Even with Kyle Korver the Cavs are a horrible basketball team, without him they’re borderline unwatchable. So with Kyle Korver being traded to the Utah Jazz there really wasn’t much to watch as I now can stop wasting my time wondering if Sam Presti would somehow acquire Korver for his three point shooting challenged Thunder.
The Thunder shot 22% from threes in this game but it didn’t matter because arguably the Cavs and the Phoenix Suns are the two worst teams in the NBA currently. In case you haven’t noticed five of OKC’s thirteen wins so far this season come against these two horrible basketball teams. Otherwise, OKC is 8-7 for the season with one of the easiest opening twenty games of any NBA schedules this season.
I’m ready to see OKC start playing good teams. I’m bored. But to OKC’s credit they are 2-2 against the Clippers and the soap opera Warriors. The West is an absolute mess right now so in reality the Thunder being 13-7 and the No. 4 seed is one of the few signs of normalcy in the conference. I’m not sure what to make of the West as Houston even without Carmelo is currently at No. 14. The Rockets shouldn’t be this bad without Carmelo. LeBron and his Lakers are about what I thought they would be. So we’ll see.
Russell Westbrook notched his 107th triple double in this game tying Jason Kidd for third on the list of career triple doublers. I’m almost certain Nick Gallo won’t be able to sleep tonight and will be all amped up wearing his Russell Westbrook footie jammies. Games like this bore me. Actually, the 15 minutes played by sub Deonte Burton were to me the most compelling minutes of the game with Diallo still out with an injured ankle. Burton is interesting. He has a unique body type for the Thunder. Fragile Alex finally returned and promptly went 1-8 shooting threes. Equally frilly Terrance Ferguson is still hurt. My first observation twenty games in is that Sam Presti may not be able to depend on either of these two guys as the season moves along. Maybe Donovan should roll with Diallo, Roberson, and Burton and at least get some athletic toughness from the shooting guard position.
The Korver trade was the one I was hoping Presti would make….Abrines and Ferguson for Kyle Korver. But it didn’t happen and now Korver gives the Jazz another nice piece as they need to get their season untracked as well. Four teams need to get untracked league wise…the Celtics, the Rockets, the Jazz, and the Spurs.
OKC plays another bad team on Friday with a game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Peake then their season finally starts getting interesting with a game against the Pistons. From that point forward we should start finding out a little more about this Thunder. But really, they appear to me to be what I thought they would be…. a fourth place team which will probably have trouble getting out of the first round in the West unless they shore up their three point shooting woes.
I’m ready to see some basketball after the college football playoff is set. I wonder if Deonte Burton could play safety for Lincoln Riley. Just a random thought. OU regent Clay Bennett should check into that for the Sooners.