Thunder followers shouldn’t get distracted by the presence of Kevin Durant at their ring evening celebration, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports activities Illustrated. In accordance with a report Friday evening, Durant’s first sport with the Rockets will kick off the brand new NBA season October 21 at Oklahoma Metropolis, which is when the house crew will likely be honored for capturing the town’s first-ever championship.
Durant has a protracted and sophisticated historical past with OKC followers. He was their first hero when the crew moved from Seattle in 2008 and led them to the NBA Finals in 2012. Nonetheless, a rift was created when he left for Golden State as a free agent 4 years later and he normally will get loudly booed throughout visits to Oklahoma Metropolis.
Stiles encourages followers to look previous their feud with Durant for no less than one evening and savor the ring displays and the elevating of the championship banner. Stiles doesn’t anticipate forgiveness, however he stated the gang ought to have fun the accomplishments of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates, who have been in a position to accomplish one thing for the franchise that Durant by no means did.
There’s extra on the Thunder:
- After profitable 68 video games and bringing house the championship, there are causes to consider OKC will likely be even higher subsequent season, Stiles suggests in a separate story. Fourteen gamers return from the title crew, with first-round choose Thomas Sorber changing Dillon Jones on the 15-man roster. The crew figures to profit from inside improvement with so many younger gamers, plus 2024 lottery choose Nikola Subject will likely be energetic after lacking all of final season attributable to harm. As well as, a number of contenders have taken a step again so the Thunder’s path by way of the common season is perhaps simpler.
- A $28.5MM crew possibility on middle Isaiah Hartenstein would be the Thunder’s main resolution for subsequent summer time, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman states in a mailbag column. Whereas it’s attainable that Hartenstein may comply with a brand new take care of a smaller common annual worth, Martinez notes that re-signing him might imply parting with Luguentz Dort ($17.7MM) and Kenrich Williams ($7.2MM), who may also be on crew choices. Martinez views Hartenstein because the most definitely of the three to be let go as a result of his wage is so giant.
- The Thunder can afford to be affected person with Sorber if he’s not absolutely prepared in time for coaching camp, Martinez provides in the identical piece. The 19-year-old huge man underwent surgical procedure in February for a turf toe harm and missed all of Summer time League, although he was in a position to work out individually throughout practices. There was no official phrase on Sorber’s standing, and he stated at a post-draft press convention that he was “simply taking it day-by-day.”
