The OKC Thunder Need to ‘Charles Oakley’ Kevin Durant
By Eric Snyder
When the OKC Thunder welcome Kevin Durant back into town, the welcome should be a somewhat violent one. Physicality of the basketball variety is the only way to get the attention of the talent laden Golden State Warriors.
Don’t Bring a Knife to a Gunfight!
No team in the NBA can play a wide-open offensive game with the Warriors and expect to compete for four quarters. The Cavaliers attempted to run with Golden State and found themselves down 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
Yet, when LeBron and company brought physicality into the game it became a completely different series.
In the same way, the OKC Thunder cannot run up and down the court and allow Durant or Steph Curry to move freely. Golden State is a collection of talent that is slowly becoming a team.
Fortunately, the Thunder are already a team and have the ability to beat anyone in the League on any given night. For Russell Westbrook to exact revenge upon Kevin Durant, he and his Thunder teammates must maximize every foul at their disposal.
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There’s a reason they say “Strong as an ‘Oak’
Every NBA fan became acquainted with Charles Oakley this past week after his run-in with MSG Security. When Oakley prowled the paint in the 90’s, every box-out and screen could have also been called “Assault with a Deadly Weapon”.
When Oakley prowled the paint in the 90’s, every box-out and screen could have also been called “Assault with a Deadly Weapon”.
Oakley’s epic battles with legends like Alonzo Mourning and Charles Barkley symbolized the gritty, team-first mindset of every successful team in the 80-90’s NBA.
A player like Charles Oakley would not be welcomed into modern NBA circles. He would be called a thug (or worse) and would spend more time suspended than he would on the court.
However, there is a complete absence of truly physical play in today’s NBA. The NBA needs players like Charles Oakley and the OKC Thunder need two of them.