Trade Deadline: February 6, 2025

Sorry, I got busy yesterday and didn't have a chance to respond to this. Ultimately, I AM happy with the overall direction. I've got plenty I am not happy about. I don't like having a lame duck coach on a rebuilding team(obviously don't want him extended). As I mentioned in another thread, Chauncey has no incentive to lose and develop the young kids, because he's more than likely developing them for their next coach. Why should he do that? So he plays the guys that he thinks each night give him the best chance of winning. And that's on Cronin. Either the coaching situation should have been dealt with before this season, or the players. Ideally both!
I wish there had been deals in place for Ant and Grant. I'm holding out the tiniest glimmer of hope that there are some at the deadline. Feels unlikely, but I'm hoping. Wishing? Praying?

But as a whole, I like the direction, and am happy with the potential path moving forward. I really like that we went from always feeling like the shortest team in the league to I belive being the tallest team in the league this year. I like that in a wing dominated league, Cronin seems to have focused on adding guyslike Sharpe, Deni, Camara, Rupert, Blanton, Murray. As I said earlier, Deni and Camara are the best two wings we have had in a long time, and after trying to lipstick on a pig guys like Harkless, Aminu, Turner, Outlaw, Vonleh, Claver, Crabbe, Wright, it feels pretty good.

The whole "Rome wasn't built in a day" applies, IMO. A rebuild takes time. He had a lot to tear down, which I liked what he did with that. And I truly believe move by move, there's been more good than bad. I don't love all the things he's done in the rest of the tear down. I also have no idea, nor do any of us really, on what goes on behind the scenes when you have a superstar like Dame in the fold. What direction was given to him from management, what path to take. What offers were made, yadda yadda.

I'm not making excuses for him. I don't think he's perfect. But I feel like I can see a semblance of a path, which I never felt with Olshey. And I'm not slurping on every move he's made, but I think the overt negativity on him being awful has gotten way out of hand. First he was sell low Joe, taking the first deal he's offered. Then it's he sis on guys too long. People just wanna bitch because...
So bitch. I suppose. I mean, it gets old as fuck. This board, every thread, is just a Grant, Ant, Ayton, Grant, Ant, Ayton, Grant, Ant, Ayton, Grant, Ant, Ayton. Over and over. And I get it. But still..

 

This is such a weird take because Chauncey is constantly pissed that Shaedon isn't more assertive. Chauncey wants Shaedon to be the leading shot taker on the team or maybe share that with Jerami and Ant but eventually for Shaedon to be the guy. He also obviously thinks Shaedon should be a very good defender.

I believe that Shaedon having come to this team with Ant ahead of him and Grant being a big acquisition has Shaedon hesitant to take over when he plays with those two. Again this goes back to Joe not putting a team together that makes sense. I think Chauncey is doing what he can and I also think that Shaedon responds well to being benched when he doesn't live up to Chauncey's expectations... I don't think Scoot responds as well to that strategy.

 

You have to be smart about it. I didn't claim just losing is enough. But it is essential unless you get incredibly lucky.

If you're smart and willing to lose you can make your own luck by following the math.

 

Dumb but sincere question: What's our record when Ayton DOESN'T play?

 

Blazers are 6-7 without Ayton

Blazers are 4-0 without Simons

3-7 without Grant

 

different strokes i guess. i don't see any direction whatsoever-- all i see is a guy who can't figure out what he wants to do so he kicks the can down the road at every opportunity. he picked a bunch of kids that desperately need floor time but can't because they're stuck behind highly paid players who the coach elects to play instead. all the while, his cap management has gone to shit where we continually have no flexibility as a "rebuilding" team that borders against the tax line year in and year out.

you appear to be way more forgiving of this nonsense than quite a few of us, and frankly, quite a bit more than he deserves.

 

I am going to be honest I like Sharpe and we have seen he has talent just oozing out of him but can only put it together here and there. Maybe I am putting too much of this on Billups maybe i should be putting more on Sharpe but the problem with that is IF that is the case then Sharpe is not as good as we all think he can be. If that is the case he is not untouchable and that is a shame cause i think most of the fan base see him as a up and coming star or at least want this to be the case but maybe we are all fooling ourselves thinking he can be the next face of the franchise. I really hope Sharpe can prove me wrong but right now he is very inconsistent so please Sharpe get better and make me eat my words.

 

Tyrese Maxey is substantially better than any player we have.

Jared McCain was on his way to the 1st team for rookies this year and would have been in contention for ROY if he hadn't gotten hurt.

Embiid may get hurt, but he is top 10 in the NBA. Someone would talk themselves into him being the piece to put them over the top and they would get a haul for him in trade.

 

So a backcourt that is 6.2 and 6.3? I thought we were trying to get away from that

 

You don't have to keep them both.

Just pointing out talented players on their roster.

 

Okay, you guys win, we dump Ayton, Grant, Simons, and Rob Williams. Call up all of our 2-way players. Thybulle's still injured. At every halftime, 30 points down, Scooter and Clingan with 6 fouls. Here's what's left for the 2nd half.

C Reath, Jabari Walker
PF Camara, Murray
SF Avidja, Justin Minaya
SG Sharpe, Rupert, Bryce McGowens
PG Banton, Taze Moore

We are worse than last year's team. No progress. Every game a laugher for our opponent. The future stars learning nothing constructive in this environment.

 

At least we'd have help coming from the draft... As of now we have to try and imagine winning with what we've got.

And that's tough to see.

 

I made a take about Sharpe and how it MIGHT be time to move on from him and with a semi loaded draft class it might be worth exploring in the offseason. I am not saying we NEED to trade him like we NEED to trade Ayton , Grant and Ant just saying it might be time to have that type of talk in that front office. The one thing I know is once the deadline has passed Sharpe has the remainder of the season to show he is not a sulky little bitch cause not going to lie that is how he is playing right now since Billups called him out and removed him from the starting lineup. Someone needs to pull Sharpe aside and give him a talking to that he WAS the man in high school but now he just another talented player on a team with other talented players even if flawed . Someone needs to explain to him that he needs to act like a pro and stop his sulking and just prove to Billups that he made a mistake by busting his ass EVEN if his shots are not falling.

Even if / when Cronin fails and right now let's be honest there is a good chance all are still on the team since Sleepy Joe ( since Biden gone he now gets the nickname ) has done jack to clear up the log jam hurting the growth of the young players with help from Billups. Sleepy Joe has a touch under 2 weeks to get something done time is a ticking so let's wait and see if the alarm goes off and Cronin does what he should have done in the summer.

 

put this on a plane and fly that plane around the city

 

The two sentences in bold are bullshit and just you trying to make your weak point. SGA was the leader of a team that had 22 wins one season and 24 wins the next and he only got better, not only did he get better but Dort and Kenrich Williams who are two very important players in their rotation got a lot better as well. Also those seasons led to the team being able to draft Jaylin and Jalen Willians and then Chet Holmgren.

I'm hoping if our young guys get the experience they need and we can lose enough games to get another impact player in the draft... maybe two if we get another first rounder in this upcoming draft, next year will be what 2022-23 was for OKC. It was the year that SGA started to dominate and the first year that this iteration of the Thunder played in the play-in games.

Your rebuttal might be that we don't have a SGA and maybe you're right but I think Shaedon could have a really great second half to this season if he isn't hindered by the presence of two vets who he has deferred to his whole career. One thing is for sure though, the way the Thunder built what they have right now disproves what you are trying to say in the post I'm responding to. We should get all of our young talent as many reps as possible, players do learn and get better while losing and getting the best picks possible in the draft is the best and maybe only way to rebuild in a small market.

 

There's no point responding to jlprk. He's not a real poster. He's a troll. He has always been a troll. His posts are boring and I usually just skip over them entirely.

 

Interesting. Where did you read that? Do they have anything for us? Future picks when Harden and Leonard are donezo would be great.