The Thunder beat the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers last night in a game in which in reality they should have lost. But that’s the thing about this Thunder team…they win close games in the fourth period. They make plays and off the top on my head they’re something like 15-3 in games decided by five points or less this season.. Plus, they’re 13-3 on the road in road games since that 8-12 point in the season when they started inserting Lu Dort into some games with that Utah-Portland road swing.
The dunderheads at the Daily Edmond Millennial may or may not realize this…but this Thunder team since December 1st has the best or very close to it record in the NBA.
I know these frail feeble ‘men’ who Royce Young has put together haven’t been taught any better, but this is when you roll the dice a little bit and say.. what the fuck. This is when you say to your owner Clay Bennett.. ‘We really wouldn’t even have an NBA team if not for Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Bennett, we have nothing to lose. Let me put my Mike Rizzo big boy britches on.’
Why not?Because for the first time in Oklahoma City’s NBA history they have an All-Star point guard who doesn’t beat his own team every other game playing out of control in the fourth period. This point guard not only wins the close games — he answers Berry Tramel’s questions after the games.
They have two hybrid guards in Shai G. Alexander and Dennis Schroder who are capable of scoring thirty points apiece on any given night.
The fourth piece is something the Thunder have never had minus Kevin Durant…that being, a silky power forward who’s uber efficient scoring the ball with an economy of shots.
All of those late first round draft picks aren’t worth in six years from now what they have right now in hand…that being, a puncher’s chance of winning a first round playoff series.
Maybe Sam Presti got smart and started reading my blog. This is what a GM has to do…especially in a market like Oklahoma City. He has to calibrate his odds of doing something special when the stars align.
Should Mike Rizzo have unloaded Anthony Rendon at the trade deadline for a couple of young prospects at the deadline in fear of losing Rendon for nothing?
He did eventually lose Rendon, but he did win a championship…and he made that decision when no one, and I mean no one thought the Nationals would win a wild card game let alone do what they did.
So it’s been a great week for me Thunderwise. I got banned at the Daily Millennial and Sam Presti is playing the hand he was dealt this summer by keeping Gallinari. Plus…I think it’s a really good test to see what Billy Donovan is made of as an NBA coach.