Bold Predictions for the end of the OKC Thunder regular season

Bold Predictions for the end of the OKC Thunder regular season

On today’s locked on Thunder podcast we’re joined by Michael Martin to discuss bold predictions for the rest of the regular season 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 and inside the Thunder beat Rider Ryland Styles follow me on Twitter at Ryland unor styles on today’s show brought to you by fandu will make every moment more right now new

Customers get $200 in bonus Bets with the winning of any $5 bet that’s $200 if your bet wins go over there right now aend right now to get started that’s f.com lockdown to get started we’re joined by Michael Martin to discuss bold predictions for the end of the regular

Season the 10 game Mark is here the last 10 games of the year how will the standing shape up how will this team set themselves up ahead of the postseason and more Michael how you doing today doing well always happy to come on locked on Thunder um doesn’t get more

Bold than us two together I know a lot of people this inside baseball stuff but we do bold predictions before most games just for fun but now now we’re putting it on wax putting it out there uh for the people both predictions have included things such as Jaylen green 50o

Games and uh a lot of other nasty work pregame but uh right now let’s talk bold predictions for the rest of this season I I guess this can be something that uh maybe you don’t have a bold prediction on but what is your prediction on how

Things finish up for the next 10 games as the standings right now are razor thin where do you think that the Thunder kind of fall in just in terms of the standings I think that they probably probably two or three I think Denver probably just steps up at the end

I know that Denver has a lot of matchups I think they have a couple games left with Minnesota but the thunder right now I think that I would prioritize health and being ready for the playoffs over just trying to chase the one seed just to have it but I’m curious what you

Think yeah I I think that they are going to prioritize SGA down the stretch as they’ve already listed him as doubtful for ton game against the Suns he missed Wednesday against Houston and I do think that that’s the right decision I I think that uh if you have a shay who’s

Laboring into the playoffs because you chase the one seed it really doesn’t matter that you’re the one seed at that point because a non-healthy shay uh kind of really Dooms you like you you are only going to be as good as Shay can take you in the postseason so I I think

That this is the right call now when you look at the schedule I I do wonder if they’re going to end up as the two or the three like you mentioned Minnesota kind of feels like they have some baked in losses there with Denver a couple

Times but the Thunder also have a very tough schedule that they played the Celtics still who you know they’re not very locked in right now because uh you know the standings doesn’t matter for them not not only have they already clinched the East but barring anything dramatic they’ve clinched the best

Record in the NBA which gives them homecourt from the start of the playoffs to the end of the playoffs so maybe you can steal one in Boston you’ve already beat them just straight up in Oklahoma City but in Boston maybe they’re not as and you can get that win there so it’ll

Be interesting I think ultimately the Thunder do finish as the two seed uh but no matter their standing finish I I think that the most important part is Shay’s health and you get uh so long as he doesn’t play tonight as as it doesn’t look like look like he will he’ll have

Four days off right now uh at a minimum if he plays against New York on Sunday obviously if he doesn’t play against New York it’ll it’ll that list will grow and then on the back end you’ll be able to see that he’ll have uh you know about

Six days off before game one of the NBA Playoffs so that’ll be good for him down the stretch now the standings are interesting because it also is going to impact the thunder on the bottom half of the standings which is still very competitive do you have any

Lean on that bottom portion let’s talk about it from this standpoint first who gets the six seed right now Dallas Sacramento Phoenix they’re all battling for that six seed who do you think winds up there honestly so this goes into one of my Bolder predictions for later was that

Dallas jumps New Orleans and we get um we get Luca versus the Clippers three which I think would be incredibly fun that would be incredibly fun that would be really bold if the Mavericks would have to be a consistent team for once this season but not out of the realm of

Possibility which is why I like doing old predictions with you of like uh things that could happen but but maybe are kind of uh not expected to happen Dallas for sure could get there they’re only uh a game and a half out of New Orleans right now and Dallas’s schedule

Uh is sort of favorable for them down the stretch so I I like that so then you have New Orleans at six yes and it’s not like New Orleans as much as we you know you mentioned with Dallas having to play consistently it’s not like New Orleans has been this Beacon of consistency

Either I mean Brandon has been out for a while he’s going to continue to be out we don’t know when he’s going to be back and then just the whole Zion experience in New Orleans like they look great for one half against the Thunder and they look terrible for another half the

Thunder still close them out so I don’t have a lot of faith in them necessarily um and you know this is why it’s bold predictions we’re we’re trying to get some spice out there who would you favor whenever you get Luca versus the Clippers oh that’s I think Luca gets

Them this time time I think luuka gets him this time um I think that just the age is going to catch up to the Clippers and this time he has a more dangerous sidekick than ever next to him whenever he goes up against the Clippers and Kyrie Irving and honestly I mean you’ve

Watched the Mavericks more closely over the last few years than I have but I would say this is the most talented team that Luca’s had around him yeah this team has has a lot of potential to pop just like the team that he took to the Conference Finals did I mean Jaylen

Brunson was incredible in that playoff series Dorian finny Smith was awesome but like you have as you mentioned the best sidekick with Kyrie who is known to have great playoff moments obviously with one of the biggest shots in NBA history you have him and then would it

Surprise you if PJ Washington or Daniel gatford have just massive series a couple times and you’re able to to get some Series wins there if you’re Dallas so I think that this is an interesting complimentary you know roster around Luca uh and ideally guys who really benefit him I mean ideally PJ Washington

Will hit Corner threes and gatford will just dominate the pick and roll so I think that this is going to be uh a a playoffs that Dallas could look a lot better than they have in the regular season now you know Maxi CA was awesome

You know it was a much better version of Tim Hardway Jr uh and Jaylen Brunson back whenever they uh went to the Conference Finals so maybe that team had a little bit better Supporting Cast but that team also like wasn’t that consistent in the regular season uh just

Like this one so it’ll have to depend on who like Steps up in the playoffs for Dallas uh in that case but I would lean I would lean Dallas against the Clippers just because I think that you know Luca will get them with Kyrie and like you mentioned I don’t trust the Clippers

Either like like you can you can say you don’t trust uh you know the Mavericks because of how inconsistent they are which is totally fair but I don’t trust the Clippers either uh I would give the Clippers the coaching Edge I would give the Clippers you know like Paul George

And Ka awesome but I think that surprisingly this is like one of the matchups where Dallas would have more depth than their than the opponent which was not going to happen a lot so I would agree there yeah I I think that’ll be super interesting if we get that matchup and

Um it’s always fun watching Luca go against the Clippers and kawhai I mean we’ve gotten some Classics over the last couple years so let’s let’s go for round three yeah he’s he’s been incredible vers the Clippers uh let’s talk with the standings let’s go ahead and just do it right here

One of my B predictions since I had to spoil one of years I spoil one of mine the Rockets end up getting Golden State I think that the Rockets can do it whenever you look at their schedule the Rockets get the benefit of ending the season with potentially just three giv

Away games to them and I think that that’s going to matter a lot so they’re they’re ending schedule just the last three Utah Portland Clippers Utah and Portland of course trying to lose games and then the Clippers the do you really believe that the final game of the regular season

They’re going to care at all about that game and then they’re going to uh play anyone in that contest so that’s three wins baked in that you have to account for at the end of the year now leading up to that point you get Utah you know

Uh tonight you get Dallas who’s gonna be tough Minnesota’s gonna be tough then you get your shot at Golden State you beat that you beat Golden State head-to-head uh and then you play a Miami team that’s very inconsistent at home uh you play Dallas Orlando and then

You get the three stretches there of Utah Portland La so you take care of Golden State who has to take on the Rockets and the Mavericks uh in this in these next few games in short order uh I think that the the Rockets who are surging right now could actually sneak

Into the play in as a 10 seed and then just checking the the schedule here the Rockets have been an incredible home team they get the Mavericks at home the Warriors at home and the Heat at home in that game stretch out of like three out

Of the four I I think that that’s not crazy it is bold because it still is a big it’s a pretty decent Gap and the Warriors with Steph are still going to fight for this placement but I think it’ll be really interesting it I’m I’m a

Big step guy but um The Warriors going out sad will definitely be entertaining if it happens it will be entertaining to see just how it unfolds because for them to miss out on to Peak Performance from superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power

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Customers we’re back on the lockdown Thunder podcast on the lockdown podcast Network your teams every day joined by Michael Martin Michael what’s your thunder bold prediction so we talked about Shay a little bit I did some research Shay this season obviously leading the Thunder and scoring scoring

30 31 a game um he’s led the thunder in scoring in 59 out of 72 games this season 82% roughly I say in the last 10 games that Shay will at most lead the team in scoring in half the games and I think this goes back to the the talk

Talk we had earlier about Shay kind of just like winding back and also just other guys have been stepping up whether it be Chad whether it be jdub whe whether it be Josh in these last few games and I don’t know I think that the Thunder have to be conscience conscious of

This is a loose comparison of like James Harden and Luca and the other high usage guys of the last few years who tend to like burn out near the playoffs and Shay’s numbers are close to that and he also plays defense and he also takes a

Lot of bumps on all these drives so I think that it’s more important than ever like we mentioned with the standings that you don’t prioritize the one seed as much as just getting him at full health at most health that you can in time for the postseason yeah I I think

That it’s totally accurate to to kind of assume that they’re going to be that they’re going to be cautious with him it’s interesting because I don’t know um what that looks like like it’s a quad contusion which is like basically a deep bruise I believe so like uh how much

Rest is going to really help that versus just it’s going to be something you deal with obviously I don’t think that R can hurt that so whatever whatever Shan ends up needing it’s just a matter of that could look like he’s back against New York it could look like he’s out for uh

You know more time than just that so it’s going to beting to see whenever he does return uh but I I like that bold prediction uh I would say that my bold prediction for the Thunder first off would be that Josh giddy is gonna average 25 or more points

Retrospective retroactive to Sunday from Sunday’s buckss game through the end of the regular season I think that that stretch of games he’ll average 25 plus points I I don’t know if that’s very bold because I do get like two 30o games in there or one 30-point game and two 29

Point games or whatever but I that’s what I think is happen for Josh giddy I’d say that’s bold I mean 25 is a lot even if you have sort of this Head Start especially whenever Shay eventually does come back for a few games that scoring

Is going to drop and you know Josh is on a bit of a hot streak right now from three I think he’s shooting 40% from three in March but I don’t think that it’s bold to say that we uh don’t know that that can stay consistent and he can

Keep that up so I I’d say that’s decently bold but I’d be excited if it happened yeah I think that I think that it would be interesting I think that what what gives you encouragement is how he did it against Houston where he struggles and then he doesn’t shoot well

From three in the sense of like that was not where he got his points and he still got to 30 points 31 points tying his career high so I feel confident in his Rim scoring right now obviously Houston and and these teams you know maybe not don’t have the best Rim protection uh

Especially Houston with those small ball lineups but I think that Josh giddy’s kind of found a little bit of a groove right now but great point about having Shay kind of mixed things in there and change the dynamic of that so I think that it is a more bold prediction I gave

Myself credit for now another bold prediction that I have for the Thunder I think that this Thunder team in the next 10 games they’re gonna find the way for as tough as it is for as uncertain as Shay’s you know timeline is right now just day to-day but aren’t we all I

Think that in the next 10 games they’re going to win seven of them or more that’s interesting uh I’d say that’s pretty bold just given Shay’s status and then just some of the other teams that they’re going to face I mean we already talked about the Celtics the

Knicks they’re going to few face a cute other teams do you do you have in mind which three losses there are or you just the boldness boldness is just seven out of 10 so just based on uh NBA math I’m gonna I’m going to bake in two losses to

The back to back one way or the other front end or back end and then just kind of a a kind of loose one for that Dallas game because as much as we like right now Pie in the Sky dream about like oh the final day of the regular season it’s

All gonna matter it’s all gonna be the most important game ever it’s usually all pretty well decided by the final day of the regular season so at that point you for sure are not playing Shay and you might not be playing a lot of other guys just as they didn’t play other guys

Against Memphis last year like last year’s playing race felt unbelievably tight last year around this time 10 games to go and you ended up getting to rush your enti team and play a g League game against Memphis at the end of the year so you know couple back-to-back

Losses that game against Dallas at the end that might not matter to give yourself a full week off because you have that Saturday off that Sunday off and then the five days off uh leading up to Saturday and if you didn’t have a Sunday if you have a game until Sunday

You get eight days off but nonetheless so I think that you know that’s where I would pinpoint the losses for the for the Thunder yeah that makes sense and um I’m getting flashbacks to the Kenny lost in 40o game that we we got to witness in person but yeah that makes sense and

Then um I have one more bold prediction not for the Thunder just the league in general I did one on the standings in the west I’m going to do one in the East currently Milwaukee is in second they are 11 games back of the one seed uh you

Have the Knicks who are 12 and a half and then the Cavs who are 13 I think the Cavs end up catching Milwaukee and the Knicks as my bold prediction they get to two uh the Bucks you know I don’t think that they are super super hellbent on

Getting top two seed or anything like that I think they just want to get health with of their older guys the Knicks have a rougher schedule I know that the Cavs have been three and seven their last 10 but they’re going to have a lighter schedule to end the season

They get Milwaukee and a tiebreaker on some of that and they also hopefully get Donovan Mitchell back who I think is a game time decision for today’s game yeah donam Mitchell coming back is going to be huge and I think that you’re right I think that the the Bucks are not going

To care where they finish in the standings they they know that they can turn it on they know that they can they have a championship level core they have a coach this Championship you can you know make fun of his recent history obviously all you want to but um they’re

Not enthralled by getting the two seed Cleveland I think is so that’ll help you know them in the separating factor of the east standings now coming up we’re going to have our rapid fire playoff predictions just really really quick after this but first one want see right now A

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Amazon.com loock onfire TV that’s amazon.com loock onfire TV we’re back on the lockdown ther podcast on the lockdown podcast Network your teams every day joined by Michael Martin to discuss the end of the regular season we’ve given some bold predictions Michael for as tough as the West has

Been shaping up and we’ve been talking about how tough this is going to be in one of the toughest uh you know playoffs that we’re going to see do you think as part of a bold prediction that we’re actually going to see a playin

Team in the west go on a run no I mean unless unless there’s some weird injury I just can’t see that happening I think that a lot of these West teams at the bottom are super super flawed and I mean unless Phoenix like drops out well that

Would still need an injury unless they fall and then beat Denver I mean they’ve given Denver some problems but I think Denver is still as long as theyve Y chy is going to be fine so I don’t think we’re getting a storybook uh ending this season sort of like we had last year

With the Lakers going on a big run into the Western Conference Finals yeah I I think that you’re right ultimately like I’d still side with a lot of the uh more up Resturant teams in the west out east there’s just I know Miami did it last year Miami is still technically in the

Play in this year I really do not think that that’ll happen again therefore I don’t believe in any of the East playing teams I mean if be really does get back sure Philadelphia becomes more dangerous but that would still be a heck of a run

For them to go on to to make an impact but are you feeling any differently out east I mean maybe if it’s like Philadelphia versus um Cleveland or something like that I think maybe they could give us some problems but all it really does come down to how healthy is

Joelan beid and he’s hardly ever healthy and he’s going to be having to come back straight into the playoff mix off a KNE injury so I’m I’m with you I’d be very skeptical of that 10 games before the end of the regular season do you feel any differently other

Than Celtics nuggets in the finals um I would say still that’s that’s the standard right now um I think that the Celtics I’m still kind of dubious of them and the clutch and things like that the same issues they’ve had over the last few years I think whenever they make threes they’re really

Hard to beat and then the nuggets are the cream of the crop they have the best two man duo in terms of guys who work together in the entire league they have the best player in the league leue so they have the best homec court advantage

In the league so I’m it’s it’s boring to go chalk with the two1 seeds but I think that’s where where we’re at what do you think yeah I think right now you have to pick those two teams and and I do buy this ination of Boston a lot more than

Their past versions uh but yeah Denver getting there uh I think is going to be interesting because I think that the West is just tougher but I think that they still are going to have the edge just they have a really good coach they’ve been there they’ve done that

They have a great home quarter Advantage as well uh so I would have to lean Denver Boston steel if we had to pick surprise teams or not surprise teams necessarily but different teams than that I would personally lean Milwaukee in the East uh and then honestly I would Lan in Oklahoma City in

The in the uh West because I think that like the the the versions of like Dallas going on a miracle run and playing Denver in the Western Conference Finals I just don’t see how Dallas would would beat Denver seven game series I don’t see how really any team would except for

Either Oklahoma City or Minnesota uh in the west finals but what do you think about the West I I would say I’m in a pretty similar boat where if it’s not Denver would have to be I would assume either the Thunder or the Wolves I mean they’re just two completely different

Teams I think the Wolves can really win ugly but the Thunder I think can match Firepower offensively with just about anybody in the league but also they have a little bit more of a defensive back bone so I think it’s a coin flip but I’ll um don’t quote me on this but I

Guess I’ll take Minnesota just to be the contrarian to your your thunder pick here I don’t I don’t blame you at all Michael I appreciate you joining us let’s get out of here with with two things number one plug your YouTube and what you’ve been working on number two

Let’s peek behind the curtain and book in this episode with your bold prediction for tonight that we usually only discuss at media dining oh boy okay so uh plugging the stuff I’m working on let’s talk Thunder with Michael Martin on YouTube I do YouTube breakdowns on different Thunder things I’ve been

Working on I just released a video on Shay and his quote unquote secret weapon which is the three ball going to the playoffs I mean everybody’s trying to stop him from driving and he’s been talking all season about I need to get this step back three I need to get my

Three going to counter this so went into depth on that and then bold prediction for tonight we get 15 points from B bowl is that bold enough that is bold that is very bold I’m going to stick with a bold prediction that we typically have in nature Kevin Durant does not get booed

Tonight it’s over the booing is over that’s my bold prediction what’s the level because there’s going to be someone who booos there’s going to be an individual like what’s the level of he doesn’t get booed like it’s not like if you video it’s not going to be super

Audible yeah if you video it and post it you’re clearly just like doing it to try to get interaction like the national the national chains like Bleacher Report and stuff they’re not picking it up it’s they don’t they’re not going to consider it as a boo there’s going to be some

Murmurs like you mentioned like it’s it’ll be put it to you like this it’ll be the the booing of Dylan Brooks Dylan Brooks got booed a little bit on Wednesday pregame introductions but it was really just a murmur here and there in the pockets of the Arena you can

Actually go find that video on my Twitter account of of of that booing uh it’ll be that level I don’t think it’ll just be as Avalanche of booze for Kevin Durant I’ll likely be wrong about that but that’s my that’s why it’s a bold prediction I think I think I think that

The booing is done if it’s less than the Dylan Brooks video and you don’t doctor the audio then I will accept it as a win for you if it turns out that way and see we’ve really had wins because of how bold we go on these game to game uh

Looks but Michael great stuff with your video breakdowns go check out Shay you have one about Chad and Jay dub and and all the things over there with the Thunder including the stock market as well which is very interesting look at the Thunders defense but Michael thanks

For joining us we’ll do it again of course often we might do it again before the playoffs but we’ll do it again for sure uh during the playoffs and uh and and previewing the playoffs that week so it’ll be a lot of fun Mike thank you for

Joining us again and until tomorrow as we recap the Suns game be good be good to one

The Oklahoma City Thunder have ten games left in the regular season and Michael Martin joins Rylan Stiles to give bold predictions on how the regular season will end. Will the OKC Thunder finish as a top two seed in the Western Conference? Who will make the NBA Playoffs? Can the Thunder go on a deep playoff run? What is the timeline for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Will Josh Giddey keep this scoring pace up? Will the Houston Rockets make the NBA Playoffs? Can anyone get to the NBA Finals besides the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets?

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