Reasons to be excited for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season | GAME THEORY

Sam & Bryce discuss the Oklahoma City Thunder & the reason they are excited to watch them this upcoming NBA season.
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Sam Vecenie, a Senior NBA Writer at The Athletic, talks all about basketball. From the NBA, to the NBA Draft, to college hoops and even some high school, Vecenie has you covered in this show.

[@msglenn2581]

Starting lineups are not important. What is important is that they will have elite rim protection for 48 minutes and that is amazing. They will have absolute elite on and off ball defense on the perimeter for all 48 minutes.

[@TexanByNature88]

Insane⚡️

[@devxplayerdevelopment]

Starting lineup matter still. I agree that’s a huge part of it and iHart will be coming off the bench and stagger with Chet for the most part.

[@senatorkenator]

We’ve had this figured out for over 2 years now. Just say J-Dub or J-Will.

[@trendonchiles170]

I’d bet money that Hartenstein is making threes this season

[@kevinscott9242]

iHart & Caruso were not only statistically top 15 defenders in NBA last yr, they were Top 2! Yes, better than Wemby & Gobert. Def EPM(Min 60games). 1-iHart +3.9. 2-Caruso +3.4..3-Wemby +3.1. 7-SGA +2.6. 14-Gobert-+2 2. 18-JDub +2.0. 22-Holmgren +1.9.. Five guys in Top 22 . That's not counting the 'Dorture Chamber' or Cason Wallace who added 13lbs of muscle in off-season.

[@TexanByNature88]

Do t forget J-Will

[@TexanByNature88]

OKC is about to be crazy on defense🔥

[@coreydemoss4781]

Great thoughts, guys! Love to hear it. The thing I'm most interested in seeing this season is how much Hartenstein's screening opens things up for the offense. Since trading Steven Adams, the Thunder have basically not had anyone capable of setting a decent screen. They slip almost every screen. Jalen Williams has legitimately never played in the NBA with a real screen setter. The Thunder love guard-guard screens, but with IHart, are we now going to see big-big screens? Give Chet the ball at the top of the key, IHart sets a screen for him and gets him going downhill? Because Chet's handle isn't good enough to really create a ton on his own, but if he gets some momentum toward the rim, he can be really tough to stop.

[@FocusFlightProductions]

If we know anything about the Thunder. They are not married to any lineup. They can and will try ALL the lineups. I have a feeling we won’t see any true continuity lineups until probably after ASB. That’s one of the reasons they are so good. They let them figure it out, instead of trying to force anything.

[@crazynweird3547]

If clippers have a bad year like klaw getting hurt. Okc could have the number 1 pick in 2025 which would be cooper flag

[@daledejameses8287]

Anderson Ruth Thomas Richard Wilson Linda

[@darrellglover493]

IHart unable to space the floor is a terrible take.

[@mrwesmess6715]

I don't think this dude watched much thunder last year Chet can easily play with another big He did It last year Even though it was a small sample

[@GameTheoryPodcastwSamVecenie]

lol very silly comment. Dude played like 110 minutes last year with Jaylin IIRC. I watch the Thunder a TON as just about any Thunder fan familiar with this channel will tell you. Having said that, it's a HUGE part of their season how their offense is impacted playing with two bigs. Totally different spacing to adjust to. Even Jaylin as the backup big, he's more of a shooter than Hartenstein has proven to be at this point in his career. It's not a guaranteed problem or anything, it's just a real thing that they need to work through and solve. Might happen by Game 1, might happen by Game 20, might happen by Game 45. It'll probably happen. But it's undeniably a large adjustmnet on how they play a majority of their minutes.

[@zoharayalon7594]

Topic won't play at all next year. The thunder had a serious problem on offence in the playoff, as Presti himself admitted. They're too reliant on steals. The fit of the roster is actually clunky. They don't have a true 4. Cason, dort and caruso are copy-paste and they lack creation outside of Shai and Jdub. Yes. They will be very good, but their roster consruction is far from done.

[@schuylerkrizay6192]

WDYM not dont, this is there team going forward dont expect big changes

[@OliverWhale]

The Celtics lack creation but they won because they have very good players at every position. The Thunder are in a similar boat. JDub had a very bad playoffs, and all the role players shot horrendously and they still were one weird foul away from playing a game 7 at home vs the Mavs. Losing Giddey and gaining Hart and Caruso is huge. Cason, Dort and Caruso might all be similar players, but 3 and D role players are the most valuable players in the league outside of stars, so thats a good thing They should be the best defense in the league with one of the best offensive players in the league leading them. They'll be making the WC finals at least IMO

[@TexanByNature88]

J-Dub at the 4 is a nightmare. Topic can be the back up 4

[@danzada7769]

I see at the minimum 3 championships in the bag. Do you realize how young and talented this team is?

[@TexanByNature88]

@@danzada7769 If they get Flagg, I see 5

[@crazynweird3547]

We didnt have the best offseason could of traded giddy for pg bridges or murray but instead got alex we dont need d we needed another guy that can for sure drop 20 in playoffs

[@ahmadfaisal6267]

Giddey's absence will absolutely be missed, considering his off-court drama is now history...

[@TexanByNature88]

Giddey was coo but he won’t be missed. Caruso adds a lot than him. He has the 3 ball and the defensive ability.

[@warrenhicks8988]

Giddeys youth is the only thing the Thunder will miss.