After trading away Russell Westbrook and Paul George, many expected the Thunder to tank this year. Instead, they’re looking like a playoff team. This offseason, after the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away their two best players, few expected them to be, you know, good. Of course, not many expected the Thunder to really prioritize being
Oklahoma City Thunder
Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
The Utah Jazz have had an interesting season, to say the least. Prior to their roster changes, they were 18-12. This mark was certainly impressive, all things considered, but it left a lot to be desired considering all the win-now moves they made in the offseason — like the acquisitions of Mike Conley and Bojan
Carmelo Anthony’s return to the NBA last month caused a major divide among viewers. When he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, optimists believed that Carmelo never really got a fair shot when he was with the Houston Rockets last season and would thrive in a different scheme. Pessimists believed that Carmelo’s struggles both with
The early portion of the NBA season is fun for lots of reasons – namely, it helps determine which teams are contenders and those that aren’t. Additionally, it allows teams to gauge and grade their rosters. And on December 15, when newly signed players can be traded, the NBA season shifts gears from fun to
Our writers answer some of the most interesting questions of the young NBA season, including Brandon Ingram‘s finishing and more. 1. More surprising — Brandon Ingram shooting 48.6 percent on 3s or Brandon Ingram shooting 66 percent on drives? Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman): A hot, early-season shooting percentage is like a monogamous relationship; it takes forever
The calendar year of 2019 may be coming to a close, but the NBA regular season is still young. Just days old as the month flips over to November That said, there has been plenty of time for players and teams to surprise us. Every season has its share of early surprises. But, while some
We are now officially one week into this NBA season and so far, so good. With the Hamptons Five disbanded, we believed that this was the most parity in the history of the NBA. The season may still be young, but this newfound competitiveness has definitely shown itself. We have some standouts, of course, and,
Carsen Edwards gets annoyed when people spell his name wrong. Maybe after Tuesday night’s shooting clinic in Cleveland, that won’t happen anymore. In the first half of the Boston Celtics’ preseason finale, the 5-foot-11 rookie had four points, was in foul trouble and just looked out of rhythm after he got bumped in the head
For the better part of the last decade, Jeff Teague has been a mainstay of the NBA point guard crop. He is the consummate professional every team desires to have, drawing on a track record of unselfishness and availability on the floor while also providing leadership and guidance away from it. Between 2011 and 2018,
With the 2019-20 NBA season less than a month away, we’re exploring the most interesting players for each team in the Northwest Division. We’re now less than a month away from the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. Coming off one of the most interesting offseasons in recent memory, it feels like an appropriate time
The New York Knicks enter 2019-20 hoping for development and cohesion. As recently as this time last year, the Knicks expected to enter the season with at least one cornerstone piece in Kristaps Porzingis, a free agent superstar and a lottery pick added to the roster. Instead, the team experienced tremendous turnover, returning only six
When it was announced that LeBron James was planning on joining the Los Angeles Lakers last year, many thought that he was taking the circus with him. Any team with LeBron on it usually has a media circus from his brand alone, but the other Lakers additions that came with him were laughed at. Lance
When Dwight Howard agreed to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, it was just fitting. It’s not fitting because Dwight fits with the Lakers’ needs. It’s fitting because it’s yet another in what’s been a longline of bizarre storylines this offseason. Seriously, it’s been one after the next. No, it’s not bizarre only because of
As teams circle toward them on Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder are apparently hoping patience will be a prosperous virtue. Paul George’s push to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and team up with Kawhi Leonard put the Oklahoma City Thunder in a tough position. A subsequent deal sending Russell Westbrook to the
It is the middle ground between prime and retirement, between IQ and adaptability, and it lies between when the shot doesn’t fall as much and when a guy can’t jump as high as he used to. This is the dimension of aging stardom. It is basically when a star enters the NBA equivalent of which
With the NBA Summer League concluded and the brunt of free agency completed, the doldrums of the offseason are here. The FIBA World Cup, Drew League, BIG 3 and The Basketball Tournament and other events are currently taking over the scene until the association fires back up in late September. Last week, Basketball Insiders started
On Monday night in Las Vegas, the 2019 NBA Summer League champions will be crowned. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies are set to square off at the Thomas & Mack Center as the last teams standing over the course of the 10-day period. Once that winner is determined, the world will be without NBA
Chris Paul won’t be on the Oklahoma City Thunder for long, and he could be headed for one of these five teams. On Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, two first-round picks (2024, 2026) and pick swaps in 2021 and 2025. The deal will reunite
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 21: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,
The Oklahoma City Thunder are making moves toward a rebuild, the latest being a deal to send Jerami Grant to the Nuggets. The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for a solid return, notably including five future first-round picks. They added to those future assets on Monday, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
NBA Free Agency started six hours earlier than it has in years past in 2019, with a start time of 6 p.m. EST on June 30. And boy did it pay dividends for fans. Rather than staying up late or getting caught up on free agent happenings the first thing in the morning, fans were
The Oklahoma City Thunder may be ready to move Russell Westbrook, and these five teams could get a deal done. In concert with Kawhi Leonard deciding to sign with them, the Los Angeles Clippers have also acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. That necessarily led to immediate questions about Russell Westbrook’s future with
Now that Paul George is gone to the Clippers, could the Oklahoma City Thunder trade their franchise star, Russell Westbrook, next? With Paul George now traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, there are some who believe that Russell Westbrook could be the next superstar out the door in Oklahoma City. Probably this summer. According to
PORTLAND, OR – APRIL 16: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts to an officials call during the second half of Game Two of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2019 NBA Playoffs Moda Center on April 16, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 114-94. NOTE TO
Basketball Insiders has recently started a new series detailing the top free agents by position as a primer for the free agency period beginning on July 1. As a short recap, or if you’re looking for more pre-research, we’ve got you covered. Drew Maresca grabbed the point guards, then Jordan Hicks hit up the shooting
The 2019 NBA Draft started off with more trade activity than expected as most experts even predicted a record-breaking night as far as trades were concerned. With many big-name stars on the move pre-draft, rumors galore and the pending free agency period, all 30 teams were looking to maneuver in a way that best suited
Previewing the first-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts Aside from the stellar play of Damian Lillard, the story for the Blazers heading into the playoffs is the injury status of CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. According
Russell Westbrook’s legacy has been questioned of late, especially since the Thunder lost to Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers in dramatic fashion – but that shouldn’t necessarily fall on Westbrook’s shoulders. In a vacuum, Westbrook looks like an all-time great. He’s one of two players to ever average a triple-double and the only one
Russell Westbrook was hammered off the court after his Oklahoma City Thunder got lambasted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first two games of their series and perhaps, rightfully so. Besides his Game 3 recovery to help the Thunder snag a win, he’s been in a playoff slump since 2016. Maybe he’s not totally at fault.
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