Sunday Bulletin: Too Good to Be True?
It's been a slow week of on-court action for the Thunder, with just one game that counted (against the Jazz) and another couple that very much did not (the All-Star...games?) since Valentine's Day.
Off the court, Shai parted ways with his agent. He called it a simple career move. Presumably, he considers it good for his career to save commission on a supermax extension in Oklahoma City this summer, which will require no negotiations.
Is this all too good to be true? The Thunder have 45 wins, no competition to retain the MVP's service for the next 6 seasons, and a magically healed 22-year old monster at center. These are all reasons to bet on the Thunder's long-term future, as Sam Presti did when standing pat at the trade deadline.
It's definitely too good to be true. Not everything is going to work out perfectly to plan. If you need reminding, look no further than Chet Holmgren's injury luck through three years of his young career. If you need a drink, think back to the broken Thunder past. But there is a whole bunch going right, and Oklahoma City still has one of the deepest asset reserves to pull from–they can use those assets to improve by simple addition, or by moving off of players who don't pan out long-term. They are not yet all-in, but don't yet have to face a fork in the road like they did when squeezing 2012's crowded cap sheet and juggling dissonant priorities between the stars of that top-heavy roster.
The Thunder are title contenders again, but not like they were in 2012, 2016, or even 2019 or 2024, when a failure in the postseason meant the end for the roster as constructed. Of course a failure this postseason could lead to drastic shifts, but not on the same kind of anxious, ticking timeline we've endured before. Enjoy the playoffs run in relative peace.
Thunder put Jazz to sleep
OKC 130 UTA 107
On a pedestrian night, the Thunder were 23 points better than the Jazz. Shai led all OKC scorers with 21 points in 32 minutes. No one else played more than 28 minutes in the sleepy blowout. The biggest takeaway: Chet looked great. Next up:
Game Info: OKC (45-10) @ MIN (31-26)
Tip-off: 8:30 PM | Broadcast: ESPN
3⚡Big⚡Things⚡
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