Paul George, whom the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for earlier in the month, will have to learn to coexist. And the two may have only one year to do it. Both are looking at the possibility of becoming free agents in 2018. It’s possible no one else understands Westbrook, the player, better than longtime Thunder veteran Nick Collison, who has been his teammate all 10 years of the reigning MVP’s career. And with Westbrook coming off a season during which he governed a team’s offense as much as any individual ever, Collison is confident his point guard can scale back the workload with a different roster around him.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 28 July 2017 →

Thunder sign Terrance Ferguson

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Australian Basketball Challenge

As reported by Shams Charania of the Vertical, the Oklahoma City Thunder have signed Terrance Ferguson to a standard 4 year contract. As the 21st pick, Ferguson’s baseline salary is $1,487,500 for the first year. He can earn upwards of $1,785,000 (120% of his baseline salary) or as low as $1,190,000 (80% of his baseline salary).

Ferguson last played for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia. He played in 30 games (17 starts) and averaged 4.6 points and 1.1 rebounds while shooting 38% from the field and 31% from deep.

Apparently, Ferguson received clearance from FIBA on July 14th, but the Thunder and Ferguson likely kept it quiet until they were ready to sign Ferguson. With this signing, the Thunder now have 15 guaranteed contracts.