Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

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Report: Lewis Brady to Start Next Game for Oklahoma City

Rookie point guard Jeffrey Sessions is playing well to start his career, but has been inconsistent offensively, and is turning the ball over a little too often. Looking to remedy this, coach Scott Brooks announced today that veteran guard Lewis Brady will take Sessions's place in the starting five. Whether this is a permanent change or not remains to be seen, but if Sessions continues to progress throughout the year, it wouldn't surprise us to see him put back in the lineup before the season is over. The change will move breakout star Tony Wroten back to point guard, but Brady is capable of running the offense as well, so Wroten's scoring production shouldn't drop off.

Oklahoma City Thunder Rotation - December 8, 2019

(Position, Name, OVR, Minutes)

PG Tony Wroten 80 (34)
SG Lewis Brady 76 (30)
SF Ryan Stafford 87 (38)
PF Serge Ibaka 86 (36)
C William Cross* 76 (35)
6 Ernest Knight 77 (20)
7 Jeffrey Sessions 74 (20)
8 Rufus Hamilton 75 (14)
9 Ricky Lewis 73 (8)
10 Myron Murray 68 (5)
11 Glen Davis 67 (0)
12 Willie Moody* 64 (0)

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Report: William Cross Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December

When the Thunder moved up to the #3 spot in last year's lottery, their GM knew exactly who he wanted: William Cross. Cross is a giant in the post with power and finesse skills. He's got the potential to develop into one of the top big men in the league, and he's showing it off early. Cross averaged 14.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG for the month of December, earning him Rookie of the Month for the Western Conference.

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Re: Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

Oklahoma City Monthly Update: December 2019

November Record: 8-7
Season Record: 17-15

Oklahoma City Player Stats

PG Tony Wroten - 19.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
C William Cross* - 14.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 APG
SG Lewis Brady - 14.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.1 BPG
SF Ryan Stafford - 14.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 2.1 BPG
PF Serge Ibaka - 12.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.7 BPG
PG Jeffrey Sessions* - 11.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 4.3 APG
C Rufus Hamilton - 5.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG
PF Ernest Knight - 5.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG
SF Ricky Lewis - 3.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG
PG Myron Murray - 2.7 PPG
SG Willie Moody* - 1.0 PPG
PF Glen Davis - 1.0 PPG

Western Conference Rookie of the Month: William Cross OKC
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month: Jerome Sims ATL

Western Conference Player of the Month: Andre Stafford LAC
Eastern Conference Player of the Month: Derrick Rose CHI

Western Conference Playoff Picture

1. Portland Trailblazers (22-11)
2. New Orleans Hornets (19-11)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (20-12)
4. Los Angeles Clippers (21-13)
5. Houston Rockets (19-14)
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-15)
7. Utah Jazz (17-15)
8. Phoenix Suns (18-17)

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

1. Chicago Bulls (23-9)
2. Detroit Pistons (23-12)
3. Orlando Magic (18-13)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (18-15)
5. Miami Heat (17-15)
6. Brooklyn Nets (17-16)
7. New York Knicks (18-17)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-18)

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Re: Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Atlanta Hawks

Oklahoma City has been up and down all year, but they manage to keep staying slightly above .500 and in the playoff hunt. Tonight they'll face an underachieving Hawks team that has tons of talent, but can't put it together. One thing to watch this game will be Jerome Sims (Atlanta) and William Cross (OKC), the #1 and #3 picks, respectively, in this past year's draft.

Key Matchup: Serge Ibaka vs. Blake Griffin

For tonight's key matchup, we'll see two power forwards with almost exact opposite games. Blake Griffin is an explosive player who leaps above people to score, but lacks on the defensive end. Serge Ibaka is explosive defensively, sending shots away on a regular basis. He relies on offensive rebounding and fundamentals to score.

Oklahoma City Thunder (20-17) Lineup

PG Tony Wroten (80)
SG Lewis Brady (76)
SF Ryan Stafford (87)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (76)

Atlanta Hawks (14-20) Lineup

PG Chris Paul (91)
SG Jerome Sims (78)
SF Malik Francis (72)
PF Blake Griffin (88)
C Al Horford (76)

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Re: Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

Oklahoma City @ Atlanta: Thunder's Fourth Quarter Rally Leads to 114-111 Win

Tony Wroten's breakout season continues as he leads Oklahoma City to a second half comeback over Atlanta. Lewis Brady hit a buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 83, and the fourth quarter stayed tight, but the Thunder pulled it off with some clutch free throws in the end.

Key Matchup Winner: Blake Griffin

In tonight's key matchup, both players recorded a double-double, but Griffin's was simply more impressive. He also played a better defensive game. Although Griffin won this key matchup, it was not enough to lead Atlanta to a victory.

Player of the Game: Tony Wroten OKC

30 points
8 rebounds
7 assists
1 steal
2 blocks

Oklahoma City (21-17) Stats

C William Cross - 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
SG Lewis Brady - 21 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal
SF Ryan Stafford - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Atlanta (14-21) Stats

PF Blake Griffin - 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
SG Jerome Sims - 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
C Al Horford - 17 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

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Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Charlotte Bobcats

In a season that continues to be a rollercoaster for Oklahoma City, every game counts more than the last as they fight to keep their playoff spot. Tonight, they'll take on a team in a similar situation in the Charlotte Bobcats. Charlotte is also barely above .500 and they'll be fighting just as hard for this win. An interesting storyline here is Perry Jones, who was traded to Charlotte during last year's NBA Draft, after spending his entire career with the Thunder.

Key Matchup: William Cross vs. Felix Haston

There are a good amount of similarities between these guys. Both are seven-footers, both are known for their offensive prowess in the post and outside of it, both were the #3 pick in their draft. Felix Haston has more experience, though, having been drafted in 2014. He is the better player at the moment, but Cross will be looking to prove that he belongs in this league as well.

Oklahoma City Thunder (21-18) Lineup

PG Tony Wroten (80)
SG Lewis Brady (76)
SF Ryan Stafford (88)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (76)

Charlotte Bobcats (18-17) Lineup

PG Courtney Taylor (73)
SG O.J. Mayo (78)
SF Andre Iguodala (78)
PF Perry Jones (79)
C Felix Haston (88)

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Re: Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

Nice job man!

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Re: Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

Oklahoma City vs. Charlotte: Furious Thunder Rally and Wroten's Buzzer Beater Fall Short; Bobcats Win 112-110

Charlotte came out and dominated the first half, going into halftime up 65-45, but there's no quit in this young Thunder team. They fought back from a 25-point third quarter deficit and the game came down to the last shot. After Courtney Taylor hit a running floater with 5.5 seconds left, Scott Brooks called a timeout to call a play. They got the inbound in to Lewis Brady, who kicked it to Tony Wroten in the corner. Taylor played pretty good defense, and Wroten's shot fell short as time expired.

Key Matchup Winner: William Cross

William Cross had a good offensive game, but what was more impressive was holding the league's 7th-leading scorer, Felix Haston, to well below his scoring average. Haston scored only two points in the first three quarters, before hitting some key shots in the fourth. It was an admirable performance by Cross, but not enough to get his team the win tonight.

Player of the Game: Courtney Taylor CHA

25 points
4 rebounds
7 assists
1 block

Oklahoma City (21-19) Stats

SG Lewis Brady - 28 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists
PF Serge Ibaka - 19 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists
PG Tony Wroten - 19 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal

Charlotte (19-17) Stats

SG O.J. Mayo - 25 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
C Felix Haston - 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
SF Andre Iguodala - 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists