Tag Archives: Jerami Grant

NTTB Podcast (Episode 30) – Letting It All Out

podcast, , , , , , , , , , ,

IMG_4109On Episode 30 of the NTTB podcast, we discuss the following topics:

  • Weekly Recap: @San Antonio, vs. Denver, @New Orleans
  • Thunder Frustrations
  • Melo and Paul George inconsistencies
  • Steven Adams 2nd half disappearing acts
  • More minutes for Grant and Abrines
  • Who did Huestis piss off?
  • Honeymoon Corey Brewer was fun
  • Westbrook taking over in the 4th quarters
  • Billy Donovan
  • Terrance Ferguson
  • NBA News
  • Western Conference Standings
  • Preview of next week

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 and Google Play under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

Thunder vs. Kings Preview (Game 60 of 82)

Game Previews, , , , , , , , ,

okc logo atkings

  • When: Thursday, 22 February at 9:00 pm CST
  • Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -7.5 | O/U – 214

The Set-Up: Rest. Relaxation. Reset. When you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder roster, names like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Raymond Felton jump out at you. These names are known because those guys are all veterans. They’ve been through past wars and know what it takes to get through a grueling 82-game season.  Continue reading Thunder vs. Kings Preview (Game 60 of 82) →

NTTB Rumblings – 13 February 2018

NTTB Rumblings, , , , , , , , ,

img_4063Erik Horne (NewsOK) on the Thunder keeping Andre Roberson involved: “He’s been around in the background,” said Steven Adams, one of Roberson’s best friends on the team. “I know you guys don’t see him and stuff, but when we’re in, say the back of the stadium, he’s around all the time. It’s good, mate. He’s just doing his own thing, a little rehab. It’s a tough situation to be in, but he’s still keeping in happy spirits, good spirits.”

Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on the Thunder SG starter still being in flux: “I think that (fifth) spot, it could be different,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to say it’s going to be different night to night, but yeah, it could change in certain situations based on what’s best for our team.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 13 February 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 08 February 2018

NTTB Rumblings, , , , , , , , ,

img_4063Sam Amick (USA Today) on Paul George’s upcoming free agency decision: “He’s well aware how his choice will affect the lives of others, from his actual family to this Thunder group that wants so badly for him to return alongside Russell Westbrook. So he picks his words wisely, even goes over old interviews to make sure he’s saying what he means and meaning what he says. Yet as the 3 pm EST trade deadline nears on Thursday, and with the Thunder (31-24) set to face the very Lakers team that is widely seen as the No. 1 threat for his services, there’s one thing that is helping him be more at ease: he’s not going anywhere just yet – if ever.”

Russell Westbrook and Paul George are here to take your basketball.

Paul George had a big fan at the Warriors’ game: Former Fresno State Bulldog Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders.  Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 08 February 2018 →

OKC Thunder 2018 Trade Deadline Primer

Trade Talk, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The trade deadline primers for team blogs are usually released about a week to two before the trade deadline. And I was planning on doing the same, but then I thought to myself, “Hold up. Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti hardly ever makes a trade that isn’t on the day of the deadline. In fact, he’s usually one of those GM’s that’s on the phone making deals until the very last second of the deadline.” With that in mind, I said to myself, “Self, we’re not releasing this article until February 8th (a.k.a. the trade deadline).”

And if you think I spend an inordinate amount of time talking to myself, you may be right. In my defense, I can’t really help it. My internal voice is the “stay thirsty, my friends” Dos Equis guy.

If I had written this article two weeks ago, it would be completely null and void because of the Andre Roberson season-ending injury that occurred 11 days. If I had written this article a week ago, I wouldn’t have seen the general cluster (you know what) the team had become in the five games after the Roberson injury. And if I had written this article before Tuesday night’s thrashing of the Golden State Warriors in their arena, then my judgement could have been clouded by the negativity of the four-game losing streak the Thunder had heading into the Warriors’ game. Continue reading OKC Thunder 2018 Trade Deadline Primer →

NTTB Rumblings – 30 January 2018

NTTB Rumblings, , , , , , ,

img_4063Tamberlyn Richardson (Thunderous Intentions) on Joel Embiid’s maturation process (after posting a picture of him dunking on Westbrook post-loss): “His peers voted Kristaps Porzingis ahead of him to start in the All-Star Game, so either they feel the unicorn was more deserving, or they take issue with his trolling.  Both players are exceptional, but it’s doubtful a majority of GMs would pick Porzingis before Embiid, unless they think he’d be a better chemistry fit.”

I don’t think LaLa Anthony will be signing a long-term contract in Oklahoma City.

Jamie Cooper (Dime Magazine) interviews Paul George on a wide variety of subjects: “But honestly, he doesn’t take anything. It’s a natural energy that he has. He’s just an energetic guy, from practices to playing games. I knew who he was as a competitor, but he wants to win at all costs, and he goes hard like that every day. So, it’s great to be alongside a guy like that.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 30 January 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 03 Nov 2017

NTTB Rumblings, , , ,

cropped-nowthatsthunderbasketball_sheriffbadge1.jpg

Michael Kinney (Clutch Points) on how the Thunder will likely use their 2-way contracts: “In the past, according to NBA rules, players who were signed to an NBA team were allowed to go back and forth to the D-League as many times as they wanted. The Thunder used the system liberally with players such as Josh Huestis, Reggie Jackson and Perry Jones. NBA teams can still use their rosters in the same way, but with the addition of two-way contracts, you could see that phasing its way out.”

Jonathan Tjarks (The Ringer) says the Russell Westbrook Show is over. In it’s place, is the Thunder variety hour: “In the first few weeks of the season, Westbrook is doing everything he can to make the adjustment process as smooth as possible. The guy who shattered the record for usage rate in a season is gone. Westbrook is shooting less both Carmelo and George are, and his 15.4 attempts per game is the lowest since his second season in the league. The result is a more balanced offense. Instead of Oklahoma City’s second-leading scorer (Victor Oladipo) taking 10 fewer shots a game than Westbrook was, their Big Three all average between 15 and 18. Westbrook still holds the ball for most of the game, but he’s looking to pass as much as he is to score. He is not a volume shooter anymore. The guy whose extreme athleticism redefined the point guard position suddenly has the numbers of a traditional point guard. Westbrook is averaging career highs in assists (11.7) and field goal percentage (47.2).” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 03 Nov 2017 →

NTTB Rumblings – 31 Oct 2017 (Halloween edition)

NTTB Rumblings, , , , , , ,

okc halloween

Erik Horne (NewsOK) on Paul George finding his rhythm: “Throughout the game we know Russ is going to push the tempo, really create all the mismatches with his aggressiveness and attacking the floor,” George said. “But yeah, if I get going early, especially being a shooter out there, it’ll only open up the game for all of us.” George has found a rhythm early in games for the Thunder so far, one which could be a boon for a Thunder team feeling out who shoots when this season.”

The NBA’s version of Cain and Abel featuring Jerami Grant and Jerian Grant.

Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on Giannis Antetokounmpo giving the Thunder their biggest defensive test yet: “I think the biggest thing with him is trying to take away that deep paint where he’s getting all the way to the rim, because then he’s a monster finishing,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “But he’s also a really good passer. He sprays the ball around really well and obviously, they’ve got good shooting on the perimeter. He’s an incredible player.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 31 Oct 2017 (Halloween edition) →

Five Takeaways From the Preseason

Offseason Beat, Random Thoughts, , , , , ,

anthony harden

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s preseason came to a close on Tuesday with a road win over the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder finished the preseason 3-1, losing only to the Houston Rockets in their first preseason game. Also of note in that game was the fact Russell Westbrook did not play.

In the games where all the starters played, the Thunder went undefeated, ushering the era of the Thunder’s Big 3. When it comes to the preseason though, each team has a different objective for what they want to garner out of these practice games. For the Thunder, it was clear they wanted to build chemistry between Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. And they wanted to see what they had in a couple of their young guys.

There’s not a lot that can be extrapolated from four games. The Thunder likely won’t win 75% of their games this season. And the Big 3 likely won’t average just 21 minutes a game. With that said, there were some takeaways I noticed from this past week. Some are positive. Others are worrisome. Here are five takeaways from this preseason. Continue reading Five Takeaways From the Preseason →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 22 September 2017

NTTB Rumblings, , , , , , , , , ,

img_4133-5

I don’t usually advocate for things. But Hurricane Maria decimated the island my parents call home. The island my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles all currently live on. They are all okay, but the recovery process now begins. Please help me in easing that recovery process. Donate what you can. Every little bit helps. Thank you. Gracias.

On to the Rumblings:

Dom Flaim of WTLC on how the Thunder players live the Thunder way: “By now, we’ve all seen the social media comments made by our departed number 35, a player who inhabited the Thunder home locker room for 9 years and then left in 2016. Recently, #35 decided to comment via his main Twitter account (and not on the ghost account he thought he was using) that his past Thunder teammates just weren’t up to snuff.”

Cole Cashwell, the truth exposer: “Cole Cashwell, 16, tweeted at Durant’s @KDTrey5 handle Sunday evening, saying “man I respect the hell outta you but give me one legitimate reason for leaving okc other than getting a championship.” Cashwell on Thursday said he sent the message with the mindset “what’s the worst that could happen?” He said he was shocked and “didn’t understand why he would respond to me.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 22 September 2017 →