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With the Bobcats unveiling their new uniforms, and most NBA teams having three jerseys, I was wondering if you have heard anything about the Thunder potentially getting a third jersey or maybe tweaking their current away jerseys or home jerseys to improve them? A new orange third jersey would be amazing. Or making the “Oklahoma City” on the away to say “OKC” would be sweet. — Matthew R.
I get asked about new alternate uniforms a lot. And I agree — it’s time. However, I’ve had conversations with Thunder people about it and was told that it’s a league thing. The Thunder can’t make alternate uniforms until the league feels they’ve “sufficiently established the brand.”
When is that? No idea. That’s for Papa Stern to decide I guess. It does seem like the Thunder should be closing in on whatever branding specifications there are though. Kevin Durant’s jersey is consistently a top seller, the Thunder logo and uniform is being used in a lot of national commercials, they were on the biggest stage there is in the league and this will be their fifth season in OKC.
So, what kind of alternate would be good? The Thunder have like 14 different colors, so picking one of those would basically establish a third primary color. I’m not a big fan of going with yellow jerseys, partly because of the Sonic connection to that. And I’m not a big fan of going with the orange/red color because it really kind of looks orange no matter what, and you know a certain portion of the fanbase would be ridiculous about that and make an annoyingly big deal about the Thunder having orange uniforms when they’re supposedly “uniting” everyone.
I don’t really have a favorite idea for a third uniform, but a charcoal gray or black doesn’t sound all bad to me. I really kind of like this black Adidas jersey. A little more of a refined, professional tweak on that could look really good. And I’m a very big fan of putting “OKC” across the chest. I think that should almost go without saying for an alternate jersey.
Most offseason fodder centers around potential player acquisitions. However, the main source of the Thunder’s improvement from year to year has been player development. Give us one player and what skill they need to most develop for the Thunder to continue their year to year upward trend. — Dustin T.
Well, that’s a very specific and difficult question to answer. Because you really couldn’t go wrong with a lot of stuff. KD continuing to refine his ball-handling and distribution. Russell Westbrook working on his postgame a bit more. Serge Ibaka back-to-the-basket scoring. Thabo’s 3-point shooting. Perk’s offensive ability in general. Nick Collison’s pick-and-pop game. Cole Aldrich in the post. And on and on.
But if I’m picking one thing I’d really like to see, I’m going to say James Harden’s mid-range game. It seems that Harden mostly plays behind the 3-point line or in the paint. And he’s turning down quality opportunities from 15-20 feet. The reason, is because it’s seen as “settling” when you don’t attack, but building more of a mid-range jumpshooting game will only make his driving ability more of a threat. Put that thought of a deadly pull-up in a defender’s mind, and that makes him more dangerous attacking the rim.
TRADE!! Harden, Perkins and Sefolosha AND get Paul Gasol. He is huge in the middle. He was the main reason Lakers twice repeated as champions! Not Kobe. Oklahoma would truly be unstoppable. Tell me if i am wrong ;) — Joey H.
You’re wrong.
…
OK, fine. Here’s why: Because that’s a terrible trade. There are very few players in the league James Harden is worth dealing over. Plus, adding Gasol means you add his massive contract, and it doesn’t solve anything for the Thunder in that regard. Honestly, in about 50 different ways, this trade would be terrible.
It bears repeating: This Thunder team, one that’s on average something like 26 years old, very, very nearly won an NBA title. I don’t think a drastic move would be wise. As I’ve said before, speculation and trade discussions are part of what make the NBA fun. Thinking about how this piece would match there, or that piece would match here. It’s enjoyable to postulate about trades and wonder how it might impact the team.
But this isn’t NBA 2K12. These are real players with real chemistry and real impacts. Make a bold move that doesn’t work out on NBA 2K12? Oh well, do another one, or just start over with a different team. Make a bold move in the real NBA that doesn’t work out? You will be starting over with a different team, and not intentionally.
Who do you think is the best possible player the Thunder would be able to get in the draft? What do you think they need to draft? — Austin M.
Royce! Draft Royce!
Is Jeff Green a free agent option for the Thunder? — David P.
This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten this question. Nor will it be the last. People still love Uncle Jeff.
He’s a free agent and while he honestly fits what the Thunder need extremely well, I don’t think Green would be fine taking a huge paycut just to play with his friends again. Plus, the Thunder aren’t exactly in a position to be signing free agents right now, as re-signing their own players is the priority. Signing Green to even a three-year $20 million deal (which is probably far below what he wants) hurts OKC’s long-term plan.
So in summary: Stop asking this question people.
What is going to happen to D. Fish next year? — @L_Dean08
I really think the Thunder would love to have him back. And I think he would love to be back. But logistically, it doesn’t make much sense. Fisher still probably wants to play real rotation minutes and with Eric Maynor being back, the Thunder don’t have as much need for him.
I just can’t see a reason to keep him. It’s a shame too, because I do think Fisher had a pretty significant impact on OKC’s young players. It was obvious that they REALLY respected him and what he had to say. But on the floor, Maynor helps the Thunder a whole lot more, and that’s what matters.
Hi I am a young 20 yr old that lives in Texas. I love basketball, my teams are thunder and mavs (yesi know sorry, lol)… And im in love with kevin durant!!!! My birthday is August 4, and I would do anything to have ONE night with kevin durant…. Ill pay him or anything, but once he seen how cute I am, money wouldnt b a concern;) please help and let me know. — [Name redacted]
Yes, that’s a real email I received.
Have a question? Hit dailythunder@gmail.com for the next mailbag.
The only problem I see with OKC's uniforms (other than the worthless logo, that we all love because its ours, but still, facts are, it's worthless) is that the color scheme is pretty similar to several other teams, especially if you were to add a black alternate. Now, on any given night, you might look a lot like Denver, Memphis, Orlando, and maybe even others I'm not thinking of right now.
I'm a huge fan of eliminating some of the accent colors. I've always thought that looked too "busy". I don't mind orange as an accent, because it's the color of the ball and the rim. It looks sharp with the white and would look sharp with the "away" blue if white was the only other accent (tossing it in there with the dark blue and the yellow = too busy). Just don't make orange the main color of an alternate. Now you're copying off Phoenix, Charlotte and several others.
Here's what I'd like to see. Eliminate the gold completely. Use the dark blue sparingly, especially on the uniforms themselves. Tighten up the logo. Lose the orange and light blue "swooshes" behind the shield. Lose the 3-D OKC (keep OKC, just do it better). Put the "THUNDER" in the the shield, not over it. And finally, do SOMETHING that references thunder. I've heard two ideas -- either something that harkens to a "thundering herd" of buffalo, like maybe a subtle buffalo head coming in where the ball is, or a subtle lightning bolt somewhere within the design.
Now, you've got basically a slightly tighter version of the logo you sometimes see now that just has the OKC but not the THUNDER over the top.
Now, if you want an alternate jersey, go "thundercloud grey" with almost exclusively white trim. The tighter logo would "pop" off the shorts and the back of the neck, and the white would conjure up lightning.
I think alternate jerseys are a desperation move. It enhances revenues for a team that is hurting financially and creates buzz for teams that are struggling on the floor. Since neither of those apply ot the Thunder, I think introducing an apparrel gimmick is not in the mix for awhile.
I'm gonna need the email address, facebook twitter and instagram links, pics, social security number, measurements, and any other info on the female from the last email please. I'll give her a birthday present
@DennisBerry Throughout that email there are no references to her actually being a "her".
Can't believe Royce printed my very personal email about Durant.
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/06/thunder-have-talked-about-moving-up-to-get-bradley-beal/
If we really did trade for beal you can say goodbye to the two man game with collision and our SG (harden)
beal turned the ball over one 21.2% of his possessions in the pick and roll...and only averaged .697PPP in the pick and roll as well
@bmuelle21
Plus he only shot 33% in college last year from the 3. That's not good.
@FF_pickups i really don't know why people are comparing him to ray allen...he kinda struggled last year shooting except for the last 12-15 games
@bmuelle21 @FF_pickups People explain it as him not getting use to the offense or just being inconsistent, and then kind of wave off all the negative that causes those very things.
Maybe it's just me But I'd rather have Austin Rivers then Beal. Rivers measured out at 6'5 and has a much better handle, while still being a good shooter
@jdstorm And he's selfish. He belongs on the Kings.
If we trade harden what am I going to do with all my fake beards?
"Beal said Denver, which picks at No. 20, also made a similar statement."
But of course, we assume with near certainty that OKC is going to do it. Writing an article about a top prospect talking about top teams is interesting, but everybody talks to everybody these days. Guaranteed page views if you can suggest a team that made the finals is about to trade for the No. 2 pick.
@Jooseppi Exactly the point I'm making. It's all just conjecture at this point.
You should have concluded the last email with "Yep. These are my readers..." Also, I'm a recent OU-grad, but the orange jersey would clearly be the coolest alternative. Orange with "OKC" across the chest (like the Hawks' ATL jerseys).
Has anybody talked about trading down to get a player like Kyle o'quinn or Jared Cunningham + assets?
@ninja_armadillo Not going to get significant assets trading down from our position. An extra second pick, cash, maybe a conditional offer to swap first rounders with another consistent playoff team. Rights to an overseas player, something like that.
But yeah, people have talked about it on here.
I'd be upset if our front office didn't look at the whole draft class. Doesn't mean anything is going to come of it.
@Jooseppi
So are you saying that it's possible that trading Harden for the number 2 overall pick may make sense?
@FF_pickups Make sense to whom?
@FF_pickups It doesn't make sense to me if Harden wants to stay in OKC.
@Jooseppi to you
my guess is that presti scouted to find which player we would pick IF we were in the lottery and then took it to ownership to weigh their options...If he interviewed Beal in Chicago that was the day after we won the WCF, so pretty recently
If we trade James Harden for Bradley Beal, I am going to light myself on fire.
@moriarty84 please don't do it in Thunder Alley, or we'll for sure never get to have another watch party.
When was the last time a team who made the NBA finals drafted in the first round?
yes, my mistake
@ninja_armadillo Not sure about Finals, but the Pistons drafted 2nd overall (Milicic) the year *before* they won it all, when they were in the ECF. It was in a trade with Memphis.
@ninja_armadillo Almost always. All teams have a first round pick unless they trade it. Do you mean like the top 5?
What about Serge for the #2 pick and we take MKG? He's a 6'8 235 pound 18 year old that's a defensive beast. You know he's only going to develop more physically as well. He plays more physical D at 18 than any of our guys. KD can play more 4 with Harden, westbrook and MKG.
@okcjim
I don't think Charlotte is taking Serge for the #2 pick but if they did, I'd do that in a second.
Charlotte would have no interest in Serge since they drafted his clone last year. (Bismack Byombo)
@FF_pickups @okcjim Same. Trade Serge for the pick. Move KD to the 4. Afford everyone for several more years.
@okcjim @Jax Raging Bile Duct Yeah, I guess either Charlotte would or Charlotte wouldn't but I think if Charlotte would then Presti would trade Ibaka for the number 2 pick in a NY second. And if that statement is correct, then that means that since Presti hasn't done the trade then Charlotte is the one saying no.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct @FF_pickups If they're willing to take an undersized Thomas Robison at number 2 they could take Serge with number 2.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct @okcjim
MKG is exactly what we need.
I remember this time last year when Tony Parker was "for sure going to be traded" on Draft Day. And it ended up being George Hill the one getting traded. These reports always surface to stir the interest and ratings on draft night.
The report of "Harden for Beal" stems from a conversation Beal relayed to a report that happened between Beal and Presti at some workout in Chicago. In otherwords, it's just sensationalistic journalism. There haven't exactly been official reports about this going down...
@alvarex
No, but Beal confirmed that Presti spent 3 days at practice. What is he doing there if he isn't considering the trade. But this is probably just due diligence. I said the #2 pick for Harden wasn't crazy and should be explored, I was called a moron etc. by the posters on here and Presti has confirmed that I was right. It should be explored. He'll make the final call and I trust him because he's the best in the business.
@FF_pickups Those 3 days were during the lockout, so he probably was just doing his due diligence. The most recent contact is apparently with Donovan during the first round of the playoffs, asking about his character and stuff.
The trade makes sense if we get back multiple assets, Beal, and Harden is wanting loads of cash. Otherwise I don't know if it's worth the risk.
Although it'd definitely make for an interesting summer..
@alvarex "
Beal told ESPN.com Wednesday that Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti told him during an interview in Chicago that he was interested in trying to move up to draft him. The Thunder's first-round pick isn't until No. 28.
"He told me he was going to decide what they're going to do and considered getting up there," Beal said."
The combine in Chicago was a week and a half ago so it's a lot more recent than you are suggesting.
Lazar for #2 pick. Who says no?
@diddoff don't give up Lazar! Give em kd out Russell, but we can't afford to lose Lazar
@ninja_armadillo @diddoff You're right. Presti already messed up the Mullens blockbuster.
Where is pancakes? We need someone cursing at all these people wanting to trade "The Beard" for some college scrub.
@Tronchaser Theres no one here who likes that scenario
@thunderzzzzzzzzz up? @Tronchaser I think some like it for salary cap reasons. But I don't think anyone thinks Beal == Harden...not even in like 5 years do they become equals.
We'd have to get a Kings Ransom to part with the Beard.
@cemitten lol, I'm a Shell and Python man myself. In my land, == means equivalency :)
@alvarex is it java script where " I don't think anyone thinks Beal == Harden" actually means " I don't think anyone thinks Beal does not equal Harden"?
@alvarex first of all, obviously Sam Presti disagrees with you that it's impossible that it is impossible that Beal can be Harden's equal. And obviously, there is risk and the reward is salary cap relief. If there were no salary cap implications, there would be no talk. But that doesn't mean that Beal can't be Harden's equal or more.