Welcome to OKCThunderGround!

Unless you’re an idiot this announcement can’t be a surprise to anyone. I love JDub, but when you can’t run, jump, or shoot in your somewhat natural order…you can’t be on the court in a Game 7 against a Spurs team which not only has Wemby, but which has about six cats who run just as fast and jump as high as the Thunder’s top seven.

With all due respect to local high school sports expert Mark Rodgers on the Sports Animal….this was not a tough decision. JDub was -18 IN TEN MINUTES OF PLAY IN GAME 6. One five minute run like that by the Spurs tonight like they had in the third period of Game 6 in Game 7 and it could be a season ender.

Mark Rodgers…you do a fine job commenting on local high school sports, but, my friend… please know your wheelhouse and please stay there. Game 7’s are the time for the big boys with the big britches. Allow the pros to take it from here.

So…the updated weather forecast has the thunderstorms staying to the northwest of Oklahoma County tonight. That prolly will somewhat nullify my fatedom and destiny play with the music yesterday for God to intervene in Game 7 for the Thunder.

So how does Coach Mark get the Thunder past Wemby and his Young Guns?

I’ll start with three names…. Shai, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein. These three guys have to go in that lockeroom and exude not only leadership, but a quiet level of confidence that winning this game at HOME WITH THAT CRAZY OKLAHOMA CITY CROWD IS STILL VERY DOABLE.

Chet…I’m only asking Chet at this point to play solid. I’m not asking for any miracle performance. Just be solid like one would expect an upper tier role player to be at home in a huge game.

Three more names….Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, and JWill. You three guys have to ELEVATE YOUR GAMES tonight. Lu Dort, my other Canadian friend, this is not the game for you to be chucking threes unless you come out hot. Lu…feel the game and allow the tempo of the game to come to you…don’t force it.

Kenrich Williams…you’re in the rotation tonight. Be ready to play 14-16 minutes. This is why you’re still on the roster…for situations just like tonight.

McCain…you’re No. 9 on my rotation tonight. We know what you do. You make big shots because you’re a kid with offensive basketball hubris and painted fingernails. I’m going with you over both Isaiah and Aaron in the first half.

Isaiah and Aaron…be ready. Every game is a new unique script. Just be ready.

Shai…this is MJ, buddy. Block out the noise and just play.

So, guys…let’s go win Game 7 and advance.

Mike J

Okay.

Before these NBA Playoffs began… I picked the Thunder to beat the Spurs in seven games and to beat the NY Knicks in five games. I made that prediction thinking JDub would be fine.

He’s not fine. He can’t run and he was -18 in ten minutes of very limited play last night. Unless something biblical happens with that hamstring in the next 24 hours he should not be allowed to play tomorrow night in Game 7.

And I’m fully aware Ajay Mitchell isn’t playing either. But here’s the thing…I’m sticking with my picks because I believe in my basketball heart Shai will lead and as the basketball axiom goes….the role players ‘AT HOME’ will follow and several guys will have outstanding games we’re not anticipating at this juncture while still riding the emotional roller coaster of what traspired last night in San Antonio.

If my memory serves me correct we had thundertsorms in OKC after the Game 4 win at Denver and thunderstorms after the Game 7 home win versus Denver. I also recall we had storms after the Game 7 win against the Pacers.

So…… being that I believe in karma, fatedom, and destiny for those with faith–I’m bringing my Thunder rain music back.

I am.

So there. Plus, I really want to see another parade in Oklahoma City.

MJ loves parades.

LET’S GO THUNDER!

I specifically called out Wemby and Stephon Castle on my blog yesterday and they responded accordingly. But it just wasn’t those two Spurs. From my view both Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell were clutch superb as well.

That’s how I’m starting this autopsy of the carnage we just witnessed in San Antonio last night, and keep in mind… De’Aaron Fox was horrible shooting the ball and the Spurs still won by close to thirty points.

My Four Stars of the Game go in this order…1 Wemby, 2 Vassell, 3 Harper, and 4 Castle.

In no way am I being overly dramatic in stating not one Thunder player came remotely close to cracking my Top 4 in Game 6.

Brutal would be too generous of an adjective to describe the Thunder’s performance. They weren’t even brutal, and if what we saw from JDub is the extent of his present mobility he SHOULD NOT PLAY in Game 7. I’m old enought to remember Willis Reed, but that was then and this is now.

Know what I mean?

The fact the Thunder lost is in no way a shock. This happens in seven game NBA playoff series. Shit happens. There’s a competitve flow back and both when both teams are equal in ability. But this event went beyond that threshold in my view.

Allow me to be more specific, and if you’re one of those Thunder fans who think Michael Cage, Little Nick Gallo, and Matt Pinto are legit NBA journalists or objective commenters please refrain from reading any further on my blog.

Sam Presti has two dudes on max contracts, and one dude on a super max contract. Combined those three dudes went a combined 10-27 from the field in Game 6.

10-27 with the NBA universe watching on NBC along with MJ from the luxurious okcthunderground.com studio.

The super max dude was a game worse -28.

Now allow me to gather myself a bit. I’ve treated Shai like a god on this blog this season, but I’ve always held back from worshipping him alongside the real MJ…Michael Jordan.

There’s a reason for that. That being … I don’t think he posesses Michael Jordan’s obsessive desire TO NOT LOSE OR TO COMPETE TO THE MAXIMUM LEVEL every single game.

In fact…part of me thinks Michael Jordan probably wasn’t as nice of a human being as Shai is in regards to being a father, a husband, and just an all around sweet guy.

But to be what Michael and even Kobe were requires being a son of a bitch, heartless prick at times and with what we’re anticipating on Saturday night in Game 7… that type of mindset might be what Shai needs to brings to PayCom.

You lead…they follow. This is not complex, my Canadian friend. Role players follow at home and maybe if we tell Chet he’s an overpaid role player and not a max superstar….he might get caught up in he moment and follow.

As I recall…it was later revealed it wasn’t the flu, but a case of food posioning. Either way…this is what I mean about Michael. He just hated losing….at anything. Skipping rocks, dice, golf….whatever.

JDub is hurt so in no way am I calling him out. I don’t call out players who can’t run.

Chet is another matter. I’ve insinuated from time to time to time this season I think Chets plays soft at times and not worthy of a max deal. Well, I’m done insinuating that thought any longer on this blog.

Chet…if not now, whenever, buddy???????

The above Chet rant was my Phil Jackson-Pau Gasol moment if you’re paying attention.

I hope none of this was ambiguous or vague as to what I’m thinking heading into Game 7 tomorrow night in downtown Oklahoma City.

I think what I’d like to do tomorrow on the blog is take a look back at both of the Thunder’s Game 7 wins versus Denver and Indiana last season.

Have a wonderful Friday, Oklahoma.

Mike J

Great news on the Stage 4 front for the time being…my PSA ( Prostate Specific Antigen) blood lab yesterday morning for the first time ever since the original diagnosis registered Non-Detectable, as in zero for the first time ever in the last three and a half years.

Hence…Dr. Lam at St. Anthony’s canceled the remaining schedule of the nuclear-radiation drone treatments and has sent me back to Dr. Showalter for what lies ahead.

To say I’m thrilled is an understatement.

So…as we move onto Game 6 tonight in San Antonio it is with great gratitude to God, family, and friends for staying with me through all of this journey to date. Stage 4 is a rest of life thing…but this was a moment of pure joy for certain.

The game tonight in San Antonio?

I was ‘on’ Jim Traber’s show yesterday and basically we talked about three things… `1 Shai’s 17 free throw attempts in Game 5, 2 Hartenstein’s incredible performance to date in the series, and 3 Alex Caruso basically being the MVP so far in the series.

Here’s the thing…the 17 free throws are a semi-obsenity of sorts because Shai’s has turned getting to the line into his own artform of sorts. But Shai isn’t the refs. If I’m Shai’s coach instead of Coach Mark… I’m telling Shai to push it to the limit and only pull it back if and when the refs adjust.

None of this is on Shai. It’s on the league and the refs.

Additionally… Coach Mike is telling Hartenstein, Caruso, Kenrich, and whoever to keep pounding Wemby’s body at every opportunity until the refs start calling it tighter in that regard as well.

Wemby has played 194 minutes to date in the first five games. That’s just under 40 minutes a game. Again…this is Coach Mike saying, “Beat this motherf–ker to death every time he touches the ball because these guys can’t beat you without Wemby being amazingly fabulous.

With Wemby on the floor these are guys are +42, without him they’re not even remotely competitive. Conversely, in Shai’s 193 minutes to date in this series… his +/- is dead even zero.

What does this tell America’s most celebrated underground NBA blogger?

It tells Mike J the Thunder can win games without Shai being spectacular, while the Spurs HAVE TO HAVE both Wemby and Castle at the absolute apex level of their games to beat the Thunder.

So if some of you Thunder fans want to keep listening to the likes of Michael Cage, Little Nick Gallo, and even the semi-delusional Matt Pinto then go right ahead and live in the world of basketball homer darkness.

In closing…I have no idea how tonight goes, but I know this… the Thunder having Game 7 at home in their back pocket is a HUGE thing and why winning those 65 regular season games was a really important accomplishment.

Good luck to both teams tonight in San Antonio. Give okcthunderground.com and NBC a show tonight worth watching.

Love and kindness.

Praise the Lord.

Mike j

I’m in a hurry this morning so as to get to my once every six week radiation drone treatment in downtown OKC. This was a horrible game other than the fact it was an elimination game of sorts for the Thunder as defending NBA champs.

There’s quite a bit I want to write about in regards to what I think was a pivotal Game 5 win for the Thunder.

I think basically what this game showed was why the Thunder are defending champs, and why the still immature and young Spurs aren’t quite ready for the bright lights of an NBA Finals.

This Game 5 version of the Spurs is pretty much what I witnessed from them in their immensely disappointing performance in the Emirates NBA Cup Finals versus the NY Knicks.

Quite frankly…the Spurs will not beat the Knicks even if they do advance. Whereas…I believe the Thunder could still beat the Knicks in either six or seven games even without JDub and Ajay.

But I do want to come back later after I’ve gone nuclear to give some love to Shai, Hartenstein, Caruso, and Kenrich as my Four Stars of the Game award.

MJ goin’ drone nuclear, baby for the third time this year.

Love, grace, and redemption always.

Mike J

America’s No. 1 NBA undergroubd bloger is back on his perch inside of the studio of okcthunderground.com. We had a wonderful two week stay in Greenwood Village, Colorado with the grandkids and the ‘Fam’.

I don’t blog when I’m with the grandkids…when you’re running an internationally acclaimed geopolitical blog which cover the NBA, NFL, NHL , the College Football Playoff, the mens’ and womens NCAA basketball tournaments. the Masters, and even the World Series..there are times when you have to break just to ensure the content stays incredibly fluid and trend setting in the midst of so much abject mediocity from others on the internet.

The Knicks winning the East is no surprise. Detroit is still too young, and the Cavs with Harden are a toxic amalgam of classic NBA entitlement prima donnas. The only piece of NBA dysfunction missing from that roster f–kfest was Russell Westbrook.

The Knicks are good. They won the Emirates NBA Cup. If you read my earlier stuff… I clearly wrote I had the Knicks and Spurs tied as my second seed behind the Thunder.

I watched all four of the Thunder-Spur games while in Colrado and have each game crisply cateloged in my lazor-like memory console.

Chet has played like a scared elderly woman to date. I warned of this constantly during the regular season. At times…he appears to be terrified of Wembyanama. Chet cannot play in this manner any longer if the Thunder are to advance. He and Lu Dort cannot play like corpses in this series any longer.

Also…in the locker-room parlance of what Coach Mark should be saying in private to Isaiah Joe, Wiggins, JWill, McCain and even Shai…STEP THE F__K UP AND PLAY LIKE TONIGHT IS AN ELIMINATION GAME AND YOU’RE THE DEFENDING CHAMPS….because this very well might an elimination game of sorts.

My recap will follow later.

Mike J

Here’s the simple truth about the Thunder’s 8-0 start in these playoffs so far…they haven’t played anybody who’s worth watching to date.

Phoenix was missing their No. 1 center in Wark Williams and one of their other best defenders in Goodwin. Additionally, the Lakers are a horrid defensive team with or without Luka.

This somewhat reminds me of the Thunder’s run in 2012 when the beat Dirk and Kobe back to back in the first two rounds as those two were well past prime and their teams around them weren’t very good.

So the Thunder are done with the duds from this point forward. They’ll either play the Spus or the Twolves in the Western Conference Finals and most probably the streaking NY Knicks in the NBA Finals.

So, in essence, there’s no need for me to write anything beyond what I’ve just written. It is what it is and if Wemby’s Spurs advance the NBA basketball world will get exactly what its been clamoring for since the All-Star break.

That being, the two most talented rosters hooking up in the Finals.

At some point in that series I’ll be back from Colorado and all the frivolity associated with the Avs hopefully making it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A great bounce back game for the Avs last night as they plyed what I thought were sixty very solid minutes of playoff hockey. Every facet of their game was where it needed to be….goal-tending, five on five, got the forecheck going, specialty teams, and most important of all their first three goals cames from guys not named McKinnon and Makar.

So….we need to get to Greenwood Village, Colorado so I can sing John Denver songs and watch the Spurs-TWolves tonight and then the Avs-Wild tomorrow night in what I hope will be a close-out game at Ball Arena.

Rocky Mountain High, 5280… baby.

Mike J

It was an immature play by Wemby which simply opened the door for the TWolves to comeback and win Game 4 behind Anthony Edwards’ scintillating 36 point performance of which 16 points came in the fourth period during Winning Time.

A beautiful almost hauntingly juxtaposed performance from AE to Wemby’s 39 point outburst with 16 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Editor’s note…if you were educated in the Oklahoma educational system… you’ll prolly need to Google juxtaposed or justaposition. Just pointing that one out in Paragraph 2 footnote.*

And to boot…Anthony Edwards gave us a great on court interview where he evoked the Atlanta Falcons’ former great Roddy White. Damn…I have to admit I’m falling in love with Ant during these playoffs. He’s fun, plays hurt for his team, and doesn’t take himself too seriously. But most of all the dude can flat out ball.

Wemby’s elbow was clearly intentional and excessive. Youthful Coach Mitch Johnson needs to grow from this experience like Coach Mark had to grow up last season when Coach Mark had to overcome coaching gaffes in both the Denver and Indiana series.

As a coach you don’t go out there in your presser and whine about the physical play on your superstar. This is not complex. What Coach Johnson should have done was basically send the last guy on his bench out there and put Anthony Edwards down on the floor….HARD and with some malice intended.

I’m sure Perk over at ESPN agrees with me. This is why you have a tough guy or two on your roster. For OKC…I would say that guy will be either Lu or Kenrich when the time comes. I love Kenrich and I know Coach Mark hasn’t forgotten him during these eight awful games versus NBA substandard playoff opposition.

These are the NBA Playoffs and the physicality needs to ratched up like this in post season play. Kudos to Naz Reed for getting under Wemby’s skin and not getting called for the initial act of violence on Coach Johnson’s pampered superstar.

As a historian and student of the NBA….I’ll be interested to see if there is an act of retribution by the Spurs in Game 5 against Anthony Edwords. There should be as such if Coach Johnson wants to be taken seriously.

But even with the ejection it was a great basketball game as the four Spur guards were superb with Dylan Harper on my sheet being the No. 3 Star and Castle as my No. 2 Star. The difffrence was in the end…the Twloves had their closer and the Spurs did not. It’s a simple game. You white people… quit overthinking this all the time.

Game 5 tomorrow night in San Antonio. I’ll be in Greenwood Village, Colorado by game time and hope to be able to watch and archive the game for a later recap.

I finished the Dietrich Bonhoeffer book and like Bonhoeffer…Mike J enjoys certain hymn music after private prayer and meditation. Don’t ever underestimate the holistic power of music.

Have a wonderful, Monday.

And as always it should go in this order….faith, hope, and eternal love.

Mike J

I watched maybe six minutes total of the Thunder’s Game 3 win over the defenseless LA Lakers. The Lakers have no interior defense…period. This series should be wrapped up tomorrow. That in one paragraph is my take on this waste of time second round series.

I did watch the entire Detroit-Cleveland game. It was an excellent game which Cade Cunningham and his teammates gave away in the final six minutes. Cade had EIGHT turnovers and that simply will get you beat in playoff basketball.

I still believe Detroit has the best team in this series, but I’m skeptical they could beat the NY Knicks in a four out of seven series. But I do believe the Pistons and Cavs will continue to give us some nice entertainment in this second round matchup.

The Colorado-Minnesota hockey game?

I watched pretty much all of it and was very impressed by the Minnesota Wild as they easily beat the Avs 5-1 at home to win their first game of the series and close to 2-1 in the series.

Most casual hockey fans would probably tell you either Nathan McKinnon or Cale Makar were the two best players on the ice last night or in this series. I might differ and respond the best player on the ice last night was American defenseman Quinn Hughes.

Quinn is the brother of Jack who both starred on Team USA’s gold medal winning team. Jack had the game winner, while Quinn… pound for pound might just be one of the best players in the world currently.

When my son was younger playing hockey…I told him to pattern his game as a defenseman after Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins.

So fast forward… my six year-old grandson is now into finishing his second year of hockey in the USA Hockey youth program at the University of Denver, and like Quinn Hughes, he’s a lefty and already an offensive-minded defenseman.

Robert is much further along at six than his father… my son was. I shared this thought in private with Robert after the last practice I watched at the U of Denver facility. So since that conversation…I have been thinking to myself who I should tell Robert to start watching as in who I would pattern myself after at the NHL level.

Nathan McKinnon and Brock Nelson’s boys are both in Robert’s hockey group, but both are forwards… and Robert in no way will have Cole Makar’s size.

So I’m thinking to myself Quinn Hughes might be that guy. Quinn is the brother of Jack Hughes, and member of the gold medal winning Team USA. Because as a hockey player…Quinn Hughes has it all…AS IN ALL.

Colorado needs to pick it up in a significant way in Game 4 if they don’t want this series to be tied at 2-2 after Monday night.

Happy Mother’s Day to all.

Mike J

In reality, this is our only semi-final series in either conference so far which has produced any real competitive drama. It would appear OKC, the NY Knicks, possibly the Detroit Pistons depending on their Game 3 today in Cleveland, and San Antonio are Final Four bound.

Three young teams and the veteran Knicks, who btw did win the Emirates NBA Cup way back in Decemeber over the Spurs.

Was the Emirates Cup way back then giving us a clue as to the teams headed for the NBA Finals?

My concern for the Thunder right now is they have had such an easy path to the conference finals they haven’t been pushed at all to take their game to a higher level.

Quite the contrary with the Spurs…. who had to take a very hard look in the mirror after their Game 1 home loss to the gritty Minnesota TWolves.

Coach Mitch Johnson, Wemby, and De’Aaron Fox were very much under the glare of the bright lights for their shortcomings in Game 1. But all three since have been superb as the Spurs have won two straight and head into Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead.

Going into last night…Minnesota had previously won seven straight games at home versus the Spurs. But San Antonio came out of the gates with a 16-1 spurt to open the game and then held on in the fourth quarter with what I would describe as a historical glimpse of basketball from Wemby which might indeed be a look into the future of where NBA dominance is headed.

In the fourth period, Wemby scored 16 of his 39 points, and led his team in every imaginable manner. His line on the night read…39 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. His shooting lines were even more revealing…13-18 from the field, 3-5 beyond the arc, and 10-12 from the line.

It was a stunning exhibition against a good Minnesota team which prides itself on its defense and sense of overall hate towards the opposition. It was the singular moment so far in these playoffs which dwarfed Shai’s last two performances versus the Phoenix Suns, or what Cade did to close out the Orlando Magic.

Again…if I’m Sam Presti and the Thunder—I would be very much locked in on this opportunity for a repeat because with what we saw from Wemby last night just getting back to the NBA Finals might be a tough path with the Spurs standing in the way every season moving forward.

What I’m saying is…you could take all of those draft picks the Thunder still have stored away, and from what I’m seeing we’re just now witnessing what this guy is going to be capable of…kind of like an AI player of the future.

Chet, Isaiah…enjoy the rest of your Laker vacation because in front of you stands the present and the future.

As far as Anthony Edwards…he was courageous and excellent in this game. He gave himself up for his team. He threw the minutes restriction aside and played 40:33 on the night. He carried his team like a warrior. I was proud of him….Wemby was just better and more clutch.

AE had a 32 point, 14 rebound, and 6 assist night and it wasn’t enough.

Coach Chris Finch severely shortened his bench in Game 3 to eight players, actually seven when you consider Mike Conley only played 4 minutes in this game.

Again…there isn’t any blame here or finger to point. Wemby was just historically brilliant in what was a clutch moment we will all remember moving forward as passionate fans of the game which we love.

Game 4 in Minnesota is basically an elimination game for the TWolves. If the Spurs win this game…the series for all practical purposes is over. It will be interesting for me to see how Coach Finch allots his minutes given the rest period between games now shrinks from three days to two days of recovery.

In anotherwords…what will Anthony Edwards have left in his tank after Friday night and that 40:33 marker with a sore knee?

I’m not in the least excited about the Thunder-Laker today game and I’ll be covering the Detroit at Cleveland game for the blog in conjunction with the Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild Game 3 tonight.

Very cool prospect for me with the Avs given we’re headed back to Colorado this coming week as they’re two games away from punching their ticket to the Western Conference Finals. Denver may be a Bronco town first, but its very much a big-time hockey town as well. I can’t wait.

Have a beautiful Saturday as more storms are headed our way again this evening in Deer Creek.

Mike J