Dec 19, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler (15) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to Views from OKC, Thunderous Intentions’ daily roundup of the best OKC Thunder news across the web.New to Views from OKC? Glad to have you here, and I hope you’ll make this a daily destination. Well, let’s get started!
Thunder lose to Atlanta in a controversial finish
“The Thunder struggled defensively for much of the game and offensively in stretches. But Westbrook shook off a slow start – he was 1-for-6 in the first quarter – to make a late charge, and when he was off the bench, Oklahoma City kept the game in striking distance.”
Well that was a bummer. OKC wasted an incredible Russell Westbrook night en route to their 12th loss of the season. With Victor Oladipo out the Thunder are 1-3, and there are no signs that he is returning soon. Yes there probably should have been at least one foul call in the last possession, but the Thunder had other opportunities to close the game. On to New Orleans.
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Some Steven Adams transformation talk
“Adams is shooting 9-of-18 on this flip shot, according to Synergy Sports. This quirk gives him another way to score on cuts and pick-and-roll dives, especially when the paint is clogged. Adams can’t sneak by Dwight Howard, but he’s become more than comfortable elevating over the top for a smooth bucket.”
This piece primarily focuses on the pick and roll, but we’re visiting it for the Steven Adams discussion. Kevin O’Connor’s “Seven segments or less” is a fantastic end to his columns, and one of his segments focuses on the Big Kiwi. Thunder fans will tell you Adams is anything but automatic around the rim (especially after last night) but the improvement is there. Just remember people, he’s only 23.
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Looking towards the 2017 NBA Draft
“Smart franchises make important choices by gathering as much pertinent information as possible and scrutinizing every aspect of their given decision. As such, the goal of these big boards will be to inform and to trade mass draft hyperbole for nuance as much as possible. These are rankings in a vacuum, unconcerned with team needs and situations. Here’s an early ranking of 30 top prospects for 2017.”
Unless something catastrophic happens (or a trade), the Thunder won’t be picking in the lottery this year. But in this loaded draft class, it’s time to start doing our homework. Who cares I’m a little depressed after last night’s loss? I know Sam Presti will find a gem in 2017, and I wanna know as much as possible about the next great Oklahoma City player.
