The loveable Oklahoma City Thunder lost their third straight game since their semi historic win in Portland not that long ago. So much for that win being any type of a harbinger of change as per the Thunder’s chances of doing anything special this season. We should have known better. The Baker Mayfield Cleveland Browns have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl than the Thunder do of ever winning an NBA championship in the next four years. Don’t write that off as crazy talk regardless of what you think about Browns ownership.
Last night’s thrilling double overtime loss marks the halfway point in the NBA season. The Thunder finish the first half of the season at 25-16. Given the toughness of the second half schedule for the Thunder it would appear another 44-47 win season is on the horizon in spite of all the feel good jibe in regards to what Sam Presti did this off season with the roster. If this team goes anything much beyond 22-19 in the back half I’ll be pleasantly surprised. And for the second straight year the Thunder will probably top the list of NBA underachievers in line with payroll and luxury tax implications.
Nick Gallo and Royce Young will spin it otherwise, but it is what it is unless you live in some house where the master bedroom is wallpapered in Thunder logos and you drink your orange juice out of a Rumble sippy cup.
How this could happen two years in a row even after the departure of Carmelo Anthony is either really bad luck or an indictment of Russell Westbrook. Or perhaps an indication Sam Presti and Billy Donovan as a team isn’t exactly like pairing Greg Popovich with R.C. Buford.
I’ll say this for Thunder ownership–they are extremely supportive of the franchise and their patience with the Billy Donovan experiment is admirable. I just don’t think you win a ring with Ward Cleaver being your coach. But that’s just me.
Again, if they’re not gonna sweat any of this…why should anyone else?
I mean, all things considered it’s still better than not having a team. But, I mean, if 45 wins and a first round exit is the ‘sustainable barrier’ then you’d think they could do this spending far less money and taking that freed capital to build an aqua marine park in Bricktown per MAPS 6. I’d love to be the person in charge with naming the dolphins if it ever comes to that. Since I met OKC mayor David Holt on a flight back from Denver…I might drop him a note on all of this. I know his kids would love the dolphins and seals. Then I’d have three Bricktown options in this order…1 Dodger games, 2 the dolphins, and 3 the underachieving yet lovable NBA team. Color me MAPS.
I’d name my three star dolphins Wild Thing, Cupcake II, and Harden. Hopefully, Wild Thing would occasionally allow Cupcake to eat some of the fish rewards offered by the handlers. Harden will take care of himself.
But enough of that.
LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 56 points on this Thunder team which we were led to believe was the second coming of Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV teams which won back to backs in the day. I don’t think so. Because in the end as I’ve written on here before you can’t play the Phoenix Suns eighty-two times in one NBA season.
I watched this game while I was reading another Gary Pomerantz book. This one is ‘Wilt’ which chronicles the life of Wilt Chamberlain and his historic 100 point game in 1962 in a game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania. What a great book! Pomerantz is one helluva writer. How fitting I was reading this as LaMarcus Aldridge was dropping 56 points on the Thunder. It wasn’t Wilt like, but maybe more in line with something Elgin Baylor might have done.
On a positive note…Nerlen Noels didn’t hurt his neck or spine in that horrific fall against the T Wolves the other night. Given the defense I witnessed on Thursday night when the Thunder allowed the Spurs to shoot over 80% from beyond the arc Nerlen needs to get back as soon as possible.
Popovich has to be smiling to himself. He lost Kawhi. He lost his young point guard Murray to injury and his team still hung 156 points on a team with the highest payroll in the league.
And that’s how I’ll close this.
The Thunder host the Spurs on Saturday inside the Peake.