Welcome to OKCThunderGround!

Let me start with this line on what will be a very matter of fact summary of the much anticipated Game 1 between the defending champs and the Denver Nuggets.

There were three former Kentucky guards who played for John Calipari on the floor tonight in Denver, Shai and Cason Wallace for the Thunder, and all-star Jamal Murray for the Nuggets.

Two of the three had massively good games, the other struggled mightily with a 4-14 shooting night.

Are you with me? Figure it out.

But how serendipitous it was that just on Tuesday I was in Norman to watch Coach Cal’s Razorbacks put one of the final nails in Porter Moser’s tenure at Okahoma. I’m a hoops junkie. Obviously…I can’t get enough of this stuff. I guess a guy could have worse addictions.

So I was very interested to hear what Coach Cal had to say about his two stellar freshman guards, Acuff and Thomas, after they beat OU the other night with their speed to the rim off various sets.

I love listening to John Calipari. He’s Italian and he loves basketball even more than I do. How could I not love him?

So on this current cover on the underground blog here, I put that interview up not knowing it would turn out to be a semi-prescient decision given what the two Kentucky guards who play for the Thunder did tonight in Denver.

There’s no way I’m going to sit here and write I thought Cason Wallace would have a career night with seven made threes and 27 points in total. I can’t do that because it wouldn’t be true.

But in that presser on Tuesday night…I was touched by the fact that Coach Cal in front of the Oklahoma scribes talked so glowingly about Shai and Cason.

About how proud Coach Cal is of his two former guards who won their first NBA rings this past June. Plus, he talked of how they still stayed in touch a bit here and there. I thought it was cool and that’s one of the reasons I posted the presser.

Of course, it’s a small basketball universe. Last night in Fayeteville… Coach Cal’s new team got beaten by Kentucky with former OU guard Otega Oweh leading the way. When Otega transferred to Kentucky after his sophmore season in Norman because Porter wouldn’t turn him loose as a player and of course, the money…was probably the first nail in the proverbial coffin Porter Moser finds himself in currently.

It all ties together this week for MJ. Go figure.

Yeah, I know, Shai scored 34 points with 13 assists and was masterful in getting his teammates the ball on the perimeter with space and time early on in Game 1.

The Thunder came into this game as the 4th worst three point shooting team in the Association and made 19 threes from beyond the arc. Nobody, I repeat nobody is beating the Thunder when they do that. I mean nobody. The Thunder don’t need Forty Minutes of Hell when they splash 19 threes in an efficient manner.

On this night…it should be about Cason. Because without JDub, Caruso, and Ajay…somebody had to step up big and stand with Shai. And lo and behold it was the other Calipari-Kentucky guard on Sam Presti’s roster.

I think Shai’s prolly going to win the MVP after tonight though. The only question in that regard might be who comes in second… Cade, Jokic, Jalen Brunson, or maybe even Jaylen Brown.

As far as the Nuggets…when Peyton Watson is your best player on the floor–you’re not beating the Thunder. I would say in closing there are two sports agents who are very, very happy tonight. One being the agent of Cason Wallace, the other of Peyton Watson. In the words of Jerry McGuire…it was a very, very good night for both of those guys. A very good night.

Mike J

I don’t see why not if Denver can catch the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West. Shai has been great and I have him atop my MVP list and I have Nikola at No. 3

I would go in this order if I had to vote today: 1 Shai, 2 Cade Cunningham, 3 Nikola, and 4 Luka.

Luka is an outlier for me because he doesn’t check all my boxes as far as being a complete player on both ends of the floor like the three guys I have in front of him on my current list.

But as far the Shai-Nikola battle for the MVP…obviously the sixteen games missed hurt Nikola, BUT if the Nuggets come back during the home stretch and his numbers remain outstanding…I could definitely vote for him for the MVP. I’m not going to play 3 Doors Down-Kryptonite for him here on the blog. But, yeah, I could make that vote if my scenario plays with the Nuggets challenging the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West.

But I think I’ll go ahead and play 3 Doors Down just to fire me up after that abysmal OU loss yesterday in the Red River Rivalry.

Mike J

I was at the game yesterday. My seat was right behind the Texas bench on the aisle and was perfect. Close to the pep band, close to the OU poms, close to the student section. The crowd wasn’t as good as the Arkansas game, but was good enough. Plus, Barry Switzer was sitting courtside first row on the opposite side of the court. Perfect except for one thing.

That one thing being the same thing this Oklahoma basketball team can’t quite seem to grasp…college basketball games are forty minutes long… not thirty four minutes in length.

Same story, same verse, same outcome for the Sooners. They can’t finish. If this were a baseball team the solution would be to go get a closer. OU has no closer and doesn’t have enough collective dog in them to get over the hump in SEC games.

OU got off to a nice start with their customary double digit first half lead, but then withered in the last six minutes during ‘winning time’. This team has no concept of what it takes collectively as a group when winning time arrives.

If I were coaching this team with where they are right now with nothing to lose because it would appear Porter Moser won’t get to Year 6 in his six year contract..what I would do is move both Tae Davis and Big Mo to the second group coming off the bench.

These two dudes basically were both no shows in a rivalry game at home. It was pathetic. That can’t happen at home. This is why Porter Moser is right there where Jeff Capel was in his Year 5 when he lost his credibility with the OU fan base.

I don’t think Big Mo will pout. I don’t that’s his nature. I’m not sure about Tae Davis though. Tae might be a sulker, but then again I’m not in the locker room with these guys.

Confidence is a precious commodity in sports, and in life. In this case with these Sooners I think it’s a combination of confidence, plus Porter taking too damn long to figure out the roles on this team.

To me his top three players go in this order… Nijel Pack, Xsayvier Brown, Derrion Reid. Those are the three guys he can count on for production.

I’d put Kirrel into the starting lineup with Big Mo still getting minutes, but those energy minutes coming off the bench where his constant foul trouble isn’t a chemistry disruption for the team.. I would challenge Tae Davis to beome the Sixth Man and challenge him to give this team 14-16 points a game in a different role.

I’d very much utilize Dayton Forsythe, Jadon Jones, and Jeff Newanko with more minutes with guys willing to do the hard things which need to be done to win games in this league. You know…the Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams things I preach on here ad nausem.

This is what I would do if I were Porter’s assistant head coach. Nine man rotation with Davis and Big Mo coming off the bench.

I mean, let’s be brutally candid, Porter right now is a on track to being fired as the OU head basketball coach. I don’t think one would have to be the Amazing Carnac to share that thought aloud. Because as Jeff Capel found out, when the fans frustration turns to total indifference and they stop coming… it’s over. You’re done, buddy. Finito…because as a coach you’ll never get their trust back again that you can coach at this level.

Now I’m going to get ready for the OKC Thunder vs. Denver Nugget game in Denver this evening. I can’t wait. I’m like a little kid at Christmas who wants to sneak into the living room and see what Santa’s left under the tree.

Enjoy the game tonight.

Mike J

So sad. As a sixty-eight year old who has gone thru the Stage 4 journey just another gentle tap on the shoulder reminding me to live every single day to the fullest.

A remembrance to embrace every single day to the fullest with no regrets.

Just this past Christmas in Colorado we as a family watched both Home Alones with the grandkids. It will be a memory seared into my sould forever.

Robert (6) and Aubrey (5) had already seen it, but not with us. I have to tell you just watching them lose their minds laughing with us during the best Marv and Harry scenes is something I’ll take with me forever when I move onto to my next life.

Laughter is such a precious commodity, especially in these times in America.

So Catherine O’Hara…thank you and the entire cast.

Eternal love,

Mike J

So…. here we finally are on the cusp of February and the Denver Nuggets after 16 games without the best player in the NBA, or the world for that matter, have Nikola Jokic back one game early prior to Sunday’s showdown/statement game in Denver.

There will be four of these matchups between now and the end of the regular season.

Besides the hopeless over the top beyond homery coverage the Thunder put forth in their own market, this is why I created and stick with okcthunderground.com. Plus…I have fun.

Because at the core of my basketball soul these are the times I crave as an avid fan of competitive sport…especially basketball.

What is even more intriguing for me given these times of the pussified NBA which Adam Silver has created…is that the Thunder in going 8-6 in their last fourteen games have allowed the Detroit Pistons to crawl ONE GAME back of the Thunder in the loss column for that ultimate prize the Thunder and Sam Presti know they very much need once the NBA Playoffs begin.

That one thing is home court throughout the entire NBA Playoffs as they had last season in their championship run. The Thunder desperately needed Game 7 at home versus the Nuggets last season even with Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr playing crippled at the end. The Thunder also needed home court in Game 7 versus the prohibitive underdog Indiana Pacers. In addition it turned out the Thunder needed Tyrese Haliburton to go down with a game ending Achilles injury as well.

So…. here we finally are, the beginning of the real NBA season given how the Thunder have shown the rest of the league they have some blemishes. If there weren’t blemishes… then why in the world would NBA reporter Brian Windhorst be reporting there’s talk the Thunder might want to shop Isaiah Hartenstein at the trade deadline?

We’ll just have to see how that one unfolds, that’s not my deal. MJ isn’t an NBA gossip writer. God put me here on this blog specifically because he couldn’t take anymore of LNG, Michael Cage, and Matt Pinto. Even God rolls his eyes at times and says …”Enough”. So this is divine basketball intervention in a matter of speaking.

But I will write this…Paris Dawson is gold on my blog. She’s the only one of Sam Presti’s chirpers I actually enjoy listening to. Just saying.

So…Nikola returned Friday night for a home game win over the Clippers. Kawhi and Harden both played. The Nuggets won the game by a score of 122-109. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson were DNPs or inactive if you will.

Nikola played a mere 24:32 and dusted off his game day sneakers with a causual 31, 12 double/double. My NBA Player of the Month, Peyton Watson, played 35:18 in another big game performance himself. Jamal, who much more than Chet deserves to be in the All-Star Game, had 20 points and 9 assists. Jamal is playing the best basketball of his life. Even better than in 2023 when the Nuggets won the NBA championship.

If the Nuggets win Sunday…Mike J will be wearing the powder blue Jamal jersey Monday at the Wellness Center workout.

Of note heading into Sunday’s game in Denver, Aaron Gordon’s hamstring will have him out at least another four weeks. I hate this for Aaron because in these past two seasons he’s ascended to All-Star caliber himself. Losing Aaron in the playoffs would be a massive thing in considering who comes out of the West. So he needs to get healthy.

Cam Johnson and Christian Braun are both nice players, but not like Aaron. The evolutions of Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, and even Jalen Pickett to a lesser degree in my mind can be handled if it comes to that.

Tim Hardaway, in reality has turned out to be a much more impactful addition compared to what Cam Johnson has contributed to date. I’m a big Christian Braun fan. As an OU fan, I watched him intently when he was a Kansas Jayhawk. But like Aaron…he needs to get healthy for the real season looming ahead.

Of note heading into Sunday’s game, Jonas Valanciunas logged 21:28 minutes of playing time versus the Clippers in logging an 11 point, 6 rebound game.

Of another note…Julian Strawther played as well logging a heavy for him 16:34 off David Adelman’s bench. I find this curious because Julian had the most impactful game of his NBA Career to date when he played a significant role in Denver’s Game 6 win with 15 second half points. Given how poorly OKC defended the arc versus the Timberwolves this is something I’m underlining in my pre-game notes for Sunday.

You won’t get much of what I just gave you compared to Sam Presti’s three prodical chirpers. Take that as you might.

Can’t wait for the game on Sunday. Finally…an NBA season. Keep an eye and an ear on Brian Windhorst coming into the trade deadline.

Mike J

I saw the OU-A&M game in person. I was a little disppointed in the crowd, but there’s OU-Texas coming up for both the women and men this week-end, plus, A&M was 8-8 coming into this game and they’re not very good. OU basically controlled the game and at intervals had a thirty point lead.

Jennie’s Sooners play Texas in Austin on Sunday with College Game Day being there given it will be a rivalry game featuring two teams who are both on nice little runs currently with both teams in the Top 10 poll this week.

I think OU’s young players off their bench are getting better every game….especially Brooklyn Stewart and Caya Smith from PC West. From my view it was the best game I’ve seen Caya play as a Sooner. If Caya continues to improve in this manner it would be huge for OU.

So that’s that.

As far as the Thunder…I’m debating whether to read them the riot act or just move onto the next game. Other than Shai…it’s a shame no one else from OKC showed up to play against a good team like the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I guess they’re all just worn out from playing all those shitty teams in the first half of the season and they haven’t got much left. That injured reserved list can be a bitch.

This was a rout. 123-111 does not represent what this game was in reality. Just a very quick, cursory look at the stat sheet tells anyone who knows basketball the Thunder didn’t show up to play minus Shai.

OKC’s lackluster perimeter defense allowed 22 three point makes for the TWolves. The Thunder loafed in that regard.

Minnesota out-rebounded the sleepy Thunder by ten boards despite the return of Isaiah Hartenstein.

But the most telling stat for me was the TWolves turned 16 Thunder turnovers into 30 points. That used to be what the Thunder did when they were playing Forty Minutes of Hell before all the people around them told them they were the best team in NBA history.

The above three stats are hustle and want to stats. MJ didn’t see much of any ‘want to’ from the Thunder.

In case you’re not following all this…MJ is doing precisely what Coach Mark should be doing…namely calling his team out a little bit.

Denver won a game tonight without Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson.

What else should I write?

You either take pride in your craft and your own work ethic or you don’t. I think it’s pretty much as simple as that.

Next game up, and btw this was the eleventh Thunder loss of the season. So all the bullshit about going 72-10 or better and surpassing what the Warriors did no longer needs to be talked about.

Next game up.

Mike J

This is a great pre-workout song. Trust me on this matter. It really gets a guy in the right state of mind. So…I’m off for my workout today before the Sooners’ game tonight versus Texas A&M.

I’ve decided not to post a photo of the ending of Tuesday nights’ Thunder-Pels game where Jeremiah Fears and Lu Dort attempted to strangle each other as the game concluded.

Jeremy is young, uber young for the NBA. He’s obviously gold with me considering he along with Jalon Moore carried the Sooners on their backs to the NCAA Tournament last spring. He’s a tremendous talent, though too young still to use better judgement than taking on Lu Dort.

Jeremiah…don’t do that again. Be smarter. If you feel the need to punch a Thunder player… I would suggest you go in this order, Chet, Isaiah Joe, and Ajay. Do not take on Lu Dort.

There is an art to winning a fight, namely don’t ever fight someone like Lu Dort and get yourself beaten up.

Lu is gold on my blog as well as you…even moreso than you because he was one of the foundational pieces which allowed OKC to have that wonderful parade last summer. Plus…I think he’s a solid human being you should emulate rather than choke or fake fight.

I hate fake fighting. Fake tough NBA players who pretend they want to fight, but never actually fight reinforces my doctrine on the pussification of NBA players overall. If you’re going to punch someone…then just cock it back and let it fly. But again, I’d be smarter than to engage with Lu again in that manner.

I know it sucks playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, but it is what it is.

Take care.

Mike J

I’ll start with this…I was very impressed with the manner in which Roger Denny handled this introductory presser. He’s very straightforward. Very much to the point. Doesn’t hem and haw and waste time letting you know what he did as Illinois as deputy athletic director and how he was involved in both football and basketball.

As we just witnessed with Indiana winning the national championship in football, not basketball, the landscape of college sports is somewhat upside down a bit. From the inception of NIL coupled with the transfer portal I would suggest the qualifications for an athletic director at any major school has been upped several notches.

Being an honorary recipient of a Juris Docorate from the Bob Jackson School of Law…I think the fact Roger has a law degree and has created a special niche for himself in this area of sports law with his keen insights on how collective bargainning will evolve in the major college sports arena…is a big thing.

Plus, I love what he said about leaving his law firm after four very successful years there because his passion, his ultimate goal, was to use his skill sets to become involved in collegiate athletics. I loved what he said about college campuses in general kind of fulilling an emotional feeling of passion, hope, and energy as something which he needs to be happy.

I love Joe C. In my lifetime as a passionate OU fan…he’s by far my favorite OU atheletic director of all-time. I’m glad he’ll still be involved at OU in an emeritus role, but I can fully understand how he’s worn out from these past four years. It’s worn me out…just as a knowledgeable, passionate fan, and award winning underground blogger.

I think this is an interesting hire. I wouldn’t feel very good right now if I were Porter Moser with his abysmal overall conference record in both the Big 12 and SEC. I’ll speak to that more specifically after I attend the Saturday game in Norman versus Texas.

I’m genuinely trying to be fair with Porter on my blog. I like him. I want him to succeed. But my feeling is with ten games left in the SEC regular season with the Sooners currently at 11-10 overall, 1-7 in SEC play… my feeling is that in these last ten games OU needs to significantly begin winning games and go something like 7-3 to close out at 17-13, 8-10 heading into the SEC post season tournament for there to be made an argument for Year 6 for Porter.

This certainly is not a great OU team with their challenge at the center position, but the SEC is down in basketball this season and the manner in which OU cannot close games at the end of games is concerning in relation to the coaching.

Mo Wague, buddy…MJ will be there again on Saturday near the floor. You’ll see me there again. You guys do Porter a favor and start this winning streak with a win over the hated Longhorns so I can at least present some defense of his case for a Year 6.

I’m actually going to the women’s game tonight with Jennies’ back in the Top 10 team taking on Texas A&M. I won’t be near the floor though, but back in my regular section, four rows lower near the pep band and in the throng of the student section. My OU ticket accountant always takes care of me and my quirky ticket needs. Maybe I’ll run into Roger Denny over there.

Eternal love and patience,

Mike J

I just kind of sent this to my niece who’s getting married in March. It made me cry thinking about all my wife and I have experienced in our forty-six years together.

I mean, wow. It’s been a journey.

Mike J

I was there last night, mid-court, first row off the floor. I have this same seat for Texas on Saturday thanks to my excellent ticket agent at OU. My other OU games I’ll be sitting near the pep band, and touching-distance near the crazy students as I did as a young man. But for these two games by me being closer to the floor I’m hoping to be able to transmitt the strongest Al Pacino wave-lengths possible to the players when they were and will be on Saturday… looking me pretty much eye to eye.

If you watched the game you would have noticed…Mo Wague had one of his strongest games in SEC play yet. Mo and I were visually locked-in as I repeatedly was pleading for that intangible which separates winning from losing, from living and f–king dying. That’s the Mo I want to see these remaing ten SEC regular season games.

Porter looks like coaching death right now. I love Porter, but right now I would say his position is not an enviable one. If I thought this team was a piece of shit…I wouldn’t still be on here pleading from them what I think they’re capable.

This team should be 4-3 in SEC play right now. But instead they’re 1-7 in the darkness, in basketball hell. And judging by Coach Cal’s opening statements in his postgame presser he pretty much agrees with MJ. These guys just need confidence in one another. They need an injection of collective mojo. They need to make plays down the stretch.

Its what Michael Jordan and I call make winning plays in the last four minutes of both halves. Especially the ability to make defensive stops when you have to make defensive stops.

Last night Arkansas’s freshman razor-quick starting guards were the catalyst for 56 points in the paint. Both of those dudes were every bit as quick as Jeremiah Fears. And btw…maybe tomorrow or maybe right now I’ll comment on Jeremiah’s misguided notion of fighting Lu Dort after last night’s Thunder game.

Jeremiah…don’t ever do that again. If you want to fight Ajay Mitchell or Isaiah Joe or Chet or maybe even Aaron Wiggins…Mike J would say let it fly. But not with Lu. Lu is gold on this MJ’s blog. He would destroy you. I love the piss and passion, but I wouldn’t do that again.

Now back to OU. Porter and his team are in hell right now…especially Porter. So the only real advice I can give is take one day at a time, don’t give up, and beat Texas on Saturday.

One play, one game, at a time. It may sound cliche, but that’s where this OU basketball team is right now and the crowd last night was unbelievable. Like me, they’re still with you. I didn’t hear one negative or one boo around me. We all feel your pain right now and respect the fact you haven’t quit. This isn’t an effort or dogging it issue.

It’s an issue as a team in beleiving in yourself and collectively making plays at WINNING TIME. Find a way to the light.

Damn, I love being Al Pacino on here from time to time. I genuinely do. Like Coach Calipari…it’s the Italian in both of us. Good luck with the rest of your season, Coach Cal. I’m doing my best in Norman to try to keep this afloat.

Mike J