Welcome to OKCThunderGround!

This is the next horizon at okcthunderground.com…actually creating our own eclectic Youtube ‘films’ to music. Since I don’t know how to do this just yet … I could use some help from Thunder Chick over at Daily Thunder to help me produce this first one.

Who knows…maybe after this even the ‘El Prez Podcast’?

TC…if you could help me with this I’d forever forgive you for banning me from my own messageboard over at Daily Thunder.

I’d like to use the video below to take cuts from for our Youtube ‘film’. I’d like a frozen wide angle freeze of the pic of Trump’s bulbous fat ass next to Lindsey on the golf course….that pic is the brand for our award winning Youtube ‘film’.

I know you can do this. Thanks, TC.

See Lindsey Graham’s stunning about-face on Trump and impeachment – YouTube

(1) #16 Oklahoma vs #17 Oklahoma State Highlights | College Basketball Highlights 2021 – YouTube

For the time being, two basketball programs inverted in a three day span as Mike Boynton’s Cowboys completed a Bedlam sweep of OU with a hard fought 79-75 win inside of what once was iconic Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Even though Cade Cunningham is the best college player in the country you can’t say this was just Cade in the second game of a Bedlam doubleheader because he didn’t make a basket until seven minutes remained in the game.

OU changed their defensive posture with Cade Cunningham in Game 2 of Bedlam and had two or threes guys around the presumptive No. 1 pick every time he touched the ball.

On the night Cunningham was 3-8 shooting the ball and finished with a line of 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. But as was the case in Game 1…Mike Boynton made sure Cade had the ball in his hands down the stretch where his star could get to the free throw line and ice the game.

Other O-State players stood up and made baskets as what in essense was O State had a 4 on 3 setup everytime they ran a possession in a half court set. Cade Cunningham didn’t force the issue, but instead made the right pass—the right basketball play.

This is why I think he would be such an automatic fit with the Thunder’s young set of guards..especially Shai Gilgeous Alexander…. because in essence Cade can play the point, the two guard, or the small forward position to varying degrees on any possession. He can literally morph his game as the other team’s defense dictates.

Kaleb Boone had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and one assist and from the game’s opening possession and was the Cowboy who most benefitted from OU putting two players on Cade every time he touched the ball.

For Lon Kruger and the Sooners their season isn’t over, but some stark realities were exposed in this two game Bedlam set. The first being even with Brady Manek having his best game of the season in Game 2 with a 20, 9, 4 night — his Sooners couldn’t get over the hump on a night Cade Cunningham only shot the ball EIGHT times.

The depth we all thought OU had on their bench was non-existent. To be blunt…Coach Kruger got virtually nothing out of Jalen Hill, Olandis Williams, Kur Kuath, and Victor Iwuakor. As in nothing. He barely played any of them in Game 2 and combined they didn’t score a basket or make any contribution rebounding the ball or playing defense. Nothing.

Both coaches used eight guys in this game, but what Mike Boynton got out of 6, 7, and 8 was profoundly better than what the Sooners’ got from their bench.

Moving forward…neither team can lose sight of the reality both play tough Big 12 games on Thursday. O State is at Baylor in a game I can’t wait to see, while the now struggling Sooners host the struggling Longhorns in a game which will probably decide who’s seeded sixth and seventh at the Big 12 Tournament next week in Kansas City.

How quickly things changed for O State and OU in a three day span. But by the same token–we have to wait and see what happens with Cade and Co. at Baylor and West Virginia to close out the Big 12 regular season death march.

It was a great week for Mike Boynton’s O State Cowboys as they defeated two ranked Big 12 opponents with wins over Texas Tech and OU.

The road gets even tougher this week with three games in the next six days for Cade Cunningham and Co.

Tonight it’s Bedlam in what will clearly be the biggest game played in Stillwater hoops in quite some time with a national audience on ESPN’s Big Monday Game. What a great opportunity for Mike Boynton to close the deal on a couple of recruits to fill some of the void after Cade’s departure to the NBA this summer.

It’s rumored O State by way of Canadian MA Moncrief has O State in a very strong position to sign one of the top college recruits in Canada to come to Stillwater next season.

What a week for Mike Boynton to showcase his program, but it will require pretty much what we witnessed this past Saturday in Bedlam.

Namely, Cade Cunningham not showing any hesitancy in being the best player on the floor and leader of this O State team. From this point in all the deference Cade showed up until this past Saturday needs to continue melting away with him being the unabashed star and yet making the guys around him more confident in their games.

Like Danny Manning did in ’88 with his miracle Jayhawks of Larry Brown.

Cade only took 21 shots from the field to score 40 points in Bedlam…that’s Kevin Durant-like efficency scoring the basketball. I see no reason for Mike Boynton not to take his star aside in private and simply say, “Go.”

Again…I bleed Crimson and losing any game hurts, but I love the notion that we could possibly be witnessing something generational in Cade Cunningham if he takes the next step in every game in however far O State’s season goes.

Just as a fan of the game—I want to see more of this from Cade this week in these three closing games of the Big 12 regular season for Mike Boynton’s team. I actually think both Rondel Walker and MA Moncrief should play better at home tonight than they did in Norman on Saturday. Same with Avery Anderson and the Boone twins as well. Plus, someone like Bryce Williams or Flavors might provide some clutch perimeter scoring.

Since Mike Gundy’s team in reality didn’t play any relevant football games of any consequence in Stillwater this past season–I would think even with Covid protocol in place…AD Mike Holder will allow enough fans inside Gallagher-Iba to create a fairly loud home court setting.

As we all saw and I called on Friday—Kansas rather easily handled Baylor on Saturday night in Lawrence. The conference tournament will literally be up for grabs next week in Kansas City. Baylor is in a funk following their Covid hiatus from playing games.

For Lon Kruger’s team tonight–I hate to be this cold, but either Brady Manek steps up his game or there’s no reason for him to be on the floor as a senior. Brady Manek, step up.

In 1988—Danny Manning and the Miracles were a No. 6 regional seed.

I was there. I saw it with my own eyes the year my son was born.

Turn it loose, Cade Cunningham…. the basketball world is watching.

CPAC 2021 Highlights: Ted Cruz, Don Jr, Donald Trump & More! – YouTube

The party of Christian evangelical family values made it official this week-end by broadening their party’s tent to include domestic terrorists and quasi Nazi nationalist white supremist groups beyond just the KKK and the Proud Boys at this weekend’s annual CPAC get together.

It seems to be a natural meld of factions as the political faction group took its first official step in looking ahead to 2022 and beyond with its GOP conservative party platform.

Donald Trump, his son Junior, Rudy Guiliani, Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz were awarded the group’s highest order of courage citations. Officials at both Harvard and Yale Law Schools had no official comment.

I actually sat next to David Holt a couple of years ago on a Sunday evening flight from Denver to Oklahoma City. I have no idea why David Holt was in Denver, but I was there with my son Chris to watch the Colorado Rockies beat Bryce Harper’s Washington Nationals 14-1 on the last day of the baseball season to forge a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in their divsion.

Bryce Harper hit two towering doubles and my favorite MLB player Nolan Arenado hit two massive homers over the left field fence in Coors Field. It was a great day.

They actually sing Rocky Mountain High during the seventh inning stretch at Coors field. Nolan Arenado..btw was just recntly traded to the St. Louis Cardinals which will be one of the major storylines this baseball season.

David Holt and I had a brief conversation about the Sam Anderson book Boom Town and he seemed like a nice young man who as a Republican was the Chairman of Little Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign in Oklahoma circa 2016.

So here’s David Holt on MSNBC with Chris Hayes discussing the financial ramifications of Oklahoma’s two senators of course giving the automatic thimbs down to the Biden pandemic stimulus relief package.

2021 CPAC Highlight Reel

(1) CPAC 2021 Highlights: Ted Cruz, Don Jr, Donald Trump & More! – YouTube

Who would have ever guessed the party of Lincoln and TR would someday become the party of Christian evangelicals, white hate supremacy groups and domestic terrorists.

Wow. Just wow.

Even though I bleed Crimson…there was a part of me which knew this was coming after watching every one of Cade’s games this season. You knew at some point Mike Boynton and his staff would turn Cade loose for forty, or in this case forty-five minutes and the college basketball world would see what this kid is about.

Cade’s line speaks for itself…40 points on a Durant efficency-like 12-21 shooting game. 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks and just a truckload of leadership and poise as he steered his young teammates to their biggest win of the season.

I’ve seen Danny Manning in Lloyd Noble. I saw Kevin Durant. And today while I’m still breathing I saw Cade Cunningham…and again…wow.

OU has been a solid defensive team this season and they had no answer for Cade…as in none. And Elijah Harkless is a defensive stud–keep that thought in mind.

It’s a shame the Thunder have screwed around and won too many games to be in the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes, but whover get this kid is perhaps drafting the next generational player in the NBA.

Late in the game…did you see him cheating on defense to bascially become a rim protector every time Austin Reeves tried to get to the rim?

Cade can defend all five defensive positions. He can probably play all five offensive positions. His body is NBA ready at 19 years of age. He makes his free throws. He’s not a Wild Thing like Westbrook or a social media insecure like Durant. Cade is the whole package and it kind of pisses me off Presti didn’t even allow the Thunder to be in the hunt for Cade.

But as a fan of the game–this was a day I will not forget. Of course–I still want OU to win on Monday night in Bedlam II in Stillwater, but after that I’ll be rooting for Cade the rest of the season to go Danny Manning on the NCAA tournament field.

The thing is though…Cade is a more complete package than Danny Manning was in 1988. He’s a stronger player on the interior on both ends of the court.

Can’t wait for Big 12 Monday Night.

No sports for me tomorrow except for maybe the NHL NBC Sunday Game of the Week. I watched too much basketball this week. I need to be fresh for Bedlam II. This song puts me to sleep in five minutes without fail. Have a nice Sunday.

School of Rock Students Perform “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & The Papas – YouTube

If the Thunder win tonight they’re probably one game out of the expanded NBA playoff format this season given the NBA is experimenting with a 7-10 seeding tournament to determine the 7th and 8th seeds.

How can Sam Presti tank at that point?

Maybe what he should do is first see if Adam Silver has a sense of humor and see if the commish will give the Thunder a 17th pick mulligan do over in this coming draft.

Sam Presti could point out to Silver if five of his former players didn’t comprise the Brooklyn Nets’ core then the East wouldn’t have a viable team to play the winner of the rugged West in the NBA Finals.

Lu Dort had me at hello last season when he was given a chance to make the team as an undrafted player.

I love his toughness and willingness to guard the other team’s best offensive player every game. And day by day he’s brought his offensive game around.

How ironic…that Daily Thunder’s Justin the Contrarian with his 24/7 negative take and Jim Traber were both dogging Lu about his shooting eariler this week. In the last two Thunder wins…Lu is a combined 8-16 shooting the 3 point shot…with a game winner to boot.

Lu and Kenrich are my two favorite Thunder players, but I have to admit the whole team is winning me over slowly as Sam Presti so far hasn’t pulled the rug out from under them yet by trading Big Al Horford.

It’s become evident George Hill not playing is not a game changer given how the young Thunder guards are evolving before our eyes.

The awesome video above was again the work of Thunder Chick my Amy Adams friend over at Daily Thunder all those years before I intentionally got banned like a coach getting his second tech on purpose. I love the video, TC. Thanks, kid.

Tin Cup – YouTube

Sam Presti…as a John Marshall guy…at this point I have to say…hit the goddamn three wood and let her rip.

So…Ty Jerome from the 2019 national champion Virginia Cavaliers made his debut for the NBA Thunder on Friday night inside of Chesapeake Energy Arena.

How is it he didn’t win the Thunder player of the game is beyond me, but then again rookie guard Theo Maledon scored 11 points and set a Thunder rookie record with 12 assists.

Jerome in his first start for the Thunder after moving up from the G League because of Diallo’s hamstring injury finally got his chance to show if his game at Virginia translates to the NBA.

In twenty-two minutes of play Jerome’s numbers were 9 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. The assist number should have actually been higher if some of his teammates, most notably Justin Jackson, hadn’t bricked some wide open shots following prescient passes from the heady Jerome.

For the second game in a row it appeared the Thunder players aren’t really on board with tanking this season…especially after the dramatic March Madness game winner by Lu Dort and subsequent celebration pile in the win over the Spurs.

Ask yourself this…when was the last time you’ve seen a tanking team pile on each other like that?

At this point the 14-19 Thunder players don’t seem all that on board with a tank for the ages via the Sam Hinkie era in Philly.

If with Big Al Horford back in the linueup tonight at home versus the struggling Denver Nuggets the Thunder win their third straight…I’m not sure what we say about these guys.

Maybe what we say is we should start admiring their competitive heart to basically…you know…compete.

In the Friday night win over what should be a contending in the East Atlanta Hawk team—the Thunder played some of the best ball movement basketball ever played in the Oklahoma City NBA era. The Thunder had 31 assists and it easily could have been 38 assists if some more wide open shots had fallen. It was a ball movement clinic and a great deal of it had to do with Maledon and Jerome.

Danilo Gallanari must be the most perplexed of all as he left the Thunder to join a more competitive Atlanta team and the Thunder won 108-99 with Big Al Horton, George Hill, and Diallo all not playing in the Friday night game in Oklahoma City.

Just think if Sam Presti had used the 17th pick in this past summer’s draft to draft a ready made basketball player….instead of a NATO alliance project.

So…what if the Thunder win tonight over Denver and crawl to 15-19 with two games left till the All-Star Game break?

I would say at that point it’s in the player’s hands and not those of Sam Presti.

I actually went to Kevin Durant’s one and only game he played in Norman during his freshman NPOTY season. I went to the trouble of getting a first row seat to see Durant along with point guard DJ Augustin take on a Blake Griffin team which went on to make the Sweet 16… if I rememebr right.

Durant and Texas pretty much handled OU with ease that winter day in Norman. Fran Fraschilla and Ron Franklin did the TV call for ESPN that day. I hung around after the game and went down on the floor and struck up a conversation with Fran and Ron Franklin after their on air duties were complete.

They were like two little kids talking about Durant and what they’d just seen. I mean..it was great–two great guys and I was lucky enough to be sitting with them after the game talking about Kevin Durant and where his future might be headed. I never dreamed it would be with the Oklahoma City franchise which was still a work in progess.

The people in Oklahoma City… I guess are going to take Kevin’s decision to leave for Golden State to their graves. They shouldn’t. Instead what they should do is embrace the notion they were lucky enough to see this guy play for nine years in their city as the player I would rank right after LeBron from a generational standpoint.

So–if Durant had stayed would he have ever won a ring? I would say no because to this day I don’t think Russell Westbrook fully gets it even as his career is in decline.

So much NBA history from the Durant era in Oklahoma City. What if Presti had gone with Harden instead of Westbrook. We’ll never know although if Durant can stay healthy we might get a glimpse of that in this summer’s NBA Finals.

Is there a player in this NBA draft with as much upside as Kevin Durant? It doesn’t appear so from a generational standpoint because Durant is a gym rat and has worked his tail off becoming what he is from a basketball standpoint. Kevin Durant never cheated on his natural talent. He worked his tail off beoming the player he is today.

Thinking back to Durant’s one and done season has me very interested in Cade Cunningham’s lone season of college ball.

No comparison so far as Durant played with such a natural ease and flow which we haven’t seen from Cade to date. We’ve seen some great individual snapshots here and there…but not the whole thing for a forty minute game. But starting tomorrow in Norman is when we really for the rest of this season should see Cade’s game. I would hope this is when Mike Boynton turns it a little more loose with Cade.

I can’t wait for tomorow’s Bedlam game in Norman.

One Shining Moment | 2019 March Madness – YouTube

I watched parts of four games tonight as we begin to veer towards the goal acheiving portion of the season.

Michigan handled Iowa. A very nice Kelvin Sampson coached Houston beat Western Kentucky. Michigan State out-toughed Ohio State. And I watched Colorado literally dismantle USC and Evan Mobley behind the dazzling play of point guard McKinley Wright.

Michigan maybe the second best team in the country. I have Baylor on upset alert this Saturday night at Lawrence. We’ll see.

Evan Mobley may be an NBA lottery pick, but McKinley Wright was the best basketball player I saw on the night. It’s mostly about guard play in the NCAA Tournament. Evan Mobley wasn’t really relevant in this game because he didn’t have the ball in his hands enough to make a difference.

Put Jokic aside and maybe Embiid…and it’s a guard game at both levels because of usage or who has the ball in their hands most of the game. That’s why I’d easily take Cade given he can play four positions on any given offensive or defensive possession. But OKC isn’t going to lose enough to get Cade.

I haven’t seen McKinley on anybody’s first round draft projections, but he’s kind of a Kendrick Nunn type. It would be an interesting pick in the second round if he’s still around given the Thunder have two second round picks this summer.

I’m actually kind of excited about watching the Thunder play tomorrow night. Might as well settle in somewhere between six and twelve at this point annd find a running mate for SGA and a rim protector with the two first round picks.

I mean…here’s the thing…if you think the kid is an all-star and the face of a franchise…. then why would you be losing on purpose.

McKinley Wright IV breaks Colorado men’s basketball record for assists as a freshman – YouTube