OKC Thunder Dominate Pelicans, Aaron Wiggins Hot Streak, Chet’s Second Game
Can the Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans signal a deep playoff run? With Aaron Wiggins’ scoring surge and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP-worthy performances, the Thunder are making waves in the NBA.
Explore the Thunder’s dominant starting lineup, featuring Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, and their defensive prowess that leaves opponents struggling. Rylan Stiles and guest Brandon Rahbar dissect the team’s evolving strategy, highlighting key players like Wiggins and Gilgeous-Alexander. They also debate the Thunder’s playoff potential and the impact of their league-leading net rating.
Join the conversation to uncover how the Thunder’s roster construction and strategic depth could shape their path to success. Don’t miss out on this engaging analysis of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s journey in the NBA.
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30 Comments
Not sure how I’m feeling about stacheless Rylan
Rylan looks like chucky doll lol
We need teddy bear pt 2!!!!!
We should be switching line ups after we find out what works the best. Having 4 different starting line ups with plays and chemistry will be a nightmare for teams
Are bench is so good. Imagine, Ajay, Joe, Caruso, Wiggins, Deing. Defense and shooting
The Chet, iHart starting lineup is everything I hoped it would be.
Can’t score against them – not scared of any playoff matchup we get.
🦬🌩️🥶🔶🌩️🔶🥶🌩️🦬
THUNDER 🆙
Wigs and Joe have to be HUGE in Playoffs… Joe w/⏳3️⃣👌🏾’s and Wiggs w/his all around game offensively & defensively 😤
Jaylin Williams is good enough to be a backup center. Another reason I like the 2 center starting rotation. Chet a great shot blocker. Hartenstein a great rebounder. Chet more perimeter oriented. Hartenstein more in the paint. It seems like the perfect match.
27:23 Rylan you must definitely be saying since last year about Wiggs Minutes increasing….my guy from 🐢 is producing 😎
Presti preaches positional size and length.
Misery loves company i hear. I find myself lurking i mean checking in on the raccoon squad
Wiggins, Caruso, Dort, Ajay, I hart, Joe, j-will and kenrich all second rounders or started in the g league. Big time over achievers . Is it presti or the genuine love they have for each other that encourages players to exceed expectations? The rise of the misfits. 😂
It’s almost like giving a guy consistent minutes helps him be more….. idk… consistent 🤷🏾♂️
Is this just Wiggins being hot (pause) or is he really THIS good? Or both? Wiggins has looked like he has star potential and is getting his numbers within the flow of the offense. He isnt even forcing anything
That’s not Rylan 🤔
I disagree with the tiers respectfully. I love Lu but he holds our offense back regardless of his 3 point percentage. He goes COLD and will take bad shots. We need Wiggins/Joe/Cason to be more of a scorer than him in the playoffs.
Love the MVP rant
Just realize the famous stache is shaved 🪒 ⚡️
The Pelicans have more talent than they play at. Their big problem is Zion at center which he's at most of the time. He gets owned on defense. They are no one to protect the paint. Building the team around him that way they are using them dooms them into being a 30ish win team. He's a piece not a number one option. It would be like OKC trying to make JDub center and the number one option. OKC turns into a 30ish win team. It just wouldn't work. Zion as a two or a three option fits his skill set if he's not trying to be 6' 6" center. Worse he's not a good defender. Of course, building you team around a guy made of glass dooms your team too. Which is Zion.
Wiggins contract is free too. 7 million and each year goes down. Better it runs through until he is 30. I hate to say one day he'll be screaming for a new contract. Unhappiness is coming. Wiggins can spend what he makes now will get greedy and want even more money he can't spend.
OKC next to Dallas is small. Pelicans are not a big team. Denver and Dallas are big.
Healthy Dallas and Denver are a loss. Healthy are a nightmare matchup for them. They are big. OKC struggles against big. You force OKC into the half court OKC struggles to score. They draw Dallas in the first round is a loss. If both are healthy. In basketball size wins over small. Dallas in big and defend. Good luck. OKC is my team they were my team when they were Seattle Super Sonics with Slick Watts and Fred Brown were pretty much their only players. Friends that's a long time ago. I willing to bet I've been a fan long than a lot of the guys who what this. OKC wants to part of Denver and Dallas in the playoffs.
Why shouldn't Wiggins average 25 points? He can hit the 3. He has a nice mid game. He can finish around the rim. He can fit FTs. He has nice size. Why it's this a 25 scorer? Someone is getting shots when SGA isn't playing. He's the closest OKC has to another pure score after SGA. So again, explain why he can't be a 25 score. He has all the tools.
17:06 For what it’s worth, while I agree Wigs isn’t going to average 20 ppg in his expected role with this team, if you give him 30+ minutes a night and a green light, he could absolutely average 20. Which is crazy to think about
SGA is a better all-around player than Jokic. But Jokic is the King of Number Nerds. His Number Nerd stats are better. Sadly the MVP isn't about who is overall better or more valuable. It's about Number Nerds stats. Jokic has those. Defensive is hard to measure. So, the stats don't matter for an MVP. When all is said and done SGA can't win. If he does it's because people will just not vote for Jokic because they are tired of voting for him because his stats that won him the award before don't change. SGA is better but if I had a 26-year-old Jokic or a 26-year-old SGA to build a team around I take Jokic because big and talented trumps small and talented. The old say has always been true you can't teach size. Yet you can teach everything else. Jokic has skill and is harder to deal with overall on offense. SGA saves more point on the defensive end but those stats are visible to see. Jokic stats you can see.
Wiggins is looking more and more like an X-factor. Ajay Mitchell is a gem as well! Oh, and Branden Carlson! 🔥
I like how as soon as it hit February, Wiggs started going off for black history month lol. Literally his last game in January he only had 2 points but since the 1st of this month he has been on a tear.
If we win it this yr….,teams are gonna try obtaining 4 all-stars to keep up with us. Plus the draft pics this yr😮😮
At this point in the season, ridiculously I’m realizing I could be comfortable with fewer minutes for the stars so we will be healthy in the playoffs. And also ridiculously, we could get Newell, Sarah and/or McNeeley (my fave) in the draft. Check them out.