The NBA offseason is in full swing with two of the newest OKC Thunder players active on and off the court. T.I. looks at some of the hot topics in the news.
Many of the new acquisitions for the OKC Thunder are actively in the news due to basketball camps and the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
The coach – CP3:
Chris Paul is engaged with youngsters at his camps, engaging in on court activity with young up and coming players. And, he’s testing out his coaching chops as he recently entered a team in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). Although his team wasn’t the winning squad there were signs of what the youngsters on the OKC Thunder can expect from a player of Paul’s ilk in the huddle.
Paul’s TBT team won their opening and second games versus the No. 7 seeded Tampa 20/20 and the No. 3 seeded Power of the Paw before succumbing to the top seed Team Hines of the Greensboro Regional section.
Listening to CP3 talk to the youngsters I asked myself – hmm – I wonder whose voice will be the one Thunder fans here most on the sidelines this coming season – CP3 or Billy Donovan. Not to shade Donovan too much, but this season he needs to show he can take improve his players especially now that he isn’t hampered with having to navigate superstar egos (which I’m not sure he had to deal with much in the first place).
“Point 4 Dribble”...play use to work every time!! https://t.co/lkDqzO7CdQ
— Chris Paul (@CP3) July 22, 2019
FIBA World Cup:
The OKC Thunder were poised to have at least two players participating in the FIBA World Cup this summer and possibly three. That was until Shai Gilgeous-Alexander decided to decline the Team Canada invitation. SGA cited the fact he wants to invest in preparation for the upcoming season.
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (@shaiglalex) August 5, 2019
It’s also highly likely if the Canadians snag one of the seven Olympic berths up for grabs during the tournament he’ll play with the squad at the Tokyo Olympics next summer. Although the Canadians boast a strong group of NBA guards SGA would certainly be among the leading candidates to land a position given his playmaking and height.
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Since SGA is 6’6″ he offers the potential to play either backcourt position or even some time at small forward. Although it’s disappointing Thunder fans won’t get a sneak peek at the rising star, it’s equally impressive the youngster is so invested in getting ready for the upcoming season with his new team.
For more on the FIBA tournament check TI’s article featuring more on both the Canadian and USA teams which both began their camps on Monday.
Danilo Gallinari is still expected to participate despite his appendectomy this weekend and Lu Dort may still make the Canadian Team.
OKC Thunder new backcourt:
Thunderous Intentions scribe Noah Schulte dove into the brand new backcourt of the Thunder. Schulte spent time in the film room pulling up examples of how Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could benefit each other.
"It’s one of the oldest plays in the game, but it was the Clippers’ bread-and-butter for years. Now that CP3 will presumably be in charge of the offense, we’ll probably see a lot of plays like this one:"
Presumably, this duo will be the starting backcourt this season in OKC and Schulte serves up the ammunition of how they can thrive playing alongside each other.
Free Agency Updated Tracker:
Finally, in case you’re wondering where each team stands at this point in the offseason check out our updated Free Agency Tracker for a complete look at every team.
That wraps up in the news for Tuesday, August 6. Enjoy your day and make sure to check in with Thunderous Intentions daily as our team continues to bring you news on your favorite team and players.