Will the Thunder Need Another Star? | Thru the Ringer | The Ringer

Will the Thunder Need Another Star? | Thru the Ringer | The Ringer

Welcome back to through the ringer we’re here in Los Angeles live in studio and joining us now the Ringer’s very own Tyler Parker Tyler great to see you man dude thrilled to be here thrilled to see you well you know what I usually do when

You come on the show I pepper you with questions about the Oklahoma City Thunder and today is no different let’s start the Thunder just beat the Champs the diver nuggets 10500 um take ways from this game the Thunder like what is the ceiling of this

Team do they need another piece or do we feel good about where they are right now you know it’s i’ it’s I think it’s yes it’s it’s it’s both right I think you feel very good about where second in the West Second in the west and to be the

Star starter second youngest team in the league um you I think you know Chad and Jaylen Williams they don’t have great arguments to be all stars but they have decent ones right they’re not going to get in there but that they’ve both um that Jaylen has sort of become what he’s

Become that he’s bloomed into this kind of two-way force that can take over in fourth quarters in just his second year it’s just it’s it’s a it’s a really really scary front line that’s kind of blooming there I think they are prob they do need another piece Jaylen

Williams recently went down with an ankle and in the the that next that next game was against the Nuggets last night but even last night you kind of saw like you need a little bit more oomph offensively than maybe what you’ve got right now and everybody’s talking about

It it’s a fair critique the size thing I mean it’s it’s a it’s a light front line for sure they use that to their advantage in a lot of other areas and can kind of keep bigs scrambling because of the way that they play but you’d like

To see them maybe go out and get another body that can go grab some rebounds and guard some of these you know scores some of these big boys so who does that who is that right I mean I’ve heard people say there’s a big that they need to add

To this team like and there’s you know a lot of bigs that could be on the buyout Market things like that but who’s like a player that if you sign or you make a trade for that you’re like oh this guy could actually change the trajectory of

This team I think if I think if they go that route and they get a big you want somebody who’s not going to bog down the way that they like to play they play kind of a constant attacking style everybody drives it’s not some situation where if you’re just a rim running big

You can kind of fit in you need to be able to catch and put it on the deck a little bit and make some decisions with the ball somebody like a Kelly linic in that fashion where not a lot of years left on the deal not a lot of money but

Somebody who theoretically playoff experience could come in could lean on joic for a little bit if you needed him to in a situation like that but is also not going to stop what you do well from continuing you know what I mean it I I I

Worry about somebody like a capella is a name you hear thrown around by some people and I worry about a guy that plays like that fitting in on an offense that is entirely predicated on like all right let’s get it moving and keep it moving and be able to do something with

It once we get it and he it just applauding kind of big like that even one that can give you some verticality and go catch some lobs I I I don’t think it’s what they’re going to try to do who’s a dream trade asset like who’s a

Guy on a team out there that maybe is not you know going to be in the play in that’s on the outside looking in that you’re like if you put them on this Thunder team they would Thrive I mean we were talking before the mics went on

Someone like a cam Johnson a big Wing who could guard some of these big scores in the west experience got experience and is going to get a lot of open shots and knows what to do with those um it that would be a big swing I mean and

You’d probably have to include some picks potentially and maybe like a giddy I don’t know who and who knows if the Nets are trying to to to to hop off of somebody like that because those are guys fans are saying yes they are like Mel Bridges you’re coming to the Knicks

Even if he doesn’t want to I mean they’re they’re making it happen I see a trade machine every day from these Villanova fans I mean it’s not that’s not what we’re talking about but I would love if Brides went to the Knicks would be wouldn’t that be so fun yeah Jay Wes next

Tibs tb’s smile turns to a frown on that the someone like that I mean the the the dream tnd doall dreams for Tyler Parker personally Nas Reed oh yeah wolves aren’t wolves aren’t wolves aren’t parting with one in the west yeah wolves aren’t partner with perfection there but

Like in terms of like like that that’s the archetype for me kind of a a a backup big that can play starters minutes if you need him to but like can move the ball and do some stuff when it’s in his hands and you feel comfortable when he’s catching a Swing

Swing rotation out of a double on the other side and he’s the guy that’s shooting it in the corner you know what I mean someone like that everybody’s going to talk about Chad wimy I want to talk about another rivalry a young rivalry that’s happening in real time

Right now Anthony Edwards versus SGA yeah and more specifically Anthony Edwards versus the refs that call fouls for SGA I mean he is he has made it known he pointed it out multiple times and now both one and two in the Western Conference and both guys get downhill

Both guys are future Superstars do you like this little budding it feels like a rivalry is brewing it’s not out there yet but it’s it’s on the verge no they need they need a playoff series they need an extended playoff series to kind of consummate the Rivalry and to really

Like Let The Fan bases kind of Nash at each other I like it like he’s the face of Canada ant-man’s goingon to be the face of USA Basketball it works there’s a lot of there’s a lot of there’s a a lot of things that each fan base can say

Like well like look like Edwards is three years younger and it’s like well yeah but they’ve had a little bit that team your team is a little bit more mature it’s had a little bit more time to grow we’re still young in this you know’s from Minnesota so like he’s going

Against his home team that he grew up pulling for there’s a lot of layers between both teams it both teams are super competitive and play great defense like the Timberwolves have the best defense in the league the Thunder I think last I checked were like maybe six

Um uh and their half court defense has been solid too but that they that there are so many parallels and then you have this Edwards trying to get through the muck of this like gigantic lineup that the Timberwolves have now I mean when they when they come out there with uh I

Mean Conley’s been out so they come out there with nikel Alexander Walker McDaniels Edwards towns and goar everyone’s 66 and above that’s one that’s a g gigantic lineup and it’s to go I mean talking about cousin by the way another connect who guards him well or as well as someone can guard him

I mean that you if you want to go back and like watch like some of the most impressive 37 points you’ll ever see that the the the last Timberwolves Thunder game that the that the Wolves won and really shut the door in the fourth but yeah Edward got fined after

That game he said please find me yes I mean sh Shay Go Shay goes for 37 that game um giving it to Edwards and McDaniels and his cousin that’s as tough a 37 as you’re going to see but that I mean that wolves team is it’s terrifying

For in a playoff series because they are just so physical I mean it’s it it uh it and it’s really almost from the like outside in in a way like there’s go goar is for sure setting a tone down there but you never like watch go bear and

You’re like wow what a rugged tough guy you know what I mean like physically Edwards and McDaniel are bulls out there and they really really you got Nas Reed who’s a bull dude Nas is I mean can’t say enough good things about Nas and he he he’s the type of guy

That will win them at least one playoff game and maybe a couple like he when I’m thinking about the match up of these two teams like do the Thunder need to go get like a not necessarily him but like a beef stew type like do we need like a

Big like that that can can you know battle with these bigs in Minnesota or yage you what I mean like is that a guy that you need to go after it I mean it’s it it kind of is he might be available the’s taking his minutes I I kind of It

Kind of goes back to what I was saying earlier when it’s like you want somebody who’s able to lean on yic a little bit I don’t want somebody who that that’s all they can do I don’t need be I don’t need like you know bomo coming in and giving

Me six fouls but every but he can’t catch the ball you know what I mean like and or or you know you’re playing out of a double somewhere else the ball hits his hands and he can’t reverse it you know what I mean like I I I don’t I

Don’t want to you want to keep the fluidity of the offense I don’t want the Thunder to be so concerned about like a weakness that they do something to paper over it that messes up the other stuff that have become strengths because of the way that they play with these like

Young athletic dudes that may be a little bit under sized but can fly around and make plays but in general the Thunder ahead of schedule right that’s the feeling I think very very I mean any any Thunder fan who was if you had presented me with hey at the start of

February the Thunder will be the number two team in the west that’s like you before the season you’re saying oh they’re like eons ahead of schedule so yeah no it’s this is It’s it I don’t think it’s going to be feeling like house money for too much longer because

Once you’re a contender then everyone starts talking you about talking about your team like that and then you start thinking like that and all this like oh we’re young you have to keep reminding yourself of that because everyone’s like no you could win now you could do it now

2012 and so I’m trying to enjoy sort of the last days of of my innocence here before it gets ripped away from me before it gets turned up shout out to the thunder it’s been a fun Year

The Ringer’s Tyler Parker joins Tate in-studio to discuss Chet Holmgren, SGA’s rivalry with Ant, and whether the Thunder need another star.

Check out the Bill Simmons YouTube channel: youtube.com/billsimmons

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