I agree with the last few posts on the personnel moves and fits. I really like how this team is coming together.

I made the Pelicans game and I just want to say that the crowd was fantastic. I think some people may take it for granted, but for a regular season game against a bad team, it had the feel of a playoff game. The fans arrived early, were really into the game, and got really loud at various times. OKC really does have one of the best crowds in the NBA.

I made the Pelicans game and I just want to say that the crowd was fantastic. I think some people may take it for granted, but for a regular season game against a bad team, it had the feel of a playoff game. The fans arrived early, were really into the game, and got really loud at various times. OKC really does have one of the best crowds in the NBA.

A lot of people express their desire to have more than one franchise in this city (I'm one of them) and perceive being a one-team city as a disadvantage but I feel like there are definite positives for having the Thunder be the only ticket in town. Houston, Miami, and especially Atlanta have had seasons in the past where the team was better than the Thunder are now but the fan support was much worse. Atlanta has particularly always had gripes against them about their fan support for pretty much all their franchises.

While I'm not saying that OKC getting an MLS team would ruin that, the hypothetical scenario where OKC got an NHL/MLB/NFL team would severely affect the Thunder's support imo.

Also, sort of unrelated to my above post, but the fact that fans met Gibson and McBuckets at the airport hours after the trade was announced speaks volumes about the support of this franchise.

Very cool to see. I think (hope) the players notice this and it helps create a beneficial culture surrounding the team. I think Kanter and Waiters' time in OKC reflects that as well, especially considering both came from bad situations and have mostly turned around their careers after time spent here.

Couldn't help myself.13620

A lot of people express their desire to have more than one franchise in this city (I'm one of them) and perceive being a one-team city as a disadvantage but I feel like there are definite positives for having the Thunder be the only ticket in town.

While I'm not saying that OKC getting an MLS team would ruin that, the hypothetical scenario where OKC got an NHL/MLB/NFL team would severely affect the Thunder's support imo.


NBA calendar: October - April 7 month season.
MLS calendar: March - October - 2 month conflict with NBA.
NFL calendar: September - January 4 month conflict with NBA.

MLS or NFL; one has a good chance to be in OKC by 2025 and the other post 2030.

Major League Soccer MLS (2025): Has a real good chance for relocation if not expansion. Closure on the sale of the Producers COOP Mill site along with a strong performance of USL Energy FC at Taft will weigh heavy on Funk-McLaughlin to hasten a soccer specific stadium project.


Expansion or relocation fee: $150 - $200 million.


http://kwtv.images.worldnow.com/images/17346347_SA.jpg

http://www.seatingsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/clients-pbr-winstar-casino-gal6.jpg
Stadium: Bricktown Ballpark with seating solutions (^above^) could be used as a temporary home configured to accommodate up to 17,000.

Soccer Specific Stadium (20,000-seats): $100 - $175 million; OKC has agreed to help with infrastructure if a team were secured. The city does possess TIF district (Producers Coop Mill site) & a MAPS initiative which could be used as a source for additional stadium related & infrastructure funds. Plenty of parking projected by 2020 in OKC dowtown-bricktown core.

Current cities in pursuit of MLS: Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Raleigh, Phoenix, St. Louis, St. Paul, MN, Sacramento & San Antonio.

National Football League (Post 2030): The greatest threat for the Thunder in that it has the potential to make Oklahoma an NFL hotbed with Tulsa (107 mi), Wichita Falls (140 mi), Lawton (88 mi), Wichita, KS (154 mi) 50 miles closer to OKC than Kansas City, MO; these cities are within Oklahoma City 150-mile radius.

A team would bear the "Oklahoma" name vs. Oklahoma City. OKC metro needs a minimum of 1.75 million with 4.2 million in state by 2030 with a ton of corporate state support which our city & state currently lacks.


Expansion or relocation fee: $1.5 - $2 billion.

NFL stadium 65,000 seats (2030): Minimum without bells & whistles $500 million. NFL Ready $1 - $1.5 billion.


https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/976/944/6_2944976.jpg
Stadium: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium could be used as a temporary home (3-5 years) with the condition that an NFL venue were built in OKC.

Current cities that have shown some interest in NFL: Austin-San Antonio, Birmingham, AL., London, Las Vegas, Memphis, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, St. Louis & Tokyo.

We signed Norris Cole for the remainder of the season. Think he will be a solid improvement over Semaj and has some great experience playing backup PG to Chalmers in those championship years with the Heat.

We signed Norris Cole for the remainder of the season. Think he will be a solid improvement over Semaj and has some great experience playing backup PG to Chalmers in those championship years with the Heat.

This is a nice upgrade over a rookie point guard.

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Oklahoma City Thunder 109 - Utah Jazz 106

Box score: http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/id/400900299

Westbrook 30th Triple double (43 Pts, 11 Rb, 10 Assists) this season.
Team: 3PM/A 15/22 (45pts.,) against the best defensive team (Utah 96.5) in the NBA.

This team is looking pretty scary to others right now. Once we have Oladipo back and have some Norris sprinkled in. We could be setting up for a better-than-expected playoff run.

It would be nice if they could sweep this 3 game road trip they are starting. Would really like to see them get up and challenge for that 3-4 spot. They have a chance esp. to get to 4 but I am not counting out the 3 spot just yet. The Thunder are just starting to get in their groove it appears and there are enough games left to snatch that 3rd spot if they continue to be red hot.

We were 12/13 from 3 in the first half and 15/22 for the game... That has to be a record or close to for the Thunder. It is so refreshing to see us hit those wide open shots. 68% is an unrealistic rate to shoot consistently, but if we can have McDermott and Abrines get more minutes by hitting those shots, are in and out game is going to be great.

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Meet the newest Thunder, Norris Cole:

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Norris+Cole+2012+NBA+Finals+Game+Three+uY5ONZ1gLot l.jpg
Norris Cole #30, 2012 NBA finals game in Miami.

2015-16 stats: PPG (points) -10.6, APG (assists) 3.7, RPG (rebounds) 3.4

Bad loss. Bummer.

Bad loss. Bummer.

no defense. hopefully they play better tonight!

Bad loss. Bummer.

They kind of gave that one away. Went stone cold in the 4th.

no defense. hopefully they play better tonight!

The new center for Portland was a total beast last night. The Thunder didn't have any answers for him. He was their MVP of the game

The new center for Portland was a total beast last night. The Thunder didn't have any answers for him. He was their MVP of the game

Oh yeah! He showed up all three of our bigs.

Oh yeah! He showed up all three of our bigs.

Wouldn't get overly concerned about our bigs getting showed up. It's the NBA; on any given night some players' will show up and have a great game. You can say the same about Roberson draped over LBJ or Jimmy Butler.

Let's give it up to any NBA players that has a great performance night. It doesn't make our bigs any less credible. All players must contribute; that's what you want in a team effort.

Thunder have added some veteran pieces (Gibson, McDermott & Cole) who in given time will make them compatible.

Norris Cole is on the books for $247,991; that a bargain basement steal.

Thunder's15 man roster is complete: http://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder

Norris Cole is on the books for $247,991; that a bargain basement steal.

Thunder's15 man roster is complete: http://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder

Thunder playing straight up horrible basketball these past few games.

7th might be where they sit. Might keep Westbrook from getting MVP too.

Ugly basketball. No one wants to play defense.

Still have a shot at 4th place finish. That trade isn't looking so good right now though. The sharpshooter McDermott not looking very sharp. Gibson is just a player. No better and maybe worse than the big we traded away. Everyone stands around waiting for Westbrook to make or miss. It's nice when they are falling but when they are not it's some brutal ball to watch. Hopefully Oladipo gives them a spark.

This game tonight is suddenly a big game for the Thunder. Can they respond? Winning all three this week at home, with two divisional games and one against a Championship contender, would turn this whole thing around. Tonight's game is big psychologically and Saturday's game is big standings/seeding-wise. A win Thursday against the Spurs would just be bonus.

^^
Agreed. Big game indeed!

I hope they can go 2-1 over the next 3. Tonight is a must win. If they lose the next 3 it will be time to push the panic button.

Thunder ranks 9th among the 15 teams in the Western Conference on the road:

Home: 23-8 (4th among WC teams) Road: 12-20 (9th among WC teams)

Source: http://proxy.espn.com/nba/standings?sort=homeWinPercent

Some tidbits of interest, Thunder are:



Record: 7th in WC: Won 35 Lost 28 PCT. 556

12 wins,16 losses vs. teams with a record of .500 or better.
23 wins, 12 losses vs. teams with a record below .500.
3 wins, 1 loss in overtime games.
8 wins, 7 losses in games decided by 3 points or less.

Source: http://www.espn.com/nba/standings/_/view/expanded

I don't know who this team pissed, off but it seems we rarely get any love from the refs. That foul on Roberson just now was laughable.

The screen or the loose ball on the floor?

The screen or the loose ball on the floor?

Ha! Both. At the time I posted it was just the loose ball on the floor, but the screen was just as bad. Doesn't matter, this team has completely forgotten how to play any defense.

13669

Someone get that panic button ready! This team forgot how to play defense. Russ needs to strike a better balance and keep players involved.

Yeah, I agree. Russ really needs to do more. His triple double average just isn't cutting it anymore. Averaging 10 assists a game isn't enough to keep others involved. Tying the franchise scoring record for a single game isn't good enough, IMHO.

Our defense has been abysmal these last 4 games. Adams has been non-existent, I'm not sure if he's worn out from the increased playtime from Kanter being out or if the addition of the new guys has thrown him off somewhat. We only have 18 games left and there need to be a lot of changes if we're going to make it out of the first round. Russ is visibly frustrated by the lack of effort on defense and our team not showing up game in game out.

McDermott needs to get more involved in the offense also. He only had one shot attempt last night and none from 3.

Unless OKC learns how to defend again. It it looking like we will be matching up against either GSW, SAS, or HOU.

Out of all those, I think I take HOU as the best shot for us to put up a fight.

Yeah, I agree. Russ really needs to do more. His triple double average just isn't cutting it anymore. Averaging 10 assists a game isn't enough to keep others involved. Tying the franchise scoring record for a single game isn't good enough, IMHO.

His usage rate last night was the highest for any player in an NBA game this season. Russ is getting others the ball, but the offense is running almost exclusively through him. And 39 shots is clearly too many. OKC's current slump is not primarily Russ' fault. Awful defense and Steven Adams ineffective play on both ends are bigger factors, but I think other need a larger offensive role.

Yeah, I agree. Russ really needs to do more. His triple double average just isn't cutting it anymore. Averaging 10 assists a game isn't enough to keep others involved. Tying the franchise scoring record for a single game isn't good enough, IMHO.

Russ is superman but his mates have to be involved more in the game. 5 players on the floor working together beats Superman.

Russ is superman but his mates have to be involved more in the game. 5 players on the floor working together beats Superman.

Agree,

The more Russ does, the more his teammates depend on him to step it up a notch. RW needs help; with the addition of more experienced veterans like Gibson, McDermott & Cole, it will take time to get them accumulated with the various picks & sets the Thunder use.

2.5 point dogs and we beat the SAS by 10. WHY, WHY didn't I max out my credit cards betting on them!!!! (Just joking, don't take me seriously)

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Oklahoma City Thunder 102 - San Antonio Spurs 92


Box score: http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900357

Russell Westbrook's 31st Triple-double this season (23 points., 13 rebounds, 13 assists).
Thunder are 25-6 this season when Russell Westbrook records a triple-double.

Lose to several below .500 teams, beat the Spurs.

#JustThunderThings

Lose to several below .500 teams, beat the Spurs.

#JustThunderThings

Let's take this in context: It wasn't the full Spurs team. No Parker, no Ginobili, and about a quarter with no Leonard.

Let's take this in context: It wasn't the full Spurs team. No Parker, no Ginobili, and about a quarter with no Leonard.

Parker and Ginobli aren't that good anymore (they're just okay role players at this stage in their careers) and the Thunder were winning easily when Leonard went out. No need to downgrade the win in any way.

It was a great team effort. Having Dipo back helped a lot and Adams played a lot better. NBA season's are full of ups and downs. Donovan finally went with Taj in the starting lineup, which will be the right move for the stretch and playoffs. Loved that Sabonis dunk though.

Best win since the Cleveland win.

If we can learn how to play defense on the road in the next 18 games, we will be a scary first round for someone.

Dipo shot 7/9 from 3 the past two games (78%). If we can get McDermott and Abrines going we're going to finally have that perimeter shooting we've been hoping for and be able to better space the floor. Our defense looked great last night... if we can come out with that intensity on a consistent basis our team is going to be a tough matchup for most teams.

Adam's finally started looking like his old self last night too. Another huge game Saturday against the Jazz... we've won the last 2 matchups and this could be an impact on standings at the end of the season.

I wonder if starting Taj was a big factor in Adams improved D. Adams didn't have to cover or call out positions to Sabonis.

Sabonis seemed to play well with the second team. He still has a lot to develop, but he didn't suffer from the moved. Looked like he had more energy. The impressive dunk and following it up with a block (called a foul).

The move to second string helps Sabonis because he doesn't work against the other team's starters as much. He can make mistakes (and hopefully learn) against second string guys.

Sabonis prob should have never been the starter. He can now go up against back up players that he can compete with better.

The move to second string helps Sabonis because he doesn't work against the other team's starters as much. He can make mistakes (and hopefully learn) against second string guys.

It seems to have taken a load off his shoulders. He appears more confident.

As Thunder fans we need to be patient. Last night's game looked like a glimpse of what we want to see in the future; not what you would call an anomaly. Kawhi Leonard's exit made the win less of a challenge. We will need to improve on the road to build more confidence for the playoffs.

24-9 at home is good; however 12-20 on the road is a concern.

Great win! Lets hope they can keep it up against a tough jazz team.

Russell only scored 23 points yesterday. The rest of the team did WORK! It was a glorious sight!

Russell only scored 23 points yesterday. The rest of the team did WORK! It was a glorious sight!

Haha...I love how we are now surprised when Russ "only" scores 23 points. After scoring 40+ four games in a row, including a 58 pointer, that's pretty amazing. That just shows how awesome he is.

Haha...I love how we are now surprised when Russ "only" scores 23 points. After scoring 40+ four games in a row, including a 58 pointer, that's pretty amazing. That just shows how awesome he is.

He is Super Russ! Faster than a speeding bullet! Stronger than a Locomotive! Can leap 7 footers in a single bound! It's Super Russ! He's Amazing and that's no joke.

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Oklahoma City 112 - Utah Jazz 102


Box score: http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900368


Russell Westbrook recorded his 32nd triple-double of the season; passing Wilt Chamberlain.
Oladipo & Kanter are at 90-95% post injuries.

Dre had another solid game, he shut down Hayward.

Dre had another solid game, he shut down Hayward.

for as much as he is a liability on offense, one cannot argue how skilled he is at defending. Look at Harden's shooting percentage when Dre has covering him.

for as much as he is a liability on offense, one cannot argue how skilled he is at defending. Look at Harden's shooting percentage when Dre has covering him.

Dre airballed another FT the other day. That has to be mental torture for him when he goes to the line.

Dre airballed another FT the other day. That has to be mental torture for him when he goes to the line.

for him and me ;-)

THE CASE FOR ANDRÉ ROBERSON AS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/the-case-for-andre-roberson-as-defensive-player-of-the-year

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Oklahoma City Thunder 122 - Brooklyn Nets 104


Box score: http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900395

Russell Westbrook recorded is 33rd triple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds, 19 assists).

Kudos to the Brooklyn Nets fans; the most classiest fans in the NBA.