Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

I haven't looked back at all the box scores, but my memory is Dort seems to regularly struggle from three. Is it possible for you to flip him for something else, maybe a more reliable scorer? Or are the other things he does worth it for you at his current salary?

He is a decent shooter and a very good defender, I just struggle to shoot with him at times. I also feel like for some reason he ends up with the ball in his hands at the end of the shot clock a lot so he’s put in a bad spot. If that weren’t the case, he would already be gone.

With that said, part of me wants to move him, bench pieces and picks for a massive upgrade but need to find the right trade partner.


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[R1zzo23]

[R1zzo23]

Thunder Bench Gets a Show From OKC’s Big Three





One player the Thunder wanted to slow down in this one was Damian Lillard (36 pts, 3 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl) and it was clear early that that was much easier said than done. He came out gunning and losing his defender, finding a shooting rhythm that OKC wasn’t able to get him out of.



Taking advantage of the slow-footed Jusuf Nurkic (10 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk), Chet Holmgren (29 pts, 18 reb, 1 stl, 3 blk) was able to use his speed to get by the Portland big man when isolated at the free throw line for easy finishes or free throws.



Rookie Marcus Bagley (3 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk) put his defensive ability on display by swatting R.J. Hampton’s (2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast) layup attempt.



Usually doing his damage on the outside, Tre Mann (12 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl) shocked everyone with a two-handed flush in the lane.



Young Anfernee Simons (9 pts, 3 ast) thought he had a mismatch on the switch against Holmgren and went for a stepback three, only to see it get smacked out of bounds.



Josh Giddey (17 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk) had one of his best all-around games of the season and had his fingerprints all over the game. He’s really leaning into becoming the second unit’s top scorer while being a secondary distributor with the starters.



A big and-one finish over Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 pts, 4 reb, 11 ast, 2 blk) by Damian Lillard kept the Blazers in striking distance late in the 3rd quarter.



A little flash with the finish by Simons as he got to the rack and slammed home a one-handed tomahawk and hung around for a moment after.



Taking it personal, SGA denies Simons on his next shot attempt before giving a stare down to the young guard, letting him know that he’s not ready to be on his level.



With the 3rd quarter coming to an end, the biggest fear in OKC was that it was about to be Dame Time and if OKC would have enough answers for his offensive onslaught.



While Lillard got his, the rest of the Blazers struggled down the stretch. Getting key stops, like this block by SGA on Lillard, kept a large enough cushion for the Thunder that they were never really threatened.



The cherry on top of the performance was this dagger three by Holmgren to give the Thunder a lead that the Blazers had no chance of coming back from.

[R1zzo23]

Thunder Upgrade at Small Forward with Deal for Mikal Bridges

Oklahoma City has been looking to make an upgrade in their starting lineup next to Josh Giddey at the small forward position. After surveying the league, the Thunder realized that the Suns were ripe for the picking.

Phoenix was barely over .500 last year and are the worst team in the league this year. On top of that, DeAndre Ayton accepted the qualifying offer last offseason and is prepared to leave for green pastures next season. The Suns are in a full on rebuild at this point.

Mikal Bridges is on a $25m per year deal and is primed to play for a contender. He’s an elite defender and an excellent floor spacer. He also is taller and longer than OKC’s Lu Dort, making him an upgrade in every facet of the game. The Thunder also have incredible amounts of salary cap space to absorb his contract, so it was a no-brainer for OKC.

The Suns didn’t want to take on any salary outside of Dort’s one-year deal and wanted draft compensation for Bridges. While the Thunder offered their own unprotected 2024 1st round pick, Phoenix pushed back. The Thunder are already in the top half of the league standings and adding Bridges should only make them better. On top of that, you give this young team another year of development and that 2024 pick could be in the mid-to-late 20s. The two teams settled on the 2024 1st round pick of the Houston Rockets who should definitely be behind the Thunder in the league standings for the foreseeable future.

The Thunder weren’t going to sit on their hands and just play out the season. They are ready to contend now and have ample draft capital to make it happen. Is there another deal out there worth making to make another push? Or will they allow this young team to grow together, hope the Detroit pick hits in the lottery and make their official push for title contention in the 2023-2024 season?

[R1zzo23]

Thunder Slam Home Win Over Heat in Bridges’ Debut





Any time a kid gets a new toy, they want to bust it open and play with it immediately. The Thunder did the same thing with newly acquired starting small forward Mikal Bridges (11 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast). The first possession of the game, they called a play for Bridges to come off of a Chet Holmgren (22 pts, 13 reb) screen for three. Without hesitation, Bridges rose up, fired and drilled the triple. The crowd erupted into a frenzy!



A few possessions later, the Thunder ran the same play and when the defense cheated on Bridges, Holmgren slipped to the rack, found a wide open lane and hammered home a one-handed slam. The added threat of a legit shooter like Bridges on the outside is going to make this offense even more dynamic.



For the Heat, most of the offense ran through Bam Adebayo (19 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast) at the high post. While he had three assists, there were many more left out there as players missed finishes in traffic or jumpers on the perimeter. Bam did most of his offensive damage on the glass as here he beat Isaiah Roby (4 reb, 1 stl) to the glass and, like a pogo stick, quickly elevated back up for a thunderous jam.



Though he struggled offensively in the first half, scoring just six points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 pts, 9 reb, 10 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk) was an absolute pest on defense as he hounded the elder Kyle Lowry (9 pts, 7 ast) all night long. The Heat point guard connected on just four of his 14 field goal attempts, most of which were attempted with SGA draped all over him.



With P.J. Washington out with an ankle injury, Chris Boucher (4 pts, 6 reb, 1 blk) found himself in the starting lineup and looked lost most of the game. SGA took advantage of that on this drive as he challenged the lanky Canadian and put him on his newest poster.



Jimmy Butler (28 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) had to carry the Heat down the stretch and was the sole reason why Miami wasn’t blown out. Whether he was burying a clutch triple or doing pull-ups on the rim, Butler proved a tough guard for anyone that OKC threw at him.



The league leader in assists, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is starting to make difficult reads routine. As he drove on Bam Adebayo and drew defensive attention from Jimmy Butler, Max Christie (8 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast) did what he does best and setup in the corner and knocked down the three on a catch-and-shoot opportunity.



While Butler kept them alive, the unexpected offensive dynamo for the Heat on the night was bench guard Bryn Forbes (13 pts, 2 reb) who came off the bench to drill three triples, all of which kept Miami within striking distance. In turn, Forbes’ triples gave the Heat life and allowed Butler to attempt to win it for the Heat.



To officially put the game out of reach, SGA completely loses fat and slow Kyle Lowry, dances around the three-point line and drops a three-ball. The OKC crowd continued their “Beat the Heat!” chant at a fever pitch as the final few seconds ticked off the clock.

[studbucket]

Really good trade with Bridges. How did it feel to play with him? Like him more than Dort?

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

Really good trade with Bridges. How did it feel to play with him? Like him more than Dort?

Way more enjoyable. He’s a better athlete, bigger, longer and way more skilled on offense. His jumper is much smoother as well. Complete upgrade all around.


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[dfsJunkie]

You've done a great job with this roster so far man. Love that pickup of Mikal. He fits in really nicely next to Giddey, SGA, and Chet.