The Thunder played three games this week, suffering a three-game rout, and the team officially announced that dolt, Jerome and Muscala three players were reimbursed for the season due to surgery, which made the team with a tight lineup depth even worse.
In the past three games, except for Alexander and Beziley, other players have played for the little blue team, although there is a shortage of manpower, but the players have come and gone, which is a good interpretation of the spirit of "Next Man Up". Here are some records and impressions that I have the honor to share with you!
【March 7th】This year's draw is a good draw, next season we will not swing it!
After the All-Star Weekend, Alexander made a comeback, scoring 30+ in 5 of his six games (against the Nuggets, "only" 29 points), averaging 33.3 points, 6.0 baskets, 6.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 56.6% from the field; averaging 9.5 free throws per game.
There is no doubt that in the absence of many main players such as Dort, Gidey, Kenway, Ty Jerome and JRE, Alexander shouldered the burden of team organization, offense and defense, and really played an All-Star performance.
In a previous interview, Alexander commented on his play: "The best players in the NBA are all-round, and this is the player I want to be. ”
Facing the old rivals of the Northwest Division, the Thunder finally swallowed an unexpected loss (103-116), looking at Alexander's performance on the court, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless, the team was not without hard work, but it was really not as good as people - the whole team played tenaciously enough, and the substitute lineup composed of small blue teams contributed 30 points, perfectly interpreting what is the "Next Man Up" spirit.
Boku scored 12 points (6-of-15 shooting), 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and blocked three All-Star centers (Jokic, Towns and Gobert) in three consecutive games, his shooting efficiency was not high, but he shot more and more confidently, and when the hand was not smooth, Boku led his teammates by protecting rebounds and pushing counterattacks.
Since the All-Star, Alexander has scored 200 points, third in the league, behind Jason Tatum (204 points, 46.9 percent shooting) and Ja Morant (203 points, 49 percent from the field).
Thunder reporter Brandon Rahbar also turned out an old news today, speaking up for Alexander again, and the sound was uneven -
Before last year's draft, there were rumors that the Thunder wanted Alexander to multi-pick 6 in exchange for the draft pick of the third pick 21 years ago (Pu Zong had debunked the rumors), but the result was "tragically" rejected, an anonymous general manager said: "Although he likes Alexander, Alexander is not a level player with Jaylen Green and Mobley. （via Chad Ford）”
Brandon Rahbar said: "I don't understand why people are angry about this statement, he is right, Alexander is not on the same level as Green and Mobley. Alexander's level is higher. ”
[March 9] One day, you will laugh and talk about these defeats
On the same day, the Thunder officially announced that Dort (left shoulder lip muscle tear surgery), Muscala (right ankle arthroscopy and lateral ligament repair surgery) and Ty Jerome (sports bifurcation surgery) will all end the season early due to injury.
Jerome's side will recover in 8 weeks, while Dort and Muscala will be absent until the training camp of the new season.
The roof leaks during the overnight rain! The team faced another 27-point rout at home (115-142 loss to the Bucks).
Except for Alexander and Bezley, who have not played in the development league, every Thunder player on the court today has played for the little blue team, and the strength is naturally very different from the defending champion Bucks.
However, Alexander still played an All-Star performance, facing two consecutive MVPs, he was not afraid, scoring 33 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals on 11-of-18 shooting in the game, and delivering a career-high 14 assists.
After All-Star Weekend, he played in all seven games, scoring 30+ points in six appearances, averaging 33.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.
It is worth mentioning that he is the only player with a positive plus-minus value (+4) for the Thunder in this game, and the other is the recent hot Boku (13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, plus-minus +2), coach Mark Degnault commented on the latter: "Obviously, Boku is a lot stronger, he has been working hard in this regard. I have to praise him because he's made tremendous progress. ”
Asked about his performance in the game, Alexander bluntly said that he had a great rhythm on the field, that he was trying to play smarter and face every game in the same way.
In this campaign, the Thunder also welcomed back an old friend who was sent to Ibaka in Milwaukee on the trade deadline. With just over 4 minutes left in the first quarter, he was substituted to play, followed by a sea of cheers from the crowd.
Oklahoma City fans will never forget Ibaka's hard work for the team, never forget the good memories of his youth, never forget that he gambled his career with injuries, just to help the team win... I'm glad he won the championship ring in Toronto, and I'm glad he's still shining in the final years of his career, continuing to play basketball for the rest of his life.
"Welcome home, Ibaka!"
【March 10】Northwest Civil War, defeated and retreated!
102-132, another 30-point rout! The Thunder lost 4 games against the Timberwolves in the season and were swept away. Reasonablely, it seems to be unexpected, after all, a year ago, everyone was still the bottom of the northwest "difficult brothers". Now, the Timberwolves are expected to return to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
Alexander was "finally" in the doldrums
SGA played its worst game since All-Star Weekend — facing the Timberwolves' "round-up," he shot just eight points, three rebounds and eight assists on 2-of-15 shooting. It was also the fourth time he had scored in a double figure in 156 games for the Thunder.
Manager Degnault said in an interview: "Every player will have a downturn, and Alexander has shouldered heavy responsibilities for some time and played excellent performances. ”
Perhaps because of the back-to-back combat, Alexander's fitness and condition were affected, and he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders: "Most of the time I got the shot I wanted, but I couldn't shoot." ”
Asked if he wanted to play every game of the rest of the season, Alexander replied firmly: "I want to play, as long as I stay healthy, I will play." ”
As the youngest holder of the 20+20+10 record in NBA history, Alexander has improved every season, and last season he was one of the league's three best ball carriers, one of the highest scorers in 100 rounds at key moments, and the highest number of ball possessions per game. This year, he is the player who has suffered the most opponents' bags per game in the league.
I've always maintained the view that management will definitely take action in the draft and free agency this summer, and the goal next season is to return to the playoffs!
Aaron Wiggins set a new career high with 25 points
Wiggins scored a career-high 25 points (9-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range); at the same time, it was also his third debut season to score 20+. "Standing on defense" is an important reason why he got on the pitch. At the beginning of the season, it was with his defensive and enthusiasm that he entered the starting lineup.
Teammate Bezley also affirmed Wiggins' play: "When the opportunity comes, the player has to stand up, he is the one who seizes the opportunity. ”
Lindy Waters III – The True "Son of The City of Russia"
Waters, from Norman of Oklahoma, played in Oklahoma and previously played for the Little Blue Team (48.8 percent three-point shooting) and dreamed of playing in the NBA All-Star Weekend's three-point contest one day earlier.
A year ago, he was still playing for Enid Outlaws; a year later, on March 10, he made his debut as an NBA starter.
So far this season, he's averaged 5.2 points per game and 32.6 percent from three-point range, and he's a career-high 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting against the Bucks.
It is worth mentioning that he also likes to watch "Ghost Blade"!
Mark Degnault said: "We're building for the future, and we believe we're building something special." ”
The Suns, Timberwolves, Grizzlies and 76ers also had the same painful experience of being beaten by all the league teams in those years, and they silently gritted their teeth and walked forward for a long time.
Now, we are just going through the road before the "three young years" again, but this time, we will still go out of our own style.