OKC…you there? As a lifelong Lakers fan, I get it. In the blink of an eye…LITERALLY EVERYTHING changes. Your star player(s) are gone, the hope of your franchise has disappeared and your once contending team looks like a JV squad. From the outside looking in, it looks like a lost cause. Might be hard to find hope for the season. I’m in various group chats/sports groups and the good majority Thunder fans in those arenas are not optimistic…at all. But! There is light at the end of the tunnel and if we’re being honest, this Thunder team has so much more upside during this rebuild than most other franchises in this predicament.
So as a Lakers fan, I’m about to give Thunder Nation the bright side on this upcoming season. Beginning with a “thought to be” starting lineup:
PG – Chris Paul
SG – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SF – Danilo Gallinari/Terrance Ferguson/Andre Roberson
PF – Nerlens Noel/Mike Muscala
C – Steven Adams
Listen, that is actually a GOOD starting group and the bench isn’t bad either. Will they make the playoffs? I’d say slim chances with as many key additions have been made in the West. However, will they be exciting to watch? Absolutely. The one thing this OKC team has that most other inexperienced teams have is an immeasurable amount of heart. And that partnered with Chris Paul’s IQ and floor general skill set is going to be incredible. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8ppg, 3rpg and 3.3 apg and had a solid playoff series against Golden State (13-3-3 with 46% shooting, 85% FT and 50% 3pt). Add in Gallinari’s sharpshooting percentages (20-6-3, 46% shooting and 45% 3pt) and there is nothing to fear for the immediate future of your franchise.
“After debris settles and the dust gets swept off, ‘Big K’ pick up where ‘Young Hov’ left off.”
Kanye West.
Listen y’all, I get it. My team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2013, had multiple coaches and rotations that weren’t promising at all. Truthfully, Last year was almost the most embarrassing season since Smush Parker was our starting point guard. But as always, there’s a silver lining and in OKC, y’all have one.
In the immortal words of the great poet Kanye West, “After debris settles and the dust gets swept off, ‘Big K’ pick up where ‘Young Hov’ left off.” Russell Westbrook left one of the greatest legacies ever known to any franchise in NBA history, and even before he was traded he left shoes that Gigeous-Alexander is sure to fill and even put his own twist on it. We thought there was a state of emergency when Russ was traded but if we’re being honest, the future has never looked brighter.