Tag Archives: Andre Roberson

Wizards vs. Thunder preview (Game 48 of 82)

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Washington-Wizards vsokc thunder

  • When: Thursday, 25 January 2018 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: TNT
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -5.0 | O/U – 213

The Set-Up: There’s a purveying thought in the NBA that the mark of a good team is taking care of business at home, beating the teams you are supposed to beat handily, and winning some of the games against the teams either at your level or above you. While that all may be true, one of the “shhhhh, it’s a secret” signs that you are a good team is the ability to coast through much of a game against an inferior opponent and then completely snatch their heart out at the end of the game. Continue reading Wizards vs. Thunder preview (Game 48 of 82) →

NTTB Rumblings – 25 January 2018

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cropped-nowthatsthunderbasketball_sheriffbadge1.jpgRoyce Young (ESPN) on how Westbrook’s support of Paul George’s All-Star snub may be influencing future decisions: “We were actually joking before he went up there, and I’m like, ‘Nah, Russ, man, just let it go, let it go Russ. It is what it is, I wasn’t picked,’ and he was like, ‘Nah, man, P, that’s messed up. I’m gonna tell them something about that,'” George said.”

Nick Friedell (ESPN) on Westbrook throwing Damian Lillard a little All-Star shade: “I respect Russ a lot, so it was kind of disappointing to see him say that,” Lillard said prior to Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Because he’s played against me, he’s played against our team, he knows what I’ve accomplished. Not just this year, but over my career. So it was a little bit disappointing, but I know that I earned my spot this year. And that’s pretty much what it is: I earned my spot.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 25 January 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 03 January 2018

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Fred Katz (Norman Transcript) says the Thunder could end up with three of the league’s best defenders: “It’s rare that three teammates make the All-Defensive Team in the same season. The most recent trio to do it was Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups of the 2005-06 Detroit Pistons. What could help the Thunder, though, is that the rest of the league is going right for them, too. Many of the usual All-Defensive candidates around the NBA have had some unfortunate luck.”

Heather Koontz (Thunderous Intentions) looks back at some of the giving the Thunder did during the holiday season.

Brett Dawson (NewsOK) says defense is limiting Alex Abrines’ effectiveness: “Abrines has remained a steady shooter for the Thunder, but his defensive deficiencies have become more apparent, to the point that it’s becoming difficult for coach Billy Donovan to keep him on the floor. In four of the past six games, Abrines has played 10 or fewer minutes.”

Dawson also reports that Andre Roberson will miss all 3 games of the upcoming road trip.

Erik Horne (NewsOK) looks at the year that was for Russell Westbrook: “Before his nine 3-point attempts against Milwaukee with George injured, Westbrook had averaged 1.9 per game in his last seven. The Thunder went 6-1 and Westbrook shot 55.5 percent from the field. “Russell was the MVP last year and he’s having to play different,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Carmelo, an incredible scorer and an elite player in this league for a long time, he’s had to change. Same thing for Paul, Patrick Patterson or any of these guys. Everybody’s had to change a little bit for the betterment of the team.”

The Jordan Fly Next shoes may actually be Russell Westbrook’s first signature shoe.

Paul George has no regrets about the “Lakers’ chatter” earlier this offseason.

Don’t forget to vote for all your favorite Thunder players for the All-Star game. Vote via Twitter and NBA.com.

NTTB Podcast (Episode 22) – Refs, We Have A Problem

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IMG_4109On Episode 22 of the NTTB podcast,we discuss the following topics:

  • Weekly Recap – Games vs. Houston, Toronto, and Milwaukee
  • Referee issues throughout the league
  • Return of MVP Russ
  • Sacrificial Melo
  • What’s going on with Alex Abrines?
  • NBA News
  • City Jerseys

Intro/Outro music provided by OSC Productions

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 Rumblings – 01 Nov 2017

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Welcome to the holiday season (or is it szn, now?).

Royce Young (ESPN) on the Thunder’s convincing victory over the Milwaukee Bucks: “Playing on the road against the Bucks was a good test to gauge where the Thunder stood and whether the positive momentum of the past few games would continue to build. And the Thunder set the tone early, as Westbrook sparked their best half of the season, a dominant first 24 minutes that put the Bucks on their heels. “That first half, that’s how I would love to see us play,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “I feel like when we play like that the floor’s so spaced it takes advantage of all those guys.”

Royce Young on the Thunder not picking up Josh Huestis’ 4th year option: “The Thunder elected to not exercise the $2.2 million team option for a few reasons, a primary one being the lack of evidence on Huestis and his fit with the roster. Before this season, he’d appeared in only seven total games in two years. Future roster and luxury tax implications also factored in, with the Thunder’s planning for the hopeful re-signing of both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Committing to pay Huestis $2.2 million next season could translate to as much as $7 million with relation to the tax.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 01 Nov 2017 →

Thunder @ Bucks preview (Game 7 of 82)

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okc logo @ bucks

  • When: Tuesday, 31 October 2017 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
  • TV: NBATV/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -1.5 | O/U – 212.5

Consistency is something the Oklahoma City Thunder have been lacking this season. Play one great game and follow it up with a subpar game. And while a lot of that may have to do with the opponent (all the losses have come against teams that will likely be in the playoffs), the Thunder have got to start winning those games.

Tonight is no different. After obliterating the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, the Thunder face one of the up and coming teams in the East in the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like a bonafide MVP candidate and the rest of the team is playing well in their roles.  Continue reading Thunder @ Bucks preview (Game 7 of 82) →

NTTB Rumblings – 30 Oct 2017

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cropped-nowthatsthunderbasketball_sheriffbadge1.jpgIn case you didn’t hear, the Thunder’s plane hit something on their flight from Minnesota to Chicago. Everyone is okay, though.

Royce Young (ESPN) on Russell Westbrook getting a triple-double against every team in the NBA: “Already well-entrenched in the NBA record book for his triple-doubles, Westbrook added another mark: He is the only player in NBA history to record a triple-double against every team he has faced. “He had one against us in practice,” Carmelo Anthony said jokingly afterward.”

If you’ve ever wondered what life would be like if Russell Westbrook chose to be a beekeeper, instead of a basketball players, well here’s your glimpse into that reality.  Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 30 Oct 2017 →

NTTB Rumblings – 27 Oct 2017

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Today feels like revenge. I don’t know why, but it just does.

Kristian Winfield (SB Nation) on Paul George and Carmelo Anthony finally having the perfect superstar teammate: “Here is Westbrook — reigning league MVP, all-time single-season triple-double leader, and walking terminator — who carried his team of non All-Stars to a competitive first-round exit to the Houston Rockets in the playoffs. Now, enter two more All-Stars, two more egos, and two more offensive superstars who each need to eat to be satisfied. Or so we thought. That’s the beauty of what Anthony said. Russell Westbrook can have the main course — let Melo and PG-13 have the sides.”

David Brandon (16 Wins A Ring) looks at the shooting guards on the roster: “Huestis is the surprise. After barely playing, and even then largely playing at the 4, Huestis has seen significant backcourt and frontcourt minutes over the last few games. He’s definitely not where he needs to be yet on rotations, but Huestis might wind up a usable member of the team, which not many observers expected. Though he’s worse defensively than Roberson and worse offensively than Abrines, he’s more well-rounded than both, with a clean release on his 3-point shot and good balance navigating screens on the perimeter. He fouls too much, but that might work itself out with time. Don’t fool yourself—at this point he’s maaaaaybe replacement level. But that might be just enough for now.”

The Thunder are looking to do what every beauty queen vows to do: fight hunger: “The Oklahoma City Thunder and Whataburger have partnered to help fight hunger in Oklahoma during this holiday season through a food drive at next Friday’s Thunder game and a three-week fundraiser at Whataburger restaurants.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 27 Oct 2017 →

NTTB Rumblings – 25 Oct 2017

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Kyle Wagner (FiveThirtyEight) on the Thunder’s sudden inability to rebound: “However, the George and Anthony moves do seem to have had an effect on another piece of the team’s core identity: For the first time in a decade, the Thunder are struggling to rebound. The Thunder have grabbed just 47.5 percent of available rebounds in their first three games — about 6 percentage points lower than last year and 24th in the league. As a team, the Thunder haven’t finished outside the top 10 since they moved to Oklahoma City.”

When the robots finally attack, they can point its genesis to the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Clifton Brown (Indy Star) on Paul George facing his old team for the first time: “There was no way to reconcile those conflicting emotions, as George prepared to play his first game against the Pacers on Wednesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. George was smiling and had the aura of a man at peace after Tuesday’s practice at the Oklahoma City Thunder’s practice facility. But George admitted that the timing of his departure from the Pacers was awkward and that if he could do it again, he would have handled some things differently.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 25 Oct 2017 →

NTTB Rumblings – 24 Oct 2017

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Royce Young (ESPN) on the referees missing two calls down the stretch against the Thunder: “The NBA announced Monday that there was one incorrect no-call and noted the officiating crew didn’t see Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau calling for timeout in the final five seconds of the frantic finish against the Thunder that led to Andrew Wiggins’ game-winning buzzer-beater Sunday. Karl-Anthony Towns’ screen on Paul George that freed Wiggins was ruled to have been illegal, based on Towns’ stance being too wide. The report notes that Towns was stationary but his leg was out, which clipped George.”

Jack Maloney (CBS Sports) with a great break-down of the Thunder last 10 possessions in crunch time: “Thus, as Sunday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves went down to the wire, the new-look Thunder were put into a close game for the first time. Last season, there was no debate who would have the ball in the clutch: Russell Westbrook. But with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George — each a No. 1 option used to having the ball down the stretch for his old team — now in town, how they would handle end of game situations was one of the main questions heading into the season.”

Sports Illustrated on the influence Twitter has on the NBA’s media coverage.  Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 24 Oct 2017 →