Thunderous Intentions
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Thunder in the News: Triple-double #2 pushes the Thunder to .500

By Tony Heim

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 25: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder points to his team during a game against the Indiana Pacers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 25, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 25: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder points to his team during a game against the Indiana Pacers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 25, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – OCTOBER 25: Head Coach Billy Donovan and Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder talk during a time out during a game against the Indiana Pacers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 25, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – OCTOBER 25: Head Coach Billy Donovan and Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder talk during a time out during a game against the Indiana Pacers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 25, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Today’s Thunder in the News is a happy one – that’s what happens when the OKC Thunder pull off an 18-point victory.

What a way to bounce back after such a let-down on Sunday. The Thunder let Indiana hang around in the first half, but OKC’s overall talent was ultimately too much for the Pacers to handle. I expect that to happen a good amount this season. Especially when the team starts to find its groove.

Player grades from last night’s victory

We welcome Thunderous Intentions’ newest writer Sinjin Snope by featuring his player grades from yesterday. I can already tell Sinjin is going to be a great addition to the team – he isn’t afraid to dish out justified criticism.

I particularly like what he said about Paul George. George was left on the bench for most of the game because of foul trouble. Yes the refs were rough, but George needs to understand he doesn’t have to be that aggressive on the court with the teammates around him.

"The game tonight gave Thunder fans more glimpses of what this team could eventually become – a defensive minded unit with the ability to score with precision and speed."

Addressing a major concern surrounding Steven Adams

We’re going to feature another TI writer, this time for a piece he wrote for The Step Back. Jeremy Lambert asks a very important question: Why do NBA players keep hitting Steven Adams? Of course Jeremy was everything but serious, and of course he did a great job in the process.

"He shows restraint because that’s the back of Adams’ head. He does not have a punchable back of the head."

Looking at the OKC Blue’s training camp roster

Finally we quickly take a look at who’s in training camp with the OKC Blue. Most of these names are irrelevant to Oklahoma City’s future, but there’s a few we need to look out for.

Daniel Hamilton and PJ Dozier are the most important of the bunch, simply because they’re under contract with the Thunder. Bryce Alford, Rashawn Thomas and Yannis Morin are all G-League newbies having just graduated college (Alford and Thomas) or moving over from France (Morin). All three were in Thunder training camp and are still signed with the Blue – there’s an outside chance one of them makes the Thunder roster in a couple years.

That’s it for Thursday’s edition of Thunder in the News. Check out all of our content from the first week of the season for analysis of every game and much, much more.

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