Welcome to OKCThunderGround!

Season started last night so I’m a day late. But here’s how Vegas sees the Western Conference with the Thunder getting their season underway tonight. I’ve beaten Vegas in the West nine out of the last ten years with the exception being the LeBron groin injury season which screwed up my entire bracket. It happens.

Let’s go. This will be tougher factoring in COVID-19 considerations throughout the season. This will be challenging no doubt.

1 Vegas LA Lakers Me LA Lakers

2 Vegas Denver Me Denver Nuggets

3 Vegas LA Clippers Me LA Clippers

4 Vegas Dallas Mavs Me Dallas Mavs

5 Vegas Utah Jazz Me Portland Trailblazers

6 Vegas Portland Trailblazers Me Utah Jazz

7 Vegas Phoenix Suns Me New Orleans Pelicans

8 Vegas Golden State Me Phoenix Suns

9 Vegas New Orleans Me Golden State

10 Vegas Houston Me Memphis Grizzlies

11 Vegas Memphis Me Houston

12 Vegas San Antonio Me San Antonio

13 Vegas Sacramento Me Minnesota

14 Vegas Minnesota Me Oklahoma City

15 Vegas OKC Me Sacramento

Bottom six teams are really tough this time around.

Hawaiian Christmas Song (Mele Kalikimaka) – Bing Crosby – YouTube

I getting ready to do some serious XMas music binge posting these next seventy-two hours. I may put some antlers on Pauli to create a more intense Christmas effect.

Be kind, be safe, and pray for the Trump voters in the food lines who are about to become evicted from their homes. Dave Chappelle knows what I’m trying to say, but I’m not going to write it on my blog.

Like Michelle Obama… I’ll go high and stay there because it’s Christmas.

Peace.

It’s all about finding our inner peace and trying to help people who need our love.

This will be fun as we now see the opening day roster for the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder as they embark upon getting a top five player from the NBA draft this summer. Plus, if I have all these first round draft picks OKC has coming their way one of the Houston picks which is only protected 1-4 is OKC’s this summer as well.

In all Oklahoma City has 18 first round picks stockpiled thru 2027, but with assets like Al Horford and Trevor Ariza still listed on OKC’s roster—the mountain of first round picks could get even higher.

Let’s put Trevor Ariza in what I’ll call asset escrow for right now before I list the rest of the roster.

Guard position…SGA, George Hill, Lu Dort, Theo Maledon, Hamidou Diallo, Ty Jerome–as ranked by me.

Forward position… Darius Bazely, Mike Muscala, Justin Jackson, Isiah Roby, Darius Miller, Kenrich Williams, Josh Hall (Ariza escrow) as ranked by me.

Center position… Al Horford, Aleksej Pokusevski aka as The Siberian Express, Moses Brown as ranked by me.

Let’s assume Trevor Ariza doesn’t play. Who are my top eleven players tomorrow night in Houston which itself could be tanking at some point this season?

My top eleven would be in this order… SGA, Al Horford, George Hill, Theo Maledon, Darius Bazely, Lu Dort, Siberian Express, Mike Muscala, Hamidou Diallo, Justin Jackson, Isiah Roby.

SGA, Lu Dort, George Hill, Big Al Horford, and Darius Bazely are my starting five.

Theo Maledon is my sixth man. I actually like Theo Maledon. He could be a nice player.

The Siberian Express is my project for the time being….which means he get twenty plus minutes a game no matter how many times he throws the ball away or clanks iron or looks like he should be in the G League. Remember–those turnovers will turn into Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, BJ Boston or Jalen Suggs at some point. Glass half full… plus Siberian Express might turn into something as a player himself two to three years from now when he has a more mature body.

Mike Muscala would get extensive minutes to maximize his three point shooting skills. If you’re going to lose big at least have some fun with your better shooters.

Then I’d use Diallo, Jackson, and Roby as minute fillers depending on the night and the opponent and the need to make sure and lose the game in the last eight minutes.

If I were coaching these guys and wanted to have some fun going 10-62 this is how I would do it.

Kane Brown – Heaven (Official Music Video) – YouTube

This isn’t really a Christmas song per se, but I’m putting it on here because the song calms me and it’ll get me more in a Christmas state of mind. I love this song. Tough one to karoke for me though.

Heaven – Kane Brown (LYRICS + KARAOKE) – YouTube

The Turning Point of the 2019 World Series (Nationals’ Howie Kendrick’s huge home run) – YouTube

I usually would never put something baseball related on my blog this time of year, but Howie Kendrick announced today he’s retiring from baseball after a glorious fifteen year career.

Howie in his fifteen year MLB career played for the Angels, the Phillies, the LA Dodgers, and of course the Washington Nationals where he closed out his career in dream-like fashion by leading the Nationals to the World Series championship and in the process winning the MVP.

Above is the video of Howie hitting his Series changing homer against the cheating Houston Astros.

What a magical post season Howie and the Washington Nats gave all of us in 2019.

I would say this home run and the one Joe Carter hit off Mitch ‘Wild Thing” Williams are my two favorite World Series home runs of all-time.

JOE CARTER 1993 Home Run with the call by Tom Cheek – YouTube

Howie Kendrick…thank you for the ride in 2019. Enjoy spending time with your family.

OU should be good with how their season has headed considering it was always going to be a rebuild transition season of sorts. OU will be headed to friendly AT&T Stadium as the home team in what potentially could be the best bowl matchup of the season minus Alabama vs. Clemson.

No Kennedy Brooks, no Trey Sermon, no Rhamondre Stevenson to start the season. No Ronnie Perkins, no Jalen Redmon, no Caleb Kelly to start the season. A defensive secondary still getting burned deep after the loss in Ames to get out to an 0-2 Big 12 start.

Throw into the mix a redshirt freshman starting at quarterback who didn’t get the benefit of a normal spring season due to COVID-19 and this was by far Lincoln Riley’s best coaching job in Norman.

I look back to the sitting of Spencer Rattler in the Red River Shootout as a turning point of sorts. The season could have gone to hell right there and then, but instead it was born in those four glorious overtimes when Spencer Rattler grew up as a college quarterback.

The moment for me was when Spencer Rattler hit Austin Stogner with a perfect pass through a very tight window at the Texas goaline to just get OU to the second overtime. To live for three more possessions.

If OU had lost that game to start 0-3 in Big 12… we wouldn’t be talking or thinking about the end of this season vs. Florida and what could be ahead for the Sooners next football season.

But to Lincoln Riley’s credit he didn’t panic. He didn’t throw his defense under a bus. He said in his heart they were getting better and would get better.

When Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson came back OU was a different team. They had a power back who could sustain a running game and a pit bull defensive end who was to this OU team what Von Miller is to the Denver Broncos when healthy.

Somebody please tell Spencer Sanders and Mike Gundy it’s okay to come out. You don’t have to hide anymore. Ronnie Perkins isn’t going to hurt you. We promise. Little Perk won’t bite.

OU’s defense with Ronnie Perkins is a different animal. His teammates feed off of him–on both sides of the ball. Lincoln Riley feeds off of him as a coach because he knows for the first time in his coaching career at OU his offense doesn’t have to score 45 points a game to win games.

This OU team with a healthy Austin Stogner couldn’t beat Alabama or Clemson, but they could certainly beat Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M on any given Saturday.

Same with Florida. To me Florida is the most goofy team in the country. Lots of talent, but I’m not sure how much team smarts as evidenced by the cleat throwing at the end of the LSU giveaway loss.

Florida’s NFL headed tight end Kyle Pitt is opting out so that’s a big positive for OU. We’ll have to see who opts out for OU to have a clearer picture of what this Cotton Bowl could be by the time the two teams take the field.

But given where it seemed OU’s season was headed if they hadn’t pulled off the miracle ending in the Red River Rivalry…every OU fan should be exited about the Cotton Bowl and what the future could hold next season for this very young football team which is going to have possibly the best recruiting class in the Lincoln Riley era coming to Norman.

1 Alabama

2 Clemson

3 Ohio State

4 Notre Dame

5 Oklahoma

6 Texas A & M

7 Cincinnati

8 Florida

9 Georgia

10 Iowa State

In regards to Oklahoma—I think they’re the fourth best team in the country ‘right now’, but the loss to Kansas State as a second loss is too much for the committee to give the Sooners a pass on…I would guess. If I had to pick between Ohio State, Notre Dame, OU, and A&M….OU with this Ronnie Perkins led defense is the team out of those four I’d pick.

Texas A&M to me has no claim. This SEC West minus Bama was complete trash this football season. Auburn was horrible and LSU was historically bad. Minus Alabama—this was the worst SEC West I’ve seen.

I think Notre Dame will be pummeled by Bama. Likewise I think Clemson will handle Ohio State and that leaves us another Alabama vs. Clemson national championship final pitting Trevor Lawrence vs. Mac Jones. Best two teams, best two quarterbacks, best two coaches.

If OU and Texas A&M play in a bowl ….I like OU 28-24 if Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson play. I think OU’s defense would be able to handle Kellen Mond. Kellen Mond would be the third most talented quarterback on OU’s roster next season.

Anyway, given the profound challenges presented by COVID–it’s somewhat amazing college football pulled this season off.

Kudos to Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane– they had a great season and should be proud of their effort against Cincinnati.

I’m happy for Trey Sermon as well with the Buckeyes. Nice game for him in the national spotlight.

I’m going to go watch the show now.

Michael Bublé & Bing Crosby – White Christmas – YouTube

This is my wife’s favorite Christmas song bar none. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas she’ll watch White Chritmas and Sleepless in Seattle at least five-thousand times each.

What a great day of college football championship games. OU’s win over Iowa State was easily the best game of the day. Most drama and most evenily matched.

I never thought of the pathetic grifter Trump once all day. I needed a day like this. I feel somewhat cleansed.

Congrats to Iowa State on a very nice season and here’s hoping Matt Campbell stays in the Big 12 as a coach until I die. Dude is a coach. His players love him. If Lincoln ever leaves I would hope Joe C would have Coach Campbell No. 1 on his short wish list.

When Coach C went after those zebras and almost got tossed he was sending his team a message and they never quit on him. I love that in a coach. His team had a chance to win in the last minute and that’s all you can ask out of your players.

OU made a play…Iowa State didn’t. It happens.

Conversely…if that had been Mullet King over there…he would have shrunk with the moment and his team would have quit on him. Just saying. Even O State fans at this point have to know this in their hearts.

Wow…Ohio State and Notre Dame…both massive no shows on Championship Saturday. Massive no shows and for Ohio State and I have no mercy. Tell me what they did this season which should qualify them for the Final Four.

I’ll do my College Football Power Poll in the morning.

What a great day to be a Sooner fan. For the first time since maybe 2003…OU has a defense with some pit bulls, dobermans, and fangs. Couldn’t help it–had to throw some Tramel in there. Almost certain he’ll use dobermans like I just did. Not the same ball club with Ronnie Perkins…not even close. Tre Norwood and Trey Brown get gameballs. Winfrey and Perk get helmet stickers.

Boomer!

Pokusevski 12pts 13reb Highlights ⚫ Poku DoubleDouble vs Bulls ⚪ – YouTube

Poku doesn’t play much defense. He’ll shoot the ball from anywhere at any time regardless of how many he misses. He makes some nice passes and some not so nice. He’s a decent rebounder. He made every conceivable bad play last night coming down the stretch as OKC blew a twenty point fourth quarter lead.

But here’s the thing…how is that any different from a Russell Westbrook game?

I have to admit…there is a certain entertainment value in watching Poku play. He’s always moving and something is happening whether it’s good, bad, or horrific.

But he’s not boring.

And if you’re going to be losing games in bunches at the least you don’t want to be boring.

I’d love to know how many calories he burns in twenty-five minutes of play. What he weighs before a game and then after a game.

OKC blew the twenty something lead in this their last and final preseason game. The Thunder finish preseason at 1-2 and seem primed to lose a lot of games. Which for them is good this season.

Just so we’re clear…at the end of the day I’m a fair dude. I may write things at times which go might over the top, but at the end of the day…I’m a fair dude.

I don’t know if JD Tailor is an alias for some other writer, but still–some interesting thoughts.

There’s a piece today on Daily Thunder titled The NBA’s Revenue Solution: Expansion Teams written by JD Tailor

The piece outlines the NBA’s financial challenges related to the COVID pandemic crisis which is going to effect league revenue’s for 2020 and at least two years beyond.

To paraphrase briefly…the NBA is going to have a $1.5 billion revenue shortfall for 2020. Around 40% of the league’s revenue is derived from game day operations. It is being projected the league for almost certain will incur another $1.5 billion or so shortfall in 2021. 2022…not sure yet.

I enjoyed JD’s piece and since I don’t have permission to link to the story–I would like to at least give him a thumbs up on the piece and encourge fans in the Oklahoma City market to read it.

I may even write some piece myself next week on where and why I would create two new expansion teams in the NBA in the next several years.

Anyway… a nice solid piece as all NBA fans should be aware of the financial challenges on the horizon for their NBA basketball teams.