Tag Archives: Victor Oladipo

Paul George traded to the Thunder

Free Agency, News, Trade Talk, , , , ,
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Sarah Phipps – The Oklahoman

Just as I was about to release a primer for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s foray into this summer’s free agency, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN dropped this bomb:

It was just 12 days ago that George put out the feelers that he wanted out of Indiana and was not going to re-sign with the Pacers when his contract expired after the 2017-18 season. I wrote about the Thunder’s chances of obtaining George when the statement came out. He included in his statement that he had an eye towards signing in his native Los Angeles when he became a free agent. That statement was released a full three days before the draft. The timing of the statement was no accident.  Continue reading Paul George traded to the Thunder →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 29 June 2017

NTTB Rumblings, Offseason Beat, , , , , ,

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So Houston actually got Chris Paul. I wonder what this means for the Thunder and Blake Griffin? Let us explore on this edition of DTR.

It’s no secret the Thunder like Blake Griffin. But to make it work, Griffin needs to like OKC: “It’s uncertain what the move means for the Thunder, but it’s another power play for a Western Conference team in a relatively quiet summer (so far) for OKC. What could be revealed soon, however, is the fate of Blake Griffin – the Oklahoma City native and former University of Oklahoma All-American who the Thunder has reportedly had interest in for more than a year.”  Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 29 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 27 June 2017

NTTB Rumblings, Offseason Beat, , ,

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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 →

Russell Westbrook wins the 2016-17 NBA MVP

News, Offseason Beat, , , ,

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The NBA held their inaugural NBA Awards Show and the Oklahoma City Thunder racked up their fair share of accolades. First up, Russell Westbrook won the Best Style award voted on by the fans. I mean, was there even a debate with this award. This was the first of three fan awards the Thunder would win.

Next up, Victor Oladipo won Dunk of the Year for his viscous two-handed double pump on Dwight Howard in Atlanta. The dunk was so savage that Hawks’ management moved Howard to Charlotte under the assumed identity of Hight Doward.

The third fan award won by the Thunder went to Russell Westbrook who won Gamewinner of the Year for his 35 foot bomb in Denver that knocked the Nuggets out of playoff contention and capped off Westbrook’s record setting 42nd triple double.  Continue reading Russell Westbrook wins the 2016-17 NBA MVP →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 26 June 2017

NTTB Rumblings, Offseason Beat, , , , , , ,

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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 – 20 June 2017

NTTB Rumblings, Offseason Beat, , , , , , ,

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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 – 19 June 2017

Offseason Beat, , , , , , ,

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I hope all the father’s had a great Father’s Day yesterday. Lots of draft talk coming this week. Here’s Monday’s DTR to start your week.

A recap of Russell Westbrook’s Father’s Day.

Welcome to Loud City looks at Oklahoma State’s Juwan Evans for 21: “Running an offense, playmaking, and executing the high pick-and-roll are all directly in Jawun’s wheelhouse–it’s his bread and butter. Last season at OSU, Evans had an assist percentage of 43.6%, and a usage rate of 32.7–both of which are the highest in the draft. Evans also gives this team another thing they desperately need–especially when Russell goes to the bench—a ball handler that doesn’t have an issue creating contact and getting to the free throw line. He averaged 7 free-throw-attempts per 40 minutes last season. Obviously, after scoring 19 points-per-game last season at OSU, Evans can put the ball in the hoop, but it’s his decision making that really opens the door for his role in Oklahoma City.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 19 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 15 June 2017

Offseason Beat, , , ,

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Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World looks at what a difference five years can make: “June 12, 2012, is a date that ranks among the more significant in this state’s sports history. That night, Game 1 of the NBA Finals was played on Oklahoma soil. StubHub’s ticket prices ranged from $312 to $10,140. With Thunder Mania at its zenith statewide, Oklahoma City defeated LeBron James and the Miami Heat 105-94. In Tulsa and the surrounding area, the ABC telecast was seen by 277,000 viewers. Kevin Durant scored 17 of his 36 points during the fourth period. Russell Westbrook finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double. OKC limited the Heat to 41 second-half points. With young superstars, that Thunder team improved to 9-0 in the postseason at home and had the homecourt advantage in the Finals. That Thunder team seemingly was destined for championships. The fifth anniversary of the Thunder-Heat Game 1 — June 12, 2017 — will not be remembered as having been locally significant.” Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 15 June 2017 →

Daily Thunder Rumblings – 09 June 2017

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Forbes ranks the world’s highest paid athletes: Russell Westbrook comes in as the 13th richest athlete and the 5th richest in the NBA. Who said you couldn’t get paid if you played in Oklahoma City?

Apparently, the Westbrooks finally got a night out on the town. As a veteran of several children, I know how appreciative new parents can be of their “we” time.

Steven Adams is back in New Zealand. And his beloved camo jacket is back on Steven Adams.  Continue reading Daily Thunder Rumblings – 09 June 2017 →

Oklahoma City Thunder at Orlando Magic preview (Game 40 of 82)

Game Previews, , , , , , ,

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  • When: Sunday, 18 January 2015 at 5:00 PM CST
  • Where: Amway Center, Orlando, FL

Finally! I’m pretty sure that was every Thunder fans’ reaction after defeating the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. It wasn’t just that the Thunder got a win against one of the current elite in the NBA. It was how they did it. Their way. It was waves and waves of scoring brought on by Kevin Durant’s greatness and Russell Westbrook’s chaos. It was Serge Ibaka coming in and being the third best player on the team. It was Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow, and Reggie Jackson putting the pressure on the Warriors when the dynamic duo were on the bench. It was ball pressure causing turnovers. It was defense quickly turning into offense. It was beautiful. It was Thunder basketball.

This is the first of two meetings between these two teams this season. Even though these two teams are on opposite ends of the team spectrum (one is still rebuilding, while the other is (supposedly) a title contender), their games last season were surprisingly close as the teams split the season series.

The Opponent

NBA: Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic come into the game with a 15-28 record. Their season has been a series of “one step forward, and three steps back.” They’ll win one or two in a row, and then lost 3 or 4 in a row. Its the tale of a young team just now learning how to win. They are a scrappy bunch, but rank in the bottom third of nearly every statistical category, scoring only 94.9 points per game, while giving up 100.1. Leading the charge is the young backcourt duo of Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo. After missing the start of the season with knee and facial injuries, Oladipo has started to come on as of late, averaging 23.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the last 5 games. On the other wing, Tobias Harris brings a multifaceted game to the table as an outside/inside players. Unfortunately, Harris has missed the last 4 games with a sprained ankle, and is listed as day to day for this game. Channing Frye, the prized free agent signing for the Magic, has struggled this season, averaging only 7.9 points per game on 39.5% shooting from 3-point territory. Up front, Nikola Vucevic is a double/double waiting to happen and one of the better young big men in the league. Off the bench, the Magic have a veteran playmaker in Luke Ridnour, a veteran shooter in Ben Gordon, and a trio of young players (Evan Fournier, Kyle O’Quinn, and Maurice Harkless) who can be inconsistent at times.

Probable Starting Line-up

Orlando Magic

  • PG – Elfrid Payton
  • SG – Victor Oladipo
  • SF – Devyn Marble
  • PF – Channing Frye
  • C – Nikola Vucevic

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • PG – Russell Westbrook
  • SG – Andre Roberson
  • SF – Kevin Durant
  • PF – Serge Ibaka
  • C – Steven Adams

3 Keys to the Game

1. Rebounding – One way for a young team to stay in games against elite competition is by winning the battle of the boards. The more opportunities young teams have to score, the more confident they get. The Magic are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA (28th in the league), but have a center that has amassed rebounding totals of 16, 17 (twice), and 23 in games this season. Steven Adams and Kendrick Perkins will need to use their strength to push Vucevic out of position.

Orlando Magic v Chicago Bulls

2. Perimeter defense – Its not a secret that Serge Ibaka struggles defensively against stretch 4’s. Even though Channing Frye is struggling this season, he still is one of the better stretch 4’s in the league when he is on. This just feels like one of those games where Frye could go off on the perimeter against the Thunder.

3. Consistency vs. inconsistency – The Thunder had a great game on Friday, but have failed to build off of any momentum in the past few weeks. With a 5-game road trip coming up, the Thunder need to build off of their performance on Friday and carry that with them on the road.