OKC Thunder in the news for November 5 finds the team prepping for a key game and thoughts swirling around the Celtics loss.
The OKC Thunder gear up for tonight’s game and the first of a three game mini trip with hopes the squad will pull off a few firsts. Most notably would be a win versus a Western Conference foe. First up OKC play the Blazers prior to travelling to Sacramento and Denver.
Coming off the loss on Friday there has been plenty of discussion surrounding precisely how it occurred. Thunderous Intentions scribe Lawrence George (who is from New Zealand ) is vacationing in the States. He was at the Lakers game and went in happily content the Thunder were up 18. A few hours later he exited the Staples center and sent copious texts inquiring what the heck happened.
The point is. for those of us who watched the game in it’s entirety, were also asking ourselves that very question.
Happens to the best teams:
First and foremost, it’s important to remember these things happen to all teams. Even the Golden State Warriors (Pistons) and Cavaliers (too many to name at this stage). So, for a team integrating so many new pieces into the mix it’s a natural assumption there will be hiccups and growing pains.
I think the reason it’s difficult to comprehend these types of losses is because the OKC Thunder have already surpassed our expectations. Not in terms of their record, rather in how quickly they are integrating. With that today’s in the news looks at some thoughts on this situation specifically, including from the players.
Coach and OK4 opine on the loss:
Coach Donovan, Steven Adams, Russell Westbrook, a fashionable Carmelo Anthony and Paul George all offer their thoughts on the one that got away. One interesting note to take away from PG’s comments was a hidden message perhaps? ‘It’s good to struggle now, this is our first year together –“This is a long run, we’ll be fine. We’re starting to shoot it well, we’re starting to find some rhythm. We’re starting to figure out how to attack and be aggressive – -we’ll be totally fine.’
Perhaps I’m reading too much into the hidden statement, but it does imply there is intention for there to be more than a single year spent together.
Quick Reacts:
Of course there were also the obligatory comparisons to last season and the stat heads pointing out early season trends.
Learning From Losses:
My cohort Tony Heim offers a convincing missive on why the loss to the Boston Celtics serves a positive purpose
"When they break down the film they will see an offense that shot 47.6% on 13 assists in the first half. They’ll see a team that worked to find open shots for each other – five different Thunder players made threes. And when they switch to the second half they’ll see an entirely different squad.They’ll see Carmelo taking seven more attempts even though he couldn’t buy a bucket (1-12 in the second half). They’ll watch a defense that stopped communicating effectively, hence why Al Horford was wide open the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Most importantly, they’ll see a team that completely went away from the very style of play that dominated the prior 2.5 games."
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
Ultimately, Heim is absolutely correct. Would you rather the OKC Thunder saved these types of losses until later in the year? Or eeked out wns thinking we’re fine we can pull this off? Neither of those options are appealing in my view because they both carry more danger in the fallout.
Alternatively suffering a loss to the Timberwolves (despite the non-call) could easily have been written off precisely because the whistle didn’t blow.
This complete melt down points to the fact the team still has ample work to do. Particularly Anthony and George who still need to reject their natural instincts to fall into old iso habits. That will take time for these stars to absorb into their subconscious. This is a team — not three players, — not four but a fully rostered team and subsequently the secret to getting past these critical but valuable lessons is to work through it as a team.
For the OKC Thunder to achieve this natural assimilation it will take time. That’s the best part of this equation – time is something the OKC Thunder have lost of.
That brings In the news for November 5 to a close. Enjoy the game today and make sure to interact with us on twitter and check back with Thunderous Intentions post game for grades and analysis. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.