Thunderous Intentions
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OKC Thunder: Everybody just needs to relax right now

By Joshua Lea

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JULY 11: Thunder fans greet Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 11, 2017 at the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder acquired George from the Indiana Pacers in a trade. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JULY 11: Thunder fans greet Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 11, 2017 at the Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder acquired George from the Indiana Pacers in a trade. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The OKC Thunder have won 13 games so far this season. They’ve lost 14 games, which has fans from all over losing their minds.

The OKC Thunder are not destroying teams the way we thought they would. When the news broke of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George teaming up with Russell Westbrook, everyone was quick to place the OKC in the NBA Finals before the season even began. The barber shop talk could be heard all over Oklahoma. “They can beat Golden State now.” “PG13 and Westbrook are better than Kevin Durant and Westbrook any day of the week.” “Billy Donovan is going to bring out Olympic Melo to play with Westbrook.”

Well, that talk has all changed. Now, it’s “Sit Melo!” “Fire Billy Donovan.” Westbrook is selfish.” “PG13 is going to leave for the Lakers.” The fact of the matter is fans are fans. They have an expectation that may not mirror reality, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Passion is a word that has described OKC Thunder fans since the Thunder’s inception in 2008.

There are two different types of people who like/cover sports. The first type is the stats guy. You know this guy really well. He has stats about every possible category in the NBA. This guy can compare data and numbers and give you the reason for the great play or the struggle of a player or team.

On the other side, there is the observation guy. This guy doesn’t stat watch. He watches the game without his Twitter open, he most likely played basketball at the high-school or college level. He identifies what he see’s. For example, if Russell Westbrook is shooting 1-of-9 on the night. He may not know the exact number, but, he can tell Russell isn’t in a rhythm.

I say this because as a writer for Thunderous Intentions, I am not a stats guy. I hate numbers and math. So, when I watch Thunder basketball, I usually just look to see who’s in rhythm and if the team is moving the ball around. I generally don’t count points or assists. You can tell if Westbrook is feeling good based on his first couple shots.

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With all that begin said, here’s the deal. Should the Thunder be a better team than they show on the court? Yes, they have most of the pieces in play to resemble a dynamic team. Is there a chemistry issue with Westbrook, George, and Melo? Yes, You have two players in George and Melo who play slow and play isolation basketball. Westbrook has probably never played slowly in his life. It’s taking time for them to gel.

Should the Thunder fire Billy Donovan? No, changing coaches at this stage of the season is suicide. Westbrook and George have both said all the players are riding with Billy. Why would you mess with that? Also, if you even think about trading Melo or George, you are giving up on this season. So, let’s not go down that road either. There is still time.

So, why aren’t the Thunder blowing teams out by 40 every night? I can’t answer that question. All I can say is there is improvement game-by-game. It’s a process, a journey to improve and get better. It’s not going to have overnight and it hasn’t completely happened 27 games into the season.

However, you have to consider this team is still figuring things out. Sometimes, things just click and it all works out. That was the case with Golden State. They added Kevin Durant to a 73 win team and everything was easy all the way to the NBA Finals. With the OKC Thunder, they have to work a little harder to make this work. Are they over thinking things a little too much? Yes, they just need to relax and let the game come to them naturally.

At the end of the day, the regular season is the journey to the playoffs. Let us not forget that in 2007 the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors beat the number one-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs four games to two. Before that, in 1994, the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets took down the number one-seeded Seattle Supersonics. So, when it comes to the playoffs, the Thunder just have to get there. They’ll have a chance against any team in the league.

So, fans, writers, Twitter fanatics, and Thunder faithful, I urge you to just relax. The Thunder still have 55 games left this season. That’s plenty of games to figure things out and right the ship. Especially since they are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings. The Thunder will get to where they need to be. Remember, once the playoffs start, the regular season doesn’t matter. So, enjoy the season, watch as they get better and maybe not focus on the numbers so much. Count wins and losses not fourth quarter shooting. A win is a win.

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