Whoa. I watched both games of the TNT doubleheader and came to some immediate conclusions about the upcoming NBA season.
- I can’t adopt the Golden State Warriors if Klay is going to miss the entire season. I’m too old to waste a season adopting a team which is in almost as much chaos as the Oklahoma City Thunder. I agree with Charles Barkley that these Warriors without Klay are in very deep shit and could very well miss the playoffs. The Warriors’ bench is almost as bad as the Thunders’ bench. I can’t believe I just wrote this.
- I might change my adoptive team to the New Orleans Pelicans depending on what I see from them tonight at home versus Dallas. Even without Zion for awhile they could be vastly improved with Reddick, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Hart. I’ve always loved Holiday so this is probably why I’m going to make this change. Plus, this way—no one can say I took the easy path and aligned with what used to be a front runner.
- I watched the entire Milwaukee at Houston game and I think I have Houston just about right as the No. 5 seed in the West. I just don’t see how this is going to work in Houston with Westbrook and Harden. If anything…it will probably hurt the production of Eric Gordon. Don’t get me wrong—they’ll be incredibly entertaining to watch. Maybe the league’s most entertaining team as far as pace and the jacking of threes. If Kenny Smith wants to pick them to win the championship that’s fine. Good luck with that, buddy.
Since I’m not in the Daily Thunder Western Bracket Contest and am only doing this for fun—I will at this point exercise a one-time mulligan to the middle five of my bracket sheet because I was lead to believe Klay was going to be back in late January.
One thru five I’m staying pat. Twelve thru fifteen I’m staying pat. But because of Klay not playing this season the middle of my bracket must be redone so as I have some interest in this upcoming NBA season. Older guys who are nice to dogs and hate Donald Trump are allowed to do this.
My new mulliganized bracket now reads:
- Denver Nuggets
- LA Clippers
- LA Lakers
- Utah Jazz
- Houston Rockets
- San Antonio Spurs
- Portland Trailblazers
- Golden State Warriors
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
- Memphis Grizzlies
As Thunder fans we should take solace the Golden State Warriors are one Steph Curry serious injury away from pretty much being in the same boat as the OKC Thunder. It is truly amazing how fast things can change in the NBA with the movement of players and a key injury here or there.
Let’s get to know Anibal Sanchez a little better for anticipation of Game 3 tonight in Washington D.C.. It’s sad when the Thunder will be third on my remote flat screen rotation…. 1 Game 3-World Series, 2 Dallas vs. Pelicans, 3 Scott Brooks vs Billy Donovan. Sigh. Note to Sam Presti—hire Bill Self if you must have a college coach. He might be available.