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February 1, 2020 DailyThunder.com A note from the editor: While everyone’s gearing up for trade season, we’re recovering from a packed schedule the past month. Since December 26, the Thunder have had zero extra days of rest. 21 game days to just 16 off days. They’ve been on the road for the majority of that stretch, barely practiced, and won 70% of their matchups. Starting today they get four days off, which will feel like a month. A Thunder fan will look at that and laud the team’s play. Deservedly so. But a myopic editor views it primarily as a gauntlet for a website trying to keep up. Assigning, writing, and scheduling articles, podcast guests, and media credentials for tight publishing windows in between games and the other daily content we’ve put ourselves on the hook for. And this has all been coordinated anxiously under the shadow of potential trades–do we prioritize a Danilo Gallinari piece before he’s traded? Do we push the Chris Paul article ahead of his All-Star selection? How many Patreon subs would it take for us to afford a crystal ball and writers with unlimited availability? Anyway, let me connect this to some pretense of Thunder insight: I would imagine that the traveling, gameplanning, and actual playing of games is a bit more demanding for the Thunder than our little content operation (of which the team has its own). Justin Hickey noticed a conversation between James Jones and Sam Presti when covering the Suns game for us. On the one hand, of course they wouldn’t wait to discuss things in view of the public that could be handled discreetly from their offices. On the other, there are only so many hours in the day, only so many moments when the needs of running a team aren’t pulling you away from a focused conversation that can progress beyond surface level fact-finding and temperature-taking before moving to the next call about the next team’s player of interest. I’d imagine that, while the players get some rest these next few days, the Thunder organization will be abuzz. With his obscene combination of draft assets and movable players, Presti surely has options. Options to weigh within the front office. To run by the coaching staff. And agents. And ownership. If they opt to stand mostly pat, it won’t be for a lack of deliberation. As one of many suckers for this overperforming version of the Thunder, and one of the selfish few site runners handcuffed to the Thunder’s activity, I’d be okay with a quieter deadline in OKC than anyone expected a few months ago. The noise *on* the court has been enough for me. – Cray Allred WEEKLY BOLTS Noel’s growth (Athletic) : OKC honors Kobe (Athletic) : Roby/Patton trade minutiae (HoopsRumors) : Cost benefit analysis at the deadline (Basketball Insiders) : CP3 a deserving All-Star (SI) THE RECAP Thunder (27-19) def. Hawks (11-35) “The night was a win all the way around for Thunder fans: the Thunder secured their fourth straight win, hometown hero Trae Young provided a highlight reel for his family, friends and fans in Loud City, and OKC got in an extra bonus night of shooting practice.” – Rahbar Thunder (28-19) def. Wolves (15-31) “Having letdown games and losing to inferior opponents like the Timberwolves? Not this team. Throwing games away at the free throw line? Not this team. Allowing Wiggins transform into prime MJ with a Steph Curry jumper? Not this team.” – Rahbar Mavericks (29-17) def. Thunder (28-20) “The Thunder may have been able to muster up a win tonight had their leader and best player been out on the court to help guide them. But Chris Paul’s absence was not the missing presence we all felt tonight, and the Thunder’s defeat was not the loss that was on all our minds.” – Rahbar Thunder (29-20) def. Kings (17-30) “It’s been a murderers’ row of scorers, but Dort hasn’t been the one in danger. Dort is the danger. He is the one who knocks.”- Rahbar Thunder (30-20) def. Suns (20-28) “Booker deserves to be an All Star. But if the young scoring savant is going to end the Suns’ eight year All Star drought, he’ll have to do what Chris Paul has been doing for 15 years: win.” – Rahbar FEATURES The Pulse: What Thunder Fans Are Thinking Ahead of the 2020 Trade Deadline “Ultimately, it seems the pulse of Thunder Nation is awareness that the team has options this season. “For this year, I’m good with just about everything,” said Don, a reader of Daily Thunder.  “I’d love for them to make a playoff run.” – Napier What If?  The Tyson Chandler No-Trade “The Thunder had received a future Defensive Player of the Year for nothing. And they sent him back.” – Pitman Scouting the Suns Was more on the line in Phoenix than the Thunder’s Game 50 victory? We sent a DT writer to scout potential targets for OKC on the Suns roster. – Hickey FROM THE LIVE THREADS Game 46 (W) vs. Hawks : Nick Gallo just told a story about how Vince Carter dunked over his head when he was 10 years old. Game 47 (W) @ Wolves : RIP Kobe, you will live forever as long as I can shoot paper towels. Game 48 (L) vs. Mavericks : This game has not been kind to my Dort > Luka take. Game 49 (W) @ Kings : >>> Game 50 (W) @ Suns : GMs just said let’s go talk ? THAT’S NOT ALL Saturday Morning Cartoons: Kobe    The Mayor and the Mamba   Thank you for supporting Daily Thunder. Please send your feed back to dailythunder@gmail.com SUNDAY CROSSWORD Print below to complete old school, or play digitally here. Graphic design: Natasha Panchal Imagery: Oklahoma City Thunder, Marc Streeter, XavSports, BobbyBrown318 Copyright © 2020 Daily Thunder, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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