Again… I hate to be vague or ambiguous. Shortest distance between two points is a straight line. So I’m not going to waste anymore words and get to it.
For the second straight game without Victor Oladipo, the Oklahoma City Thunder basically sucked in pretty much every facet of the game albeit the opening minutes of the third period when Billy Donovan couldn’t watch anymore from several of his younger role players. Nick Collison and Anthony Morrow started the second half and the Thunder cut a 19 point Jazz lead down to six points. But Nick Collison and Anthony Morrow are too old to do this for sustained periods of time so as you and I were watching this we knew this wasn’t sustainable.
I write on my own rogue blog. I’ll never have a dumpster fire message board. I don’t have Billy Donovan’s cell number. Sam Presti and I have never had lunch together although he would love if he ever did being that we’re both history majors and basketball addicts. We’d have a great deal to talk about. What I’m saying here is I don’t kiss ass just for off the record access which in most cases is very seldom used in modern sports journalism anyway because if you write the truth you lose the very off the record access which you ultimately don’t have the balls to ever use anyway. I know, that was almost as confusing as trying to explain/discern which has failed the world more–the Bush or Obama Doctrines on foreign policy. But it was cathartic for me at least.
Back to the straight line.
OKC lost at Utah on Wednesday night by a 109-89 count on the second night of a road back to back after being blown out the night before in Portland in a game which they basically conceded at the end of the fourth period. I don’t want to read any nonsense from the off the record writers on any of this. The back to back didn’t matter, Oklahoma City just sucked and looked lost in both games on both ends of the floor without Victor Oladipo’s 36 minutes, 17 points, 6 rebounds, handful of assists — and most importantly, the reminder to Russell Westbrook that Sam Presti has one other guard or wing player on the team who can actually play on both ends of the floor for sustained minutes.
I hate to pile on, but here I go. Andre Roberson, who ostensibly is regarded as part of Oklahoma City’s core future played thirty two minutes on the same unit as Russell Westbrook and didn’t score a point. That would be like me playing in a mens rec league ice hockey game on the same line with Gretzky and Messier and not getting a goal or an assist. Roberson was -11.
Semaj Christon did hit a desperation heave at the end of the first half, but otherwise he got torched and was -20.
Jerami Grant is what he is…an offensive project so I’ll skip that rant, but he was -23.
Alex Abrines actually made a three point basket, albeit it was in garbage time. I won’t write anything tough about Abrines because he’s a long way from home and looks like he might start crying if I did. My mother would never put up with me being a bullying blogger or a Trump supporter so I won’t go off on Abrines.
Domas Sabonis scored a couple of buckets early then got lost in the game the wrong way. Was that organic enough, Sam?
Kyle Singler played 16 minutes and did nothing of discernable consequence I could detect.
Jofferey Lauvergne didn’t get to play much because Nick Collison took his minutes tonight so no rant on Lauvergne, besides he’s usually a positive contributor.
If you include Lauvergne’s numbers from last night, Sam Presti’s one way youngsters played a combined 120 minutes. Combined they shot 11-33, grabbed 16 rebounds, had 6 assists, and were a collective -85.
In sixteen minutes of play, Collison had two points, four rebounds, and was +9. In 28 minutes of play, Anthony Morrow was +3 as Collison and Morrow were the only two Thunder players on the plus side.
I’m not advocating Morrow and Collison should start. What I’m advocating is maybe even when Victor Oladipo and Cameron Payne both get back sometime in the next week, Sam Presti and Clay Bennett will still need another reliable two way vet wing player as in someone like Wilson Chandler in Denver. Hint, hint. 60 is the new 100, baby.
Note to Clay Bennett, oil is trending back upwards in the low 50’s and is projected to maybe crest at the 58-60 range in 2017. As we well know in Oklahoma, 60 is the new 100 in the oil business. There’s no reason to have resigned Russell Westbrook if you’re not going to put some honest two way players around Westbrook, Oladipo, and Adams. None. Russell Westbrook needs some help. Don’t lose another superstar, please. They don’t come by easily in the NBA.
The Thunder host Phoenix at home on Saturday afternoon.
Note to Sam and Clay, let’s do lunch.