Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Thunder in the News: The importance of Paul George and Billy Donovan

By Tony Heim

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 19: Paul George #13 of the OKC Thunder and Billy Donovan of the OKC Thunder talk as George leaves the game during the second half of a NBA game against the New York Knicks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 19, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 19: Paul George #13 of the OKC Thunder and Billy Donovan of the OKC Thunder talk as George leaves the game during the second half of a NBA game against the New York Knicks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on October 19, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Today’s roundup takes a look at the two most important people on the OKC Thunder not named Russell Westbrook. Are Billy Donovan and Paul George ready to perform in the Playoffs?

I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t anxious for the return of OKC Thunder basketball. The taste of Monday night’s loss is still fresh in my mouth, but I’m incredibly intrigued to see how this team responds. If they’re any sort of invested in this season as us fans then they’ll come out with a Russell Westbrook-like vengeance. Now if only Russ could push that demeanor to a few of his closest compatriots..

Paul George is on the clock

When highlighting articles I try not to use the direct headline, but this Paul Flannery hits it perfectly: ‘Paul George is the key to Oklahoma City’s playoff hopes.‘ Paul is 100% correct about Paul – the Thunder will go as far as PG takes them.

We know what we’re going to get from Westbrook (kinda). What we don’t know is what Paul George will show up. Will we get the one that has gone blow-for-blow with LeBron James in multiple Eastern Conference Playoff series? Because of his past history as a sometimes lackadaisical regular season player, that’s who I’m expecting. And if that’s the case then the Thunder are going to make some sort of noise in the Playoffs.

"Given the way this season has gone and the sense of immediacy that surrounds George’s summer, the playoffs offer both a momentous challenge and an opportunity. If they are to truly contend it will depend in large part on George’s ability to elevate his game."

Now it’s Billy Donovan’s turn

I’ve been a firm supporter of Billy Donovan for most of his OKC Thunder tenure. But if I’m being honest, that’s solely because of his performance in the 2016 Playoffs. Fast forward to the present day and there are concerns that go far beyond what Tim Legler points out in the video below.

Not only should Donovan stop removing all three of his offensive stars at the same time in the second half, he should cease the practice in the first half too. Now’s the time for the Thunder to slowly implement their Playoff rotation. If they’re coached correctly OKC will only play eight guys (nine max), hence why it makes zero sense to keep running out these all-bench lineups.

More questions arise from Monday night’s collapse

To end this Thursday edition of TitN we’re going to take a look at a few more questions surrounding the state of this team, brought to you by TI writer Lawrence George. I won’t get into the details because I truly think this is a worthwhile peace to read.

The only comment I’ll make is addressing Lawrence’s ‘this is a mellow rant’ statement at the end. If that draft was mellow I’d love to see what no-filter Lawrence has to say. If you’re so interested in reading his unedited/unfiltered draft, shoot us a DM on Twitter and I’ll give you the highlights.

"Poor decision making by Jekyll and Hyde superstar Russell Westbrook, wasted timeouts by Billy Donovan and bad free throw shooting by Carmelo Anthony essentially uppercut themselves. Ugh… when will it end?"

Next: Thunder's loss zapped momentum from six-game winning streak

That’s it for today’s issue of Thunder in the News! We’ve got all the Oklahoma City content your heart desires at our home page. Just follow that blue link and you’ll dive into the wonderful world of Thunderous Intentions.

Home/Thunder News