Coming into last night's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers, there was a lot of press revisiting the trade between the teams that led to Paul George in LA and SGA in OKC.This reminded...
Coming into last night's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers, there was a lot of press revisiting the trade between the teams that led to Paul George in LA and SGA in OKC.
This reminded me of a tweet I dropped almost two years ago...
My son in 2025 after the Thunder win their third championship in a row: Dad, the Clippers really gave up SGA for Paul George?
Me: And 5 first-round picks and two swaps!
Son: 5 picks seems fair for SGA!
Me: Uh, OKC got the picks...
Son: ?
With more in-depth analysis, Shaun Powell (NBA.com) examines how the blockbuster SGA-PG trade looks today.
The Thunder still haven’t cashed in all those picks, and even if those picks fizzle, George straight up for Gilgeous-Alexander seems in OKC’s favor.
Shaun Powell
In case you missed it, Russell Westbrook plays for the Clippers. But if you missed it, the fans at the Paycom Center certainly did not. The organization's most beloved player got a hero's welcome when he checked into the game last night.
Standing ovation for Russell Westbrook upon his first check-in. pic.twitter.com/9yfhjrU4HH
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) December 22, 2023Postgame, both Westbrook and James Harden were complimentary of OKC.
Russell Westbrook on his OKC ovation: “Best [fans] in the world. It’s like home for me to be honest.”
James Harden on this Thunder team: "It reminds me of when I was here, the beginning of the Thunder Up days. And it’s beautiful.”
(h/t @AndrewGreif ??) https://t.co/gmDIEXYVXB
And now it's time for the weekly "Shai is really good" section of the Bolts.
SGA had his fifth game of the season with at least 30 points and 4 steals. Only one other player has more than one (Giannis, two).
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 22, 2023In an MVP straw poll conducted by ESPN, SGA came in fourth.
Tim Bontemps
With offensive weapons like SGA, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, the team's offense has been humming. But the defense has also taken a leap this years. John Schumann (NBA.com) highlights OKC among the league's 5 most improved defenses over last season.
John Schuhmann
In his latest power rankings, Zach Harper (The Athletic) identified 5 teams he considers title contenders. Among those 5? The Oklahoma City Thunder.
Zach Harper
As a contender, could the Thunder be buyers at the NBA trade deadline? Jake Fischer thinks so.
Will the Thunder ‘finish their breakfast’ as Sam Presti [OKC EVP & GM] said, or be aggressive at the trade deadline?@JakeLFischer talks with @TermineRadio & Ryan McDonough about the possibilities for Oklahoma City. pic.twitter.com/Ut7jF7tZrq
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 19, 2023Could the Thunder finally end up with a broadcast partner that allows fans to watch games without cable or satellite? Maybe...
Chet Holmgren broke NBA twitter last night with an epic self alley-oop off the backboard.
Ya'll remember Darius Bazley? He's in the G League now and is putting up some stats.
43 PTS ? 18 REB ? 6 BLK ?
Oh, and he hit 5 threes. Darius Bazley was simply AMAZING as he put together a career night in leading the @blue_coats to a win! pic.twitter.com/VcM3U7WZug
Don't forget to vote for Thunder players for the NBA All-Star Game.
NBA All-Star voting is underway! ?
Vote Thunder: https://t.co/2FFNkzy5oU pic.twitter.com/y2tZw4yCzS