Magic Passes: Westbrook’s 20 Assists Outwit Cavs Shaky Defense

Russell Westbrook and LeBron James

The rare simultaneous burst of the triple threat Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook came into a supernova to destroy the Cavs for their 4th straight victory 148 – 124.
Melo hit his season high with 29 points, while George scored 36. But what’s even more jaw-dropping is Westbrook’s 23 points with 20 assists.
Westbrook’s magic passes are at it again. He tends to pass the ball a lot yet still scored more than enough to provide triumph for OKC. He was one board short of getting another astonishing triple-double.
Cleveland’s burden became heavier and heavier. It was a game of frustrations for Cavs. LeBron James was rooting to hit 30 000 career points but was pulled out with only 7 points remaining. Love played 3 minutes due to his sickness.
What’s most frustrating is that their defensive issues apparently are still left unsolved. They let OKC scored so high that they’ve lost with a huge gap. A team with a defensive strength normally does not allow their opponent to hit the century mark even in lost games.
Cleveland became too much of an offensive team yet they were almost outshone by OKC starters alone.
OKC totaled 121 points out of 148 with their 5 starters alone. 7 points behind and Thunder first five could have beaten Cavs’ whole team score.
Cavs just do not have enough force to push forward or pull OKC back in as they could not force a single digit deficit. They reached by as close as being 12 points behind but it turned out to be LBJ’s last hit of the night and OKC stretched once again by as much as 31 points.
Scores:
OKC 148 – George 36, Anthony 29, Adams 25, Westbrook 23, Roberson 8, Bench – 27
Cavs 124 – Thomas 24, James 18, Crowder 17, Smith 8, Love 0, Bench – 57

Lakers Larry Nance Jr. and other players to be traded for Pelicans Anthony Davis?

Larry Nance Slam dunk of the Year

The Lakers are willing to break their young core for a potential big catch in the free agency.

There have been a few bright spots in the otherwise a miserable season for the Los Angeles Lakers. They got the biggest steal last year’s draft in Kyle Kuzma. They managed to snap the winning streak of the Houston Rockets. Oh and don’t forget about their game against the Golden State Warriors when the defending champions needed an extra period just to beat the Lakers by a small margin. If anything, this has been competitive the Lakers have become in the last few seasons. But then again, sticking around like glue against the Warriors won’t be enough to bring the Lakers back to the playoffs and certainly won’t be enough to lure big names next season.
And despite their win over the struggling Atlanta Hawks which ended their losing streak, the Lakers are still at the bottom of the Western Conference thanks to their 12-27 record as they have dropped 9 of their last 10 games. And yet they are hoping to sign the likes of Paul George and LeBron James in the next off-season? Who would want to sign with a bottom-dweller team in the first place?
Despite their struggles, the Lakers are still willing to break their young core who has been the primary reason for their 12 wins this season- so far, just to have enough space for a big star. Aside from Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson whose names have been constantly included in the trade rumors, there’s a new name added and it belongs to Larry Nance Jr. Remember his dunk over Kevin Durant? Can you just imagine him doing that while wearing another uniform?
Apparently, the Lakers wanted to make sure that they will have the need cap space to lure big names come July 2018 and they are appearing to have been pushing that big panic button for a long time now.Take away the Randle problem because he’s likely to be traded anyway but Clarkson? Nance Jr.? Larry Nance Jr. may have only played 28 games this season due to injury issues and he’s only averaging 8 points per game but if you look at the Lakers’ win against the Hawks, Nance Jr. is one of their 8 players who scored in double figures, totaling 13 points and 8 rebounds. So trading Larry Nance Jr. is a big gamble despite his injury problems.

Conclusion

Just a few weeks ago, Larry Nance Jr’s name was actually included in the 6 players that the Lakers were willing to send to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis. While that trade remains a rumor to this day,  it can always happen. The question is: Will the Lakers pull the trigger this time around without any assurance that any trade will guarantee them landing LeBron James?
That remains to be seen.  

Los Angeles Lakers will Target Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins at this Year’s Trade Deadline

NBA writer Eric Pincus – NBA Journalist, Salary Cap Expert reported that the Los Angeles Lakers will target Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins at this year’s trade deadline.

Would it be nice to have Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins in one team?

If super teams aren’t the norm these days, I’ll be excited with the concept of having them together but these days having two stars in one team does not necessarily translate to the Larry Obrien trophy.
The Lakers has been rumored to make a big move and it looks like Magic Johnson may need to make one big one soon in order to turn around the franchise that has been struggling and figuring out what exactly the thing to do, especially when Lonzo Ball the player who they hoped to save them is not exactly living up to the hype.
The Plan A: To Get LeBron James 
Yes, LeBron James has a beautiful house in LA and the city looks nice and could really be a good place for a celebrity like LeBron James but that alone won’t be enough to execute plan A of getting LeBron James to move to LA. LeBron James and the Cavs have a nice thing going on in Cleveland and with a stacked all-star teammates from Kevon Love, Dwyane Wade, Isaiah Thomas and others, it’s just little incentive for the King to move his kingdom to Los Angeles.
The Preparation: Get Cousins and George via trade
Arguably DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George are two of the best players in their prime this means it won’t be easy to convince other teams to give them away. Paul George is doing well playing alongside Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony and the trio had recently been solving problems that they had when they started the season. OKC is in the playoffs contention and had won 8 of their last 10 games, there is just no reason to change anything for OKC.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans had been a mediocre team even with the combinations of Cousins and Anthony in the frontcourt. It looks scary on paper but the two has done nothing in real life to scare any teams in the league. It may be time to pull the plug on the experiment.
The Lakers bargain: Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson or maybe Brandon Ingram
Unlikely that the Lakers will trade Brandon Ingram especially when Magic Johnson himself said that he was off limits but with the top caliber players that they want to trade for Clarkson and a Randle may not be enticing enough for other teams to even look at the offer.
One thing is for sure however the Lakers are interested in making things happen and that DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George are the targets and maybe the only way to get LeBron to take his talent to LA come next season.

What do you think?

3 Big NBA Stars Likely to be Traded this Month

With trade season already in full swing, expect these players in different teams before February.

The trades that were made during the off-season prior to the current season were blockbuster ones that some fans even made pre-season predictions that their respective teams will beat this and that. And now that the trade restrictions are off the hook, we can expect more of those blockbuster trades especially now that the February trade deadline is fast approaching. 
During the first three months of the 2017-2018 season, the NBA has been rocked by the deafening noise that is created by the trade rumors surrounding big names. With January already a few days old, we should be seeing some of those rumors to become a reality and below are the three BIG stars who are likely to be playing for another team come February: 

1. Paul George

Despite playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony in the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul George’s name has been connected to various trade rumors which included a trade that could send him to the Los Angeles Lakers- a team PG13 is desiring to play for. For this trade to happen, the Lakers could offer Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson in exchange for Paul George. 
While trading Jordan Clarkson is definitely a heavy decision for the Lakers because JC6 has emerged as a solid leader off the bench, trading Julius Randle will be easier because he isn’t fond of coming off the bench. If this trade happens, it will be a win-win situation for both teams because Paul George now gets to play for his hometown while Julius Randle gets a fresh start with the Thunder alongside Jordan Clarkson who could start at shooting guard for the Thunder. 

2. Julius Randle

As mentioned above, Julius Randle is no longer happy with his decreased role while playing for Luke Walton. So expect him to be sent elsewhere where he would be utilized better. Possible destinations for Randle would be the Thunder, Denver Nuggets and, yes, even the still-struggling New York Knicks. Julius Randle could be a valuable asset to any team who could get him because he is still young and can still develop into a dominant power forward.  

3. DeAndre Jordan

DJ’s Los Angeles Clippers are playing catching up for the 8th spot in the Western Conference as they are riding on their 4-game winning streak. However, with injuries to key players,  the Clippers are no longer the same team they used to be during the Chris Paul era. 
And despite DJ playing well this season, it appears that the Clippers are no longer interested in paying for DJ’s hefty salary as they have been engaged in numerous talks with opposing teams in hopes of getting someone of high quality in exchange for Jordan, one of the league’s elite centers. Right now, there are two teams who have the potential to land DJ: the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.   

Conclusion

Of the three mentioned players, Paul George has the highest possibility of getting traded owing to the current situation in Oklahoma. Why? They have yet to perform like the super team they were supposed to be. Who knows? Trading one of their stars might help actually help the Thunder. 

Rumor: Julius Randle annd Jordan Clarkson Up for Grabs

Julius Randle annd Jordan Clarkson Up for Grabs

The Lakers are said to have offer two of its best players in various trades

While there’s no doubt that the current roster of the Los Angeles Lakers has both the talent and the potential to develop into a playoff-bound team, they have yet to make a significant impact in the Western Conference as they are sitting in 14th place with an 11-23 record- the second-worst record in the West. They head into their match-up against the Houston Rockets having dropped 8 of their last 10 games which include a 121-106 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. And just by looking at their schedule, things won’t get any better for the Purple and Gold.
The Lakers are also one of the most active teams as of late as they are either trying to get rid or trade their players in hopes of creating enough cap space in hopes that they can lure superstars such as LeBron James and Paul George come July of 2018. While there’s no assurance that either LeBron and/or PG13 will sign with the Lakers, Magic Johnson and company are working round the clock trying to figure out the best trade deals that could help improve the team’s standings because as it is, it appears that they are back to doing the one thing that they are good at over the past seasons: losing tons of games.
As of now, there are two notable players whom the Lakers are reportedly trying to ship via a trade. These players are Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. While there’s no word as to which team did the Lakers offer these two but the thing is: they are trying to trade two of the members of their young core.Jordan Clarkson is currently the team’s third-leading scorer, averaging 14 points per game. Julius Randle is averaging 12 points per game while coming off the bench the first 33 games of the season. While Randle has said that he’s accepting whatever role he will be given, sources have also said that Randle is growing unhappy with his deteriorating minutes- making it a bit easy for the Lakers to decide to offer him in a trade.

Conclusion

Trading Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle is something that the Lakers must decide on carefully because a bad trade will not improve their chances of a possible playoff appearance nor will help them lure big names come July 2018. 
Now, if you’re gonna ask this pundit on wheels as to who among Clarkson and Randle does he want the Lakers to retain, it would be Jordan Clarkson. Why? He is playing one of his best careers as a scorer, registering his highest 3-point shooting percentage at 35.2% and a true shooting percentage of 53.2% He can help the Lakers just by being the leader off the bench- something that Randle isn’t fond of doing. 

Slowly but Surely: The Thunder are Starting to Gain Ground

They are on a 6-game winning streak after beating the Toronto Raptors.

They started on the wrong foot, terribly. They stumbled near the bottom of the Western Conference and even lost to some of the worst teams in the NBA. Many fans were beginning to question the ability of Russell Westbrook to play with his two superstar teammates. Then, the “trade Paul George” rumors came out of nowhere. It seems back then that everything was beginning to fall apart for the Oklahoma City Thunder despite having Carmelo Anthony and Paul George on board.
Then, things began to brighten for the Thunder. They first defeated the formerly league-leading Houston Rockets and continued on their winning streak after beating one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors.

Question: Is this a sign that the Thunder are becoming the team everyone was talking about when their Big 3 was first assembled?

That’s still up for a debate but if anything, the Thunder have finally figured out how to play with each other. Russell Westbrook has been playing like his MVP self during their winning streak. They may be sitting in 21st place in the league in terms of points per game but defensively, they are the third-best team in terms of limiting their opponents’ production, forcing opponents to only 100 points per game. They are the best teams in steals per game, averaging 10 snatches per night. Additionally, they are forcing 16 turnovers per game- also a league’s best. 

Conclusion

While the Thunder were able to beat an elite team in the Rockets, both teams are still due for two more games this season and mind you, folks, Chris Paul wasn’t in uniform when his team lost. Clint Capela just sustained an orbital fracture which is said to be putting him out of basketball action for two games.
Will the Thunder continue their streak? That’s up to them. After all, they should be challenging the Golden State Warriors for the top spot in the West. But given the fact that they have already made the climb up to 5th place owing to their 20-15 record, they are only 8 games behind the Warriors. They only need to maintain their consistency and who knows, we might actually see them challenging the Rockets and the Warriors like they were made to do in the first place. 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: How Can OKC Save their Season?

Having 3 stars hasn’t worked well for the Thunder. So far.

Just in case you haven’t noticed or you probably don’t want to notice because you’re a Thunder fan, the Oklahoma City Thunder, yes, the team that currently has Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, has been struggling as of late. That’s despite the fact that they were able to take the win against the Indiana Pacers in Paul George’s first game against his former team.
While their win against the Pacers improved their record to 13-14 which puts them into 8th place in the Western Conference, that doesn’t change the fact that the Thunder have been inconsistent as they’ve only won half of their last 10 games when in fact, with the line-up that they have right now, they should be winning more games and challenging the likes of the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets for the top spot. Instead, the Thunder have found themselves lagging behind in the bottom of the top 8.
One may probably ask: What is wrong with this OKC team? Is having 3 superstars doing more harm than good?
To be fair, this isn’t the first time the Thunder have 3 stars on their team. Just a few years back, Russell Westbrook had Kevin Durant, James Harden and Serge Ibaka on the same team. That team went as far as the NBA Finals back in 2011 only to lose in 5 games against the Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwayne and Chris Bosh.
So what is wrong with the Thunder nowadays?
One of the noticeable reasons why the Thunder aren’t successful as they should be on paper is the fact that both Carmelo Anthony and Paul George aren’t getting the same volume of touches that they were getting before coming to Oklahoma City. Anthony is averaging 63 touches per game while George is norming 56  touches per game. Russell Westbrook on the other hand, averages 94 touches. Lesser touches for Anthony and George mean fewer chances of them getting into their respective rhythm. And that was the same problem the Heat faced when LeBron and Bosh first came on board. But, that Miami Heat team was better than the OKC team than we are seeing today.
So how can Oklahoma turn things around?
For Carmelo Anthony and Paul George to be able to do what they used to do for the previous teams, the Thunder must now find a way to work around an offense that will be able to generate a higher volume of touches for both forwards.
Another thing that can help OKC get back into their winning form is this: Russell Westbrook should play his own game and lessen his tendency to get the two stars involved in their offense. While Westbrook has been known as a creative passer, in those games that the Thunder have won this season, Westbrook was playing exactly like the MVP he was last season.

Conclusion

This pundit on wheels isn’t saying that the Thunder of last season was a better team compared to the Thunder team of today. While the Thunder still have the luxury of having the time to fix their problems, they might want to move quickly. They are in the 8th spot right now but tougher games are still ahead. If they want to make a deep run into the playoffs, then do the things that can help them win more games. Otherwise, they’re missing the whole point of assembling their own Big 3. 

Fixing the OKC Situation: Trade Paul George?

Having three stars isn’t helping the Thunder right now

While there’s no doubt that having three or more superstars on your team can instantly turn any struggling team into a championship contender, it doesn’t work that way all the time. 
A perfect example of this was when Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the Lakers a few years back. Injury and chemistry issues struck the team during that one season that they were together. Although that team made the playoffs, they were a total disappointment.
Heading into the current NBA season, many were surprised and shocked that the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to pull off two blockbuster trades that enable them to put Carmelo Anthony and Paul George alongside reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook. 
While this trio of stars is already enough to challenge the Golden State Warriors, this hasn’t been the case right now as the Thunder have lost 5 of their last 10 games which put them at a 12-14 record which essentially puts them outside of the playoff picture.
Although the Thunder have a few nice games that they have won over the course of the first few months of the regular season, they aren’t in sync just yet. They are trying to figure out how to play with one another. Although they are among the league’s best defensive teams, Oklahoma has yet to display its full offensive power. Sure, they’ve already defeated Warriors earlier this season but they’ve also lost games to some of the league’s worst teams and that’s not how a super team supposed to play.
So what can the Thunder do to turn this ugly season around?
Firing Billy Donovan as head coach will not have an immediate effect on the Thunder so they can erase that option, for now. And so will trading one of the three stars. However, we all know that even last season, Paul George has already indicated that he intends to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the future. And ye, the Indiana Pacers delt PG13 to the Thunder.
Having said that, the Thunder can trade Paul George to the Lakers in exchange for Julius Randle, Luol Deng and the Lakers’ draft pick for 2020. Why Julius Randle and Luol Deng?
There have been many speculations that the Lakers are trying to move both Randle and Deng with Randle appearing to be unhappy with his decreased role. Assuming that this trade will materialize, the Lakers will gain more than what they will be losing. And, the Thunder will gain a young and promising forward and a veteran.

Conclusion

Trading Paul George who is averaging 20 points and 5 rebounds this season will be a huge gamble for Oklahoma but the truth is, they’ve already gambled when they assembled their own Big 3 and look where it got them. The rest of the league is laughing at them. A trade can help start turning things around for the Thunder. It doesn’t have to be Paul George but it has to be one of the three stars. 

Should OKC Fire Billy Donovan for Struggles?

The Thunder are 8-12 in the season despite having a Big 3

Coming into their 2nd season in the post-Kevin Durant era, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like a team who are about wreck havoc in the league after landing Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in two separate deals that assembled another Big 3 in the Western Conference alongside Russell Westbrook.
However, things haven’t been well for the Thunder after 20  games into the current season as they fell to 8-12 which ties them for the 10th and 11th places with the Los Angeles Lakers. And despite the amount of talent that this team has, the Thunder are currently on a 3-game losing streak after dropping another game against the Orlando Magic, 121-108.
The question looms now: Should the Thunder smash panic button and fire Billy Donovan?
While it’s unfair for the fans of the Thunder to blame Billy Donovan, alone, for the struggles of their team, if the front office wants to turn things around and prevent making themselves become the league’s laughingstock, change must be done. And it should start from the top. Now, this pundit on wheels isn’t saying that Billy Donovan should be fired. But, if you look at the numbers offensively, the Thunder are 23rd in the league in points per game, and 27th in the league in field goal percentage. And that’s pretty bad for a team that has three players who are known as heavy scorers.

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Defensively, Oklahoma ranks number 2 in the league in terms of limiting the opposing team’s output. However, will that be enough to keep Billy Donovan at the helm?

Conclusion

Firing Billy Donovan MIGHT be the first step towards turning things around in Oklahoma. While success doesn’t happen overnight, the Thunder must realize that they want to fully-utilize their Big 3, they will have to find a coach who can make 3 stars work together as one, solid unit. And in their 20 games, so far, Billy Donovan hasn’t done that, yet. 

By the Numbers: OKC’s Big 3 Outpower GSW’s Super Trio

Westbrook with another near triple-double as the Thunder win in Durant’s return

Russell Westbrook scored a victory over his former teammate.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant used to be one of the most exciting and probably among the best dynamic duos the NBA has ever seen during their days together with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In fact, they had the chance to dethrone the Golden State Warriors but the Thunder blew a 3-1 series lead in the Western  Conference Finals two seasons ago. And that was the last time the NBA saw Westbrook and Durant in the same uniform outside of the All-Star Game.
Since then, the duo has been viewed as archnemesis as trash talks mired all of the games between the Thunder and the Warriors and this game was no different.
Despite their inconsistencies which made them a laughingstock for failing to win despite having their own Big 3, the Oklahoma City Thunder let the numbers do the talking for them as they scored a win over the defending champions, Golden State Warriors, 108-91  in a game that was mired by boos and trash-talking between star players.
Take away the boos. Take away the emotions. Take away all of those nonsense trash talking. Let’s take a look at the big numbers that propelled the Thunder to beat the Warriors:

OKC’s Big 3 Dominated

Now, this is something we all have been expecting of the Big 3 of Oklahoma especially after landing Paul George and Carmelo in two separate trades that shook the entire NBA. And not.
Against one of the top teams in the West, Russell Westbrook recorded 34 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists plus 4 steals. Paul George had 20 points and 11 rebounds while  Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and 5 boards.
One may ask: Where were they during the early goings of the season?

Defend. And Run

Oklahoma had 15 steals. They forced the Warriors to commit 22 turnovers. And they were able to run on the break which produced 33 fastbreak points. The Thunder also had a 50-39 advantage on the rebounding department. Now that’s how you play like a super team and that’s you beat a super team.

Conclusion

While this is only the first of the 4 meetings between the two teams this season,  the Thunder needed a victory as big as this one because whether we like it or not, they are failing expectations. Big expectations. As for the Warriors, one bad game doesn’t change anything at all. One bad game doesn’t mean that they can no longer dominate the West. After all, the West is still for the Warriors to dominate, right?

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Paul George is Headed for LA Next Season

It’s unlikely that Oklahoma will keep PG13 after this season

Paul George Oklahoma Thunder
Paul George’s 42 points against the Clippers may not be enough for his team to keep him. 
There was no doubt in everyone’s mind that from the moment Paul George and Carmelo Anthony joined forces with Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder would have the firepower and more talent to take on the Houston Rockets or even the defending champions, Golden State Warriors come the playoffs. 
In fact, most people were saying back then that with their newest Big 3 in the post-Kevin Durant era, the Thunder can now contend for a championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers- should both teams make it that far come June of next year. It’s really nice to dream about winning championships with this kind of a team and it seems that OKC fans may have to wait much longer before their team makes that dream into a reality. Why?
Here’s why.
Sure, the Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday, 120-111. Sure, Paul George has played his best game yet with Oklahoma, scoring 42 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Sure, the Thunder rank 3rd in the league in terms of limiting their opponents’ total points in a game, only allowing their opponents to 98 points on the average. 
But these don’t outweigh the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder are lagging behind in the Western Conference as they are standing with a record at 5-7- good for 10th place in the West. Is that how a team with a talented Big 3 supposed to perform?
Nope!


But let’s just focus on one specific player: Paul George. Through 12 games into the 2017-2018 regular season, below are his averages:

  • 21 points (leads the team)
  • 5 rebounds
  • 2 assists
  • 2.58 steals (leads the NBA)
Now, those are good averages especially for a player who sustained a massively gross injury a few years back. And #13 is playing like the same player he was once during his stints with the Indiana Pacers before he sustained that injury while preparing to play for Team USA. His 42 points against the Clippers is one reminder that he has still more than left in his tank. 
However, let’s keep in mind that the deal that sent PG13 from Indiana to Oklahoma came as a surprise to the majority of the NBA fans as Oklahoma was not the destination everyone had thought where George would play this season. Nope! Even before the end of last season, Paul George has repeatedly stated that he intended to play for the Los Angeles Lakers come free agency 2018. 
But instead, he was traded to Oklahoma.
Now here’s the catchy part: The Thunder can only afford to keep either Carmelo Anthony OR Paul George. They cannot keep both beyond this season. Why? Even if both players want to come back next season, Anthony and George have player options for next season which are amounting to 27 million US Dollars and 20 million US Dollars respectively which means the Thunder will have to pay a big amount of luxury tax assuming they want to keep both players. 

Conclusion

Let’s just assume that either the Thunder choose to stick with Carmelo Anthony or, Paul George decides to leave after 1 season alongside Anthony and Russell Westbrook. Where is he heading next? One possible: Hollywood to play ball with Lonzo Ball and probably, LeBron James?

By the Numbers: Thunder Drop Third Straight, Loses to Sacramento

Another super team loses to another bad team

The Kings were limited to 10 points in the first quarter but came back and won the game.

When you see a team with Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George playing together, what do you expect? A win. Almost every single game. 
Why? All three of them have the capability to score 40 to 50 points at ease. Russell Westbrook alone, can notch a triple-double almost single night as we saw last season which enabled him to win his first MVP award.
So technically speaking, the Oklahoma City Thunder is a super team. Or are they?
Right after the first quarter when Sacramento only managed to score 10 points, they roared back before halftime and took the lead for good. And when the Thunder were making a late push, the Kings were able to hold on as they finally scored their second victory of the season after beating the Thunder, 94-86. 
So what happened? Below are the numbers:

Too Many Missed Shots

  • Carmelo Anthony: 4 of 17 
  • Paul Geroge: 4 of 16
  • Russell Westbrook: 7 of 21
If you want a simple explanation as to why the Thunder lost to the worst team in the Western Conference, just look at how horrible their field goal shooting was. Against the Kings, the Thunder only made 29 of their 86 field goal attempts- that’s a 33% field goal shooting, folks.
They were also miserable from beyond the three-point line as Oklahoma City only hit 10 of their 27 attempts from deep. Both Carmelo Anthony and Paul Geroge shot 3 of 9 from deep while Russell Westbrook went 2 of 8 from that area. 
In contrast, Sacramento shot 46% from the field, made 37% of their attempts from long distance and, 91% of their free throws.

More Points from Turnovers

Sure, the Kings had 23 turnovers compared to OKC’s 17 but the Kings were more aggressive in turning those Thunder turnovers into points as they held a 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers. Mind you, the Thunder were uncharacteristically called for 3 shot clock violations in the third quarter alone. All in all, Russell Westbrook had 7 of the Thunder’s 17 turnovers. He’s the MVP, right?

Conclusion

With a record stands at 4-6 which puts them at 12th place in the West, this is something that we don’t expect from a team that has three All-Star caliber players in their starting line up. While chemistry might be the issue for the Thunder’s early struggles, it’s still early for the rest of the league to call the team-up a bust but Oklahoma needs to work things out from their end because if not, it might cause Billy Donovan his job.  

By the Numbers: Irving Leads Boston to Win Against OKC’s Big 3

The Celtics take advantage of the struggles of Oklahoma’s stars

Kyrie Irving Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving had a big second half against the Thunder
Sure. The Oklahoma City Thunder instantly became a super team when they successfully received Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in two separate deals during the buys and exciting off season that rocked the NBA. 
On the other side, Kyrie Irving’s trade request was granted as he was sent by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics. 
While that trade may have been one-sided considering the number of players that Celtics lost which included Isaiah Thomas, look at where the Cavs are right now. Then look at where the Celtics are after their game against the Thunder. 
Who has the better standing as of the moment?
As it turned out, the trade that sent Irving to the Celtics has been benefiting Boston more than it’s benefiting the Cavs as Boston convincingly beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-94 in a game between two teams that have been reloaded prior to the beginning of the season.
 And as it turned out, having 3 stars on your starting line-up doesn’t automatically you can win every single game because if one star struggles and so do  the other two, you are doomed and that’s exactly what the Thunder experienced as below are the numbers that will explain to you how the Celtics won:

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Shutting Down the Big 3 of Oklahoma: Trio Combined for 38 Misses

  • Russell Westbrook went 7 of 20 for 19 points
  • Paul George went 9 of 20 for 25 points
  • Carmelo Anthony went 3 of 17 for 10 points
If you want a simple explanation as to why Oklahoma got its rears kicked horribly, just look at the field goal shooting of their trio of stars. 
Throughout the game, the defense of the Celtics continuously frustrated Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George as they combined for 38 misses- 38 out of the 52 shots that Oklahoma missed in the entire game. 
In addition to this, Westbrook and company were also shooting bricks from beyond the three-point line. The reigning MVP only nailed 3 of his 7 attempts from deep. Paul George also hit 3 from deep but took 10 shots. Carmelo Anthony was the sorriest of the three, missing all 5 of his shots from outside. 

Both Teams hit 13 Threes Apiece: Only One Shot Better

  • Oklahoma: 13 of 35
  • Boston: 13 of 28
Given the fact that Westbrook, George and Anthony are known as heavy shot takers meaning they have the tendency to take as many shots as they can, the Celtics did a good job in making sure that the trio missed most of their opportunities especially from outside- all while also making sure that they were scoring efficiently form their end. 
By the end of the night, both squads ended up 13 threes apiece but, with the Celtics shooting better from rainbow distance. How good? Al Horford, who had 20 points, made all 4 of his three-point attempts while rookie Jayson Tatum hit 2 long-distance bombs, en route to a 13-point outing. Irving, for his part, had 3 made threes on 7 attempts.

Another All-Around Performance from #11

Gordon Hayward can take all the time he needs to recover from the injury he sustained during the Celtics’ opening night loss against the Cavs because as it is, the Celtics are just doing fine without him as evident by their 7-2 standing after beating a loaded Oklahoma team. Kyrie Irving has been playing great basketball as of late and his performance against the Thunder is no surprise at all
25 points
10 of 22 field goal shooting
5 rebounds
6 assists 
2 steals 
1 block
34 minutes
What could you possibly ask for? That’s classic Kyrie Irving for you, folks.

Conclusion

The win improved Boston to 7-2, the best record in the Eastern Conference in the early goings of the season while the Thunder dropped to 10th place in the West, at 4-4. 
While chemistry can play a role in the struggles of the Thunder, chemistry seems not to be a problem for the Celtics as Kyrie Irving found no difficulty in blending well with his new team. 
Why?  The Celtics are on a roll as we speak, winning 7-game winning streak after losing their first two games to open the regular season. 

Ball Scrutiny: OKC Triple Threat Season Forecast

#0 Russell Westbrook of OKC
Oklahoma City Thunder once nearly destroyed the defending Champs Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals 2 years ago. That was when Kevin Durant was working along with Russell Westbrook. Now the next chapter for them has unfolded, Rusell Westbrook will try to shut down the seemingly unstoppable Golden State Warriors, which Kevin Durant is now in. Westbrook along with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George bolstered the Thunder and became a major blockage on every team’s way to the NBA title this season.

Lightning strikes first before the thunder is heard

With the fast-paced gameplay of Russell Westbrook, he’ll struck every opponent like a lightning especially now that he is not alone to carry the whole team.  OKC’s transition plays would become even smoother with more accurate players to finish any play Westbrook may dish out.
Despite the shameful lost against Melbourne United due to the poor performance of the said killer trio, it is not a sign of the bad team performance. OKC still managed to give their key players some open looks, hence there is a good play execution, it’s just their finishers couldn’t connect to
deliver the basket and finish the play.

Less Frequent Triple Double

Westbrook is known to be a player who usually explodes with a triple-double performance in most of his games. This season it might not be seen frequently as it was before. It isn’t bad after all. An offense with scattered producers leads to better games for the team. A defense would not focus on a single man but will be diverted in every direction, thus decreasing its solidity and intensity, making it more penetrable.

Western Conference Conqueror

The possibility of taking down the Super Team and end their era before it starts isn’t a matter of IF but is now a matter of when. When? When this two teams clash at the Western Conference Finals. It would be an unimaginable mayhem for vengeance or for a continuous regime. Carmelo, Russell and Paul added up to the roughness of the western road to the finals. The warriors would not take a walk in the park. OKC on GSW will be the best playoffs of the season. 

Thunder Trio Suddenly Makes them a Heavy Championship Contender, But They are Not Done Yet

Crowded West Became Tougher with Thunders new Trio

Here’s your first look at Carmelo Anthony in his Thunder uniform:
Russel Westbrook (31.6), Paul George (23.7), Carmelo Anthony (22.4), these are the point averages of these players last season. Put them together and you got about 77 points just within these three players. It is a scary thought if you think about it and now that it will happen this season, the Thunders is just about to go struck some heavy lightning this season that will skew the association again and make the western conference even tougher than ever.
OKC, however, may not be done yet as they are also in the running to get the service of veteran star Dwyane Wade and to put things in perspective.  With the already combined 77 points of the current big three, adding Dwyane Wade in the mix would make a total of 96 points. That’s crazy.
We know that these productions may not actually be the same playing with a new team as most of these players were used to be the focal point of the offense with their former teams, the idea of putting four offensive players in their prime is somewhat just as chilling and risky as ever.
A team doesn’t win with offense, it only sells tickets, it’s defense that wins championships.
But the OKC Thunder are going all in this season as they make one risky and bold move after another giving Westbrook enough ammunition to compete with today’s super teams heavy NBA season.

WatchNBA Players React to Carmelo Anthony Trade to the Thunder

3 Benefits of the Carmelo Anthony Trade

How will OKC benefit from getting Melo?

Carmelo Anthony’s move to OKC will surely affect the West.
When the news regarding the completion of trade which sent Carmelo Anthony from the New York to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott along with a future draft pick, a lot of people were surprised that the Thunder were able to receive a player of Anthony’s calibre for players like Kanter who averaged 14 points per game and McDermott who only averaged 6 points per game last season.

While many people thought that Carmelo’s age has something to do with it, we all know that he can still score 40 or 50 at any given game. In fact, Oklahoma wasn’t in the talks during the early stages of the current off-season as they have already traded for Paul George and one of Carmelo’s rumored destinations was the Houston Rockets. Of course, there were some whispers involving the possibility of Carmelo joining LeBron James in Cleveland. None of those rumors came true. ‘Melo to Oklahoma it is!

Now that the deal has been completed, let’s list down the 3 main benefits of the said deal:

1. Another Superstar

Of course! Another superstar to join reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and newcomer Paul George. Having Carmelo Anthony on board will give Coach Billy Donovan another legitimate scorer on his team as Anthony, still, one of the league’s elite scorers, averaged 22 points per during the 2016-2017 season. Russell Westbrook, for one, will have another new superstar teammate to pass the ball to especially come crucial moments of the game. While the trio has yet to play a game together, many have been predicting that this new Big 3 in the West will have the firepower to challenge the Golden State  Warriors of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and of course, Kevin Durant.

2. Increases OKC’s Chances of Keeping Paul George

Paul George has already made it known to the public that he intends to play for the Los Angeles Lakers next season before the Thunder made the move which got them George from the Indiana Pacers to start off a very exciting off-season. And now that he has another superstar teammate to play with, if you are Paul George, would you still consider playing for the Lakers who are still undergoing rebuilding process?

Whether he admits it or not, Paul George himself knows that it’s already difficult to pass the opportunity to play alongside the reigning MVP and playing alongside ‘Melo will have a dampening effect on his desire to play for the Lakers- that if, he still desires it. 

3. Become a Threat to the Warriors

When Paul George was traded to OKC, most NBA fans still think that the move won’t transform OKC into a legitimate threat to the Warriors or at the very least, to the San Antonio Spurs. That mentality changed when the news of Carmelo’s trade to OKC broke. Here now stands, another Big 3 in the already loaded Western Conference.

Sure, the Thunder have no true deadly shooter like Curry and Thompson but both ‘Melo and Paul George can take turns in defending Durant and in fact, if we’re going to look back at last season, both ‘Melo and George average more defensive and offensive rebounds per game than Durant. If they can get more rebounds, they can throw outlet passes to Westbrook for quick points at the offensive end.

As mentioned, the trio of Westbrook, George and ‘Melo has yet to play a single NBA game together so none of us can say for now if the trade was worth it because no matter how good the players are– if they don’t learn to blend with one another and more importantly, to trust each other, then the trade may been nothing but for naught. 

Paul George and Lakers Scandal Investigation?!

The Pacers filed an official complaint against the Lakers for Paul George case 

Paul George and Lakers Scandal Investigation?!
The Lakers are allegedly doing too much in order to make some big changes with the team. Lakers’ management led by Earvin Johnson is accused of tampering with the Paul George scenario and there was a so-called back contract between the Johnson and Paul George that makes his transfer almost official to the Lakers.

Magic Johnson doing Magic?

The Lakers have been a sub par team for awhile now and really needed to make something happen and the Paul George’s acquisition will be one of them. There is now an independent investigation happening and if proven guilty, they might entirely lose the opportunity of signing Paul George at all as a direct consequence among other punishments.
Earlier,  Paul George requested for a trade and said that he will sign up for the Lakers after a season which forced the Pacers to trade him to OKC Thunders for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

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What Can you say about this new development?

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2018 LeBron James, Paul George and Russell Westbrook Could Create a Super Team in LA or OKC!

LeBron James, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, Just Imagine it!

We know that the 2017 free agency is just winding down but we could not help but think about the future.
If you think 2017 is crazy wait until 2018 free agency. There will be a lot of big names who will be available which includes DeMarcus Cousins, Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Jabari Parker, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, LaMarcus Aldridge and of course the three superstars that I mentioned above.
There will be no shortage of quality players and teams are definitely preparing for next year to make a run for these game changing players. Speculations and rumors are already starting as the NBA world are about to brace another memorable year.

LeBron James has always been a target for any teams and OKC might just make a move to run after him to convince Paul George to stay in OKC.  The Thunders may have realized that they need to spend some money in order to get that elusive championship that they could have already gotten if they only found a way how to retain James Harden and Kevin Durant.
It’s always hard to retain multiple superstars in one team but the Warriors have found a way to make that happen and is enjoying the fruit of their labor by winning another championship.
Many teams are looking to create their own version of super teams and Lakers could also be one of them. Recently acquiring highly touted point guard Lonzo Ball, the Lakers next year could be a super team as they are almost sure to sign Paul George who already gave Lakers a commitment that he will sign with them after a year with OKC.  There are also reports that LeBron James team is talking to the Lakers management for a potential move next year, and while we are at it, Russell Westbrook who plays college at UCLA may join in the fun to ultimately create the super team of all super teams.
While these would require a lot of work, it is not far from reality as teams are becoming more and more creative on how they approach the contract of players.
Do you think LeBron James will make a move next year?

Watch Fans Went Crazy for Paul George Arrival in Oklahoma City

Paul George is in OKC and fans are just elated to see their new star!
Paul George got traded from Indiana but has been vocal about signing with the Lakers after a year.
OKC plans to compete this year and they believe that the addition of Paul George will help. Paul George is expected to play side by side against the reigning MVP Russel Westbrook in the tough Western Conference division.

Pushing for Paul George Trade in a Potential 3 Way Deal That Will Only Last for 1 Year for the Cavs

 

Anything to get Paul George and the title back to Cavaliers.
Cleveland is thinking short term and does not care about Paul George’s warning that he will definitely sign with the Lakers after one year.
This won’t stop the Cavaliers from exploring options on how they can get the prized forward to play for them. According to sources, there is now a 3rd wheel in the discussions that could potentially bring George for one year.
Denver could now be part of the discussion and the players on the table are veteran forwards Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler and guard Emmanuel Mudiay.

Paul George Said His Early Goodbye to Pacers. Indiana Scrambles, Talks to the Cavaliers

It’s official, Paul George wants to be a Laker after his contract expires in 2018.
Lakers fans right now has something to smile about as the 27-year-old George is set to sign with them in an obvious move after revealing a number of times on television how he likes to be a Laker. That is punctuated after he officially informed the Pacers franchise that he would be leaving for the former.
Paul George is having the times of his life averaging his best point production in seven seasons at 23.7. He is the epitome of a comeback player, after having an almost career ending injury breaking his leg. He is playing as if nothing happened.
Indiana Pacers is left scrambling to their feet and would not probably wait for 2018 to let go of the star forward. It would make sense for them to trade him to a team that would need instant offense and would accept him for one year and one year only.
Who would be crazy to do that?
According to news and reliable NBA insider from the Vertical, Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers is engaged in a conversation with the Cavaliers for a short term trade/rental of Lakers bound Paul George in exchange for Kevin Love who recently has not found the rhythm to work with the Cavaliers roster.
Paul George is an exciting prospect for any team but to have him for just one year may not be as attractive as it is.
Do you think the Cavaliers should get Paul George?

Paul George to the Lakers, Boston or to Stay? Why the Indiana Pacers Should Trade Him

The Indiana Pacers got a lot of thinking to do now that Paul George has only one year left on his contract. The threat is real and Paul George’s interest in playing for the Los Angeles is one that is biggest right now.
Paul George is playing great basketball recently and has proven that he can and will continue to grow as a basketball player.  Paul George has averaged 23 points per game last season, although he has not made the All-NBA team selection. His skills and contributions are not far. If he continues to play for the Pacers and in the upcoming season, the Pacers may lose him to other interested teams and may choose to sign up else where.
If they trade him right now, they could potentially get a good return, especially that Paul George has not committed any long term plans for Indiana.  A viable potential trade is with Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Celtics: The Back Up Plan to Gordon Hayward: Danilo Gallinari and Paul George

The Celtics will comeback even stronger next year, that’s for sure. 
Already the top team in the east at least in the elimination round, the Boston Celtics led the by the smallest man with the biggest heart, Isaiah Thomas made an impact to the east as they showcased the new and improved Celtics team. 
This upcoming season, expect an even better Celtics as they have won the top pick overall in the 2017 NBA draft at the same time having the salary cap luxury to sign big names in the free agency market. 
There are a lot of things they can do as  they can move puzzles left and right depending on the direction they want to take.  There are a lot of interested teams in the first pick of Boston and they can opt to trade that pick for a current big name that would make a big impact right away. This is not far from happening as the draft pool is point guard heavy and the Celtics already have two good point guards in Bradley and Isaiah Thomas. 
From the news we are getting it looks like the Celtics is looking to add an impact player in the small forward position. Names of Paul George, Gordon Hayward and now Danilo Gallinari has float around the rumor heaven.
While these are great players don’t you think Celtics should concentrate in getting a defensive player to counter LeBron James?
Whatever happens, the offseason of the Celtics will be fun and exciting!