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This OKC Thunder team continues to prove that they are CONTENDERS closing out 2023 strong



This OKC Thunder team continues to prove that they are CONTENDERS closing out 2023 strong

On today’s lock on Thunder podcast we’re diving into the Oklahoma City Thunder proving to be legit what a season this has already become what’s next for this young Thunder team we’ll talk about it all you are locked on Thunder your daily Oklahoma City Thunder podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your

Team every day let’s get it going on the lockdown Thunder podcast on the lockdown podcast Network your team every day I am your host media member editor-in Chief over at thunderus intentions. Ryland Styles follow me on Twitter Ryland Styles follow the show on Twitter at L thunderpod and email the show L

Thunderpod gmail.com on today’s show show brought to you by FanDuel we’re diving into a strong close to 2023 where the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to show that they are legitimate as they sit with the second best record in the Western Conference what happened against Brooklyn and that massive Road win

Against Denver a lot to get to today today’s Show’s brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with winning any $5 money line bet that is 150 bucks if your team wins go visit fanduel.com lockon to get started what a

Game it was both in Denver and at home on New Year’s Eve against the Brooklyn Nets taking you back to that Denver game because it couples so well with this game against Brooklyn going on the road to Denver to split up this home stand Aaron Gordon was out but other than that

The Nuggets were healthy although again Aaron Gordon is a big part of this that entered a one in-one season series that exits with the Thunder securing at least a split of the season series against Denver with one more to play in the paycom Center so far Road teams have won each game but

Regardless that was the Thunder’s second win over a top three team in the west this week the second win over the nuggets on the road this month and the Thunder just continued to show that they have it and it is a repeatable formula and multiple formulas to win big games

When you look at this next five game schedule which now is complete this was the hardest stretch for the thunder so far this season by far you saw them take on the LA Clippers who at the time were riding a nine game winning streak the longest in the NBA

And look to be clicking the Thunder dismantled the Clippers they take on the Lakers who dubb that a must-win game and the Thunder lost that game you know and they and the Thunder just could not hit any open looks and it still was a was a finely competitive game but then they go

On a tear on a backto back they beat the Timberwolves who had the best defense in the NBA at the time and is the best defense in the NBA currently and they just embarrassed Minnesota they shot 60% from the floor and just gutted them second night of a back toback that

Energy did not lack they blow out the New York Knicks and then they head on the road and we’re here in Denver which allows them to go four and one in that five-game stretch and so let’s talk about the formulas because you saw them on display in both games Chad hren

Scores the first 10 points of the game for the Thunder he had 10 points before the 9 Minute mark and you saw cat against Denver go two for two from three to start the game and yic finally agrees to play high and pick him up at the at

The perimeter and he just C just drives right past joic for an easy floater over Jamal Murray who has no chance of Defending cat cat can just easily rise up over guards and get clean lucks and then the Euro Step through three Defenders for the slam a heavily

Contested three you saw him do a little bit of everything offensively scoring at all three levels running the fast break as the facilitator running the break to find Wiggins on a cut which just showed Immaculate IQ where he is running the floor in the Fast Break Rises up defense

Commits to him and freezes because of course chat’s going to take that free throw line jumper nope behind you is Wiggins who’s now unattended at the rim for the easiest shot in basketball a wide open layup ran the break with giddy as well got giddy a free uh layup as well

Chad hren had 17 points in nine minutes of action for him he was able to get it done offensively and you continue to see him get more comfortable as an offensive initiator and as an offensive force between his Nifty footwork and all that he can do as a

Score he compliments his team so well and then the shot blocking I mean blocking Jamal Murray’s floater just just a violating a mid-range shot from Julian strawford to start a two-on-one fast break where K Wallace finishes it Chad hren was all over that game in Denver and yet again you saw him make

The adjustment game to game playing yic the best center in the world and so throughout this five-game stretch you’ve seen it bsga you know driving the bus and being the force for the Thunder you’ve seen it be jdb closing out games impeccably strong and just blowing games out of the water to

The fourth quarter and getting the Thunder big wins and you’ve seen it be chat whenever no one else could score chat hren took over a basketball game and you’ve got three players independent of age independent of experience independent of what should happen you have three players who can take over

Basketball games and whenever we’ve looked at basketball teams throughout NBA history that I’ve had three guys who can take over games and specifically three guys who can take over games and make their imprint felt on games on both ends of the floor we’ve always crowned those type of teams

Contenders and that’s what it feels like Oklahoma City has we can dance around it we can talk about how they’re not supposed to be here yet we can talk about how they’re too young but something that stuck out after that Denver game from Shay to Cason Wallace

The messaging was the need and the want to be uncommon that’s their goal is to be an uncommon team and to this point they’ve achieved that top five offense top five defense doesn’t matter that they’re one of the youngest teams in basketball they’re also one of the best teams in

Basketball and they’ve proven they can go win twice on the road in Denver they can take care of big games both home and Road and they can take care of matchups that they’re supposed to win and the matchups that they’re supposed to take care of that’s what good teams

Do the Thunder are 22-9 with a nine and4 record on the road and a 13 and5 record at home they’ve won eight over their last 10 games on a four game winning streak they have been able to play with anyone and yes the game changes in the

Postseason and yes typically you do need experience to survive in the postseason but this team might be uncommon this team might achieve their goal of being uncommon because when you put together three difference makers who can take over a game and the complement of what you can call Luxury players that fill this

Roster it’s hard to find a matchup where you head head in and just say you know what there’s no shot it’s hard to find that matchup where you go into the game and say there’s no way the Thunder win this match up or win this game or in the

Series and so that that Denver game showed a lot winning in Denver was huge regardless of who they had and you go up and down the roster again the bucket Getters were there Chad you know jdub Shay but like Lou dor is a player who is

Now shooting the best of his career but also matches up so well with these elite players like Jamal Murray can frustrate and can just erase at times these top players in this league in this Sport and then you have an array of players Off the Bench who can step up

From Isaiah Joe the case Wallace to kri Williams Jay will made an impact against Denver with that sequence where he draws a charge and gets a block all in one Fell Swoop you know this Thunder team at this point in time if you only look at what we know about this season

And you don’t look at the data points of the history of the NBA and what Young teams are supposed to do or not supposed to do or what the expectations were coming into this season you just look at what’s happened through 30 Games there is no question that the

Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA and I don’t see a reason that that can’t continue if the only reason and the only way that you can dissect this team and pick apart this team is due to them being young that’s not a valid reason to to

Deduct from this team when the ball goes up it’s basketball and the Thunder have three guys and a and a great bench that You’ take in a basketball game over the opposition and so obviously they’re not going to be T favorites obviously they’re not going

To to be expected to go win uh you know anything significant this season but when you’re talking about the teams who deserve a seat at the table in that Contender talk in that Contender conversation Oklahoma City is right there without without cashing in anything without doing anything else

Other than playing the way they’ve played this season and that’s a lot of fun what a way to get to this point in time already what a way to get to where we’re at right now in Oklahoma City compared to where this thing was just two years ago so that’s a lot of

Fun also a lot of fun is our good friends over at FanDuel folks FanDuel they’re great and you should check them out today because fel.com lockon will let you go and make this $5 money line bet and when you do as a new customer if

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Parlays you can find the spread over under player props all that fun stuff uh you can even go there right now and and you know listen it’s New Year’s Day happy New Year everybody uh by the way college football playoffs is on you can go and lay a little scratch down on some

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That’s f.com locked on we’re back on the lockdown thiner podcast on the lockdown podcast Network your teams every day thank you so much for making us your first listen every single morning every single day we here for you talking Thunder basketball now the Thunder continued their tradition of

Playing on New Year’s Eve and it’s worked out for them you know they have an absurdly good record uh on New Year’s Eve and since they’ve you know been here and they’ve been doing this every year today was no different they were able to blow out the Brooklyn Nets but you know

You can look at this and say what’s the big deal right I mean you you you go and you you pull up the box score and you pull up uh espn.com and the Nets have lost you know three in a row and they’re 15 and 18 who cares that she beat the Brooklyn

Nets you know it’s just the sheer ability to flip the switch for me that stood out in this game it’s another thing that typically young teams have to learn and have to build toward but that this team just has is an innate ability to do three lead changes four times tied

For this game the Thunder once led by 21 points as their highest lead the Nets never grew more than 10 which happened in the first quarter so again the first quarter comes and the Nets are Blitz in the Nets no pun intended it’s tough why are they Nam the

Nets when okay never mind and the Thunder you know off to a sluggish start and then things changed and you know part of what changed honestly in the second quarter is that the Nets missed some open looks that’s part of what’s changed but a big part was that that

Into the third quarter kind of that middle to the third quarter on is the big difference for OKC yes the Nets missed some open looks in the second quarter which kind of tightened the Gap and then allowed uh you know for for for this to you know get to the point where

We’re about to talk about but ultimately the next shot a lowly 38% from the floor 21% from three they did the only thing they did a great job on offense consistently all game was limiting turnovers and that’s impressive first OKC for Brooklyn OKC typically just grabs takeaways left right and Center

Brooklyn only turned it over six times really impressive from them but other than that nothing was impressive for their offense outside of that first quarter OKC on the other hand shot 54 from both the floor and from three they really really turned it on in a hurry shot 80% from the charity stripe

Brooklyn was only a plus one on the rebound so this is the first layer to the young given the way Brooklyn’s made up the Thunder are allowed to play however they want to they can lean in to playing small they can play their typical rotation they could have even thrown out

Chat and jayell and and and potentially uh had success with that as well so the the Nets are a team where they are not built whatsoever to out muscle or outrebound to a to an imp degree or anything OKC right as as some other teams are so that

Helps you know the thunder in this category points in the paint we’re we’re pretty similar Brook you know Brooklyn was a plus four in that category Brooklyn was still ahead in in in Second Chance points and the Thunder dominate fast break points but the big thing here

This game from both sides right outside of that explosion offensively the first quarter from Brooklyn outside of that both sides didn’t really look like they wanted to be there now you you can say whatever you want to say part of it is New Year Eve part of it is just hey this

Is game 30 right you’ve been doing this for a while I mean to put it this into a little bit of perspective I know it’s not Apples to Apples truly but Cas Wallace on Tuesday will play his 302nd NBA game and it’s not as though these

Games have just been oh he checked in at the end he’s been playing some some valuable and heavy rotational minutes for for the Thunder and throughout that process right throughout that time on Tuesday he’ll play in his 32nd game of playing heavy rotational minutes he played 32 games total in

College so these type of games that lack energy and lack feel are going to happen typically you see them second night of back toback you see them at the end of a long road trip for either team uh but you know but the holidays of course th

Throw a wrench into this as well so both teams lacked energy and it was apparent in the first quarter for the Thunder and the second quarter really for both teams for the most part but the Thunder were able to snap out of it the Thunder were

Able to kick it into gear and from the third quarter on play an excellent Branda basketball it starts out with the third quarter uh the opening sequence the opening play being a lob from JB to chat with a posterizing dunk to cap off the alleyoop and it and it evolves into

That fourth quarter where the Thunder have wrestled back away the lead and they’re up by you know five six seven eight points you know something in that range about five points is what they’re up by at the end of the third quarter and it’s another test for the N

Shay minutes because we know that Shay is going to start on the bench to start the fourth quarter and early on in the year it was not great it was you know an improvement because you have better players than last year and the year prior but it was

Still was not it was not good at the beginning of the year but recently what’s been the Difference Maker is that in the start of the fourth quarter Chad and jdub spread their wings gain control of the offense and just Thrive off of one another and can go create shots and

Can go create buckets the step through from chat the step Backs from jdub uh you know and jdub probing the lane and and and finishing through traffic and all that jdub does to be able to have a team in a rotation that gives you the luxury of having an MVP 30o per game

Score and over these last stretch of games these last 10 games you’ve been able to afford him the luxury of not having to play catchup when he gets back in the game of the fourth quarter as a matter of fact for this last week it’s been very apparent

That by the time Shay gets back against Minnesota against New York against Brooklyn by the time Shay gets back the game is over it is a blowout it is a double digit lead and Shay’s just coming in for the kill shot and you know you really could have potentially in this

Game especially against Brooklyn you you you potentially could have patchworked away to not have Shay return at all if he didn’t want to in this game but you know he did return anyway and the Thunder were able to just dominate Brooklyn and dominate this game and so Shay gets 24 points on 46%

Shooting that’s that’s a good basketball game but by Shay standards you know you’re you’re elevated Shay on this pedestal of that’s not a good Shay game but it was everyone else that that was able to chip in know CAD goes 18 and 10 three assists two blocks on 70%

Shooting Lou Dort shoots 70% from the floor four triples on five attempts for L Dort 18 points to go along with a block and re four rebounds and three assists JB has 17 points on 50% shooting with five assists three rebounds you know and on down this Cas Wallace

Who had gone through that dry spill we talked about uh you know kind of the Season potentially you know wearing on case and as as it’s tough for rookies you know typically they hit the rookie wall of of playing so many games that you’re not used to this is the longest

Season your first season in the NBA is your longest basketball season ever because there’s no other league that plays 82 games uh as you’re coming through the circuit but case rollos gets back on track and you know just just reading through the tea leaves again this is not from case directly like you

Know he’s missing a little bit more in warm-ups and getting frustrated at times in warm-ups whenever he’s missing shots and you know Eric Mayer’s doing a great job of of you know keeping them keeping them hot keeping them uh Up Tempo if you want to say up beat if you want to say

Uh and it and it paid off today you know it paid off today where he shoots two for four from three chips in 10 points off the bench and plays really good defense but like Cas Wallace is the chance to to explode onto the scene as

He had Joe two for two from three seven points that one rebound though you should go to the NBA.com box score which is the superior box score you should go there and on the interactive box score you can where you can you know pick a stat and watch it watch the one Isaiah

Joe rebound that is a grown man’s rebound from my say Jo it’s a grown man’s rebound and that type of stuff really sets the tone and really it all culminates in to why the thunder are shaping up to be NBA contenders and again I I fail to see how

This thing fails right it’s not as though it’s it’d be different if if Shay every single night is bailing out this team at the buzzer right it’d be different if you know Isaiah Joe was knocking down seven threes a game and you’re just not going to do that over 82

Games you’re not going to do that in the postseason but in a game where SGA was was an extraordinary he was just a really good basketball player he was an extraordinary MVP you still blew out the Brooklyn Nets who have some quality basketball players coming up let’s talk Josh kidy

Who I think uh had an underrated stretch of games here but we’ll talk you know zoning in on his game against Brooklyn and also some of your takeaways to end the year uh here on lockdown Thunder but first want to say right now put your friends over at prize picks folks check

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Morning every single day we’re here for you taken Thunder basketball subscribe for free across all podcasting platforms including on YouTube also check out the lockon sports today YouTube channel because lockon has launched the first ever National 247 streaming Channel on YouTube check it out today it’s covering

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Him out and he has 20 points on 50% shooting four for eight from three to go along with six rebounds and five assists and just two turnovers I think that this game what was impressive about it is beyond the 20 points on 50% shooting because let’s be

Real you know even pe’s power even you know best rooll with OKC the expectation night in and night out is not going to be 20 points on 50% shooting from Josh what I was encouraged by from this game for Josh kidy on the court as a basketball

Player was that it started out with the bang right he he starts out he’s he’s heavily engaged defensively he’s filling the gaps well uh you know he he creates a 24 second violation on the first possession against Doran finy Smith the Nets late in the shot clock tried to

Attack Josh kidy on the perimeter Josh kidy uses good footwork St in front of Dorian and creates a 24 second call uh you know he was he was really playing well to begin the floater was working again as it was wonderful in Denver that was the one thing for Josh that was

Different in Denver was just that floater it’s a make or Miss league and that floater was making in Denver to really boost him up so you know the first quarter was good from Josh KY really good from Josh Kitty and then Brooklyn you know tries what happened in

Houston uh and they use Nick CLA on they’re just like you know what you know Nick Claxton Will Shadow him out there on the perimeter uh if Nick Clon gets drawn into the paint and they kick it out to joshk for three so what what of

It if that happens and so that first quarter It’s Five Points it’s two assists on 60 66% shooting only one miss shot from Josh in that first quarter that second quarter was a bit rough for Josh giddy in those five minutes you know he missed a couple shots had a

Turnover uh and just overall was not great in that second quarter A minus minus one and the spacing uh not only gave him a turnover but the poor spacing uh ended up causing a turnover for SGA and for some other players as well just due to how Brooklyn was able to defend

The Thunder when Josh was on the court and you start to think to yourself H maybe this is another game where Josh just can’t stay out there but he made the adjustment and that’s what’s encouraging uh from Josh is twofold number one is the most important part

Was he finally made an adjustment in game to a way that the defense was defending him and and to and to try to maximize his play but number two and this has been a trend for the last five games which is really set him apart the quick decision making right wrong or

Indifferent you’ve got to just commit because when you start to stall when you start to hesitate especially with the spacing issues especially with how defenses you know how players are defending Josh that just ruins everything so his his innate decision- making and and you know quick decision-

Making was a Difference Maker here and in third quarter he went three for six scored seven points got four boards and two assists and really helped the Thunder out and that Trend continued in the fourth quarter again the fourth quarter didn’t really need it to seven

Points in the in the third eight points in the in the uh fourth the fourth quarter was was kind of just a happy go-lucky time for OKC for the majority of it one of the best plays from Josh in this game as they start to use him more

As a screener they start to use him more um you know in that in that role to kind of highlight him was a situation where he’s sitting at the corner and he’s sitting on the Deep corner and of course Brooklyn’s going to Sag off of him but

Josh is starting to pick up on Switching that mindset and I don’t want to I don’t want to call him a different position than than the goer that he’s you know playing as but switching the mindset of offensively you know they’re they’re guarding me differently so I’ve got to

React differently and instead of just sitting there on the corner and seeing it the ball sprays out to him he watches as the Nets commit to a jdub drive and now they’re double teaming jdub in the paint near the restrict area and Josh comes cutting behind the action where JB

Is able to just dump off a pass to him for an easy layup because the defense is fully committed to double teaming J because they’re comfortable giving up that Josh giddy 3 well them being comfortable giving up that Josh gidy 3 that’s not the only shot wide open Josh

K can get he can follow the action and get himself more wide open shots as he did on that sequence uh against Brooklyn as I hope that we will continue to see uh him exploit if the if the defenses are going to defend him that way and use

His Defender to heavily uh commit to a different player you don’t just got to sit there you know he G to sit there and hope for a three now granted this was a good three game from Josh four for eight but we know like and Josh knows and the

Thunder everyone knows that 4 for8 is an anomaly and that’s not 4 for8 is a tough game for any shooter but it’s it’s an anomaly for Josh so finding those other areas as a roller as a cutter to breed success and to score the basketball I I think is very important

And I think that Josh did a good job of that uh in this game today and so overall yes he had a tough spell in the middle but the bookends were good from Josh and and that is part of uh progression and SGA talked about it post

Game of of of watching and and it’s been awesome to see Josh make the adjustments and that they knew that a young player like Josh could make the adjustments got to be consistent got got to do it for more games all that disclaiming and we’re talking about Josh on the court

But you know we’ll see what it looks like against Boston really tough team you know as long as they play everyone on Tuesday so it’s going to be a lot of fun uh a lot of good takeaways from the uh from those of you who listen to the

Show uh mainly just talking about how good the Thunder are and we’ve uh We’ve made that uh that that point thoroughly in this show uh one takeaway was the Thunder do not need to trade for Lori or make any trade at all just see what happens and then make moves in the

Offseason I agree I mean not any move at all I think uh gets conflated a little bit know they don’t need to make some big All-Star trade in my opinion trading for Kelly o lck would be awesome trading for Royce O’Neal or D py Smith or anything like that would be

Awesome but but trading for some Allstar I I don’t think is in the cards and shouldn’t be in the cards for OKC so when I say no no trade I’m talking about the trade that’ll really get the people go and you know I’m talking about the trades that really make you water out

The mouth I I don’t foresee that happening but nice Kelly oin pickup would be pretty fun and you know two San presus credit every year that they’ve had a chance to win basketball games including last year people freaked out at the deadline go back and listen to lockdown Thunder at the trade deadline

Last year people freaked out at the deadline but he swapped muscala and basley for picks in Dario sarich who played better down the stretch than muscala as much as we love muscala as much as muscala was a fantastic fan favorite and a fantastic player that that invested in Oklahoma City both

Community wise and roster wise har played a better role and played better for Oklahoma City last year he improved the team last year so I find it hard to believe that he’ll just s his hands and do nothing but I also find hard to believe that he’ll just go out there and

Trade for a superstar so that’s where I’m at on the takeaways for a big trade we’ve covered a lot of ground today thank you all for listening have a happy New Year the holiday schedule was a bit rough lock on Thunder but we’re back every single day starting New Year’s Day

All the way through the rest of the year so it’s been a lot of fun to cover this team a lot of fun to do these shows for you glad you all are enjoying it hope you all are enjoying it and we’ll continue to try to improve every single

Day so happy New Year have a great time uh on your last vestages of your holiday break and until tomorrow be good and be good to one another

The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a massive win over the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets where the OKC Thunder proved they are legit. The Thunder have three players who can absolutely take over NBA games. How Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are among the best NBA trios. Lu Dort is a fantastic weapon for the Thunder, while Josh Giddey is starting to make key adjustments. The Thunder have what it takes to win important basketball games this season.

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18 Comments

  1. Giddey has 60%+ ts over the last 10 games, the shot is coming around. Competing defensively better too. Hopefully he can keep it up!

  2. If they remain injury free, they will be in the western conference finals, and if that happens, then anything can happen. They are built for a playoff series.

  3. Rylan you say a lot with what you don’t say. So easy to read between the lines. Big three and Dort great bench and good coaching everything else after thought.

  4. The great thing for the Thunder is that SGA is can not be guarded straight up by anyone. If they blitz him the Thunder can now take advantage of it. They play well in half court sets, and the playoffs tend to slow down and play more half-court. It would be nice to add a rebounder for cheap. The Thunder going after Markkanen could be interesting, might cost Giddey though. A lineup of SGA, Dort, JDub, Lauri, and Chet would be dangerous. One last thought, the Thunder tend to take players that are perceived to be over the hill, rehab their image, then flip them for more. I wonder if that could happen for Lavine. Keep up the great work.

    Happy New Years 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

  5. Let’s see what happens when we play real quality teams on their own home courts before we get too carried away.

    Think the Celtics will tune us up

  6. Hey Rylan! Saw you at the game last week vs clippers across the court. Wanted to go say hi but was trying to get autographs. Keep up the awesome work man. Love the content. Thunder up!

  7. Josh’s problem has obviously been related to the off court issues.
    There’s just no way a young player can not be negatively affected in some way by that.
    It seems like he is maturing into the situation , obviously with good support and his confidence is coming back.
    I hope the issue doesn’t drag on too long. In the long run Josh has learnt a hard lesson about the perils
    of being an NBA player and the responsibility that comes with that.
    We all make mistakes. I think he’ll come through this and be better player for it in the long run.

  8. Don’t you love how Josh has shut up the headline-reading (and perhaps racist) casuals? I’m still hoping, but believing Ousmane can make that physical breakthrough this year. He still can be an integral piece of the rotation. And although he obviously is not an elite shooter Micic really covers ground and throws himself into the game.

  9. What I’ve noticed that Josh is doing differently is he always is open. Like Chet he is different and introspective so he is analytical about his weaknesses. And it is still incredible to consider how young these kids are.

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