OKC Thunder season preview roundtable Q6: OKC Blue excitement and expectations

T.I. counts down to the OKC Thunder 2018-19 tip via a preseason roundtable. Focus shifts to excitement surrounding the OKC Blue and expectations for their season.

Question 6:

The OKC Thunder varsity squad looks strong but their G-League affiliate the OKC Blue are also vital. The Blue offers an opportunity to develop youngsters although they’ve produced mixed results in the past. Rookies Hamidou Diallo and Kevin Hervey along with 2-way players Deonte Burton and Tyler Davis as well as a host of other youthful talent will all spend time with the G-League squad this season. To that end, is your interest in the the Blue higher this season than past years?

Lawrence George – @geola388

Being from Australia, I don’t get to see many of the G-League games due to time differences and lack of coverage. Two players worth keeping an eye out for are Hamidou Diallo and Deonte Burton. Diallo is a physical specimen who I forecast to be a decent contributor two or three seasons from now but I believe Burton will receive a shot on OKC’s roster this year. This guys plays with plenty of swag and isn’t afraid of the moment. He received roughly 30 minutes of action in the scrimmage so OKC are really looking at him.

Tamberlyn Richardson – @TTOTambz

I’ve been ranting about Deonte Burton and Hamidou Diallo all through preseason. This duo has the potential to lead the Blue to a G-League championship. More importantly, since the Blue will run the same system as the varsity it affords the youngsters time to get accustomed to the new ‘up tempo’ system Donovan wants to employ.

Although both Diallo and Burton may need some seasoning I still think they are going to be vital cogs in the Thunder’s overall performance this season. For that reason, I’m keen to see how they perform and what heights they can lead the Blue to this season.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1049850408267632643

Gideon Lim – @GideonLim_NBA

Tough one. I say yes, but only if T-Ferg spends time in the Blue. He’s at risk of being another first round washout, and I really hope he proves me wrong.

Dylan Huntzinger – @ThunderChats

For sure! Deonte Burton is gonna basically have free reign. Abdul Gaddy showed us a lot in the preseason games. That alone is enough for me. That being said, I’m not gonna pull up a Blue game on my lap top. They are more likely to get butts in the seats though.

Reid Belew – @UpJimbo

Maybe? If Diallo and Ferg spend most of their time there, I’ll probably look at Blue box scores more than once a month.

Jordan Buckamneer – @jbuckamneer

This group of youngsters is certainly exciting and will be fun to watch at the G-League level. Between Hamidou Diallo and Terrance Ferguson, OKC might be the next “Lob City.” As a fan, you always want to see your young talent evolve and push for playing time in the NBA. OKC is a deep team, but we still need guys at the ready in case of an injury, or at the very least, rest down the stretch of the long season.

Amy Li – @realkimchiwitch

I think the desperation for the Thunder to have an equally formidable bench unit as they chase down Golden State and Houston skewers our perceptions of the level of growth and development  players gain with the OKC Blue.

The fact that the Thunder often use G-League alumni in major lineups speaks to that, such as the case with Terrance Ferguson and former player Josh Huestis, each playing serious minutes last season. Because GM Sam Presti is specifically great at finding prospects with potential but need development, the OKC Blue G-League gives the Thunder additional leverage in injuries and potential trades.

Alex Roig – @AlexRoig_NTTB

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The development of Burton, Hervey, and Hall (when he arrives from Australia in March) will be of keen interest to me. Diallo and Ferguson will likely play on the Thunder for most of the year. But outside of that, the interest is basically the same (which is to say, I likely won’t go to a Blue game this season).

Austin Sternlicht – @The_Sternlicht

I’ll never be able to get into the G-League. Not until its like the minors in baseball, but that will never happen. The good guys play right away. That’s what makes the G-League so uninteresting.

Stephen Dolan – @SteveThunderfan

It is! The most exciting thing to happen to the Blue last season was PJ Dozier wearing #35.  This year, Burton and Hami should be tearing it up. And they’re guys with a future. So yes, you’re my boys, Blue!

Alex Mcewen – @eflame_717

My interest in the Blue has always been moderate, dating back to when the squad was in Tulsa and their name was the 66ers. With that said my interest will not increase, nor decrease in the Blue this season.

Asad Ali Jamal – @SuperCyrax98

I am definitely more interested in the OKC Blue this season than in years prior because the young talent that will spend time in the G-League are dripping with potential and I can’t wait to see them grow!

Rylan Stiles – @Rylan_Stiles

The OKC Blue have a very interesting roster this year, and with a ton of talent the Blue are poised to be contenders in the G-League. However, more importantly, there are promising young players that will fill the roster at times. So yes, the interest in the Blue should be there.

This wraps up question six from the roundtable. Next up with four days until season tip-off the TI writing team dives into the frontcourt.