OKC Thunder in the news: Kanter won’t give up day job, Dipo hopes 3-times is charm
Welcome to OKC Thunder – In the news for Friday, July 21, featuring topical daily news on your favorite team and the NBA.
OKC Thunder in the news features for July 21, focuses on Enes Kanter’s unsuccessful turn as breaking news reporter, Victor Oladipo’s return home to Indiana for a new start and a deep (humorous) dive into OKC Thunder players tweeting habits.
Enes Kanter tried his hand at reporting – unsuccessfully:
Don’t expect Enes Kanter to give up his day job anytime soon. You might recall Kanter tried his had at breaking news recently. Specifically, Kanter posted a tweet of Rudy Gay’s name on a locker in the OKC Thunder locker room. The gregariously, charming OKC Thunder learned the hard way, breaking news isn’t quite as easy as it sounds.
Kanter sent out a tweet of Rudy Gay’s name plate inclusion in the OKC Thunder locker room. The tweet sent reporters and pundits into a tizzy assuming the Big Man was breaking news. In hindsight, it’s understandable how the misunderstanding occurred. I agree with peer Bob Garcia IV of Clutch Points that Kanter assumed it was a done deal. If you’re asking why the name plate was in the locker room there’s a simple and logical explanation. Have you ever watched a sports movie where the scene showcases a player being recruited? Teams utilize any and every trick at their disposal. Overhead scoreboards feature the highlights, announcers introducing the player, and the players name appearing on merchandise or locker name plates. Well, in this case it’s probably true reality does emulate Hollywood.
"“I seriously thought he signed with us, but they just didn’t say it publicly,” Kanter told The Oklahoman Tuesday from New York City.“After I saw he signed with the Spurs, I was like, ‘man I need to get a new source.’”It appeared to be convincing to see Gay’s name on a placard for a locker, but that is likely the process that teams make in order to convince a player to sign with them. The fact that Kanter tweeted out gave some life to that scenario working out, but it proved to not be the case."
Suffice to say, Enes might be better of sticking with his day job, at least until his days on the court are over.
Victor Oladipo – three times the charm?
In many ways Victor Oladipo had the cards stacked against him in Oklahoma City. When Sam Presti made the trade to bring him to OKC it with a specific role in mind. That vision of course included playing alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Odds are Presti envisioned Oladipo being the Thunder’s sixth man and replacing the gaping hole James Harden’s departure left behind. However, those plans were quickly thwarted with Durant’s now infamous July 4th decision.
From that moment Oladipo was thrust into the starting lineup and forced into a role as the secondary scoring option. Although Dipo did his best to fulfill his role, the weight of those added duties were arguably unfair. For OKC Thunder fans, they’ll always be a soft spot for the engaging young man. How could we not? Dipo accepted and every challenge and bragged about Westbrook late night lullaby sessions.
There will be plenty of debate over the course of Victor Oladipo’s career as to whether he’s best suited in the sixth man role or whether he can ascend into a prime time star. As the key trade chip in the Paul George deal Oladipo will once more get the opportunity for that ascension. This time however it comes on common ground in his native Indiana. The role this season will be similar, but carry less immediate pressure to produce. Indiana’s young core includes youngsters like Myles Turner and last year’s teammate Domantas Sabonis. Dipo and his cohorts will seek to build the core and establish what the new Pacers identity will be.
FanRag writer West Goldberg offers a compelling article digging into Oladipo’s early career and what returning home might mean for the engaging guard.
"Oladipo is on the cusp of his prime now, and he’s home, just an hour’s drive from the campus of Indiana University, where he first grabbed the national stage. He finds himself in a similar situation as he did in Orlando and Oklahoma City: trying to fill the shoes of an All-Star who left town. It didn’t go so well the first time, but he was a rookie then, just getting situated in the big leagues. It didn’t work out the second time because he was forced into a role no one was prepared for him to take. Maybe the third time’s the charm, filling in shoes back at his old stomping grounds."
Thunderous Thoughts offers humorous take on OKC Thunder tweeting habits:
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Our resident scribe master of humour and high brow takes – Jeremy Lambert serves up a dilly on the OKC Thunder players twitter habits. Lambert further utilizes his sleuthing skills to determine precisely what these tweets mean.
"That means Felton or whoever runs his account has not tweeted in almost a year. However, his profile is decked out in Thunder gear. His bio says “OKC Thunder Point Guard.” His header image is the Thunder logo. His profile picture is a photoshopped image of him playing in a Thunder jersey. The man hasn’t tweeted in a year, but he has completely changed his profile and found a photoshopped picture of himself in a Thunder jersey to represent the current team he plays for.This is the most fascinating thing in the world to me right now."
That wraps up OKC Thunder In the News for July 21. Let’s kick start this weekend on a high note and make it matter. Just make sure to check back with TI tomorrow and for the latest news on your favorite team.