Thunder in the news: Jersey designs, Dakari Johnson
By Tony Heim
Thunder in the news is your one-stop shop for everything OKC Thunder related. Today we look at the recent revelations regarding Nike’s new uniforms.
Only 90 days left until the regular season! Who’s counting though? Even though the offseason frenzy is finally slowing to a halt their is still a lot to talk about with the Thunder. Is their big man situation solidified? Will we finally get some good looking Oklahoma City jerseys this year? Nobody knows the final answer to those questions, which is why we gather here today to make the best educated guess.
Nike releases concepts for new jerseys
Finally. Nearly seven months has gone by since my plea to Nike to change the Thunder’s jersey concepts. Now we finally have an idea of what those could be. Weston Shepard from Daily Thunder broke down the four different uniforms – I have to say I’m not that impressed. The “Athlete’s Mindset” and “Community Edition” could be interesting, but considering every team will have those same titles probably means their won’t be much deviance from team-to-team. That’s a shame.
"Actual designs are expected to be released starting next week, and anything floating around at the moment is nothing more than fan-made concept art. Hold off on getting excited/disappointed until Nike reveals the look itself."
Dakari Johnson from a UK fans perspective
Dakari Johnson is fascinating. On one hand he’s a humongous seven footer with a primary skillset (in the post) built for the pre-three point era. On the other hand he’s a humongous seven footer who can bring the ball up the court and defend the rim. Whether or not he is quick enough to stick in the league is the biggest question surrounding the 21-year old; the only way to find out is to throw him into the fire. Jay Siskin from SB Nation’s A Sea of Blue why Johnson is readytells us for the opportunity.
"His expanded game was evident in the Orlando Summer league. Mark Daigneault — head coach with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, and the coach of OKC’s Summer League team — has worked with the talented big man every step of the way this offseason, mentioning he sees a lot of a former Thunder player in Johnson’s abilities."
How the Rockets ownership conundrum could help OKC
As always, my co-expert Tamberlyn Richardson does a great job of taking the biggest news around the NBA and showing how it affects the Thunder. This piece on Leslie Alexander selling the Houston Rockets is no different. Think about it: is it ever an easy transition to replace a long-time figurehead? Whether it’s a business, a family or even a sports team, change is never simple.
"Why get intricately involved in Mike D’Antoni’s hire, work so closely with GM Daryl Morey or make sure these aggressive moves were made? Suffice to say, prior to Monday it was more logical to assume Alexander wanted another championship, rather than to sell the team."
As always, can’t wait to see you back tomorrow for another edition of Thunder in the news!