Coming to grips with the OKC Thunder not being involved in the rumors and being ok with it.
Imagine your favorite store having a gigantic sale. Everything is on sale, with some items as much as 50 percent off. You can finally afford to build the man cave or woman shed of your dreams. Except, you only have a hundred dollars in your pocket. And you can’t even afford a Playstation 4. Now you know what it’s like to be a fan of the OKC Thunder during this week.
Every NBA player is available. The Lakers are trying to get Paul George for two late first round picks and a back-up point guard. Jimmy Butler wants to go anywhere except for Cleveland. The Knicks are willing to sell anyone for paper triangles. Cleveland is giving away championship general managers. The Lakers just traded the #2 pick two years ago for the 27th pick and Brook Lopez. The NBA has gone crazy.
And none of it matters in Oklahoma City.
A city once synonymous with the term “contender” can only sit idly by as other teams prep their offers for some of the league’s best players or promising stars.
MUST READ: OKC Thunder draft history
It’s a tough pill to swallow. Being part of mid-tier hell when we were spoiled with years of “nothing matters but the playoffs.” It’d be nice to acquire George or Blake
Griffin or both, but we all know it’s not happening. Either the team doesn’t have the necessary assets to pull off the deal or general manager Sam Presti is unwilling to trade the assets worth having. So, we’re left with Russell Westbrook, the hope that Presti does what he can with limited cash and assets, and the bigger hope that the young players develop into valuable contributors.
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- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
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And you know what, that’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with stability. Sure, we’d love to be the Spurs or the Rockets. Both teams are already better than Oklahoma City and they have room to improve with top-tier free agent signings. But how does a 32-year-old point guard help either team against the Warriors? How does anyone except LeBron James help any team against the Warriors?
The sad truth is, they don’t. Paul George can go to Los Angeles. Jimmy Butler can stay in Chicago. Boston can have every first round pick in the draft this year. Cleveland can try their best to add another star in hopes that three All-Stars can beat four. But none of it really matters against Warriors.
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More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Maybe the Thunder has it right. Have a guy who is guaranteed to provide entertainment and excitement in every game. Put some young guys around him and hope they pan out. And if they don’t, recognize it before it’s too late. Do what you can with your limited assets to moderately improve your position. But think towards the future.
Think of a time when the Warriors aren’t quite these Warriors anymore. It seems impossible to think about, but there will be a time in the near future when they don’t have four All-Stars. Something will happen. Something always happens. If we’ve learned anything about the NBA, it’s that it always goes crazy during the offseason.
You don’t really need that man cave or woman shed this week. That home entertainment system would just run up your electricity bill anyway.