Of course the Thunder lost again to drop to 13-23 with only forty-six games remaining in this NBA season, but the glass half full take is Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double.
The Thunder are now tied with New Orleans as the fourth worst team in the league and very much in the hunt for Paulo Banchero if they decide to shut Shai down after the All-Star break.
I would say on my hypothetical ballot Giddey is right now my pick as Rookie of the Year. And while I don’t know if Shai can make the All-Star team playing on a team which has tanked shamelessly two seasons in a row…in my book he’s an All-Star hybrid guard.
Lu Dort is a solid workmanlike two way wing player and of course you have the three functional vets in Kenrich, Mike Muscala, and Derrick Favors.
If I were going to round out my Top 11 Thunder rotational players as of tonight …I’d go this way. 7 Aaron Wiggins, 8 Darius Bazely, 9 Poku, 10 Tre Mann, and 11 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. From there I would go…12 Ty Jerome, 13 Isaiah Roby, 14 Theo Maledon , and 15 Gabriel Deck if he’s still on the the team.
If you add a bonafide difference maker like Banchero you could have something in the works in Oklahoma City if the team isn’t moved to Las Vegas to double their Forbes valuation in less than five years.
What I’m saying is you can start to see some light at the end of the tunnel if the Thunder could catch a break in this summer’s NBA draft.
Of course…I’m not watching all that much of this tanking bullshit. But I am watching enough to keep track of how these young guys are progressing. Hinkie-Presti actually did a solid job with last summer’s draft.
It still baffles me these Thunder fans are cheering at the end when the team needs to be losing.
I originally had the Thunder to go 22-60. So for that to happen Shai needs to be shut sometime soon and the team needs to finish 9-37 coming down the stretch.-I hate tanking, but if you’re going to do it…then do it right.
If you bench Shai with some murky ailment like last season…that’s very doable.
OU at Baylor next as the gritty Sooners handled Kansas State with three rotational players in protocol on Saturday in Norman. Another helmet sticker game for EJ Harkless.
I’m ready to resume my OU basketball beat in rugged Big 12 play. OU is at 12-2…I think they get in with 18 wins given their strength of schedule. Baylor hasn’t lost since the Big 12 Championship Game against Cade Cunningham and has won 19 games in a row. Hopefully…those three guys can play in Waco this week vs. the No. 1 ranked Bears.
That’s my Thunder glass half-full take on January 3, 2022.
Josh Giddey, nice game, buddy.