OKC Thunder are making a STATEMENT 💪 ‘They are LEGIT title contenders!’ – Perk | NBA Today

OKC Thunder are making a STATEMENT 💪 ‘They are LEGIT title contenders!’ – Perk | NBA Today

The Oklahoma City Thunder they made a serious statement last night against the League’s best team Shay gilis Alexander we’re going to pick this one up you know when he’s wearing a jacket like that in Celtics screen he’s standing on business so we’re going to pick this one up in

The third quarter this is where shade just started to take over the Thunder up 11 at this point OKC extends that lead to 13 thanks to that Shea bucket and then once again under 40 seconds to go here in the third Thunder up nine not anymore puts up the three and drains it

It’s the 23rd 30-point game of the season for sja that ties Luca donic for the most in the NBA sja he would finish the game with 36 points the Thunder lead 98 to 86 after the third here so going to the fourth Celtics Trail 106 to 90

Jaylen Williams gets the steal throws it down out in transition OKC leads by 18 after that steal in the slam entering Tuesday teams were 204 and one when they went up 18 or more in the fourth quarter so this one should be over pretty soon right well Jason

Tatum oh man you can’t do that over ched hren sticks with it gets that one to go down Tatum had 30 points 13 rebounds the Celtics cut the lead to eight there Jason Tatum kicks out in the corner to Derek white he drains the three a

Comeback it is coming but can they go all the way Oklahoma City Thunder once again driving elevates and gets that one to go what a win for OKC 127 123 your final score so in the last five games the Thunder they have thwarted the nuggets in Denver right they beat the

West leading wolves now they beat the Celtics too I don’t know to me this feels like one of those stretches we could all look back on and say oh yeah this is when we should have known this is when the MVP conversation got a little bit more interesting so Kendrick

Perkins what conversation what statement did the thunder make last night last night what they made over the last what statement they made over the last 10 games is put the world on notice and let everybody know that they’re legit title contenders and Malik I always talk about those signature wins with Dam it

They got them beating the defending champs at home twice beating the Minnesota Timberwolves that’s the head of them right now at the number one spot in the Western Conference beating the best team in basketball and the Boston Celtics those are the signature wins I tweeted this last night they’re a young

Team but they have old souls the way that they play on the defensive side of things the communication the way that they share the ball offensively you don’t see bad body language you see spreading the weal they’re letting each other cook and they’re doing it in Great

Fashion and I’m going tell you this from being a guy that made a finals run with a Oklahoma City Thunder uniform on going through M multiple playoff runs when that crowd get back to loud City yeah is one of the best atmospheres in the NBA that team is doing something special

Right now and they are legit title contendant yeah there is no doubt about it that is one of the most fun Arenas to be in especially when the Thunder are this good thank you per ladies and gentlemen I pride myself on numbers on facts on game recognizing game ma’ and

It’s about dang time we talk about one of the best players in the NBA who does not get enough recognition Shay gilis Alexander has transformed the Thunder to a contender and he is the best at what he does he leads the NBA and drives and has scored or assisted on what

784 points in those plays the most in the NBA per second spectrum and what I love about Shay is he’s a three-level scorer level one attacking the basket through his drives he’s got Drew holiday on him five time all defensive with the left hand solely takes tremendous

Balance to knock that down he’s got level one now to level two it’s mid-range he’s tied for first amongst guards in mid-range scoring Derek white all defensive last year no problem lows you to sleep hits this blind shot because you lose side of the basket Fade Away bucket to the mid-range and last

But not least he’ll give you the dagger with three again Drew holiday on him one-on-one able to knock down the three crate separation all aspects of the game Perfection Chef kiss knocking down the three now why does this all matter look at the company he is keeping Shay now

Has scored at least 30 points 101 times in his Thunder career only trailing what a pair of former MVPs and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook so SGA has gone from what allar to all NBA and now an MVP candidate which is a great trajectory for both him and his team

Malo thank you so much today and you know this has people talking okay well if Shay’s playing like that then what do they need to get over the hump here’s the deal the Thunder they have up to 14 first round picks over the next seven drafts including up to 10 over the next

Four or if picks convey as early as possible so our senior Insider Adrian W rowski is joining us now and W in the preseason Thunder GM Sam prey he said this he said we have to finish our breakfast before we start acting like we’re on the cusp of something but it

Appears like they are on the cusp of something right so what do you think they’re going to do next uh I think they’re going to keep letting this team grow and they aren’t in a far different place than they were before this season they knew they had a group that they

Believed in and what you’ve seen now is each 10 game increment they’ve gotten better they are top five in offensive defensive efficiency only Boston and Philadelphia are there they’re on a run where they beaten the Celtics Timberwolves and Nuggets twice they’re going to keep letting this team grow

They have the players here they have a group here that they can let get into the playoffs let them get through it they are one of the three youngest teams in the league San Antonio and Detroit are the other two how are they doing we’ve not seen a team in a group like

This in a very long time with a superstar and Shay guildas Alexander and perhaps multiple Allstars in the group around him there’s nothing for this team to do at the trade deadline now if they want to go out and get maybe a a big off their bench their 29 in rebounding

Something like that but even their role players K Wallace Isaiah Joe these guys may grow into great role players on a championship team so you look at a team that’s 23 and n and the rest of the league all over the place underachieving behind schedule they’re the ones who

Have to scramble and make trades right s uh Oklahoma City is going to just keep letting this team they may have the group here they may not have to go outside this group to really get where they want to go oh and to keep it the the cooking analogy the breakfast Sam

Pry is is making It’s Tricky when you add some ingredients you never are sure exactly how it’s going to come out so you want to be careful that you’re adding if you’re adding the right ones I wouldn’t add anything when he’s when Sam press says we have to finish our

Breakfast Sam pry understands young teams don’t win anything in the NBA ever not oh in this Arrow or that errow or since the merger young teams don’t win the only thing they’re lacking is season that’s it and you got to play together and those guys who all just so right

About the group they were confident in the group before you look Chad hren is Rookie of the Year I told you guys that is this is no knock on anything Victor Wim bayama has done or is doing Chad hren is Rookie of the Year plain and simple Shay gilders Alexander to me is

At the top of the MVP discussion along with Anthony Edwards who somehow doesn’t get mentioned if we got to get over this whole thing that you have to play in Los Angeles or a big Market to be considered primarily for MVP they’ve got everything except they’re going to get their hearts

Broken in the playoffs that’s what happens with young and it’s time for them to go through it because on the other side of it my goodness they’re coming to get you and and Michael brings up a great point about a young team having to go through it and I know Sam

Pry believes this just trading for a 30 yearold they’re a 32y old that doesn’t make uh ched holgren and Jaylen Williams uh and their young players that doesn’t make them 24 or 25 years old they’re still 21 or 22 and bringing a veteran in doesn’t speed it up for those guys

They’ve got to go through it they’re going to get that opportunity this year perk where do you fall on this you got to think about the culture you got to think about the culture look we went down to Memphis a couple years ago and did all access we need to do the

Same thing with the Thunder because when we talk about having the best facilities one of the best medical staffs in the game led by Donnie Shrek I’m telling you right now the the science and and the the the way that they invest into these players I was part of that organization

Into their bodies holding them accountable uh the chefs the diet everything across the the board because one thing it’s one thing right to have the youth bought in but it’s another thing to have these guys playing at an elite level and staying healthy and buying into that system and I think when

You look at what Sam what Sam prey has come from he come from that under that Greg papovich Spurs type culture and he just bought that to Oklahoma City even when I was there now has he losen up a lot hell yeah because we Wen able to get

Away with those outfits and be able to be out there that’s but that’s okay because you got to adjust but I’m telling you right now this team is legit and it reminds me of Russell Westbrook Kevin Durant and James Harden they took the Lakers to a game

Seven when they first put the world on notice now they had to trade for yours truly in order to make a series run but at the end of the day they put the world on notice you know what I mean yeah

Adrian Wojnarowski, Michael Wilbon, Kendrick Perkins and Chiney Ogwumike join Malika Andrews on NBA Today to react to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 127-123 win over the Boston Celtics, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominance and if Chet Holmgren is the obvious Rookie of the Year:

0:00 Celtics-Thunder recap
1:55 Perk on what statement the Thunder made
3:16 Chiney on SGA
5:02 What’s next for the Thunder?
8:25 OKC culture

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