Oklahoma City Thunder’s Final Push: OKC has a clear path to being a top 3 seed

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Final Push: OKC has a clear path to being a top 3 seed

Another day getting closer to the playoffs um okay so can can I just say this before anything else I just want to be like um [ __ ] the Bucks and I want to say why is because Chad and Shay have this new commercial right if you guys haven’t seen it check

Out the new Shay and chat commercial it’s pretty baller and the bucks after the game they trolled Shay and Chad right just [ __ ] with them bro and I gotta say this man I hope on everything that somehow they beat the Celtics and they think that they’re going to crush

The [ __ ] out of us in the in the championship game and we get to play them in the championship game and we beat them in four games and make Giannis cry man that would be the greatest thing ever dude if we watch Giannis and his brothers sitting on the Baseline just

Sitting on the Baseline crying I mean dude that would be the greatest thing I could ever imagine at this moment dude [ __ ] the Bucks [ __ ] that whole whole I didn’t see the troll I’m gonna check it up as soon as I get off here with you

But gotta check it out guys so this loss plays like big time into the narrative that well the Thunder aren’t ready for H playoff level basketball Doc Rivers came in you know he gave Thunder a look of the type of defense and the way that you

Know shots get tough in the playoffs and they made it so it wasn’t going to be a wide openen free flowing game blah blah blah oh and by the way um I think I heard somebody say that um this is the blueprint to beat the Thunder I’m like

Yeah okay here’s the blueprint to beat the thunder right hold Shay under 20 points okay and in doing that make sure sh go sh goes one for 10 um okay yeah if you can do those things you’re probably gonna have a pretty good shot but in the

End like the reality of it is it’s not that simple and some teams can have a good game and we can have a bad an off night those things can coincide but playoff basketball is not about one game it’s about adjustments it’s about seven game series ever since they got rid of

The first round being a five game series like every game everything is a seven game series and these seven game series go back and forth and a lot of people question whether or not the Thunder are gonna be able to make the types of in-game or postgame adjustments you know

To win in the seven game series Dave so why don’t you respond to that I just again I think the Thunder and we witnessed the Thunder having its worst game of the season for Shay and Chad and a lot of the other players I mean Josh had a

Phenomenal game um but everybody else just kind of I it was so hard to watch I’m sorry it just was it was just it was painful especially that fourth quarter I I for me I’m I’m looking at it and I’m saying like this is that um everyone has an ugly sibling you know

What I’m saying and like everyone is like man I got a hot sibling I got an ugly sibling right so um the other night we we we we brought our ugly sibling to a blind date and the blind date left before uh we could do anything so um

That’s what happened man we we just we just did not come ready um and um that’s just going to happen throughout the season so the Bucks won congratulations but I think any team in the league would have beat us the way we played the other night and that’s just being honest like

Did the Bucks embarrass us sure sure but we’re not done we’ll come back I want to take a positive note before we go on anymore about this bucks thing all right man I got Gotta Throw this out here dude um the other day dude we got we got trashed

Um again on a couple comments and you know that’s just the way it goes and we kind we were laughing about it but the other day we have two people that jumped up on the Apple podcast and I want to give a huge shout out to these guys uh

First is Abraham H khim I’m going to butcher these and uh that’s okay although they may be a little inconsistent this is one of my favorite Thunder podcasts I want to say you’re absolutely right we’ve been inconsistent since uh uh January um that’s on us we

Will get back there but we for two and a half Seasons we did not miss a single day or we did not miss back-to-back days so that’s not that’s not normal for us this isn’t normal for us but we will get back um and then the other one is

Joshua something anyways uh this podcast is great for haters to spend so much time reviewing it negatively is a sign that these guys are a problem for the normal narrative they were laughed at for positive view in 2003 or 2023 and 2024 season and now look how much they were

Right Kudos on a pro Thunder on podcast now that’s kind of feeling like I’m tooting my own horn there but I just want to say like we just are really appreciative when people take time to to write a review um whether it’s it’s a shitty review or it’s a good review we

Don’t give a [ __ ] we dis appreciate when people take the time to let us know how how we’re doing and on Apple that one seems to have a really horrible rating of us of 2.6 out of five stars um 96 ratings it’s horrible you know why it’s

2.6 I’ll tell you why it’s 2.6 that was our fault the reason it’s as high as 2.6 is because to leave a review you have to give somebody one star because if they could give us zero stars then it would be like under under that but they have

To give us one star so that’s why it’s as high as 2.6 um and trust me people have said some pretty funny things appreciate it but I do want to say like like you said we didn’t miss back-to-back days but Dave you moved from Hawaii to um Washington DC area and

Like you said we didn’t miss days so it took some pretty extraordinary circumstances for us to have to Miss some days and Dave was the glue hanging things you know keeping things going and I was the one flaking but we’re figuring out our schedule I’m in a new area and

We’re getting all the internet and things like that worked out but we’ll be back TR connect guys we will be the the level of consistency that we used to be once again um but it’s been a fun ride it’s incredible time to watch like right now it looks like the Nuggets might be

Stepping away the first place um and Shay it seems like his hopes that MVP were tied to that it’s not going to be something that we think we’re going to see we’ve had a lot of conversations about chat in the U rookie of the year that looks like that’s being run away

With in a different direction so I hope people understand that um these Awards come with curses a lot of times you know like very rarely is the guy who wins MVP does he go on to win the championship even though they’re the favorite going into the you know

Into the playoffs or something like that a lot of times so I would prefer that curse to be on somebody else and we’ll take the number two seed going into um the playoffs if that’s how it’s handed to us and we’ll come out of that side of

The West yeah you know and we’ll play whoever can make it out of the the other side and I think you assume it would be the Nuggets um but um what are the chances though that the the Timberwolves keep it going right now and we end up at

The three seed but really it doesn’t matter right because like the two and three um C it let’s just talk about that let’s talk about that let’s let’s talk about where we would land if we were one through three all right if we are number one then we’ll most likely play against

Um Houston Golden State Los Angeles Phoenix or Dallas right now let me tell you ready if we’re number two we’re most likely gonna play against Golden State Houston Los Angeles Phoenix or Dallas oh and let me give you this if we’re ranked number three you guys getting it yet

We’re going to play most likely Golden State Houston Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix or Dallas even Sacramento throw them in there I mean [ __ ] it LA Clippers are falling back pretty quickly too I mean no guarantee who we’re gonna end up playing the Kings and the Mavs are tied

So like about just playing yeah it’s just about playing so there’s no dictating but the key is if you end up with the one or the two seed you end up with homecourt Advantage um more often you end up for a couple rounds if you end up with the one obviously you hold

It throughout um the the Western Conference playoffs so um obviously there’s an advantage to that we play better at home here’s the thing though yeah would would you rather play as the second round play right would you rather play Minnesota team as the three seed or

Two seed right or would you rather play the Clippers Pelicans Dallas Phoenix whoever is going to end up being that that four seed that five seed you know cuz they had the four and five seed play against each other so you know what I’m saying like like where would we rather

To me second round game second round team I’d rather play would be Minnesota because there’s no guarantee that Minnesota would even get out of the first round if they have to play against Golden State or Los Angeles Lakers you know so this is a it’s a crazy time

Where you you don’t Minnesota with us second round there’s no targeting teams right now like you don’t know who you’re going to get you want to get home quarters as long as you can under those circumstances um I wouldn’t want to play the Kings in the first round um I

Wouldn’t want to play um the Timberwolves I wouldn’t want to play us I wouldn’t want to play the nuggets and I think that’s kind of like some teams might be like oh I’d prefer to play the Timberwolves because they’re unproven than the nuggets and that’s fine but

Those teams are probably going to get beat by whoever they pretend like they want to match up against anyway um there are some teams like the clipp you think Minnesota plays against go ahead well let let’s talk about this let’s just say season ended right now you’ve got Minnesota versus Sacramento who

Wins I like Sacramento in this SP but we we we’re notorious like give the timber rves about time but yeah I mean I think Sacramento has has what I’d want in that game all right so Dallas ends up playing let’s say Dallas end are playing Phoenix in that first playin

Right who wins that game Phoenix let’s just say Phoenix beats Dallas in that game all right so we have to play against Phoenix in the first round how do you feel about that I feel fine about that I think there’s all right strengths that Phoenix has that will play better

Against different teams but we have the the guard Defenders I mean you’re gonna have to beat him four games and it’s not going to be easy but yeah we could do that six here’s my hot prediction Dallas loses to Phoenix in the first playing game they end up

Having to play against Los Angeles Lakers Golden State or Houston I say Dallas loses the second time in a row this close to the playoffs and Luca doesn’t get a a chance to go to the playoffs again how do you feel about that I mean it’s realistic out of all

These teams I feel like Dallas is the weakest yeah I think there’s something to be said about momentum and they’re playing really well right now so is so are the Rockets um short series especially you think you want the best player and Luke is that best player but yeah I mean I

Like The Narrative of like sure Luca like having to sit out while everybody else is playing in the playoffs and like feeling like he’s missing out um it’s going to wear on him and he’s going to be looking for greener pastures sooner than later if he keeps missing the Playoffs um

But yeah who who knows the Warriors could slip out of the playoffs um even having a chance at the play in right now um there’s it’s crazy game half a game ahead of Houston Houston wasn’t supposed to break you know who’s had the best um no they weren’t dude guess who’s had

The best 10 game splits in the last um 10 games all right you ready for this Boston Celtics 9-1 Denver 9-1 and the Houston Rockets 9 and one that’s crazy bro they were tied with Utah a week and a half ago or two weeks ago how about the Rockets losing after

Being up like double up by 30 like that that’s crazy um sorry the Celtics so the Celtics what do you think about the Celtics um like obviously they’re at the point where their Championship are bust and do you think that that’s like that’s a good

Spot for them to be in I think I I tend to think that this this type of spot can a lot of times lead to um negativity um the Celtics are in trouble bro I I’ll be honest with you like if they’re if they don’t win this year yeah they have

To they have to reassess everything they have to decide um is is Tatum that guy is Jaylen Brown that guy is you know our coaching staff those guys like they’ve got to reassess everything because they cannot turn into another Utah team that has to go up against Michael Jordan five times or

Whatever you know like they can’t do that they can’t turn into the Buffalo Bills in the 990s they whatever they can they they have to turn it around and if the Celtics don’t win it this year they’ve got to I mean I would have said bring in Doc Rivers again because he’ll

Figure it out but obviously they’re in trouble um but if I were them and they don’t win then I’m looking at um possibly trading one of my my two best players to see if I can find a better matchup um for what I need for the future because I mean they’re going to

Get stuck behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the next decade or you know another team that’s that’s young team if they don’t figure it out because I mean they’re going to win 60 plus games this year bro and they look filthy they do and I wonder though like getting out of that EAS

Conference may not even be something that happens like that would be really embarrassing for them and I get like I get it but you see a Milwaukee team that’s starting to get going and you think about the matchup problems that Milwaukee can provide because of the like the

Positional elements of their stars and you’re like wow you know I get that man you know two forwards are great but having a um right a power forward SL Center in Giannis and and uh point guard slash shooting guard and Dame plus the shooting you get on the wings and the

Centers and stuff like it’s there’s no guarantees but what happens in a city like Boston is if people expect the finals and you don’t get there then all of a sudden just people just start dumping on you and everybody’s trash and the whole thing is a terrible experiment

And you know it all [ __ ] up when they trusted Danny AG in the first place and now they need a clean house and it’s like you guys were you guys had won 60 games and you like you’re you’re acting like babies but that’s how it works in

Boston um and I think that’s how it works in La um but I just you know I look at I look at this this team though that we have in the Oklahoma City Thunder and and seeing how we match up against these other teams especially in

The East and if I was the East I would be scared I’d be like listen we might not get a chance to win a championship in the East for the ne next decade because some of these West teams are starting to look really really good um

That’s what I would be feeling right now and and I’m at this and I and I’m saying um what what is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s biggest weakness right now we’re one of the best defensive teams but what do you think our biggest weaknesses and I’m going to tell you

Right now is our biggest weaknesses and and I look at a lot of the different stats and I say defensive rebounds is obviously something we need help with um but really I think that we give up two buckets too much every game all right we’re we’re averaging our defense um our

Defense is holding teams to 13 points a game right I would love to see that under 110 when we get to the playoffs I just would if we can get holding teams under under 110 points a game into the playoffs this team is going to destroy [ __ ] if we have an opportunity

Not to get to that 110 because I know any given night that we can put up 125 points and if we can put away teams quickly right and efficiently and we don’t have to sit there in the fourth quarter and wonder if this team is going to blow another lead or anything else

Like that then we’re in really really good shape but during the playoffs I need to see this team step up the defense I’m not going to call it the greatest weakness but I’m going to say that under 110 points is going to be a key to be able to win a championship

This year you know a lot of holding teams under 110 yeah a lot of um focus has been play paid to the lack of defensive rebounding um I’ve heard coach say that it’s something that they kind of focus on managing um their that as a problem but they’re willing to deal with

It if you watch what the team does as far as like um takeaways in in transition I think they look at that as a way to make up for a lack of defensive rebounding so we do a good job getting out in transition and we do score quite

A bit whenever we do that the question you know comes down to in a big way if it’s not defensive rebounding where do those stops come from Dave like how is it sure I mean I don’t I don’t know is it is it rotational or um is it tighter

Assignments or what better scouting reports over games or what because two four points doesn’t sound like a I think that it’s it’s two buckets right and and here’s the thing about it is that um I’m looking at it like this is that the way that coach needs to step this up and and

He’s done it day in and day out after this right and and I want to say that he’s probably the best coach at this in the league if you watch the last minute of every single quarter all right I want to say 50% of the time in the last

Minute right we get some type of steal some type of massive deflection so for me that’s where the the Step Up has to happen right let’s just say that coach finds a way to get that that minute to extend it to a minute and 20 seconds or

A minute and a half that’s where we get the extra buckets you know that’s where we get the extra steal so for me it’s like yes coach is doing a perfect job I’m I’m not changing anything right I don’t want to see anything change I’m just saying is that that last minute of

The G um of every single quarter that we play defense once we get to the playoffs I truly believe that that’s going to be extended he’s going to find a way to extend that minute make it into the last minute and a half and I think we’ll hold

A lot of teams to like under you know under four buckets in in you know that that crunch time the entire game and if we can do that it’s over I like it I mean obviously we’re at that point right now where people are

Like you got to prove it and we have to prove it against you know our key teams no matter what and that’s what we want you know like we want to go through this we want to face um the best teams that we can each time because you know we’re

Not afraid of Dallas or even Sacramento who’s been a hell of a game for us every single time over the last few years um I know that that would be the type of series that would really make us stronger and we saw the previous versions of the Thunder go against those

Trials and for a little while it seemed like the Grizzlies would be up there to be one of those teams that we could go head-to-head with um they’re not there anymore but in the past like that was some of the best series I’ve ever you

Know felt like I was a part of um we saw the Lakers um we saw the Mavericks we saw the Spurs you know that was the um cast of characters that were relevant back then when we were um so I’m excited um right now um we’re getting ready for

The future rivalries that we’re going to look back and and really will Define this this generation of this team and it’s exciting because these teams that we’re going up against they’re good they’re good and we want to beat the best we don’t want people to be like oh

Yeah well we Face some like weaker version of the Nuggets like we want people to be like this is a historically good nuggets team that was the best team in the world last year and we beat them healthy to take the crown and that’s what we’re going to do I honestly think

We’re going to make this run it doesn’t matter what position we’re in for the playoffs um they’ll figure it out as the playoffs go but where the team to be in the west I know that people think it’s other teams and stuff like that just wait till the Timberwolves get down in a

Series and see what they’re made of you know wait till you start realizing that yokas has been playing for like 28 months straight or something like that and it’s wearing on him like we’re going to see cracks in this in this and all and it’s going to

Be just at the right time and this transition people keep talking about the old NBA passing it to the young NBA they’re not ready for it to happen now but it’s about to happen and we can see some things start to come alive like Josh giddy’s game like I know it was an

Ass kicking but um what he put up as as far as numbers were really impressive in this last game against Milwaukee and it says to me like you’ll never get tired of somebody who can go out there and facilitate at that level and keep the ball moving from side to side rebound at

A high level you know and score when the opportunities are there but it’s all coming together for him and he’s the type of performer in the playoffs that when people look back they’ll be like why did we think all these things about them and they’ll be just realize

It’s because they’re biased it wasn’t didn’t really have anything to do with his actual game um everybody goes through adjustments especially when their role is adjusting but his perseverance is a testament to you know just everybody that’s invested in him and his overall character as a person

And we’re seeing him come alive and you know I what happens when he goes out in an elimination game and puts up a 30-point triple double you know like like that’s that’s what that’s what’s going to happen it’s in the whole world’s going to watch it and they’re

Gonna be like why do we trust these fake experts whenever they said he sucks because they’re bias and we got to make our own decisions based on what we see ourselves and it takes a little time for some players but like isn’t it ridiculous how young he is and people

Have already like seem to given up on his game when he’s already been able to play at a level that’s unimaginable for most kids’s age so I’m good man I get that ran out of me but that’s how I feel let’s let’s just say it right now

18 all right 18 guys 18 18 18 18 points is this is going to be the last time in two decades all right guys the last time over the next two decades the majority of the next two decades that we’re going to see Chad and Shay combined for 18

Points all right guys that’s prediction right there we’re not going to see that again for a very long time until the very end of their careers and then we start seeing them not play as much and all that other stuff but combined for 18 points we’re not going to see this again

This is Once in a Lifetime right here and I want to say bucks did a hell of a job but [ __ ] you bucks [ __ ] you San Antonio I want to say [ __ ] you Dallas about [ __ ] you Sacramento [ __ ] you Golden State [ __ ] you Lakers what I think happened coming into this right if

If you guys I never say listen to Bill Simmons but if you get a chance listen to Bill Simmons talking to Doc Rivers about Shay and I think doc came in and I feel like he actually was like I’m going to give Shay a gift I love that guy I’m

Gonna give him a gift I’m gonna give him a playoff scouting report and I’m gonna give him the toughest defense he’s seen all year as a gift to him so he knows what it’s going to take in the playoffs when he’s in the west because frankly they’ve kind of convinced themselves

They wouldn’t mind if we emerged from the West so this defense is going to leave Shay sitting there watching the film and being like yeah man you’re going to see all I mean when you watch it dude it’s like it was uh they they they went to a heavy switch

Like any half screen they were switching and everything was switched it was like super it was a it was a matchup Zone with switches everywhere and people were flying around it was like but they what we found was like they never were really out of position and that left us in a

Spot where like the whole game we were kind of like you know we were keeping close until the second half but at some point um they just turned off the SP it and that’s what happens in the playoffs man and like how you respond to those environments how you make ajustment in

Games and stuff like that so we got the film to study thank you to the Bucks you can go [ __ ] yourself now um but I know how much respect Doc Rivers has tche um based on that interview and I feel like we get to see that in action in this

Game and so it’s a a little master class on um playoff basketball and we’re not not going to see Chris Middleton do have a triple double on us again um let’s just be honest so um the Bucks had some of their best games um players have their best

Games of their career against us the other night um I was wrong Interruption on that one fourth quarter we played decent it was the third quarter we only scor 17 points um got to get that correction in there my bad I really want to say this yeah I mean we’re trying to play

Catch a ball at that point which is you know we still got yeah yeah like where I think they scored like 20 unanswered points or something like that in the third it was crazy we we as as Thunder fans we’ve seen this a lot we’ve seen a 20 plus

Point loss a lot in the last uh three years so for us this is no big deal um coach has always done a phenomenal job um after getting our asses handed to us getting us back focused and in the um gym making sure we we are ready to go I

Don’t see us going 10 for 43 um on three-pointers in the future that was and disgusting on every single angle and listen I’m not saying that to be a diss to any of our players that just is we had guys to go one for seven we had guys

Go 0 for five you know 0 for three 0 for four like listen it we had really bad shooting night against the Bucks I you know I’m wondering if we got in late I don’t know what the [ __ ] went on but I’m starting to wonder if there was more at

Play than than when would realize I mean you made a good point because like coach D like this isn’t skill that anybody like measures but like being resilient in the face of a of a bad loss he’s the best in the league right now like there was a definite

Situation where we lost by more than anybody else in the league and you and I spent just a lot of time talking about how incredibly proud We were of the the team for their demeanor like I’ve been in environments where you were you know just up against a team that had more

Talent than you or you’re outclass like how you handle yourself how you turn on each other in those environments your body language and all that stuff it says a lot about the direction you’re going in so yeah like this is absolutely this isn’t even even a speed bump you know

When you’ve got 82 games in a season you got to just like yeah you you you learn your lessons and then you move on in next game but as we do that like this next stretch is tough like this is this is the tough stretch that didn’t have

Over the last month where we were you know we had some games against playoff teams but you know a lot of non-playoff teams like what’s coming up next it’s playoff team after playoff team after playoff team so you know we’re going to stay on our toes you know we’re still

Aiming for 60 that number is a little bit like yeah right now but who cares you know what I mean who the [ __ ] cares this is what’s happened already this season has been historic from from our team perspective 12 games 12 games there we go right numbers there Pelicans Rockets Suns Knicks 76ers

Celtics Pacers Hornets Kings Spurs bucks and Mavericks we’ve got two easy games well I see you can’t you can’t do that because because are you counting the Spurs as easy because we lost them last time so there’s no way you can count the Spurs as easy the Hornets well it’s like

Easy to say like oh should I was talking about Mavericks being easy bro Mavericks I was talking about Mavericks being I wouldn’t I wouldn’t count them as easy like this this is hey this is a me grinder Dallas but but we put our work in you know what I mean and now worst

Case scenario for us is you know third place we would love all the home court games we could get it would be great for the economy in Oklahoma City and all our friends and family get to go to the games but in the end um you know our

Mission to take over the NBA world you know nobody said it was complete after this year so this is just another step in that direction and we’re still hoping for first place but who knows five five games separate us and the Pelicans and Clippers um at this point you know

I’m not saying that that’s a wrap but as long as we go 500 um we we get um top three in the Eastern conf or west Eastern Conference Western Conference so um to me that’s a win because when we started this season we said we thought that this team could

Go top four yeah that was that was the in the pudding so right they said hey top half of the guaranteed West spots would be good enough you know we we got carried away and we’re still carried away because we’re still in that spot we’re number two but like we got to make

Sure that we don’t forget that you know that top four is definitely exceeding our expectations for this year no matter what if we go 500 right man that means we win six more wins and we end the season with 55 wins and I want to say if

That’s the case man I’m buying you a really nice bottle of wine because you were one of very few people that said this team was going to win 55 games this year so kudos to you if that’s the case but six more wins which is 500 the last

12 games would put us in a position to be 55 wins so all right guys we appreciate you and we will see you guys hopefully sooner than later see