Recap: OKC Thunder Fall To The Houston Rockets (104-97) In 1st Preseason Game With Melo & PG

Recap: OKC Thunder Fall To The Houston Rockets (104-97) In 1st Preseason Game With Melo & PG

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by | Oct 4, 2017 | Featured, NBA

Usually, the NBA preseason doesn’t get much hype because a lot of star players sit out. This season the NBA has tried out making the preseason schedules shorter. This would be good for most teams that have the same core group but not for a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder who have All-Stars to try and build chemistry with. The Thunder faced off against the Houston Rockets at the BOK Center and it showed that OKC still is trying to get used to having Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The Thunder were playing without the MVP Russell Westbrook as he is still nursing his left knee injection but did workout prior to the game and looked really good.

Carmelo Anthony and Paul George led the charge for the OKC Thunder as they were trying to gel together. Carmelo Anthony started off his Thunder career scoring the teams first 10 points in the game. It was a good sight to see for Thunder fans because, when you need an instant bucket the Thunder went to Melo in the paint. Carmelo looked extremely good in the game and was hitting his fadeaway jumpers and was bullying his way to the basket as well. It took Paul George a little bit of time to get going which is understandable when you come from being the guy with the ball at all times in Indiana. George was able to get it going and was playing some serious defense on James Harden throughout the game and even got his offensive game going as well. Paul George and Carmelo Anthony combined for 34 points in only 45 minutes action combined.

The Thunder team as a whole still need to build more chemistry but that will happen over time with Russell Westbrook coming back after his knee heals. Raymond Felton played a great game and was able to get everyone involved in the offense. The backup point guard spot has been a toss-up because Felton had 9 points and Canaan had 11 points but Semaj didn’t get to play at all. That’s going to be a dog fight for playing time at that position but for now, all of the players have been making the best of the moment. The backup point guard position will play a huge part in the success of the Thunder this season. Steven Adams had a strong game and got banged up a little bit when going up against Capela and Harden. Steven Adams will be fine as the Thunder gave him some pain meds and expects to play on Friday against the Pelicans.

The Houston Rockets were out here playing like it was May already as they hit 24 of 55 (3 Pointers) against the Thunder. It was a clear indication that the addition of CP3 was definitely what they needed as a team. Chris Paul set the tone on the defensive end and on the offensive end for the Rockets. CP3 finished with 11 points and 7 assists on the night but this could become something even more special the way he clicked with Harden. James Harden 16 points and 10 assists on the night was able to play the point guard position freely. The Houston Rockets bench was hitting everything that they put up from 3 point land as Ariza & Gordon finished with 39 points combined. The Rockets were going up an OKC team without Westbrook and also OKC is trying to find their identity as a team with the new pieces. The Rockets team has been together for a while now and just adding CP3 who’s already a leader was perfect for them so far.

The Thunder will play the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday in OKC and will look to bounce back against Cousins, Davis, Holiday, and Rondo. Should be interesting to see who starts at point guard and if Russell Westbrook comes back or if OKC fans will have to wait a little bit more to see the reigning MVP.

 

Photo Credit: Left and right: Sue Ogrocki/The Associated Press

Oct 4, 2017 No Comments
Recap: Oklahoma City Thunder 10th Annual Blue/White Scrimmage

Recap: Oklahoma City Thunder 10th Annual Blue/White Scrimmage

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by | Oct 2, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder hold a scrimmage every year at a high school in Oklahoma to showcase the new team first. This year the OKC Thunder held the scrimmage at Edmond North High School in front of the Huskies. The event was extremely exciting especially since Russell Westbrook talked to the fans/students outside the school about his extension and staying in OKC. The Blue/White scrimmage is a good way for people trying to make the roster to stand out and that’s exactly what happened. This was also the first time in public we were able to get a glimpse of Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony working together on the court. The 3 big stars were running drills together before the scrimmage started and looked to have a lot of chemistry in the set plays that Billy Donovan had them run. Check out the plays that worked on below in the video clip.

 

The scrimmage got underway and the Thunder allowed Carmelo Anthony to wear his hoodie in the game which everyone loved. Melo and PG were on the same team and looked amazing together on the court alongside each other. The only person that was missing in this equation was Russell Westbrook who’s still out with a knee injection and told us he will be back when he feels good. Paul George was the player of the game because he dropped 30 points in the scrimmage and looked like he was in mid season form even before preseason. Melo added 11 points and was able to get to his spots and his offense definitely was on full display. This was one of those games that are usually for the people trying to make a name for themselves but Melo and PG were trying to standout like they weren’t big names.

The player that stood out the most was Semaj Christon because he’s fighting for that backup point guard position and didn’t back down at all. Semaj was going for everything with the coaches watching his every move. Semaj was very vocal and was making plays to help his teammates get in a position to win. The backup center position is going to be something to keep an eye on as well with Dakari Johnson and Nick Collison because once Steven Adams gets out the game someone will need to clog the paint. Johnson looked really good in the scrimmage he finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Terrance Ferguson looked very good and made some exciting plays on a couple of fast breaks for dunks. Ferguson is going to be one of those people that can help off the bench and be a spark on both ends. Overall the Thunder have a talented starting five and need to find that second unit that’s going to get the best out of the bench so they can produce.

The Thunder will start their preseason on Tuesday against the Rockets in Tulsa so stayed tuned for more information and news on the OKC Thunder throughout the season.

 

Photo Credit: OKC Thunder

Oct 2, 2017 No Comments
Russell Westbrook Celebrates His Contract Extension At #ThunderFest

Russell Westbrook Celebrates His Contract Extension At #ThunderFest

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by | Oct 2, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder were able to celebrate Russell Westbrook’s accomplishments and his extension in front of all the Thunder fans. The day started off with music, food, and Thunder memorabilia and finished with the MVP. Russell Westbrook was surprised by a video that was narrated by his brother Raynard showcasing the ups and downs that got Westbrook to the point he’s at now. Russell Westbrook was able to talk to the crowd about why he stayed in OKC with the extension and let the fans know how much they mean to him. This was a huge moment for the state of Oklahoma because they have seen the greatness that Westbrook presents and they believed in him from day one. The crowd started chanting loyalty and it proved to be exactly what happened when Russ signed his new contract. Russell Westbrook didn’t give many details on the contract and when it came to the day he decided but did state he wants to be here. He talked about everything from fatherhood to his knee procedure but overall the MVP was open to everything happening and made time for the media. Check out the videos below and enjoy the MVPs impactful day in Edmond today.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

Oct 2, 2017 No Comments
Russell Westbrook Signs (5-Year, $205 Million) Extention To Stay In OKC

Russell Westbrook Signs (5-Year, $205 Million) Extention To Stay In OKC

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by | Sep 30, 2017 | Featured, NBA

Russell Westbrook has been all about LOYALTY to Oklahoma City and the Thunder organization. Sam Presti drafted Russell Westbrook back in 2008 and has done everything in his power to make sure Russell Westbrook knows that he believes in him. The Thunder lost Kevin Durant last season in free agency to the Golden State Warriors and that left Russell Westbrook in a position to let OKC know where he stands. Russell Westbrook responded by signing a short-term extension for 3-years/$85 million so that he can give OKC a chance to rebuild the roster and see how Presti responds in this year’s free agency. So Russell Westbrook played his heart out last season and won league MVP while averaging a triple-double. This is the first time in awhile he has exited out the playoffs in the first round and everyone noticed he needed help.

 

 

Sam Presti just like everyone in Oklahoma City noticed that Russell Westbrook gave his all during the 2016-2017 season and wanted to do anything to reward their MVP. This offseason Sam Presti set out to make a statement and he definitely did that in a huge way. OKC needed to do anything that they could do to get Russell Westbrook and it happened in the beginning of July. Sam Presti was able to get Paul George from the Indiana Pacers for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. This was highway robbery that Presti got away with getting an All-Star like Paul George for two young players that still have a lot to prove. Now Paul George has landed in OKC right in front of the Thunder fans at the airport and has embraced the moment. OKC embraced Paul George and let him know how much it meant to them as they held a “PG-13 Welcome Party” with his family in attendance. This was huge for the Thunder to get Paul George to complement Russell Westbrook because now they showed Russ that they are willing to go out their way as an organization that they have his back. This was the first step that Sam Presti was able to take in the offseason to show Russell Westbrook that OKC is where he needs to be for his career.

 

 

Everyone in OKC was panicking after Russell Westbrook didn’t sign his extension right after the addition of Paul George. Fans should realize that Russell Westbrook has been extremely busy this off season. This is his first offseason spending time as a father, and between his book, fashion line and television appearances he’s been swamped. Russell Westbrook started diving into the business side of things this offseason early September when he signed his 10-year extension with Jordan Brand. This will make him the face of Jordan Brand until the Air Jordan 42 comes out. With that deal going down people expect for Russell Westbrook to get a signature performance sneaker but he has yet to fill us in on that. What we do know is that Russell Westbrook has guaranteed Jordan Brand that he will be in their gear/sneakers for the rest of his career in the NBA.

Below are some great moments between Russell Westbrook & Jordan Brand over the years…..

 

 

With Russ signing the extension with Jordan Brand people were getting anxious and wanting him to sign in OKC long term. Russell Westbrook has been busy but at the same time, his silence was letting the Thunder know that he’s not ready to sign yet. Russell isn’t one of those athletes that will talk in public about the organization or the GM. A lot of players talk about how they want more players and more talent but Russ let Sam Presti handle that and kept going about his business. Adding Paul George to the Thunder helped big time and if the opportunity presented itself to bring in another star PG-13 and Russell Westbrook would try to recruit. This summer Russ and PG-13 were able to work out with many players and one of those players was Carmelo Anthony aka “Hoodie Melo”. The Thunder players were working out and looking extremely good in the Cali pickup games.

 

 

PG and Russ kept running into Carmelo Anthony and were able to talk him into waiving his no-trade clause for the OKC Thunder. As soon as Carmelo opened his options to OKC, Cleveland, and Houston the Thunder were on the phone. Carmelo Anthony was able to workout with Russell Westbrook this offseason but over the years the Jordan Brand mate has always talked about his respect for “The Brodie”. The Thunder were able to pull off the unthinkable on September 23rd in the morning when it was announced that OKC had traded for Carmelo. OKC traded Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a future 2nd round pick for Carmelo Anthony. This was another steal made by Sam Presti in the same offseason. Last offseason the Thunder lost KD and the next offseason added Carmelo Anthony and Paul George to join the reigning MVP.

 

 

Adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony was exactly what the doctor ordered for Russell Westbrook. Having those two all-stars on the same team with him will allow Westbrook to be able to space the floor and get his teammates more involved when he’s getting double teamed. Last year the super teams were able to gang up on Russell Westbrook but this season with Melo & PG-13 now he has the help to take him to the top. Everyone has the expectations of a Western Conference Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors. This new look OKC Thunder team can definitely create a lot of problems for the Warriors and they can compete. The Thunder were 0-3 last season against the champions. This season the Thunder will be able to make it a competitive game or series if they were to end up playing in the WCF.

 

Russell Westbrook let it be known that he loves it in OKC and wanted to let it be known in the media that this is where he wants to be. Today Russell Westbrook made that official as he signed a 5-year/$205 million extension with OKC that will have him in Thunder colors until he’s 35 years of age. This was huge for the Thunder and huge for the new big 3’s season heading forward. With Russell Westbrook signing on the dotted line it lets people know that a small market can handle a superstar and more. Hopefully, Russell Westbrook signing could be enough to get Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to commit for a long time as well. Either way, this was huge for Sam Presti because this lets everyone including his players know that he’s willing to do anything to make sure that OKC’s a contender for now and the future with Russell Westbrook signing for that long period of time. The future is bright in OKC with the MVP staying and this will be a huge season for the franchise moving forward. Sam Presti needs to be congratulated for his efforts and he put people around Russell Westbrook to make it possible to be in championship contention.

 

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, Steve Sisney/The Associated Press, Images via VCG for Getty Images & Jumpman23, ClutchPoints, Mark Smith-USA Sports

Sep 30, 2017 1 Comment
Nike x NBA Collaboration Available Now – Oklahoma City Thunder Collection

Nike x NBA Collaboration Available Now – Oklahoma City Thunder Collection

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by | Sep 29, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the teams in the NBA this season that won’t sport an advertisment patch on the teams jerseys this year. Oklahoma City usually keeps their jersey simple and true to the Thunder way with the photo blue and white jerseys. This season the NBA has started up their partnership with Nike as they join forces leading into the future for basketball. The Nike experience will be on full display as OKC was one of the first teams that were able to showcase the jerseys as seen below.

Today Nike launched the NBA jersey/apparel collection today for all the NBA teams. Nike gave OKC a new look with the nike swoosh on the road jersey being orange coming in a limited edition that will be $200. The Swingman jersey will retail for $110 & the authentic jersey will retail for $200. The Thunder jersey and different shirts that are seen below can be purchased at https://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pw/oklahoma-city-thunder/sa6Zt2b

    

Let us know if you were going to buy anything from the OKC Thunder Nike collection.

 

Sep 29, 2017 No Comments
Russell Westbrook Signs 3-Year Extension To Stay in OKC

Russell Westbrook Signs 3-Year Extension To Stay in OKC

NBA

by | Sep 22, 2017 | NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder fans have been waiting for something positive to happen this summer since July 4th. Everyone knows that July 4th was the darkest day in OKC Thunder history as Kevin Durant wrote in the Players Tribune that he was going to play for the Golden State Warriors. Since that day many trade rumors were going around about Russell Westbrook especially if the Thunder didn’t get him to sign the extension. Westbrook was involved in trade rumors with the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Bucks and Clippers. Those rumors were heard throughout Oklahoma City as the fans sat wondering what their lone star was going to do moving forward.

It had been reported before that there would be no way that Russell Westbrook would sign an extension by David Aldridge. Once that was put into the atmosphere it was on Sam Presti to try and figure out the best way to get his All Star to commit long term. The Thunder had an qualifying offer on the table for Dion Waiters $6.8 million before free agency started. After the waiting game for Dion Waiters the Thunder rescinded the offer making him an unrestricted free agent. Dion Waiters signed with the Miami Heat which now put the Thunder under the salary cap by $14 million. With that being done it gave them the opportunity to exercise enough money to now offer Russell Westbrook the maximum amount of money.

Russell Westbrook would of made $17.7 million on this last year of his contract and if he signed an extension he would make $27.5 million. Thats a huge jump in money especially with the way the market was this offseason. So many people had be spreading rumors for weeks about Russell Westbrook and where he would go if he didn’t the extension. If Westbrook didn’t sign the extension he would put the Thunder in a tough position to the point they would have to trade him. Trying to trade Russell Westbrook would be a lose/lose situation for the OKC Thunder. There would be no way you would get anything close to Westbrook in return on the trade market.

Thunder fans heard rumors on the Russell Westbrook signing the extension all day on the 3rd of August and didn’t believe it. Then the reports starting coming out from ESPN people and Woj of the Vertical. The Thunder fans couldn’t believe that they finally had something to be happy about as they heard their HERO signed a 3 year extension to stay in OKC for $85 million. Russell Westbrook signing that extension has single handedly saved a city and also a franchise. The Thunder will be announcing the signing of Westbrook to the media on Thursday and are looking to get that deal signed ASAP.

Russell Westbrook has shown his loyalty and also has showed he wants to be the man in OKC for a long time.

Sep 22, 2017 No Comments