Another tough loss for the Thunder as without enough bullets in the gun beyond Lu Dort to win an NBA game on a neutral site in Tampa….they fell short in the final minutes to the Toronto Raptors.
Like the Detroit game…it was a game in which both teams were missing key players, but the game for the most part was competitive.
Kid Poku finally played through the general arm soreness and did some nice things as he usually does. But he also went 0-8 shooting threes and missed an ill advised three on one of the game’s biggest posessions under the four minute mark. His overall game is going to be okay if he can come to terms with what is a good shot versus a bad shot given time and score.
Cade vs. Jalen is the question for me at this point. But I don’t want to give up Lu Dort if that’s what is required to obtain Cade Cunningham. Cade is a few inches taller and probably more vesatile defensively as far as guarding multiple positions, while Jalen is 6’4″ and more flashy from an athletic point of view.
I look at it this way…either player would give the Thunder one of the most dynnamic three guard sets in the NBA moving forward and in essence Cade could be a point small forward at times if the Thunder lucked into him. Maledon would be a nice fourth guard coming off the bench with Poku. I actually like what Ty Jerome brings to the table as a fifth guard.
Both Cade and Jalen are guys who I think would fit chemistry wise with the other young players on the team.
I’m assuming Big Al Horford will be traded this summer…. but we’ll have to see. I would definitely keep both Mikey Muscala and Kenrich as my two intangible veterans. They both fill much needed gaps for these young guys.
I’m not sure what I think of Brown, Roby and Bradley at this point. I know the Thunder would need to be better with their bigs if they want to be more than just an entertaining young team. I’m not sure what I would do with Darius Bazely beyond keeping him as a 9th or 10th guy who injects some offensive energy when needed.
But to me…the Thunder with the addition of either Cade or Jalen would be a young team with some real potential in search of the right big to make Oklahoma City relevant heading into the future.
I also think the addition of either Cade or Jalen would inject some ticket sales viability into the city given what we’ve just witnessed this season in Oklahoma City.
So just get thru this last month of the season with no one getting seriously injured is my take right now.
Cade or Jalen is a winner for Oklahoma City either way.
As far as Coach D…. he’s fine at this point. A very tough situation for a young coach head coach, but to his credit he hasn’t lost his mind.