Weekend Bolts: The Other Thunder
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It’s been one of those weeks where everywhere you look, there’s a former Thunder player making news on or off the court. Just in today’s bolts, there are five former Thunder starters named. Really, it’s been several years of that dynamic. While the raw passion of fandom is still there for certain personalities (Russ, KD), some distance from the glory days in OKC can help us inch toward a more level-headed blend of criticism and appreciation for those elsewhere who won over and broke our hearts here. Maybe.
Better than distance? Having new stars to fuel our passion. As Shai cements his value and others on the team gives us hints of their own potential, there are a few draft prospects who could be perfectly fitted for the Thunder’s post-Russ star void. You’ll be seeing more of those names in the bolts as well.
The Bolts:
Darius Bazley, Lindy Waters, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (duh) played really well in the Thunder’s loss to Memphis. A valiant effort against the hottest team in the league.
Steven Adams enjoyed his return to Oklahoma City as a member of the Grizzlies.
The Thunder and Grizzlies had a uniform mishap, with both teams taking the floor before tip in white jerseys. If we never get Elam ending for overtime, we should experiment with a few minutes of same-jersey OT (with yakety sax blaring over the PA, obviously).
Tim Bontemps (ESPN) had league scouts and executives rank the NBA’s young point guards. SGA came in fifth.
But what is going on with SGA’s rolled shorts?
Victor Oladipo on his rocky road through injuries, agencies, and negativity.
Jonathan Tjarks (The Ringer) on Jaden Ivey is a must-read. I agree that Donovan Mitchell is a better optimistic comp for Ivey than Ja Morant.
