2017-2018 OKC Thunder Regular Season Thread part one: The Fellowship for A Ring

[Andre Roberstan]

the team starting ferguson after roberson was hurt has no explanation now that we know they weren't showcasing him.

Do we know this?

There are a bajillion possible deals that don't actually get made, and OKC was so aggressive this year that a normally leakproof team had rumors flying every which way. Even if some were just being leaked by agents trying to drum up interest, where there's smoke, there's fire.

No contending team spent significant assets to improve (bar Cleveland, which...if they kept going the way they were, were not contending. Hot mess). Instead, they shopped around and then decided to try their luck on the buyout market. No one was willing to give up significant assets for Evans, and Lou Will got extended on a deal that probably gives us a pretty good indication of the market in the summer (bad).

I know that you like to think Presti is actively bad at his job. But every report I've seen indicated that they were super aggressive. This seems like reaching.

[spearsy23]

Abrines is noticeably bigger than last year and ferguson isn't AS scrawny as he looks on TV.

"Bigger" as in "taller"?

No, he definitely put some muscle on. Last year it was shocking how skinny he was in person, he's still small but last year he looked skinnier in person than ferguson does this year.

[spearsy23]

the team starting ferguson after roberson was hurt has no explanation now that we know they weren't showcasing him.

Do we know this?

There are a bajillion possible deals that don't actually get made, and OKC was so aggressive this year that a normally leakproof team had rumors flying every which way. Even if some were just being leaked by agents trying to drum up interest, where there's smoke, there's fire.

No contending team spent significant assets to improve (bar Cleveland, which...if they kept going the way they were, were not contending. Hot mess). Instead, they shopped around and then decided to try their luck on the buyout market. No one was willing to give up significant assets for Evans, and Lou Will got extended on a deal that probably gives us a pretty good indication of the market in the summer (bad).

I know that you like to think Presti is actively bad at his job. But every report I've seen indicated that they were super aggressive. This seems like reaching.

I don't believe they were showcasing him simply because you'd have to expect him to play well for that to be an effective tactic. I don't think presti is dumb enough to expect that out of a rookie. At this point it just looks like Donovan IS dumb enough to think he's a good option. Either that or back to my personal favorite theory that we expected to make a move and wanted to get him some experience since Abrines would likely be gone.

[slick_watts]

the team starting ferguson after roberson was hurt has no explanation now that we know they weren't showcasing him.

Do we know this?

There are a bajillion possible deals that don't actually get made, and OKC was so aggressive this year that a normally leakproof team had rumors flying every which way. Even if some were just being leaked by agents trying to drum up interest, where there's smoke, there's fire.

No contending team spent significant assets to improve (bar Cleveland, which...if they kept going the way they were, were not contending. Hot mess). Instead, they shopped around and then decided to try their luck on the buyout market. No one was willing to give up significant assets for Evans, and Lou Will got extended on a deal that probably gives us a pretty good indication of the market in the summer (bad).

I know that you like to think Presti is actively bad at his job. But every report I've seen indicated that they were super aggressive. This seems like reaching.

every report i saw said that teams were expressing interest in terrance ferguson and the thunder were not willing / hesitant to include him in a trade; this coming from local and national reporters.

where is the reach, exactly? if they were hesitant or unwilling to move him, why would they show case him? if they weren't show casing him, why was he playing?

[Andre Roberstan]

the team starting ferguson after roberson was hurt has no explanation now that we know they weren't showcasing him.

Do we know this?

There are a bajillion possible deals that don't actually get made, and OKC was so aggressive this year that a normally leakproof team had rumors flying every which way. Even if some were just being leaked by agents trying to drum up interest, where there's smoke, there's fire.

No contending team spent significant assets to improve (bar Cleveland, which...if they kept going the way they were, were not contending. Hot mess). Instead, they shopped around and then decided to try their luck on the buyout market. No one was willing to give up significant assets for Evans, and Lou Will got extended on a deal that probably gives us a pretty good indication of the market in the summer (bad).

I know that you like to think Presti is actively bad at his job. But every report I've seen indicated that they were super aggressive. This seems like reaching.

every report i saw said that teams were expressing interest in terrance ferguson and the thunder were not willing / hesitant to include him in a trade; this coming from local and national reporters.

where is the reach, exactly? if they were hesitant or unwilling to move him, why would they show case him? if they weren't show casing him, why was he playing?

"Hesitant" doesn't mean "unwilling". That always struck me as posturing—in the right deal I think he would have been available. But don't know that it ever got on the table.

I generally think Donovan's doing what he's always done and just cycling guys through to see what they look like in different units (watch him start Grant at SG 10 games from now). But I wouldn't rule out some of that being Ferguson showcase.

[slick_watts]

Do we know this?

There are a bajillion possible deals that don't actually get made, and OKC was so aggressive this year that a normally leakproof team had rumors flying every which way. Even if some were just being leaked by agents trying to drum up interest, where there's smoke, there's fire.

No contending team spent significant assets to improve (bar Cleveland, which...if they kept going the way they were, were not contending. Hot mess). Instead, they shopped around and then decided to try their luck on the buyout market. No one was willing to give up significant assets for Evans, and Lou Will got extended on a deal that probably gives us a pretty good indication of the market in the summer (bad).

I know that you like to think Presti is actively bad at his job. But every report I've seen indicated that they were super aggressive. This seems like reaching.

every report i saw said that teams were expressing interest in terrance ferguson and the thunder were not willing / hesitant to include him in a trade; this coming from local and national reporters.

where is the reach, exactly? if they were hesitant or unwilling to move him, why would they show case him? if they weren't show casing him, why was he playing?

"Hesitant" doesn't mean "unwilling". That always struck me as posturing—in the right deal I think he would have been available. But don't know that it ever got on the table.

I generally think Donovan's doing what he's always done and just cycling guys through to see what they look like in different units (watch him start Grant at SG 10 games from now). But I wouldn't rule out some of that being Ferguson showcase.

right, and that was the point of my original post. donovan was starting ferguson for no reason other to start him. had a decent amount of lineup data on him already with the starters but why not. thunder media was pushing the explanation that playing with the starters would make ferguson better. hogwash.

was it posturing? was sam willing to trade ferg in the 'right' deal (whatever that is), who knows. i'm taking the reports at face value and questioning why ferguson was playing if sam was playing keep away.

[Dn4sty]

So I’m going to operate under the assumption that this is correct

https://sports.yahoo.com/m/22934459-a1d8-35cf-a449-f23a23d6452b/report%3a-paul-george-committed.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

[Andre Roberstan]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

I'm trying to confirm through a secondary source whether there might be any truth. Because if true, there are several implications that might have an impact on both the Thunder and the Cavaliers (partly because of some KCP stuff I heard elsewhere).

[spearsy23]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

I'm trying to confirm through a secondary source whether there might be any truth. Because if true, there are several implications that might have an impact on both the Thunder and the Cavaliers (partly because of some KCP stuff I heard elsewhere).

That's lebron's boy.

[ThunderBolt]

KCP is the only buyout candidate that excites me but probably just enough to get me disappointed.

Edit: or are the lakers doing Lebron a favor and buying out KCP since they both have the same agent? That’s makes a lot more sense.

[Dn4sty]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

I'm trying to confirm through a secondary source whether there might be any truth. Because if true, there are several implications that might have an impact on both the Thunder and the Cavaliers (partly because of some KCP stuff I heard elsewhere).

Give us a bit more than what you just said

[spearsy23]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Pillendreher]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

Has anybody listened to the podcast yet? I've half listened, half skipped through the first 15 minutes (without Stein on there) and I didn't catch anything regarding KCP.

[Dadouv47]

Some updates on Westbrook? San Antonio playing B2B without LMA. Could be a good time to go up in the standings but I guess... we won't

[alessandrux]

Some updates on Westbrook? San Antonio playing B2B without LMA. Could be a good time to go up in the standings but I guess... we won't

I think it would be wise before starting to look into moving up to look to not move down.

It is pretty close behind us, Utah is pushing very strong and even the Clippers are not that far behind.

In my opinion, if healthy we are the best of all the teams with whom we are fighting for the playoffs, but there is very little room for mistakes.


Regarding KCP, if he gets bought out I would be shocked if he won't sign with Celeveland.

[spearsy23]

I present, for your consideration

Read on Twitter

[Pillendreher]

Regarding KCP, if he gets bought out I would be shocked if he won't sign with Celeveland.

I think that's actually unlikely. How would they find minutes for Hood, Smith, Korver and him?

[Pillendreher]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

Has anybody listened to the podcast yet? I've half listened, half skipped through the first 15 minutes (without Stein on there) and I didn't catch anything regarding KCP.

OK so apparently Duncan mentioned KCP as a possible buyout candidate and assumed that maybe the Lakers would want to do Klutch Sports a solid by allowing KCP to go somewhere else for the rest of the season. Probably isn't sourced, but it's still something to consider.

[Old Man Game]

Nate Duncan apparently mentioned KCP as a buyout candidate?

Has anybody listened to the podcast yet? I've half listened, half skipped through the first 15 minutes (without Stein on there) and I didn't catch anything regarding KCP.

OK so apparently Duncan mentioned KCP as a possible buyout candidate and assumed that maybe the Lakers would want to do Klutch Sports a solid by allowing KCP to go somewhere else for the rest of the season. Probably isn't sourced, but it's still something to consider.

If there's any chance we can sign him, paradoxically, L.A. might be less apt to do it.

[OkcMagic]

For those who are complaining about us not getting hood, how do you guys not know it wasn't just Utah being willing to trade with a division rival? Yeah they traded kanter, but they looked at him as a cancer and didn't care as much. And maybe they valued Jae Crowder more than what we could have given them


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