These last twelve games of the Thunder’s regular season were supposed to be the last stand. This string of games in when OKC would show what they’re made of and define their season as contender over pretender.
As we wait for tonight’s game in Houston the Thunder are 3-6 so far in these twelve games. It all started beautifully with a home win over the Clippers and a rousing road win over the Raptors. But from that point forward, the Thunder have lost six of their last seven and are losers of five games in a row.
Pretenders…I would say.
With the next two games being on the road against Houston and Miami there is the very real possibility these pretender Thunder could be 3-8 heading into the regular season’s home finale versus the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder now sit precariously perched as the No. 7 seed in the West and face the very real possibility of not making the playoffs with this Sam Presti Super Team.
I’m not even sure how I feel about it truth be known. Even if they make the playoffs there’s no way I’m going to spend money on playoff tickets to watch this team in person any longer this season. This will mark the first time in the Thunder era in Oklahoma City I haven’t attended NBA playoff basketball in person.
And let me be clear–my attitude isn’t based merely on the Thunder’s record, but more to the point…their attitude. I have no respect for this Thunder team. I have no respect for their competitive or shall I say non-competitive approach to this basketball season.
Quite frankly, they appear to not give a shit at times. Plus, I’m tired of the two and a half stars and their repetitive bullshit as to when this season might actually kick in at some point. Clue to the Thunder Big Three…the Masters golf tournament is going on this week-end and apparently your season still hasn’t begun.
In all candor, this Thunder team doesn’t deserve to be playing in the playoffs. They are not worthy of advancing. They just aren’t.
This is a Thunder team which is 5-11 against teams from its own Northwest Division. This is a Thunder team which is the 29th ranked team in the NBA in shooting free throws. This is a Thunder team which has lost games against Dallas twice, Orlando, New York, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Sacramento.
But as I wrote before and what to me is the most glaring sin is their non-committal effort to their craft while as a group drawing a salary of 134 million. Note to Clay Bennett—you could have given that money to Oklahoma teachers and actually done something worthwhile for the state. You should have saved some coin and gone 47-35 again with Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis instead of trying to win a pissing in the wind Super Team contest with the Warriors.
How many teachers in Oklahoma could you pay with Carmelo’s salary of $26 million this year? Based on the new teachers’ deal which they should of course take — I think that comes out roughly to 520 Oklahoma school teachers for Carmelo Anthony’s take for this season of play… but which of course still hasn’t started as of the Master’s golf week-end.
That very first Thunder team which went 23-59 is in fact one of my favorite Oklahoma City Thunder teams. They were young. They were innocent. They worked their asses off for Scott Brooks and gave me a good feeling in my heart. My heart aches for that team right now even with just 23 wins.
But this team does nothing for me.
Absolutely nothing.