I actually watched about thirty minutes of this game tonight in Philly. It was of course the fourth loss in a row, but from the glass half full big picture take…I thought it was one of the best nights of the season for the Thunder and their future heading into next season.
I thought Poku was really good. I’m not just talking about stats. He didn’t play scared. He seems to have found himself a little as to what he can be as a player in the NBA.
I loved what he did out there. He didn’t stand in concrete like a pylon.
It was beautiful to watch. He ran the floor in transition with a joy for the game I haven’t seen from him in a game against a good team. Again…he didn’t play scared …as in scared of himself. There was an inner confidence in what he did out there. You could visualize what he could be as a hybrid forward moving into next season as a rotational piece for the Thunder.
I don’t even know if the term hybrid forward is used in the NBA vernacular, if not, I just created it. But what I saw out there was guy who could be a three or a four or even a five in small ball depending on the game situation.
It was like watching the clumsy ugly duckling transform into a swan.
The Thunder dropped to 17-38 which is good with twenty-seven games left, but this was big if Poku can incrementally build on this in the remaining games of the Big Tank Part Two.
Would I still trade him to Golden State if I could get Johhny Kuminga in return?
Sure, I would because I think Johnny Kuminga has a chance to be a transformational player if things go right for him in Oakland.
But this was one of those moments in the rebuild you might want to date and circle.
I don’t know what kind of music Poku likes, but I’m going to sleep with a smile on my face and a song on my heart. Good for Poku.
I wonder if the first thing he did with some of his contract money was buy one of those Urban Cowboy fake tough guy Ford pickup trucks like the frilly gringos do out here in Edmond. I can just see him bobbing his head to Blake Shelton with the windows down heading to the practice facility.
Bless his heart.