OKC Thunder: 3 keys to sweeping series versus Knicks

The OKC Thunder plays a rare matinee match today as they host the New York Knicks. Once again Thunder Nation is feeling reflective as they prepare for the game. That’s because of the surprising news that Sam Presti traded Hamidou Diallo to the Detroit Pistons.

The timing of the trade is purely coincidental, but the Knicks are his hometown club and Diallo has always raised his level of play when facing them. In fact, when the NBA updated the injury report noting Hami was listed out again the immediate thought was — oh Hami will be ticked not to play.

Shortly after, the Woj bomb dropped with the surprising trade news.

As Wojnarowski later noted the emergence of Luguentz Dort made Diallo expendable and the Pistons (Troy Weaver) hope to make him part of their core. Svi Mykhailiuk is more of a perimeter player and like Hami is a restricted free agent this offseason.

The other news is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss this game with a quad contusion. He hit the court a couple of times in the game Thursday including one occasion that caught my breath because it was the type of awkward fall where a player can get seriously injured.

Notably, with Diallo’s trade SGA, Bazley and Muscala are now the longest-serving Thunder players. Technically because the draft happened before the Paul George trade and free agency that would make 20-year old Bazley the longest-tenured Thunder player.

3 Keys for OKC Thunder to sweep season series versus Knicks

The OKC Thunder began the second half with a victory versus the Mavericks marking their fourth win in six games. Granted, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis weren’t playing but the Thunder were missing depth as well without two starters (Bazley, George Hill) and their sixth man (Diallo).

New York began the second half with a bad loss to the Bucks (101-134) but maintain their playoff seeding holding the sixth rung in the East.

That said, the Knicks position is tenuous. In the first half of the schedule, the Knicks played 16 current playoff seeds winning six of those matches. Diving deeper, three of those wins (Bucks, Hawks, Jazz) occurred in the first 10 days of the season when the Knicks were still surprising teams.

Of the last 12 Knicks wins only two were against seeded teams (Blazers, Hawks). Moreover, until Thursday the Hawks weren’t seeded which would shift that 6-10 win total to 4-9 (Raptors beat Knicks and dropped off the ladder during this issue with COVID-19).

Still, Tom Thibodeau has the Knicks playing with an identity and the Mecca is thrilled at the possibility of returning to postseason play for the first time in eight seasons.