Tag Archives: Paul George

Thunder At A Glance – 02 October 2018

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img_4063Dan Favale and Adam Fromal (Bleacher Report) look at the top 15 point guards in the league: “But we’d be remiss to gloss over Westbrook’s most glaring wart. And it ain’t his defense. His effort waxes and wanes. Whatever. That happens to high-usage lifelines. His penchant for errant off-the-dribble jumpers is more damning.”

Grant Afseth (OKC Thunder Wire) looks at if Paul George can regain his mid-range efficiency: “Last season, George’s output on mid-range jumpers within the half-court dropped to only 0.65 points per possession. His efficiency ranked 14th in the league compared to the 15 players that logged at least 200 attempts. The main difference was that George went from shooting on average 2.6-of-5.5 (47.1 percent) on two-point pull-ups in 2016-17 to 1.3-of-3.6 (36.2 percent) last season.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 02 October 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 28 September 2018

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img_4063Brett Dawson (The Athletic) on Patrick Patterson coming into camp in much better shape than last season: “The Thunder forward had spent much of a healthy summer out of town, but back in Oklahoma City, remnants of a previous life lingered, their expiration dates not yet passed. Tony the Tiger stared him down from a box of Frosted Flakes, tucked in a cupboard with Toast Crunch, both Cinnamon and French.”

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on the Thunder’s desire to play faster: “Donovan knew that in order to get this style of play ingrained into the players from the get-go, it would have to be installed into five-on-five work from the very outset of camp. So while there has certainly been drill work the past few days, the team has been encouraged by the opportunities to get out there in live settings and compete with their speed-based approach. Even without Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson in action, there are still 18 players in camp that Donovan has been rotating through, making sure that newcomers and Thunder veterans alike are getting acclimated to one another.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 28 September 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 25 September 2018

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img_4063All the player interviews from media day spliced together in podcast format. Enjoy!

Royce Young (ESPN) on the lack of uncertainty surrounding Paul George and the Thunder this season: “Absolutely,” Paul George told ESPN when asked if the Thunder are built to contend. “We’ve got the chemistry. Me being around these guys going on about to be two years now, there’s an expectation and a level we know we need to play at. I think the consistency part you’ll see with us now being able to play well against the sub-.500 teams. But I definitely think this team has a chance. The reason why I signed back here is because I believed in it. And everybody in here believes. It’s on us, we’ve got our work cut out and it’s not going to be easy, but we’re up for it.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 25 September 2018 →

NTTB Podcast – Thunder’s 2018 Media Day

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IMG_4109Just a collection of the Thunder’s media day interviews for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

  • Billy Donovan – Start to 10:48
  • Russell Westbrook – 10:49 – 18:30
  • Paul George – 18:31 – 27:20
  • Raymond Felton – 27:21 – 31:55
  • Abdel Nader – 31:57 – 37:03
  • Nerlens Noel – 37:04 – 41:56
  • Steven Adams – 41:57 – 54:25
  • Patrick Patterson – 54:26 – 1:01:12
  • Alex Abrines – 1:01:15 – 1:07:35
  • Jerami Grant – 1:07:37 – 1:12:30
  • Andre Roberson – 1:12:32 – 1:22:55
  • Dennis Schroder – 1:22:57 – 1:28:25
  • Terrance Ferguson – 1:28:27 – 1:31:00
  • Deonte Burton – 1:31:00 – 1:32:46
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – 1:32:47 – 1:36:20
  • Tyler Davis – 1:36:21 – 1:39:01
  • Hamidou Diallo – 1:39:03 – End

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

https://www.buzzsprout.com/111153/812567-2018-thunder-media-day.mp3?download=true

Paul George: My Fight Song

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“This is my fight song/
Take back my life song/
Prove I’m alright song/
My power’s turned on/
Starting right now I’ll be strong/
I’ll play my fight song/
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes/
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me”

Yes, this is, in fact, the chorus to “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. But to Oklahoma City Thunder fans and to Paul George, this might as well be the anthem for the upcoming season.

We’re familiar with the song and dance. Oklahoma City traded Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for Paul George. We started seeing mental images of Westbrook and George hoisting the Larry O’Brien above their heads in celebration. We also saw the underwhelming season that transpired in 2017-2018. One that ultimately was put to an end as the Utah Jazz defeated the Thunder in 6 games in the first round of the playoffs. Continue reading Paul George: My Fight Song →

Thunder At A Glance – 17 September 2018

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img_4063Grant Afseth (OKC Thunder Wire) looks at 6 adjustments the Thunder will need to make if Russell Westbrook misses any time in the regular season: “It’s important to note that many backup point guards are not used to shouldering a high usage rate but that isn’t the case with Schröder. He had a 30.5 percent usage rate last season and has had a usage rate above 27 percent for four consecutive seasons.”

A sneak peak at the Jordan Why Not Zer0.1 University Reds (via Sneaker News). Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 17 September 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 14 September 2018

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img_4063Terrance Ferguson and Tyler Davis visited the OKC Police Athletic League to play some volleyball and football with some kids.

Erik Horne (NewsOK) on the Thunder players listed on SI’s Top 100 list: “Sports Illustrated released its list in segments throughout the week, culminating in the Top 10 on Thursday. Steven Adams (No. 38) and newly-acquired guard Dennis Schroder (No. 80) were also on the list.”

Here is Sports Illustrated’s full list if you would like to see it: “Playing in Oklahoma City works for him. George does his best work when he doesn’t have to handle the ball on every possession, which is never really a problem with Russell Westbrook around. Both operate in ways that make the other’s job easier: Westbrook’s shot creation is a relief to George, who can do more of his work off the ball. Meanwhile, George is enough of a draw that a defense can’t just load up against Westbrook’s drives. One pushes, the other pulls.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 14 September 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 10 September 2018

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Friend of the site, Stephen Dolan of Thunderous Intentions was correct about Andre Roberson’s involvement with shooting coach Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews: “Now, with this knowledge firmly in hand, we can move on to hopes and dreams. In an ideal world, Dre would shoot 40 percent from three, 85 percent from the line, and heal with the speed of Wolverine. But even in our dreams, let’s try to be reasonable.”

Congrats to Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks on his induction to the NBA Hall Of Fame.

https://youtu.be/BwAdZquXl-0 Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 10 September 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 07 September 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) talks about Dennis Schroder’s journey to the NBA: “Dennis always heard that when people pass away, family and friends around them sometimes do things they regret. He aimed to not fall down that path. As a result, he dove headfirst into basketball, relying on his coach Calin to help him develop a mindset and tenacity to help him not just overcome his slight frame, but to amplify his talents when he shot up to 6-foot-1.”

Patrick Patterson discusses using Mueller Sports Medicine products in this paid ad on Sports Illustrated: “These experiences with injury helped him push through recovery from knee surgery a year ago, just as he was set to begin the regular season with a new team. “I was nervous at first because I’ve never had any kind of knee issues before,” Patterson discloses. “But thankfully, with the great team I have around me, we were able to find the best solution and address the issue. Now I feel great.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 07 September 2018 →

Thunder At A Glance – 05 September 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) interviews Abdel Nader on his experiences since becoming a member of the Thunder: “Not long after the trade this offseason that brought him to Oklahoma City, Abdel Nader made a surprise first-place showing in Paul George’s celebrity fishing event. A couple weeks later, the newest Thunder forward was standing on the pitcher’s mound Kauffman Stadium as a part of the Thunder Night at the Kansas City Royals. Neither angling nor baseball are passions of Nader – he’s more of a soccer guy – but the newcomer small forward is doing all he can to jump into this Oklahoma City Thunder experience headfirst.”

The Thunder announces it’s 2nd annual technology partnership with eight entrepreneurial start ups around OKC: “The program provides free space, resources, corporate perks and an impressive mentor network from in and out of state business leaders, investors and influencers. At the end of the 12-week program, the founders will have an opportunity to present their plans to the investment and business community in Oklahoma and across the U.S.” Continue reading Thunder At A Glance – 05 September 2018 →