I AM WHIPPED. But what a great Christmas! The Warriors-Denver game was the icing on the cake of a very special Christmas for me. I’m heading to bed before this Niner-Raven game even kicks off.
We had a great meal of BBQ catered from Earl’s at my Mom’s and I probably had a little more wine than Dr. Showalter would be happy with…but WTF…sometimes you just have to flow with the moment and let it go.
The Warriors vs. Nuggets game was superb. Like a second round playoff game. Steph had an off shooting night, otherwise I think America’s team would have extended ‘our’ winning streak to six games.
But in defeat…you always look for the positive. Andrew Wiggins for the first time in quite a while played with something resembling a pulse. The youngsters….Johhny K, Brandon, TJD, and Moses continued to shine.
I’m at this point I’m not even concerned if Draymond plays again this season. The NBA and Adam Silver’s Christmas elves should take as long as it takes to find out what exactly made Draymond crazy and then treat that mental ailment accordingly.
I wore my fake ESPN media pullover and my 2023 Denver NBA Championship hat today as I cheered wildly for the Warriors.
My exexcutive producer here at okcthunderground.com, TCullpepper…. was hissing “Traitor” at me at me at several juctures in the game. I think the podcast might be in jeopardy. But it is what it is.
When I see the ownership in Oklahoma City with a willingness to keep the three dudes…maybe I’ll have a change of heart.
I love the AAA OKC Dodgers, but the OKC Dodgers didn’t demand for a billion dollar arena to facilitate a developmental operation.
In know what Sam Presti always says…”Scared money don’t make money.”
Well…I would say to Sam Presti and Thunder loyalists…show me you learned something from the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden era.
Show me you’re committed to seriously contending for an NBA championship in Oklahoma City.
Enough of that.
Have a beautiful last week of 2023.
Yeah… I watched Sleepless in Seattle again last night.
And I’m feeling great. Probably had a little too much Pinot Noir last night to suit Dr. Showalter, but you know…it’s Christmas and I’ll just take this on my own terms.
I think I set my own personal record for karaoke last night and wish I could have videoed it for posterity.
Anyway…I’m getting mentally prepared for the Christmas family dinner and the the Warriors vs. Nuggets Christmas Game of the Day on ABC.
Since we were having such balmy weather in Oklahoma before today’s frigid wind chills…I forgot to honor my blog with the annual passage of the Winter Soltice with one of my favorite Steve Miller songs. So there’s that as well.
I think through the course of the day…here and there.. I’ll add songs as I feel.
I’m am totally chilled. In a complete state of Christmas Eve nirvana. I watched three NBA games yesterday and all three of my teams won when the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers all won somewhat easily.
No hoops for me today.
I’ll watch both the Warriors play the Nuggets and then the Celtics play LA Lakers tomorrow.
But no basketball blogging for me during the Christmas break.
Although I’m somewhat watching the Detroit Lions on the cusp of claiming their first divisional title since 1994. Good for them.
I also watched a somewhat dark movie last night on Netflix titled Maestro starring Bradley Cooper. I had no idea Leonard Berbstein was such a troubled dude. We can only hope Drayond’s inner demons aren’t as severe as Leonard Bernstein. Very dark.
Enough of that. Despite Dr. Showalter’s somewhat vague instructions about alcohol….I’m going to now drink a glass of Pinot Noir and select my four favorite Christmas songs of all-time, maybe a fifth if the wine and chemo don’t react badly.
Have a superb Christmas and treasure every moment.
It’s time to get serious with the Christmas music. Perfect day. Sixty-two degrees out here at the Deer Creek mini ranchon Friday. Had my shirt off. Warriors won their fourth in a row without Count Draymond. Johnny K and Trace Jackson-Davis are trending beautifully. Take a month off Draymond and continue soaking your head.
Portland at the Chase Center for a home back to back. While my boy Austin Reaves is in town for a game.
We’re about thirty games in give or take a few on each team. It’s time for my first Western Conference Power Poll of the season.I have to admit…I did fall helplessly in love with the Warriors during the Thunder’s draconian tanking…so being the good guy I am–I’m still at this point hoping for the Warriors to somehow slide into a playoff spot.
I know, I know…Draymond appears to be acting as an undercover spy for the rest of the conference and Andrew Wiggins is playing like he’s half dead…but I fell in love with the Warriors in Game 6 in 2016 and will value the respect I have for Steph, Klay, and Coach Kerr to the end of this season.
I wonder in retrospect if the Warriors had kept Jordan Poole and just allowed Draymond to become Pat Bev’s podcast soulmate on a full-time basis if the win total would be all that different. But as you’ll see on my poll…I think the poll itself is pretty objective given you would think at the end Steph can beat anything the Rockets and Pels will put on the floor.
Plus…I like seeing Johnny K, Brandon P, Moses, and TJD playing key minutes.
So…my first poll.
1 Denver Nuggets–The Nugs miss Bruce Brown for certain. but still in my view the class of the West. Plus, I have an official Nugs Championship ball cap that I now parade around in a the OKC Health Wellness Center.
2 Minnesota Timberwolves–I remember when the Daily Thunder’s power child Justin told me Anthony Edwards would be a bust. Sigh.
3 Sacramento–I actually have the Kings and Thunder in a tie for third, but it was the Kings who did in fact go through that classic seven game series with the Warriors last season. So one would think they accrued some post season acumen from that experience.
4 OKC Thunder–The Thunder have three dudes who are probably going to be super max players and seven mini dudes who are going to be coveted by other GMs throughout the league. I don’t know how long Sam Presti holds this group together, but if I were him I’d wouldn’t make a crazy trade, but I would make Isaiah Joe my fifth starter and make Josh Giddey my Sixth Man.
5 Dallas Mavericks–Kyrie Irving is on this team, right? If I were a GM this is like holding the future rights to Draymond Green or hedging Kawhi Leonard isn’t hurt again come the playoffs. To me, Draymond, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving are like top heavy investments in a crypto fund. I will pass on all three.
6 Phoenix Suns–Devin Booker is great, but can he carry the brittle bodies of KD and Bradley Beal deep beyond April? Call me jaded and cynical, but as with the crypto funds I’m passing on the Suns for now as well.
7 LA Clippers–Without Kawhi…this group is about an eight seed or so battling with the Warriors to get into the playoffs. As Kawhi’s health goes…the Clippers will go. I wonder if cash happy Steve Ballmer would take Draymond at the deadline and send back Terrance Mann and Norman Powell?
8 LA Lakers–LeBron will play how many games is the question? Will he play in OKC on Saturday night? I love Austin Reaves like a favorite nephew…but Austin as the third best best player…I dunno.
9 New Orleans Pelicans– This team has some nice pieces, but until I see Zion get his fat ass in shape and take care of himself…I can’t rank this team any higher.
10 Golden State Warriors–This could be a stretch. Depends on what happens between now and the trade deadline. Houston itself has three young dudes with a passionate coach finally in place. This will probably go down to the last game of the season for my Warriors.
11 Houston Rockets–The Rockets have three dudes of their own in Green Sengun, and Jabari Smith. Don’t sleep on the Rockets.
12 Memphis Grizzlies–The Grizz have already won two straight with the new Ja steering the ship. This team with Ja is just goofy enough to reel off thirteen in row or so and climb back into relevance. If the Memphis front office can keep Ja out of the strip bars with his guns…this could be a sleeper pick.
13 Utah Jazz–They suck and should be in all out tank mode soon if not already.
14 Portland Trailblazers– Ditto the Utah Jazz.
15 San Antonio Spurs–Ditto… and Wemby should not even be mentiobed with Chet for Rookie of the year.
That’s it for me and my first Power Poll of the season. Have a wonderful Friday and take in the almost Christmas air.
I had no idea Kawhi Leonard was going to be a load management DNP, or else I would not have in any way promoted this game on my blog. The Clippers without Kawhi are not a contender or a top six team in the West. Period. End of that. Sad the fans in Oklahoma City did not get to see either Ja Morant or Kawhi Leonard in person this week.
I don’t cover bullshit games on my blog. I don’t have the time or patience. I switched over to the NBA Network and watched a pretty good game bewteen the Lakers vs. the streaking Minnesota Timberwoles with the sound down while I listened to Chrsitman music.
Of course…LeBron was a DNP, but he was wearing a cool winter stocking cap that I’m going try and order tomorrow.
I think tomorrow night I’l watch Jordan Poole’s return to the Chase Center and maybe blog down some comments on that fatefrul decision the Warriors made in keeping Draymond and giving him a four year $100 million dollar deal.
Plus…I think I’ll do my first Top 12 Western Conference Poll of the season just days before Christmas.
Have a wonderful next four days. I know I’m not going to miss a minute or nuance of this Christmas. I made it.
Here come Russell Westbrook and Thunder West tonight at the Pay.Com Arena. The Clippers are the hottest team in the NBA being winners of their last nine games and jelling perfectly with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and a new kid named James Harden.
Throw in Paul George….. and Russell now volunteering his own new bench role and the fact of the matter is these Clippers of predicted mass dysfunction have become the tightest unit in the NBA just shy of the one-third mark in ths NBA regular season.
This should be magnificent theatre tonight in the Bible Belt of Adam Silver’s NBA since no longer are the Thunder losing by script.
I love the fact Russell took the high road for his team and is now coming off the bench. I love the way he’s somewhat mitigated chucking up those Wild Thing threes of his and is playing the team role like he did back in his UCLA days.
Russell…I’m proud of you. Please do not deviate from this mode. Kawhi is good enough when healthy to help you get your ring. You’re a role player now….which is not a crime.
Keep doing your job, buddy…and I’ll treat you like a God on my blog.
I wonder how a podcast called Thunder West Clippers would go?
Hmmn.
I’ve actually got the time to cover this game tonight front and center. Let me see what you are Thunder.
What a phenomeal game last night at the Chase Center in San Francisco as the once 10-14 Warriors came back from 17 points down in the fourth period to defeat the Boston Celtics.
Steph Curry led the charge and applied the dagger late in the overtime period with one of those patented moonbeam jumpers of his to complete the miracle comeback against the Celtics who entered the game as winners of five straight with a league best record of 20-5.
The Warriors’ now without Draymond Green wreaking havoc upon his own team….have settled down with a much younger looking team which all the sudden looks pretty decent.
It’s somewhat amazing when you don’t have someone on your own team killing you every night with an unimaginable slew of brain dead, stupid… self abusive plays what you can accomplish as a team.
If I were GM Mike DunleavyJr. I’d be in no hurry whatsoever to bring Draymond back or even broach the conversation with Joe Dumars of the NBA’s disciplinary board. I would even seek a ruling holding Drayond out at the least till the trade deadline without pay. I’d also seriously think about trading Draymond to some stupid franchise like the Detroit Pistons or clueless Washington Wizards and see what I could get for Pat Bev’s podcasting partner. I have no patience for stupid football, basketball, or players who are getting paid millions.
You know where stupid basketball players are come late April? They’re either playing golf or fishing….or flashing a pistol around in a strip bar.
Speaking of…..
Ja Morant came back last night after his 25 game sit and was miraculous as he led the previously in a coma Memphis Grizzlies to a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Ja Morant is a top ten player in the NBA, Draymond Green is not a top 25 player in the league. Role players cannot play dumber than a f–king rock. End of Mike’s current rant on the famous podcaster aka Draymond Green.
As far as the Warriors…I applaud what Steve Curry is now doing with his roster. He has made Andrew Wiggins a bench player because he hasn’t done all that much either and Coach Kerr is going with the players who are going to give Steph a chance to lead this team back into the playoff picture.
The youngsters like Johnny Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandon P, and Moses Moody are the future.
Johnny Kuminga had in my mind his best NBA game ever last night in the win over the Celts. TJD, the second round draftee from Indiana replaced Drayond and responded with a double-double. Brandon Podziemski has already proved to me he’s at least one guard of the furure and I’ve always loved the versatility of Moses Moody.
For a hundred million dollars over the next four years…I’m fairly certain Mike Dunleavy Jr. can find something better than a player who sabotages his own team and has become bigger than the game in his own mind.
Next up for the Warriors are the pathetic Washington Wizards. Jordan Poole can breathe easier now knowing he won’t be physically beaten in this game with Draymond in exile.
I’ll get to the 17-8 Thunder tomorrow before their game with the streaking LA Clippers.
I’m staying good on my pledge to write great things about the Thunder’s win on Saturday at Denver. But I want to wait and see what kind of maturity the Thunder display tonight versus the lowly Memphis Grizzles.
I want to see now if they can take care of business like a mature team which aspires to be a legit contender.
It’s been a great start for Porter Moser’s Sooners in Year 3.
Year 1…. the Sooners should have been included in the Big Dance with the nation’s toughest schedule bar none….but 18-15 wasn’t a good enough record despite the Sooners being ranked No. 38 by the NCAA’s own ranking website.
Last year was tough as the Sooners finished 15-17 and rightfully missed the NCAA Tourney. The only rotation players returning from that team are Milos Uzman, Otega Ohweh, and Sam Goodwin. Porter added two nice college recruits and five transfer guys who all meld in nicely with the Sooners’ various roster needs.
In reality…the only Sooner player who left who’d being seeing floor time with this group of players would have been Jalen Hill. I absolutely loved Jalen Jill and what he stood for as a young man and a player, but he chose to go back home and play his fifth year for Lon Kruger’s son at UNLV. Best of luck for Jalen with his final year of college hoops.
Of the five transfer portal players…. I want to start integrating them here on the blog starting with Javian McCullum who is the best player on the team. Javian is a quick athletic guard who reminds me very much of Hollis Price who played on Kelvin’s Final Four team. The second portal player I’ll mention is John Hughley who’s a 6’9″ big with great hands, quick feet, and a very soft set of passing hands, plus not at all shy shooting the three.
Then’s there’s Jalen Moore the very athletic transfer from Oregon who I would desribe to my buddy Fran Frashela as a Swiss Army knife type. Maybe somewhat like Daryl ‘Choo’ Kennedy from Northwest Classen from the Billy Tubbs era of Sooner hoops.
The other two kids are both guards and I’ll work them in on my pregame next week when the Sooners hook up to play the iconic North Carolina Tar Heels in a highly anticpated Big 12-ACC matchup.
OU is 9-0 entering this game versus Green Bay, ranked No. 11 in the Coach’s Poll, and 4-0 versus Quad 1 competition.
This will be my first venture into a basketball arena since the cancer issue. The walker isn’t going with me on this trip. I should be fine. I’m pretty well jacked just being inside of a basketball arena. This is kind of moment for me…so to speak. Yo, Adrian.
If the Thunder beat Denver or just play them tough.. I’ll write something nice about them on Sunday morning.