Oklahoma City Thunder: What Does The Suspension Mean?
Jan 18, 2020; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) celebrates after a play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Oklahoma City won 119-106. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA being suspended has not gone well for the fans or the players. The 2019-20 season was off to a great start with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers all vying for that top honor. But caught in the middle of that whirlwind were teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and the Houston Rockets. But what happens now that the league may not return this season?
While teams like the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons had no shot at the playoffs, there are some teams that will take a big their if the season doesn’t resume. If there is no play, teams will enter the offseason looking for more than answeres. Out of the 30 NBA teams, there are maybe five teams constructed with a championship in mind this year.
One of the surprise teams of the season was the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before the season was suspended, the Oklahoma City Thunder sat at 40-24 which was good for 5th in the Western Conference. The Thunder were in the thick of the race but catching the Lakers, Rockets, Utah Jazz, and Clippers would have been tough. However, what this team was able to accomplish was nothing short of amazing.
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During the NBA trade deadline, the Thunder were in discussions to move a few players including soon-to-be free agent Danilo Gallinari. While he remains with the team, it will be interesting to see how they will move forward this offseason. The possibility of losing Gallinari and maybe Chris Paul will make this suspension hurt even more.
Not saying that the Thunder had a legit shot to win the title, but after losing Russell Westbrook and Paul George in the offseason, watching this team compete was worth the price of admission. Come next season, this team could be no more. Gallinari is a free agent and Paul, at 34 is due to make $41M. There could be changes ahead.
COVID-19 robbed fans and players of what could have been a special season. For a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder, this will go down as a missed opportunity.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
