Jackson Sullivan

@GeoshuaS @CrainNBA A healthy Dub could. Chet is a completely different player so impossible to really compare. But rockets may not have broken 70 against a Chet led defense if they were struggling to put up 95 on the Lakers.

@Jacks0nSullivan @CrainNBA can chet and dub carried a team like bron in that lakers rockets matchup? swap either one of them from bron and let's see if they can even get a win lol

Is Ajay Mitchell a top 8 player in this OKC/LAL series when considering both teams’ rosters?

@taStabss @CrainNBA I caveated by saying current play. The ranking isn't based on matchup either. Just current play. Smart played well and it's okay to acknowledge that but I agree his defense won't be as impactful but then again no one can stop Shai. I also still had Ajay ahead so chill.

@Jacks0nSullivan @CrainNBA I will not and cannot put aside a playoff career 38% FG number, he is a non factor offensively and his defense will be next to useless in this series. As players, today, Ajay is better and it’s not particularly close

@ilovedominica2 @CrainNBA I love Ajay but he hasn't scaled his game like Reaves has offensively (yet). Ajay is great but being asked to run a bench unit is far different than the load Reaves is tasked with, especially w/o Luka

@Jacks0nSullivan @CrainNBA Reaves not better than Mitchell my guy.neither is smart

@taStabss @CrainNBA He played really well in the Rockets series and was the reason they had a 3-0 lead. And in a playoff setting, his experience matters. I thought he was washed too but it's okay to put aside your priors and acknowledge good play

@Jacks0nSullivan @CrainNBA Smart? Marcus Smart?????????

@JoshEberley JDub does not get enough respect defensively

Has the league ever had a better top-15 players defensively? Wemby/Gobert/Bam Chet/Mobley/OG Barnes/Ausar/CMB/Caruso Dyson/Thybulle/Smart Amen/Wallace/Suggs

@Nerd_Sesh @Carsobi They should punish awful results. Teams far too often hide behind the draft as their only remedy. If you are genuinely awful, you should be punished and face consequences. The issue is trading is much harder now cuz of the apron rules. But making teams be more creative is good

“You are punishing teams for genuinely sucking, not for tanking.” @Carsobi reacts to the NBA’s new 3-2-1 lottery proposal

@BlakeHHarris All 8 are solo shots too. 8 HRs and 9 RBIs on the season. Feels nearly impossible to do

Max Muncy is now tied for the National League lead with 8 homers 🔥

@rameshdataya @9113iiinfinite NBA doesn't work like NFL. You can't just package your way into the top 4 without also sending a sure fire top 5 pick/asset back. Thunder don't have a package of picks to get into this top 4 w/o trading JDub or Chet (which we wouldn't do)

@9113iiinfinite two picks in the 12-18 range plus a future denver pick could net us a pick in the 6-8 range realistically. if we want a top 4 pick, we'll have to attach the 27 clippers pick, but im warry about doing that.

rather than letting dort just walk away this summer, perhaps this may be the more ideal scenario. the hornets will be desperate enough to trade for him. dort and the philly pick for sion james and pick 14.

@CoachB_All_in @CrainNBA People said that last year and then Dillon Jones was just moved for nothing. If Presti wants to add to this team, he will. Dort and KRich are both questionable as to whether the TO will be picked up and Wiggs could be moved if needed.

@Jacks0nSullivan @CrainNBA Do we have space to 2 more players? Looks like we don’t even have space for 1 without getting rid of a current player.

There will be plenty of board movement and new datapoints as the pre-draft process unfolds, but I’m still very keen on Aday Mara being a brilliant fit in OKC with a late lottery pick.

@rameshdataya I posted it elsewhere but if they keep both picks, my ideal draft would be Steinbach at 12 and Swain at 18. Likely won't happen and in all likelihood, will only make 1 pick but this does feel like an important bridge year to get right given the pending contract situation

@Jacks0nSullivan i really like swain, but OKC passed on drafting clifford for themselves last year. will presti reach for him at 11-12? i doubt it. i like big, long wings, which is why i really pulled hard for ous dieng to succeed in OKC. just not confident on the wings projected late lotto.

even though im ecstatic about the LAC lotto pick, i'd only want OKC to keep that pick if it somehow ends up in the top 4. but at 11 or so, I can't see a prospect cracking mark's rotation. not overly excited w/ the names linked to us either (yaxel, lopez, haugh).

@rameshdataya @JackLindeman6 If I remember correctly Coward was the first prospect we brought in on a private visit and we were also the first lotto team to work him out. Sometimes there's value in driving up costs too and not completing the deal. Passing on Kobe Sanders still annoys me tho

@Jacks0nSullivan @JackLindeman6 i dont think he liked coward that much. otherwise he would've traded for him. he had the assets to do that. the guy i think presti liked last year was sion james. i see a couple of similar players in this draft.

@rameshdataya @JackLindeman6 On top of that, if you hit on that archetype at 12 (JDub), it's a much higher ceiling than hitting it in the 2nd (Wiggs)

@rameshdataya @JackLindeman6 Yes but Presti's also struck out more recently on those swings. Barnhizer and Dillon Jones as bigger bodied wings but are not playable NBA players. Last year, OKC was clearly pushing for Coward and think they would've taken him had he been available

@JackLindeman6 @rameshdataya Proves both of our points. Joe didn't play cuz he doesn't have the size or defensive chops. Unfortunately no matter what Joe does, he can't just learn to be bigger. It's possible Swain or someone like Yax or Lopez could learn to shoot tho.

@Jacks0nSullivan @rameshdataya Isaiah Joe is proof you’re gonna need more than just shooting to play actual minutes on this team. He practically didn’t play in the playoffs last year, and that was without Ajay and McCain

@JackLindeman6 @rameshdataya I agree but to a point. I think positional size and defensive versatility is more important for this team. Shooting can also be found (Joe, McCain) and also taught to some degree. Plus JDub should get back to shooting more with another offseason.

@Jacks0nSullivan @rameshdataya Thunder can’t afford to take a wing that doesn’t give much confidence as a shooter. Often times, shooting is their only weakness

@JackLindeman6 @rameshdataya Obviously he struggles to shoot but wing defenders w/ ++wing span that can handle and get to the hoop efficiently are highly coveted (Coward last year flew up boards (obviously a much better shooter)). There frankly aren't a ton of true wings this year. He'll rise imo

@Jacks0nSullivan @rameshdataya Swain shouldn’t be drafted near the lottery

@405Fan @Thunderized81 Absolutely think IHart should be the priority too and maybe Sorber is a real player but we've basically got 0 from our last 3 first round picks in 2 years. It's early obviously but we should just take as many shots as possible imo and use both picks this year

@Jacks0nSullivan @Thunderized81 At this point if 1 of those 3 were staying I'd almost bet on IH. Just depends on the draft and how players develop I guess.

So assuming OKC gets #12 (could be 11) 1 Dybantsa 2 Peterson 3 Boozer 4 Wilson 5 Flemings 6 Wagler 7 Acuff 8 Burries 9 Brown 10 Bucks 11 Warriors 12 OKC Prob means Yaxel will go 10 or 11 and we end up with Karim Lopez.

@Thunderized81 @405Fan Maybe I'm wrong but I just don't see anyway from a money standpoint to keep Hart after 27 without a huge discount. Dort and Caso can't both be resigned that summer - it's one but not both. So it's entirely reasonable to expect some turnover and this is the deepest draft class

@Jacks0nSullivan @405Fan In no world would OKC let all those guys u just listed above walk, lol.. I could see Dort getting a payday & if that’s the case Ihart will be here for his entire deal that’s setting in nxt szn, which I think happens.