OU hosts Steve Henson’s UTSA ball club tonight in Norman with each team entering the game at 1-0.
The Sooners in their opening win over Northwestern State looked decent in their first game considering it was just their second outing together as a team. It was the first win of the Porter Moser Era in Norman and tonight the Sooners will be looking to improve their record to 2-0 on the young season.
My three stars were 1 Jalen Hill, 2 Jordan Goldwire, and 3 Tanner Groves.
Jalen had the best game of his college career, but the leader of the team will unquestionably be Duke transfer point guard Jordan Goldwire. Jordan’s defense, transition baskets, and playmaking will be critical as the Sooners attempt to make the NCAA Tournament in Coach Moser’s first season in Norman.
As Jordan goes…the guys around him will need to be able to make the wide open shots he’ll create for them.
EJ Harkless needs to relax, take a deep breath, and realize how many good shots he’s going to get just playing off of Jordan’s unselfish play. As in allowing Jordan’s play to meld into him getting wide open looks. Both EJ Harkless and Jacob Groves need to find their shots in this game as after tonight the schedule for OU picks up substantially.
Meanwhile in OKC’s Bricktown the 4-6 tanking Thunder host the 5-7 Sacramento Kings in a game pitting two teams who in my mind are fairly close to being the same type of ball clubs this NBA season. That being… two teams who won’t make the playoffs, but are probably too good to be tanking shamelessly.
Clearly… the OU game will be my first priority watch since they actually compete with the intent to win games, but both the Thunder and the Kings have entertaining players who if they played on legit NBA teams trying to win games instead of tanking would probably become NBA darlings from coast to coast.
I mean, from an entertainment standpoint basketball wise… Shai Gilgeous Alexander and former OU National Player of the Year Buddy Hield are fun to watch. But again when you calibrate the fact you don’t know if the Thunder are going to tank in the fourth period and lose intentionally it’s really kind of stupid paying to watch this bullshit.
When we got home from the Arkansas foilage trip the other night…I sat down and turned on the Thunder’s game versus New Orleans with the Thunder leading by nineteen points entering the final period..
That fourth period was some of the most horrific NBA basketball I’ve ever observed by two purported NBA teams in the same quarter of play.
As if each team was challenging the other to be worse and lose the game. Some of the play by Shai was laughable. He’s too good of a player to be wasting his carrer with this nonsense. It will at some point if not already diminish or thwart his potential as a player. Much like some of the nonsense Russell Westbrook was allowed to do in Oklahoma City ruined his overall game.
I don’t need that bullshit. I’m too old for that bullshit. Besides I’ve adopted Golden State, Miami, and the sneaky Memphis Grizzlies as my three adopted NBA teams this season.
Plus, I’ve got Porter Moser’s ball club to watch…in as much as it appears they’re trying to get better and acheive some team goals other than losing games by design.
BOOMER!