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OKC Thunder in the News: Gibson’s future and season reviews

By Heather Koontz

Mar 27, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) helps up guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeat the Mavericks 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) helps up guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeat the Mavericks 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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OKC Thunder, Taj Gibson
Apr 21, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) drives to the basket in front of Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) during the fourth quarter in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Happy Wednesday! To help you get over the workweek hump, here’s your OKC Thunder daily in the news column. We are serving up topical stories about your favorite team!

Today’s offerings include a look at the future of Taj Gibson’s role on the team, as well as season reviews of Victor Oladipo and Nick Collison.

The power of Taj:

He was only on the roster for a few months, but OKC Thunder player Taj Gibson made a positive impact this season. In an article titled “Let’s Make a Deal: Oklahoma City Need to Find a Way to Keep Taj Gibson,” 16 Wins a Ring writer Adam Joseph said:

"“Gibson was particularly superb in the Playoffs, and his best game for the Thunder was in game three when he dropped 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting. He finished with 60 percent shooting for the entire series, and his versatility in being able to be switched onto James Harden was vital to the Thunder sustaining a defensive game plan against the Houston maestro.”"

According to Joseph, it’s well worth Oklahoma City’s investment to keep Gibson on the roster for a bit longer. Read the rest of the article here.

Victor Oladipo’s Thunder future:

Thunderous Intentions isn’t the only site curating season reviews this summer. In fact, sports writer Fred Katz has written quite a few of them himself. In his article “Thunder Player Evaluations: Victor looking for new spots now,” Katz suggests:

"“Oladipo may have hit a quality 36 percent of his 3-pointers this year, 84 percent of which were catch-and-shoot attempts, while sinking a fantastic percentage from the corners. He may have improved as an on-ball defender, becoming more disciplined and not reaching as much. He may have bumped up his screen defense, too, whether guarding the pick-and-roll or chasing off-ball threats around picks. But the Thunder gave him a four-year, $84 million extension that will kick in at the start of 2017-18. And 3&D isn’t what the organization figured it was handing out when it offered Oladipo such a contract.”"

More from Thunderous Intentions

Read the rest of the article here.

Season in review – Nick Collison:

In the third installment of Thunderous Intentions’ season review series, Jeremy Lambert offers an in-depth look at the role Nick Collison played this season. Though he didn’t play many minutes on court, Collison still had a great impact on the team. Just ask Jeremy:

"“Collison was a treasure for the team off the court. He taught every big man everything they know and he was the MVP of the MVP’s MVP campaign video.”"

Check out the rest of the article here.

You’re halfway through the workweek! Be sure to make Thunder in the News a daily stop to get up to speed on the latest and greatest about your favorite team.

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