Some interesting games in the NBA Playoffs tonight.
The Atlanta Hawks with a former Thunder player in Danilo Gallanari won at home to to take a 2-1 series lead over the NY Knicks who also have a former Thunder in Nerlens Noel. Pretty good series to watch. Trae Young is obviously proving he can be an impact player in this league.
The LA Clippers with three former Thunder players in Paul George, Serge Ibaka, and Patrick Patterson pulled themselves together and beat Luka Doncic to close within 2-1 in that series.
These former Thunder players are everywhere in these NBA Playoffs except Oklahoma it seems.
Then there was Jayson Tatum going off for fifty points as the Brooklyn Nets without Jeff Green in this game looked very vunerable defensively as the Celtics notched a win.
All three of these series now at 2-1.
Worse team by far in these NBA Playoffs so far the Miami Heat without a doubt. I wonder if this would mean Sam Presti could now pry Tyler Herro away from the Heat on the cheap given their implosion.
Best off season under the radar move this past off-season or at the trade deadline which made a team a legit contender?
Harden and Kyrie don’t qualify as under the radar…so neither one of them. Not Chris Paul in Phoenix because they’re not a legit contender.
If the Portland Trailblazers weren’t so horrible defensively maybe Norman Powell could have emerged in this category.
So far I would have to go with Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee. He seems to fill the right gaps for the Bucks.
For the second straight game the Miami Heat were not a watchable basketball team. It was hideous to view, but this time it was at home and it was a game in which you would have expected some passion and desperation by the defending champs of the Eastern Conference.
There was none of that and as a result the Milwaukee Bucks are on the cusp of sweeping the Miami Heat in a series in which most thought would be quality NBA post season viewing.
It wasn’t just one player or one thing for the Heat. They were brutal from the top of the roster to the bottom. They couldn’t defend, they couldn’t rebound, and couldn’t make open shots.
The Miami Heat some are saying were Bubble Frauds last season.
I’m not sure if that’s fair, but the Heat basically have rolled over these last two games and not shown any professional pride in their craft.
But on the flip side…let’s give the Bucks some credit—they made their team better by adding Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker, and Bobby Portis.
All three of these guys make the Bucks a tougher, smarter, and better basketball team.
It would appear we are headed for a Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks conference semi-final in the East.
It can’t get here soon enough for NBA fans because the Miami Heat are not watchable at the present time for whatever internal reason it may be.
The dark skies above Deer Creek have opened and copious rainfall in duplicate layers is descending upon us. It is truly amazing. Almost hypnotic.
I now know why Gary England was held captive by his mistress…the Oklahoma weather.
I have a Honda water pump if it ever come to that, but even though we live realtively close to Deer Creek…we’ve never had an issue with the rains in seventeen years.
The Honda pump is amzing though. State of the art. Stunning in its ability to move water in a rapid period of time.
If my neighbor to the north doesn’t get his act together…I may divert some water his way at some point. You wear that MAGA cap around Mike and at some point karma might come in play I’ve tried to tell him in a nuanced manner several times. He knows what that MAGA cap does to me and yet he taunts me with the cap.
This is when you almost wish you were Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel and getting paid for standing in the rain with the wind blowing you over on live cable television.
Pauli doesn’t even go outside in light showers so she’s not moving. She’s clearly not a Weather Dog.
I’m out on the back patio looking into the forest as the rain obliterates the tree line.
These storms are beautiful.
I was just kidding about diverting water on my neighbor with the MAGA ball cap because Miguel had an epiphany at the Wal Mart Auto Center last week and no longer thinks like that. Instead…I’ll pray for him.
Storms are rolling this afternoon in Oklahoma. God bless…Gary England—I miss him.
I think I’ll feature the Lakers-Suns tonight and see how Devin Booker and Cam Payne play on the road in Game 3.
It’s relaxing to watch the storms and drink a few Coors Lights and participate in some Trumplican domestic terrorism karaoke.
We escaped the first storm hook in Deer Creek. So far so good.
Be safe and stay off the roads tonight in Oklahoma.
What they could do is have a Trumplican Bachlorette with Trump cash flowing this on Fox with Tucker Carlson hosting. There would be the overnight dates with both Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy doing whatever it took to win.
You would think the Fox viewership would explode off the charts.
It was a great night for the AAA program in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night in NBA Playoff action.
The tenacles of the best G League program in the history of the league were never more apparent than on Tuesday night.
In Brooklyn…Thunder lottery picks Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jeff Green are now the core of the team most are picking to win in the East and advance. The Nets are now up 2-0 on the biggest underacheiver in the league in the Brad Stevens’ Celtics.
If this is sustainability—then I’m not sure the average season ticket holder in Oklahoma City fully understood this when the team was moved from Seattle to Oklahoma.
Even in Green Bay….the Packers were able to keep Aaron Rodgers until their own head coach was so stupid he kicked a field goal and took the ball out of Aaron’s hands and allowed Tom Brady to run out the clock in what was probably Aaron’s last game as a Packer.
In the West…former Thunder star Sixth Man Dennis Schroder was superb as he fueled the Lakers to a 99-92 win over the upstart Phoenix Suns.
Of course…we all love former Thunder point guard Chris Paul who almost rented the house across the street from me when he played for New Orleans here in Oklahoma. But who would have thought former Thunder lottery pick Cam Payne would have been the best player on the floor with guys like LeBron, AD, CP3, and Devin Booker on the same court.
I mean… who would have dreamed Dennis Schroder and Cameron Payne would have been the brightest youngest stars on the floor with the Lakers taking on the Suns in a critical Game 2.
Well—we know this…not Sam Presti and his basketball people on staff. We also know this won’t be a hot topic discussion point for either Little Nick Gallo or Royce Young on their blogs…because they’re not allowed to write like this. Writing like this isn’t part of that deal.
So..while the 22-50 Thunder sit idle dreaming if they can trade away the rights to Cade Cunningham and land an obscure white Euro to go along with Kid Poku… it was a good night in Oklahoma to watch how far the kids have gone from the greatest G League program to becoming stars in the NBA.
So… on the day I went back to the Pike Pass ofice and somewhat groveled to get my Pike Pass back from the State of Oklahoma…that same day was when I met the man who told me one-hundred million people would die from the Covid vaccinations.
Now as I wrote last week…there’s not a doubt in my mind this gentleman is a regular viewer of Tucker Carlson.
But I didn’t say a word to him in English after he said this.
Instead, I smiled politlely and merely said, “No habla English, amigo.”
What I didn’t write last week on my blog was that immediately after I said this to the man in Spanish with a warm smile on my face was this Peter Gabriel song which I love… came on the sound system in a Wal Mart Auto Center.
I’ve been thinking about this for a week now.
That song coming on the sound system in a place like a Wal-Mart Auto Center in Oklahoma cannot be a coincidence.
This cannot be some happenstance accident. This was not serendipitous.
This game was basically over in the first period as Miami offered little resistance to the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks. By the time Tyler Herro actually entered the game the Heat were down by twenty points.
Jimmy Butler is really struggling so far in this series. He scored 10 points in thirty-two minutes of play and went -34. In the two games combined…Jimmy Butler is 9-32 from the field.
This was just an awful basketball game. Miami has no chance with Jimmy Butler playing at this level.
Goran Dragic and Dwayne Dedmon were okay, but that’s not enough.
The series now goes back to Miami and the Heat are in a situation where if they don’t win Game 3 you would think their chances are pretty much nil.
Credit to the Bucks though…they got on top of the Heat in this game and buried them.
Unlike last season though in the bubble…there is a home court advantage. So…if you’re a Heat optimist you say they haven’t lost a game at home so far in this series.
On a sadder note for me…I just read a release from Golden State GM Bob Myer and he said there’s no way Klay will be ready when next season begins.
It should be a great NBA playoff doubleheader tonight with Miami at Milwaukee in the first game, then Portland at Denver in the late game.
I have both Miami and Portland as my darkhorse picks in the East and West despite both being No. 6 seeds.
Why?
Because both teams have a talented, deep rotation of guards.
Portland won at Denver in Game 1 somewhat easily, while the Heat lost at Milwaukee on a late shot at the end by Kris Middleton.
I thought all four of Portland’s guards played pretty well. Those being Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, and Anfernee Simons. I love the additions of both Norman Powell and Anfernee Simons to Portland’s team.
Its their frontcourt with Portland which needs to hang tough with Jusuf Nurkic, Carmelo Anthony, Robert Covington, and Enes Kanter. I worry about their interior defense, but not their guard play.
Portland already has the road split, if they can win tonight—they would look to be in pretty good shape in this series. I don’t see how Denver will matchup defensively with Portland.
In the first game…it’s pretty simple for the Heat…Jimmy Butler needs to play better. Your stars have to play like stars at this time of the year.
Some great games yesterday…especially the Atlanta thiller over the NY Knicks and the Memphis Grizz win over the Jazz without Donovan Mitchell.
Before I get started on what will be Sam Presti Week on my blog… I have to give a shout out to Atlanta coach Nate McMillan. One could very well make the statement he should be in the conversation for Coach of the Year. Since he took over in early March the Hawks have been one of the better teams in the league and former Sooner Trae Young has been percolating.
As I watched this game it made me remember how last season I literally begged Sam Presti on my blog to trade Chris Paul for either Tyler Herro or RJ Barrett. Of course…Tyler helped get the Heat to the Finals last season and RJ is blossoming into a star in New York.
RJ would have been a great fit for the Thunder being he’s Canadian like Shai and Lu Dort. Maybe these three Canadians kids would have bonded was my thought and been the trifecta moving forward in Oklahoma City was as well part of what I was thinking. But no…we have a starving emaciated Kid Poku instead from Serbia. Also…with the three Canadian kids their skill sets don’t overlap per se. They would have given us three uniquely talented young guys. We should have actually tanked last year truth be known. We could have thrown Gallanari into the trade as well.
The Milwaukee Bucks got Giannnis back in the day as the 15th pick in his draft class. Kawhi Leonard was the 15th pick in his class. Jrue Holiday was the 17th pick in his class….just like Kid Poku was last summer.
My point? There is and has been excellent value beneath the top ten picks in the NBA’s draft if you have the right basketball people with you in the room.
Quite frankly—you and your people had it completely wrong back in the days of Kevin Durant. Your people built a team to beat Andrew Bynum and the Lakers instead of a team which could beat Steph and Klay. Clay Bennett and that tea sipper ownership group you work for might not notice such things… but a grinder from John Marshall knows exactly how much you missed the mark.
Kyle Singler, Josh Huestis, and Alex Abrines…really?
Since it’s become obvious to me Berry Tramel, Royce Young, or even Jenni Carlson are never going to ask you a tough question… I feel the need for having a Sam Presti Week on my blog….kind of like Shark Week.
Nothing personal….you just need to be better evaluating talent beyond what a player’s length is.
Can a player shoot? Can he think and read and react? Does he have vision? Is he coachable? Will his game evolve because of his work ethic? Should we have really ever put shooting guards around Kevin Durant who couldn’t shoot?
LeBron is almost done and AD without LeBron won’t be that much of a deal…so what we need to be doing in OKC with all this draft capital currency is making sure we’re the next ‘it ‘ team in the NBA. Sometimes you have to be ruthless. It’s a ruthless league. If we have to steal a player like Jerry West stole from you…then so be it.
‘We’ have thirty-four combined first and second round picks in the next six years. Let’s make sure we get the maximum juice from the pulp.
I hope you take this the right way because I’m pretty sure we both want Oklahoma City to win a championship.
Saw this tweet and I want to put it on my blog. Klay is my favorite player in the NBA. He wasn’t a top six pick in his draft class.He was the eleventh player taken in his draft class from sleepy Washington State of all places.
When Jerry West was the guru for the process in Golden State which built three championship teams… he once said, “If you trade Klay Thompson..I’m quitting tomorrow.”
Steph may be the star, but Klay is the soul of the team.
A pristine three point shooter who got better off the dribble as his career progressed and a bulldog of a defender.
Klay hasn’t played since the NBA Finals vs. the Toronto Raptors in 2019. A knee injury followed by an Achilles injury. I’m hoping for the best for Klay. The league needs players like Klay to promote the sport.
Klay’s tweet after the loss to Memphis:
‘ I’ve got to watch a lot of hoops the last 2 years, and figured out quick it’s not my specialty. While our season comes to an end, mines just getting started and I’ve never been hungrier. I TRULY BELIEVE my best ball lies ahead of me, We ain’t done I promise you that.’
Klay Thompson…11th pick in his class, Kawhi Leonard 15th pick in his draft class, Devin Booker 13th player taken in his class, Donovan Mitchell the 13th player taken in his class, SGA the 11th pick of his class…and so on.
Sam Presti… you don’t need to tank next year. You merely need to use ‘some’ of your draft capital this summer and come away with another star combo guard to go along with SGA.
There are three guys at least who could fill this void…Cade, Jalen Suggs, or Davion Mitchell. For gods sake as GM of the Thunder you reside in a state which borders the best basketball high school talent in the country in Texas.
If we get the the Houston pick…even better. That’s gravy.
Enough of the bullshit talk about tanking again next season.
You proved following the 2012 NBA Finals appearance you couldn’t deal with three stars on a team by the Harden trade. So stop with the talk about tanking next season. You and your scouting staff do your job.
Tank to do what? Trade another star player to another team in the West.
Let’s go. Get with it.
This isn’t the Daily Thunder where you send them suggestions on the daily content. An honest word is written here occasionally.
Maybe someone else should be involved with the Thunder drafting process. Any blind fool would have taken Kevin Durant after Portland foolishly took Greg Oden back in the day. Here’s what I’m saying… Sam Presti without Kevin Durant has done very little except shuffle players around the league.
Not one single Thunder team since Durant has won one single first round playoff series. He could grow a mullet at this point and challenge Mike Gundy for Mullet King irrelevance at this point.
With thirty-four combined first and second round picks bewteen now and 2027—I find it odd we as Thunder fans couldn’t get something like Klay’s tweet instead of the ominous warning another season of tanking is ahead for the Thunder.