The Western Conference race this upcoming season will or at least should be one of the most interesting in recent times. The conference is reconfigured and for those in California it should be a great season to watch NBA hoops. Even the Sacramento Kings could be in the hunt for a playoff spot if they can continue their overall improved level of play.
Golden State will still have the Splash Brothers and Draymond. The Clippers now have Kawhi and Paul George. The Lakers have LeBron and Anthony Davis. The Houston Rockets have paired James Harden and Russell Westbrook alongside a nice supporting cast. Even the Utah Jazz cannot be ignored as serious contenders in the West.
In Oklahoma City the window is officially closed. An era of basketball ended this summer with the dismantling of the Thunder roster for SGA, Chris Paul, Danilo Gallanari and a slew of future draft picks.
No one will no longer care if Thunder players don’t answer Berry Tramel’s questions as the Thunder will be in the bottom third of the West. The college market will once again be more focused on Big 12 football and perhaps even Big 12 hoops than the Thunder for at least this season of play.
Baker’s Mayfield’s Cleveland Browns will garner more interest than the Thunder if they can meet the hype which has been thrown their way heading into this NFL season.
What Little Nick Gallo does will not draw my ire any longer. If he kisses Thunder players on the lips during pressers I could care less. Life moves along.
And for this basketball season following the Thunder will be more of a civic sense of duty than of following a team with a puncher’s chance of winning a title on the horizon.
Durant is in the East so I feel I can follow Klay and the Warriors and not feel whorish about it.
The NBA world has shifted and it no longer has Oklahoma City as a relevant championship contending storyline heading into this NBA season.