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2022 NBA Offseason Thread: Preseason kicks off; Things are fine in Los Angeles, Draymond beats the charges
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by nick.,
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antidope
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I mess with these.
More teams need to move away from red in the jerseys period. We've seen enough.
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Can’t lie, a Harden version would be sick
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Fire. And they got Tobe on the narration,
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certainly you messes with Tobe Nwigwe right? ONe of few #noskips artists, you could go to tidal, spotify,apple music,even youtube and search his name then let it run. The more you learn about him and the squad through any medium, the more likable they are.
antidope
certainly you messes with Tobe Nwigwe right? ONe of few #noskips artists, you could go to tidal, spotify,apple music,even youtube and search his name then let it run. The more you learn about him and the squad through any medium, the more likable they are.
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How do you know who Adele is?
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>>>
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Next Man Up: Three Players with Opportunity in Chet Holmgren's Absence
More minutes will be up for grabs in Chet Holmgren's absence this season. Which Thunder players will take advantage?
More minutes will be up for grabs in Chet Holmgren's absence this season. Which Thunder players will take advantage? (I cant add in the YT videos because theyre blocked)
The big offseason news for Thunder fans wasn't exactly what we expected.
We had a lot of excitement after Oklahoma City selected three rookies within the first twelve picks of the 2022 NBA Draft. Of course, at the top of that list was Chet Holmgren, the 7'1 wunderkind who has uncanny ability on both sides of the ball. GM Sam Presti selected the 20-year-old with the 2nd overall pick and, after Holmgren's impressive summer league showing, fans were gearing up to watch another important piece get integrated with the Thunder's young, improving core.
Unfortunately, all this anticipation came to a screeching halt, as it was reported on August 25th that Chet Holmgren would miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. While fans can rest easy knowing this won't be a career-killer, it certainly dampens the energy of the upcoming season.
But all is not lost for OKC. While Holmgren's debut may be delayed, the Thunder are heading into another season with the rest of their developing roster. This means a chance for their healthy pieces to continue to mesh, improve their abilities and figure out their roles on the squad.
Plenty of Thunder players have opportunity ahead of them, all of varying levels. However, there are three athletes in particular that stand out as candidates to prove themselves, whether that'd be on this team or in the league: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins.
These players aren't necessarily entering a make-or-break campaign. Rather, the focus here is that with Chet out, each should see an increased role with more opportunity than if Holmgren was healthy.
As a result, Robinson-Earl has a huge chance to solidify his role as a key cog in the Thunder's core moving forward.
In his 2021-22 rookie year, JRE showed his worth as a second-round steal, posting averages of 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 49 games played. He unfortunately missed a good chunk of time due to injury, but when on the court he had a positive impact on both ends.
The most important thing Robinson-Earl proved his first season is that he fits very well alongside Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander. Both are very skilled, ball-dominant guards that thrive initiating offense with the rock in their hand. They need to play with a big that's willing to set screens, find his spots relative to the ball-handler and has an ability to shoot from three. JRE succeeded in all these areas and emerged as a primary screener in pick & roll sets.
His sudden knack for sinking threes last season was a pleasant surprise. When Robinson-Earl played college ball at Villanova, he only shot 30.1% over the course of two years. However, he was able to find his rhythm with the Thunder, as he upped his clip to 35.2% on 165 attempts.
That's a huge upgrade, and next to playmakers such as Shai and Giddey, this ability to spread the floor is highly valued.
Of course, JRE didn't come without his offensive woes. While the three-point percentage increase was welcomed and appreciated, his efforts inside the arc - particularly near the basket - were lackluster to say the least. He struggled when it came to this section of the court, as he posted only a 42.9% hit rate on shots between 3-10 feet.
Couple this with the fact he only hit 33.7% of his jumpers, and it becomes clear Robinson-Earl only thrived at the rim (60.8%) and beyond the arc.
For JRE to take the next step, he'll need to clean up his performance in these offensive spots. If he can become reliable from any area during screening actions, and maybe add a couple more percentage points to his three-ball (37% sounds right for him), he can truly solidify himself as an integral part of the Thunder's future plans to contend.
Defensively, Robinson-Earl is solid. He will likely be asked to play out-of-position as a center once again, but if last season proved anything, it's that he can hold his own despite being undersized at 6'9. His physicality serves him well, and his impressive footwork allows him to successfully stay in front of assignments.
Sure, his switch-ability may not be at the level of front-court mate Bazley; however, he holds his own in this regard and displayed flashes of success when placed in this position.
Here's one of those flashes against the lethal Trae Young:
0:00
/0:10
1×
Ultimately, it's JRE's fluidity on the offensive end that gives him a promising chance of joining OKC's long-term core. The defense is good enough, and with more minutes to go around in Chet's absence, Robinson-Earl has a real shot of securing his future on the Thunder's roster.
Now, Jalen not only has the opportunity to expand his role, but could potentially earn a place in the starting line-up.
Williams turned heads this offseason with his exemplary play in summer league. A good example of his all-around offensive abilities can be seen in his debut performance against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
While Chet caught the headlines with his 23 point, 7 rebound and 6 block outing, J-Dub had a "quiet" 17 points on 8-11 shooting.
Watch him go to work below:
He showed a little bit of everything in this contest: the ability to create for himself and attack the rim, the awareness to find the right spots and cut off-ball, and the range to knock down threes.
Offensively, Williams boasts a very versatile game, which is exactly what the Thunder need paired with Giddey and Shai. His ability to adapt is key here: he can be effective off-ball while playing with the two guards, but provide self-creation when running with the bench unit.
Jalen's three-ball will be especially helpful when on-court with the starters, as he shot an efficient 39.6% clip at Santa Clara last season. This should hopefully translate, giving Giddey and SGA more space to drive and capitalize on openings.
As far as defense goes, J-Dub is no slouch. In fact, he's quite the opposite, as he averaged 1.2 steals for his career at Santa Clara and finished 18th in his conference with a 99.0 defensive rating last year.
It helps that Williams has a ridiculous 7'2 wingspan, using this and his strong 6'6, 209 lb frame to make life difficult for whomever he has to face.
Jalen will likely start the season entering games off the bench. However, his versatility on both sides of the ball will provide him an opportunity to sneak into the starting unit. Specifically, he has a good chance of sliding his way into OKC's closing line-up. If he's effective closing, it should ultimately earn him a role with the starters.
At the end of tight ballgames, you want players on the floor that fit well with your offensive focal points. For the Thunder, this is their guard-play (i.e. Josh and Shai). Williams' game should mesh perfectly for all the aforementioned reasons, and having him out there in the closing minutes may potentially give OKC their best overall opportunity for scoring the basketball.
Defensively, you want athletes who can keep their man locked up and make hustle plays. Jalen checks this box as well. Even if he has to guard someone taller than him, his lateral-quickness, wingspan and physicality should allow him to handle almost any match-up he's assigned.
Here's his defense on third-overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. in summer league, a beauty to watch:
Smith Jr. is a 6'10 power forward who was expected to be the #1 overall pick in this year's draft. At 6'6, J-Dub was able to do this to Smith. Even though it's a small sample size, Williams has thus far shown himself to be a reliable, switchable defender.
Williams' skill-set has the potential to fit beautifully with Oklahoma City. Give him some time; by the end of this season, it would be no surprise to see him starting and finishing games for the Thunder.
In his 2021-22 rookie year, Wiggins played 50 games and started in 35 of them. However, with Holmgren and J-Dub coming into the fold, Aaron was facing the possibility of remaining outside of the rotation entirely.
But now, Chet is out of the picture. Resultantly, Wiggins has a chance to gain more playing time and establish himself as a legitimate NBA wing.
He has already made big strides in this regard. After Presti selected him 55th in the 2021 NBA Draft, Aaron outplayed his selection spot by giving OKC meaningful production as a rookie. His reward: a switch from a two-way deal to a standard four year, $6.4 million contract.
Wiggins earned this through his activity on defense. Although most of what he provides won't stand out on a stat sheet, the effort and hustle he put forth on this end helped bring energy to the Thunder as a whole last season. His 6'10 wingspan proved effective as well, as he utilized it to his advantage when guarding bigger forwards.
Offensively, Aaron showed his worth as a slasher, finding success in reading the ball-handler to position himself strategically near the basket. Ninety-six percent of his two-point attempts occurred within 10 feet of the hoop, and he was able to convert these looks at a 55.2% clip.
In 2022-23, Wiggins needs to take another leap in order to solidify his case for consistent NBA minutes. Specifically, he needs to develop a three-point shot worth defending. For someone who attempted 40.9% of his field goals from deep, his 30.4% conversion rate needs to significantly improve.
Wiggins seems to have progressed on his three-point stroke, as he shot 42.9% from long-range in Vegas and 75% in Salt Lake City this summer. It should be noted he only took roughly 2 attempts per game, and as we learned on Daily Thunder earlier this offseason, three-point percentage doesn't always translate as cleanly to real NBA action as three-point attempt rate does.
Still, the increased efficiency provides hope that Wiggins can become a legitimate 3&D wing. If he can find his rhythm and start hitting from beyond the arc at even a 35% clip, his stock will see a dramatic rise.
Even if he isn't part of OKC's long-term plans, he has the chance to showcase his worth to other teams around the league. Finding success could prove beneficial for both Aaron and the Thunder: Wiggins can build his resume to join another club after he's done in OKC, and the Thunder can dangle him as a trade chip for any win-now moves they make in the future.
Whatever OKC ultimately decides on Wiggins in the future is neither here nor there. What matters is that, with Chet's absence, Wiggins now has a greater chance of legitimizing himself at the NBA level.
However, in the interim, the rest of the Thunder roster has to focus on the 2022-23 campaign. For JRE, J-Dub and Wiggins, this season now has more individual opportunity in the absence of their phenom teammate.
Statistics courtesy of BasketballReference.com, SportsReference.com and NBA.com.
The big offseason news for Thunder fans wasn't exactly what we expected.
We had a lot of excitement after Oklahoma City selected three rookies within the first twelve picks of the 2022 NBA Draft. Of course, at the top of that list was Chet Holmgren, the 7'1 wunderkind who has uncanny ability on both sides of the ball. GM Sam Presti selected the 20-year-old with the 2nd overall pick and, after Holmgren's impressive summer league showing, fans were gearing up to watch another important piece get integrated with the Thunder's young, improving core.
Unfortunately, all this anticipation came to a screeching halt, as it was reported on August 25th that Chet Holmgren would miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. While fans can rest easy knowing this won't be a career-killer, it certainly dampens the energy of the upcoming season.
But all is not lost for OKC. While Holmgren's debut may be delayed, the Thunder are heading into another season with the rest of their developing roster. This means a chance for their healthy pieces to continue to mesh, improve their abilities and figure out their roles on the squad.
Plenty of Thunder players have opportunity ahead of them, all of varying levels. However, there are three athletes in particular that stand out as candidates to prove themselves, whether that'd be on this team or in the league: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins.
These players aren't necessarily entering a make-or-break campaign. Rather, the focus here is that with Chet out, each should see an increased role with more opportunity than if Holmgren was healthy.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Before the Chet news, JRE's spot in the starting line-up was in question. However, it now seems likely Mark Diagneault will roll out a starting five of Josh Giddey/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Lu Dort/Darius Bazley/Robinson-Earl - at least to begin the season.As a result, Robinson-Earl has a huge chance to solidify his role as a key cog in the Thunder's core moving forward.
In his 2021-22 rookie year, JRE showed his worth as a second-round steal, posting averages of 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 49 games played. He unfortunately missed a good chunk of time due to injury, but when on the court he had a positive impact on both ends.
The most important thing Robinson-Earl proved his first season is that he fits very well alongside Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander. Both are very skilled, ball-dominant guards that thrive initiating offense with the rock in their hand. They need to play with a big that's willing to set screens, find his spots relative to the ball-handler and has an ability to shoot from three. JRE succeeded in all these areas and emerged as a primary screener in pick & roll sets.
His sudden knack for sinking threes last season was a pleasant surprise. When Robinson-Earl played college ball at Villanova, he only shot 30.1% over the course of two years. However, he was able to find his rhythm with the Thunder, as he upped his clip to 35.2% on 165 attempts.
That's a huge upgrade, and next to playmakers such as Shai and Giddey, this ability to spread the floor is highly valued.
Of course, JRE didn't come without his offensive woes. While the three-point percentage increase was welcomed and appreciated, his efforts inside the arc - particularly near the basket - were lackluster to say the least. He struggled when it came to this section of the court, as he posted only a 42.9% hit rate on shots between 3-10 feet.
Couple this with the fact he only hit 33.7% of his jumpers, and it becomes clear Robinson-Earl only thrived at the rim (60.8%) and beyond the arc.
For JRE to take the next step, he'll need to clean up his performance in these offensive spots. If he can become reliable from any area during screening actions, and maybe add a couple more percentage points to his three-ball (37% sounds right for him), he can truly solidify himself as an integral part of the Thunder's future plans to contend.
Defensively, Robinson-Earl is solid. He will likely be asked to play out-of-position as a center once again, but if last season proved anything, it's that he can hold his own despite being undersized at 6'9. His physicality serves him well, and his impressive footwork allows him to successfully stay in front of assignments.
Sure, his switch-ability may not be at the level of front-court mate Bazley; however, he holds his own in this regard and displayed flashes of success when placed in this position.
Here's one of those flashes against the lethal Trae Young:
0:00
/0:10
1×
Ultimately, it's JRE's fluidity on the offensive end that gives him a promising chance of joining OKC's long-term core. The defense is good enough, and with more minutes to go around in Chet's absence, Robinson-Earl has a real shot of securing his future on the Thunder's roster.
Jalen Williams
Outside of Holmgren, J-Dub is considered the other OKC 2022 draft selection who's ready to contribute right away. His rise to the 12th overall pick has been quite incredible, and even before Chet's injury he was expected to fill a consistent role off the bench.Now, Jalen not only has the opportunity to expand his role, but could potentially earn a place in the starting line-up.
Williams turned heads this offseason with his exemplary play in summer league. A good example of his all-around offensive abilities can be seen in his debut performance against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
While Chet caught the headlines with his 23 point, 7 rebound and 6 block outing, J-Dub had a "quiet" 17 points on 8-11 shooting.
Watch him go to work below:
He showed a little bit of everything in this contest: the ability to create for himself and attack the rim, the awareness to find the right spots and cut off-ball, and the range to knock down threes.
Offensively, Williams boasts a very versatile game, which is exactly what the Thunder need paired with Giddey and Shai. His ability to adapt is key here: he can be effective off-ball while playing with the two guards, but provide self-creation when running with the bench unit.
Jalen's three-ball will be especially helpful when on-court with the starters, as he shot an efficient 39.6% clip at Santa Clara last season. This should hopefully translate, giving Giddey and SGA more space to drive and capitalize on openings.
As far as defense goes, J-Dub is no slouch. In fact, he's quite the opposite, as he averaged 1.2 steals for his career at Santa Clara and finished 18th in his conference with a 99.0 defensive rating last year.
It helps that Williams has a ridiculous 7'2 wingspan, using this and his strong 6'6, 209 lb frame to make life difficult for whomever he has to face.
Jalen will likely start the season entering games off the bench. However, his versatility on both sides of the ball will provide him an opportunity to sneak into the starting unit. Specifically, he has a good chance of sliding his way into OKC's closing line-up. If he's effective closing, it should ultimately earn him a role with the starters.
At the end of tight ballgames, you want players on the floor that fit well with your offensive focal points. For the Thunder, this is their guard-play (i.e. Josh and Shai). Williams' game should mesh perfectly for all the aforementioned reasons, and having him out there in the closing minutes may potentially give OKC their best overall opportunity for scoring the basketball.
Defensively, you want athletes who can keep their man locked up and make hustle plays. Jalen checks this box as well. Even if he has to guard someone taller than him, his lateral-quickness, wingspan and physicality should allow him to handle almost any match-up he's assigned.
Here's his defense on third-overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. in summer league, a beauty to watch:
Smith Jr. is a 6'10 power forward who was expected to be the #1 overall pick in this year's draft. At 6'6, J-Dub was able to do this to Smith. Even though it's a small sample size, Williams has thus far shown himself to be a reliable, switchable defender.
Williams' skill-set has the potential to fit beautifully with Oklahoma City. Give him some time; by the end of this season, it would be no surprise to see him starting and finishing games for the Thunder.
Aaron Wiggins
The case with Aaron Wiggins is intriguing.In his 2021-22 rookie year, Wiggins played 50 games and started in 35 of them. However, with Holmgren and J-Dub coming into the fold, Aaron was facing the possibility of remaining outside of the rotation entirely.
But now, Chet is out of the picture. Resultantly, Wiggins has a chance to gain more playing time and establish himself as a legitimate NBA wing.
He has already made big strides in this regard. After Presti selected him 55th in the 2021 NBA Draft, Aaron outplayed his selection spot by giving OKC meaningful production as a rookie. His reward: a switch from a two-way deal to a standard four year, $6.4 million contract.
Wiggins earned this through his activity on defense. Although most of what he provides won't stand out on a stat sheet, the effort and hustle he put forth on this end helped bring energy to the Thunder as a whole last season. His 6'10 wingspan proved effective as well, as he utilized it to his advantage when guarding bigger forwards.
Offensively, Aaron showed his worth as a slasher, finding success in reading the ball-handler to position himself strategically near the basket. Ninety-six percent of his two-point attempts occurred within 10 feet of the hoop, and he was able to convert these looks at a 55.2% clip.
In 2022-23, Wiggins needs to take another leap in order to solidify his case for consistent NBA minutes. Specifically, he needs to develop a three-point shot worth defending. For someone who attempted 40.9% of his field goals from deep, his 30.4% conversion rate needs to significantly improve.
Wiggins seems to have progressed on his three-point stroke, as he shot 42.9% from long-range in Vegas and 75% in Salt Lake City this summer. It should be noted he only took roughly 2 attempts per game, and as we learned on Daily Thunder earlier this offseason, three-point percentage doesn't always translate as cleanly to real NBA action as three-point attempt rate does.
Still, the increased efficiency provides hope that Wiggins can become a legitimate 3&D wing. If he can find his rhythm and start hitting from beyond the arc at even a 35% clip, his stock will see a dramatic rise.
Even if he isn't part of OKC's long-term plans, he has the chance to showcase his worth to other teams around the league. Finding success could prove beneficial for both Aaron and the Thunder: Wiggins can build his resume to join another club after he's done in OKC, and the Thunder can dangle him as a trade chip for any win-now moves they make in the future.
Whatever OKC ultimately decides on Wiggins in the future is neither here nor there. What matters is that, with Chet's absence, Wiggins now has a greater chance of legitimizing himself at the NBA level.
Making due
Again, the Chet news this offseason is a tough pill to swallow. We unfortunately have to wait one whole year before watching him drain threes and shut down Joel Embiid.However, in the interim, the rest of the Thunder roster has to focus on the 2022-23 campaign. For JRE, J-Dub and Wiggins, this season now has more individual opportunity in the absence of their phenom teammate.
Statistics courtesy of BasketballReference.com, SportsReference.com and NBA.com.
Published by: dailythundercom
HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
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I don't listen to Dua Lipa either. Or Adele. Or most of the top billboard musicians. Kinda hard to avoid them if you go out in public once in a while though. Or consume any form of media.
antidope
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I don't leave the crib without my airpods.
addict4sneakers
hoops in his airpods. My music tastes are so narrow I learned real early that I gotta keep headphones on me. Less I have to listen to what I deem to be nonsense when I'm in public.
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I don't leave the crib without my airpods.
My music tastes are so narrow I learned real early that I gotta keep headphones on me. Less I have to listen to what I deem to be nonsense when I'm in public.
If i have my daughter with me I don’t wear AirPods but if I’m by myself grocery shopping the AirPods are in.
If I heard a song outside of my pods I for sure don’t know who sings the songs.
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Always feels like teams come up with the cool jerseys after the superstars leave
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I can't do headphones/pods everywhere. Too paranoid with all the madness, shootings, etc going on in the world. Need to absorb and sense my surroundings.
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Definitely understand that. My headphones are never loud enough to where I can’t hear what’s going on. Even when I hoop
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I already know the Sixers gonna bring back the AI razzle dazzles the second Embiid leaves or retires lolAlways feels like teams come up with the cool jerseys after the superstars leave
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y'all need to get in on a soul cycle / spin class session
then you'd know who dua lip and bad bunny are
as well as meet some dua lipa lookin bunnies
then you'd know who dua lip and bad bunny are
as well as meet some dua lipa lookin bunnies
Last edited:
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I used to get Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo confused until I saw this tweet
Still couldn't tell you which song belongs to who
Still couldn't tell you which song belongs to who
antidope
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Billy Joel one of those ones that the whites love to death. This song makes me laugh so I respect him. I also found out this guy has like a standing reservation at MSG. How often do YALL want to see Billy Joel for this to be a thing??
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Olivia Rodrigo? Elton John? Billy Joel? Who are these people?
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Up your music game and listen to more than just rap/hip hop.
- Status
