OKC Thunder in the news: Tough decisions by the GMs and Paul George

As preseason arrives, NBA General Managers categorize this season in the annual polls and Paul George talks about how he was sold on the OKC Thunder.

The leaves are changing colors and the air is getting crisp, meaning the best season of the year is just around the corner: basketball season. The deprivation is almost over, OKC Thunder fans. In the meantime, the annual GM polls have given us a little bit more to think about.

Steven Adams is Tough!

Among the varying questions posed to the NBA general managers is the debate of toughest player in the league. Now, OKC Thunder fans would be delighted to see that 33 percent voted our precious Kiwi as the toughest player, but Adams wasn’t even remotely phased.

Erik Horne posted Adams’ response to the accolade on twitter. In typical sarcastic humor Adams scoffed at the idea of this honor.

In his article on Steven Adams, Heavy.com writer Bryan Brandom reiterated that Adams is tough in his gameplay while maintaining a classy sportsmanship, a balance not always achieved among NBA players.

"Unlike Green, Adams has managed to draw the “tough” label without the “dirty” one that usually follows."

While his aggressiveness may not always be welcomed with open arms on the court, it demands respect, especially from a statistical point of view. After reading Brandom’s article, its clear that Adams earned the title this year.

What do the polls mean for OKC?

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• 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

Since GMs aren’t allowed to vote for a member of their own team, the polls give us a chance to see what they really think of opposing teams. OKC made an appearance five times throughout the polls, eliciting that despite the dismal results of what we thought was a season of potential, we are still on radars.

Our very own Tamberlyn Richardson took a deeper inspection in her article on what the polls could predict for this season, as well as the questionable absence of Billy Donovan’s name in the polls. Feed your Thunder hunger with her key takeaways and inspection, including the GMs surprise at Paul George’s commitment to the OKC Thunder community.

Paul George elaborates on his decision:

Oklahoma-native Thunder fans know there is no feeling like Bricktown on game night. The atmosphere vibrates as the sidewalks are consumed with blue and orange. But, it is interesting to see an outsider’s perspective.

At Tuesday’s media meeting, Paul George was asked if our city and its people played a role in what enticed him to stay. In his article with the Norman Transcript, writer Clay Horning gave us an insight to PG’s decision during off season.

"“Absolutely. I think they go hand in hand. This organization, the community, they go hand in hand,” he said. “I think a lot of the personnel, a lot of the people in this organization are from Oklahoma, you know, and it’s just the same level of respect, the same interactions I have with the people here as I have with the people outside this building. So, they obviously go hand in hand.”"

Paul George also added that the people here are good and genuine. Thanks PG, the feeling is definitely mutual!

That wraps up OKC Thin the news for October 4. Just 12 days remaining until opening night, enjoy the lead up to the 2018-19 season and make sure to bookmark Thunderous Intentions as a daily stop in preparation to the season start.