Thunder in the News: Taking a new stance on the Paul George saga
By Tony Heim
The All-Star Break doesn’t mean there’s less OKC Thunder content to consume and discuss.
How’s everyone enjoying their All-Star Break? I’m personally using this time to refresh my basketball brain to get an idea of this team’s current situation. As you’re soon to find out, that’s already resulted in a new philosophy on Paul George. It also has reinvigorated my optimism in this team moving forward.
Sure, Andre Roberson is done for the season. But OKC’s inactivity at the Deadline leads me to believe there’s a belief in this current group that an ever-improving team chemistry will result in big things come the Playoffs.
Paul George speculation is coming to an end…from me
My first real revelation from this respite: there’s no sense in worrying about the upcoming offseason. George could very well leave in a few months, quickly ending our hopes and dreams of a new OKC Thunder dynasty. That’s why I’ve decided to live in the moment and enjoy what could be a spectacular Playoff run. With that being said, here are my final thoughts on the topic.
- I truly believe the Thunder are the clear-cut favorite for PG.
- It’s confusing to me why pundits like Kevin O’Connor disregard all the statements George has made about his potential of re-signing.
- We’ve heard so many different theories from NBA execs that I don’t believe any of them. Sam Presti works in silence – they have no idea what he has planned.
- And because they (i.e. his closest work associates) don’t have a clue, there’s no sense in commenting.
"George’s candidness is unique. I can’t recall a player so openly flirting with the idea of leaving his current team."
Reviewing Carmelo Anthony’s first half-season in OKC
Melo’s first NBA season as a non-number one option has been an interesting one to say the least. At the beginning he tried too hard to find his shot. Then Melo over-corrected himself, passing up open shots in an attempt to designate himself as the “third option.” Now the ten-time All-Star is finally finding that perfect balance that OKC needs.
The key point in this Hoops Habit piece is the bit about the Playoffs. Oklahoma City would be a better regular season team with Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott – that’s not really a debate. The question is whether or not the move was justified for the Playoffs. Ultimately it comes down to how receptive Melo is with playing more with the second-unit. If it results in wins (which I think it will) I think he’ll be just fine with that decision.
"Other than that, I think Carmelo is fitting in quite well. Let’s see how it works around playoff time."
Silver’s address includes interesting idea for the Thunder, rest of Western Conference
And finally we end with some hard news to come out of the All-Star Break. This is something we touched on after the Thunder destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers a month ago, and now that dream may become a reality thanks to progressive commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver’s All-Star address touched on many things, the biggest point being that the NBA is considering changing their Playoff format. My Co-Editor Tamberlyn Richardson touched on everything Silver had to say – read it if you want to be the most knowledgeable NBA fan in the office.
"Silver did say they are investigating the playoff portion of this question, but travel is a deterrent."
Next: How Thunder went from mediocre to contender in one season
That’s it for today’s edition of Thunder in the News! Think we missed anything (i.e. Steven Adams prom date)? Check out our main page and you’re likely to find coverage on that story and much, much more.