This is last year’s Thunder preseason press conference when the abbreviated NBA season got off to a delayed start. The schedule was cut to 72 games and the Thunder had a problem in they had Big Al Horford and George Hill on their roster on opening day.
The Thunder eventually shed those two vets and then benched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enroute to a 2-23 finish and an overall record of 22-50.
The youngsters who finished the season in Oklahoma City did play hard to their credit amidst the tank and even to the detriment of the tank itself won late season games against Boston and the LA Clippers which they shouldn’t have won.
So forgive me for not posting the press conference Sam Presti just gave prior to this edition of the Thunder playing NBA basketball in Oklahoma.
I’ll paraphrase. The tank is still very much in place in Oklahoma City. Last time I checked Vegas had OKC’s 2021-22 win total at 22.5 games in an eighty-two game schedule.
The best player on the team will be Shai-Gilegous Alexander who along with Devin Booker was on the selection bubble prior to last season’s NBA All-Star Game. The Thunder also have Lu Dort and Mike Muscala back in the mix. I like both of those guys.
After that the Thunder have second year pro Kid Poku who skipped the Summer League so he could work on his body shaping with Little Nick Gallo, Royce Young, and I’m to assume Nick Collison. Can’t wait to see Hulk Poku in the flesh.
Then there’s Australian teenager Josh Giddy who was the 6th player taken in the draft by the Thunder. From what I’ve read on the Daily Thunder messageboard ( which banned me for life) this is better than having Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, Jon Kuminga, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, or Giannis.
The rest of the roster will be more young guys showing what it takes to be a Thunder team honor member three years from now when Clay Bennett and Sam Presti will be resuming legitimate NBA games being played in Oklahoma or somewhere else.
Wouldn’t it be karma if the Thunder ended back up in Seattle when the luster has worn off that city’s new NHL team the Krakens?
This is why I’m more than okay with OU staying in the Big 12 for the next two or three years. Reason being…I’ll have the best college basketball conference in America playing its games in two venues less than an hour from my home.
I’ve been an avid NBA fan since I was maybe eight years of age and grew up adoring Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer and the Sixers. Then Dr. J and Mo Cheeks. Then the whole league itself as David Stern grew the NBA brand.
I’ll be fine we won’t have NBA basketball in Oklahoma City on a legit competitive basis. I have eight or so teams on my watch list for the coming NBA season…how sad the Thunder in Oklahoma view tanking as their only path to sustainability.
Note to Sam Presti…the Milwaukee Bucks who just won the O’Brien Trophy did this with a 15th pick in Giannis, a 17th pick in Jrue Holiday, and a second round pick in Khris Middleton.
You could even go on to say the Phoenix Suns were aimlessly tanking for around a decade before you saved them from themselves by trading Chris Paul to the Valley of the Sun.
So really… no one in Oklahoma really knows how long the Thunder will be tanking, but we do know it will be a long process.
The end.