OKC Thunder In the news: Tyler Davis, Collison potentially rafter bound, 30 for 30 continues
OKC Thunder In the news for August 25 features the skinny on Tyler Davis, Collison should be rafters bound and more 30 for 30 trade articles.
Surprisingly the most asked question about the OKC Thunder hasn’t been who’ll be the starting power forward or if Dennis Schroder will factor into some iteration of the starting rotation or clutch lineups. Nope — it’s been who is Tyler Davis and how on earth did he end up on the Thunder?
Tyler Davis early insight:
Great question. My stock answer has been to be brutally honest, because frankly I don’t know that much about him (time to hit the film room). Prior to the TI team diving into our annual player prospects however, Ryan Lewis of Hoops Habit offers some insight which I hope provides clarification to the Thunder fans who’ve reached out seeking more details on Davis.
"Making the Thunder roster will not be easy, but Davis has shown a willingness to work hard to achieve his goal. He did so in high school, dropping over 50 pounds during the course of a year to become a more physical and athletic player. He did it again as a junior at Texas A&M and talked about his journey with The Beat at Texas A&M:"
In praise of Nick Collison:
Even though Nick Collison retired after the OKC Thunder season wrapped he remained in the news due to the ‘Mr. Thunder film. Recently TI writer Rylan Stiles made the case for why Nick Collison should gain entry to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts.
Stiles points out the Hall is filled with stars, but also includes players who had strong College careers or performed as a key cog in their team’s roster. Obviously Collison didn’t beast in the stats column and yet he is an important member of history in Oklahoma City. The community, his team and the organization all have a strong relationship with Collison.
Consider what type of character it takes for a player to constantly take the position of sacrificing for their squad. Whether that is their touches, time on floor or their bodies. Looking back at the one season Carmelo Anthony spent with OKC it offers fuel to this argument Melo gave up much of what he was accustomed to providing. In the end, it left him feeling like he wanted more. Granted, Melo was used to being the main contributor on his team for over a decade whereas Collison was always the team glue guy.
That sacrifice is part of what makes Collison so special. TI isn’t alone in believing Collison should be recognized for his Thunder tenure. An exclusive to subscribers NewsOK article also feels Mr. Thunder deserves some high praise and commemoration. (note: this article is restricted to The Oklahoman and NewsOK subscribers).
"Nick Collison was honored Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Here’s hoping this wasn’t the last time. On the heels of him receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the March of Dimes Sports Headliner Banquet, the Thunder needs to get serious about retiring his jersey. Perhaps such plans are already in the works — you won’t find anyone beyond…"
30 for 30 rolls on:
If you’re thristing for some quality content as August drags on Lawrence George has you covered with his 30 for 30 series. It looks at each NBA squad and selects the player from each roster best fits the Thunder. Notably, this isn’t an exercise in just picking the best player from every team. Rather, the series probes who would be the most logical fit and fill a void within the Thunder and could economically work.
Although I’m biased this series is a great read, so schedule some time to check it out. Here’s a few of the recent offerings in the list.
Next. Thunder Trivia: uncovering 50 fun, surprising and random facts. dark
Also make sure to catch our feature today from Noah Schulte on the 50 best dunks in OKC Thunder history. Noah’s been locked away in the film room for an eternity and his list is extremely impressive. It will have you recalling specific games and dunks from the decade of OKC Thunder excellence. Make sure to check it out and send us your thoughts in the comments section. That’s it for in the news today, enjoy your Saturday.