They wanted the Thunder and the Lakers to have the best odds to get to the quarterfinals. Mission accomplished for them.
Raptors-Hornets game...that's why you foul when you're up 3 and the other team doesn't have a time-out. Plenty of chances to wrap up Kneuppel before he drilled the game tying 3.
Clippers with Harden, Kawhi, Zubac couldn't beat a Mavs team playing the 2nd night of a back to back without DeAngelo Russell, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington at their own home stadium...
I feel like there is a give and pull thing with NBA teams though, like Harden would have never been what he became if he was just coming off the bench and playing 3rd behind Russ and KD. I think players need room and space to grow. I also think sometimes going to a good team is terrible for some young players because of the expectations to be a great rotation pick right now. Like Wiseman or Darko. Neither team even needed those guys so they never took a chance on them, they weren't giving them minutes, the Warriors and Pistons then didn't need those guys to contend so it was a get in where you fit in situation. It was what we kind of feared with Reed, if he was good enough to crack the rotation on a team that wants to win right now today. Also, I Wonder how many top picks will want to go to OKC. I always think guys with that mindset want to go to a team that they can imprint on. They go to OKC they are there to just play a role and fit in and not be a core piece of the team. They get Boozer then what happens? He really going to take PT from Hartenstein? Is he going to enjoy sharing PT with Hartenstein instead of going to the Wizards or Kings where that team would be HIS team? They have like 3 picks in the first round which is crazy but eventually they will just not have the playing time to develop all of these guys.
Sometimes I wonder if the Thunder are deliberately letting young players sustain season ending injuries just to give their other young players jelling time and when they do come back, those exact guys that were healthy before are injured and the first guy can come in and roll. It becomes a never ending cycle of coming in playing great and then get injured, then others stepping up....Next Man Up mentality. Everyone other than Ous Dieng who seems to be improving little and always healthy rotting on the bench...the Robert Sacre of OKC.
I know it's too early, but the Clippers really might be cooked this time. They are now 5-15 and the rest of December is very tough. They begin a 5-game road trip Monday where they'll probably go 2-3 at best. It's quite conceivable they are 15 games below .500 at the end of the calendar year.
Well they are not doing that but I guess it does benefit if it gives a young player PT. But the amount of picks they have and how stacked their team is righ tnow...there just isn't time. They pick Boozer and he's lucky yo get 20 mins a night...he goes to the Wizards or something and he's playing as much as he can and the entire organization is focused on developing him. I really wonder what they will do with all these clipper picks. I Guess they can always trade them and kick the can down the road
I know for a fact that a few players are picking the Thunder and their G League team for their 2nd Opportunity. To your question who picks the Thunder...... Dariq Whitehead, is with the Blue now after his 1st stint with the Nets did not work out. Still 21..... The Thunder are best with undrafted, 2 way contract players IMHO..... Lu Dort, Wiggins, now Ajay Mitchell. Who is to say they keep players like Dybantsa or Boozer, they might trade them also, or Hartenstein after he gets older....... For example, Giddey was actually happy there until he got the message he should come off the bench, then he talked to Presti, they immediately made a deal with Chicago......they respect player's wishes immediately. I doubt players are stuck there. If that is to their mutual benefit.
Hartenstein's minutes are over-exeggerated....he is only averaging 27.8 minutes per game......which is not a lot for the 4th most important guy on the roster, arguably even more important. A lot of blowouts n foul trouble in OKC..... Wizards nope, they do not have good enough structure right now, maybe San Antonio. You want them to join a team with good staff.....Phoenix, Portland play hard.
If they aren't getting a generational guy in the draft, they can always trade the current pick to a rebuilding team for future picks. I think the Rockets were thinking about that. They didn't want too many young guys to develop. There's just not enough PT to go around when you are trying to compete in the playoffs, let alone contending for the chip.
Or they can trade the other two picks.....for future picks. Esp. this draft is the one to look out for how they do things in the future. I guess they have either 4 or 5 in this draft depending if the Utah one stays out of the protected 1-8. https://www.tankathon.com/power_rankings Now, playing time, yeah the lower picks are usually more inclined to stay for less PT other than a Cam Whitmore.
It is now very distinctive to see how important IHartenstein is to this cause, we know he is important.... They now have their guard rotation healthy of SGA, Dub, Wallace, Caruso, Dort, IJoe, Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell. That is going to spike their Offense....
You can get good future unprotected picks if you trade a top 5 pick. The way the Clippers are playing, OKC might very well be able to get a top 5 pick in 2026.
