2019-20 OKC Thunder Regular Season Thread

[Pillendreher]

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I expect a surgery announcement soon.

Please end this charade already. It has become embarassing.

[Pillendreher]

From 14/15 to 18/19, the Thunder finished 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st and 3rd in ORB%. This season they're 27th so far. Is Adams dead and nobody else can grab a loose ball?!

[ThunderBolt]

From 14/15 to 18/19, the Thunder finished 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st and 3rd in ORB%. This season they're 27th so far. Is Adams dead and nobody else can grab a loose ball?!

I think its a combination of being beat up, poor play on his part and confusion about his role with this roster. He's not looked as horrific the last few games but he's not looked that great either. He's had bad hands all year- missing shots, fumbling passes, not securing rebounds and his free throw shooting is more busted than ever.

[alessandrux]

From 14/15 to 18/19, the Thunder finished 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st and 3rd in ORB%. This season they're 27th so far. Is Adams dead and nobody else can grab a loose ball?!

I would say size (and not having Westbrook).
Out typical lineup has super small(/unathletic-Gallinari) players at every position, with the exception of Adams.
A combination of Schröder, Paul, SGA, Ferguson is no rebound threat. Adding Muscala, Gallinari or Noel is ( respective for their position) no real help, either.

[slick_watts]

obviously, swapping russell westbrook for chris paul you lose something on the offensive boards. but the main factor appears to be adams not playing as well and not playing as often. adams hardly ever played without westbrook the last two seasons (13 minutes), but westbrook played some without adams and the thunder were 21% ORB in those minutes. still only 86 minutes.

adams may be on a joakim noah-esque career track. he played the most possessions of any big last year by far. and has started this year off missing games for injury and generally looking like a statue.

[alessandrux]

obviously, swapping russell westbrook for chris paul you lose something on the offensive boards. but the main factor appears to be adams not playing as well and not playing as often. adams hardly ever played without westbrook the last two seasons (13 minutes), but westbrook played some without adams and the thunder were 21% ORB in those minutes. still only 86 minutes.

adams may be on a joakim noah-esque career track. he played the most possessions of any big last year by far. and has started this year off missing games for injury and generally looking like a statue.

I'm still hoping for taking a long-term approach regarding Adams and his health(as unrealistic as that might be). Rest him, let him get really healthy for once.
We are going nowhere, and not playing Adams might even help us (inflating the value of Noel and maybe Adams, he could be much more helpful for prospective trade partners if he is healthy in the playoffs; maybe a better draft position).

[Pillendreher]

Gallinari is currently on pace to finish 3rd in Thunder history in TS% among those qualifying for the PTS/G leaderboard. #1 is still 22 yo James Harden in the 11/12 season.

My Sam Presti hatred just got triggered into oblivion.

[spearsy23]

If Adams is beat up and rundown every year then that sounds like it might be an Adams problem.

[slick_watts]

Gallinari is currently on pace to finish 3rd in Thunder history in TS% among those qualifying for the PTS/G leaderboard. #1 is still 22 yo James Harden in the 11/12 season.

My Sam Presti hatred just got triggered into oblivion.

why? gallinari is really good.

[Pillendreher]

Gallinari is currently on pace to finish 3rd in Thunder history in TS% among those qualifying for the PTS/G leaderboard. #1 is still 22 yo James Harden in the 11/12 season.

My Sam Presti hatred just got triggered into oblivion.

why? gallinari is really good.

Because James Harden was insane for a guy in his 3rd season. The memory of him fades with every season and every game in which he shoots 20 FTs, but man, that guy was great even before he became the current version of himself.

What could have been.

[slick_watts]

Gallinari is currently on pace to finish 3rd in Thunder history in TS% among those qualifying for the PTS/G leaderboard. #1 is still 22 yo James Harden in the 11/12 season.

My Sam Presti hatred just got triggered into oblivion.

why? gallinari is really good.

Because James Harden was insane for a guy in his 3rd season. The memory of him fades with every season and every game in which he shoots 20 FTs, but man, that guy was great even before he became the current version of himself.

What could have been.

watching the 2012 playoffs is pretty nuts. durant, westbrook and harden. just getting started.

[Pillendreher]

why? gallinari is really good.

Because James Harden was insane for a guy in his 3rd season. The memory of him fades with every season and every game in which he shoots 20 FTs, but man, that guy was great even before he became the current version of himself.

What could have been.

watching the 2012 playoffs is pretty nuts. durant, westbrook and harden. just getting started.

I still remember thinking "Doesn't matter, they'll be back every year".

One of these days I'm going to travel to the timeline in which the Harden trade never happened.

[Pillendreher]

I miss Paul George.

[ThunderBolt]

I miss Paul George.

Even if someone believed he would make a full recovery, it’s kind of surprising he’s not showing some rust. The clippers need him to be like this because Kawhi might only play 45 games.

[Dadouv47]

I miss Paul George, Westbrook (and Felton the real MVP <3) but I don't miss being a first round exit. I'm fine with SGA and the picks.

[Old Man Game]

Gallinari is currently on pace to finish 3rd in Thunder history in TS% among those qualifying for the PTS/G leaderboard. #1 is still 22 yo James Harden in the 11/12 season.

My Sam Presti hatred just got triggered into oblivion.

why? gallinari is really good.

Because James Harden was insane for a guy in his 3rd season. The memory of him fades with every season and every game in which he shoots 20 FTs, but man, that guy was great even before he became the current version of himself.

What could have been.

I believe Presti allowed that whole negotiation to get personal. He was pissed that Harden refused even a token show of sacrifice for the team in the contract (like Durant and Russ had done before him) and thought it meant he didn't belong here. Stupid.

[Kizz Fastfists]

I believe Presti allowed that whole negotiation to get personal. He was pissed that Harden refused even a token show of sacrifice for the team in the contract (like Durant and Russ had done before him) and thought it meant he didn't belong here. Stupid.

Is that a joke? Durant signed a rookie max then a new CBA came in and he demanded the contract be changed to a Rose rule contract, an extra 5%, and have the 5th year thrown on it. If not for kd then Harden could have been kept without going into the tax AND he would have been a FA the year before the spike so GS wouldn't have been able offer him a max. The NBA even admitted they screwed up the kd ruling by giving OKC a chunk of money to make up the difference in the two contracts. It didn't matter though because the damage was done.

Russ took the 25% max when he would have had the 30%. So you can say he took less and I won't argue that. Russ was great for the organization in a lot of ways despite my issues with his play style and lack of learning to play to his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.

[slick_watts]

Is that a joke? Durant signed a rookie max then a new CBA came in and he demanded the contract be changed to a Rose rule contract, an extra 5%, and have the 5th year thrown on it.

this is not how i remember this occurring. he didn't demand that, his deal was grandfathered into it by the nba. it was an open question. see larry coon's article written at the time: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/7372795/kevin-durant-first-benefit-derrick-rose-rule

and kevin durant not making the fifth year a player option as was customary was seen as a concession on his part. it wasn't 'thrown onto it', it was always five years. see this report on his five year extension from 2010: https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=5360721

unless i missed some other reporting since then? i know the nba decided it had erred by grandfathering the extension into the rose rule but i don't remember this being very controversial as the value of rookie scale max extensions are determined in the season they begin not when they are signed, anyway.

[Kizz Fastfists]

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/7/19/4537664/kevin-durant-thunder-contract-nba-repay-lockout

https://www.slamonline.com/archives/nba-to-reimburse-okc-thunder-portion-of-kevin-durants-contract-extension/

Technically it was his agent that demanded it and not kd, but since agents work for players I give kd the credit for going after maximum money from OKC. I also give kd credit for taking less with GS so they could keep other players. Unless you are going to tell me his agent pushed for the most money at one point then settled for less at another and kd is just a puppet for his agent.

[spearsy23]

Ferguson is shooting 50/45/100. If he'd actually look to shoot these ball he might be an adequate player.