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Oklahoma City Thunder -
Graham Dudley
Good morning, Thunder fans! Welcome back to The Graham Jam newsletter.
The OKC Thunder season is winding down, with only 11 games to go, and the end can't come soon enough for this battered squad. On Sunday, Oklahoma City dropped its ninth consecutive contest to the lowly Orlando Magic, 90-85, bringing its season record to 20-51. What's worse, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first ballgame since the All-Star break Sunday with ankle troubles, though the team hopes to have him back tonight against Boston.
The good news is that OKC's losing streak is helping the team gain ground in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery. Losses against teams like Orlando will prove especially helpful, as the Magic are one of just three NBA teams with a worse record than OKC. If the Thunder finish the year in the bottom three, they will be tied for the best chance to pick No. 1 overall – 14%.
With March Madness well underway, this week we'll look at how the top prospects are performing and play another round of Tank Time. Let's go!
Last week
Charlotte 134, Thunder 116 (3/14 HOME)
San Antonio 122, Thunder 120 (3/16 AWAY)
Miami 120, Thunder 108 (3/18 AWAY)
Orlando 90, Thunder 85 (3/20 AWAY)
March Madness
The NCAA Tournament is always appointment viewing for sports fans, but especially so this year for Thunder supporters. That's because, unlike some years where the top talent is overseas, the top of this year's NBA Draft will be filled with players in the tournament right now.
I'm talking guys like Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey and Paolo Banchero – likely the top four picks, in some order, and all on tournament teams. Holmgren, Ivey and Banchero have advanced to the Sweet 16, as well, so Thunder fans will have another chance to watch them this week. Unfortunately for us, Smith's Auburn squad was shocked by the 10-seed Miami Hurricanes in the second round, sending Smith away to start his draft prep early.
Holmgren, a 7-footer at Gonzaga, had a tremendous first round against Georgia State. He logged 19 points that day with an eye-popping 17 rebounds and seven blocks, to boot. Gonzaga eked by Memphis in the second round, 82-78, to advance to the Sweet 16 after Holmgren chipped in nine points Saturday.
Banchero is part of a Duke Blue Devils squad trying to send the legendary Coach Mike Krzyzewski out with one last title. The 6-10 forward scored 17 points in a first-round win over Cal State Fullerton, then put up another 19 in an 85-76 win over Michigan State on Sunday that sent Duke to the Sweet 16.
Finally, Ivey's Purdue squad knocked off the Texas Longhorns late Sunday night – which I think we can all appreciate up here in Oklahoma. He played a huge part, hitting a knockout 3-point shot at the top of the arc with just over a minute remaining, when Purdue was up by only three. The Boilermakers won 81-71 and advanced to the second weekend of play.
The Sweet 16 begins on Thursday. Gonzaga, the No. 1 overall seed, is matched up with Arkansas; Duke will play Texas Tech; and Purdue will meet Cinderella in the form of 15-seed Saint Peter's.
If Gonzaga and Duke both win, then Holmgren and Banchero will play each other in the Elite Eight. Tune in and check out these and other top prospects for the rest of the tournament.
Tank Time
With all that said, let's visit Tankathon.com and simulate the Draft lottery before we go. We've already seen what's at stake; the Thunder have for months sat at the fourth-worst record in the league, but have a chance to move up (down?) in the final weeks of the season.
Houston has the NBA's worst record at 17-54, Orlando is at 19-53, Detroit's record is 19-52 and OKC is sitting right there at 20-51. The Thunder play the Magic again on Wednesday and play the Pistons on Friday, April 1.
Here are the results of this week's simulation:
1. Indiana (+5 from current record)
2. Orlando
3. Houston (-2)
4. Detroit (-1)
5. Oklahoma City (-1)
6. Sacramento (-1)
7. Portland
8. San Antonio
9. New Orleans (via LA Lakers)
10. New York
11. Portland (via New Orleans)
12. Washington
13. Atlanta
14. Charlotte
This is a great example of why the last few weeks are so important. OKC is not guaranteed to pick in the top four if it finishes in the bottom three, but its chances would be improved. This isn't a draft where there is a consensus No. 1 pick; any of the top four picks could prove to be the best player in the class. But picking at five? That would hurt, no doubt, though of course any player can turn out to be a pleasant surprise – or a disappointment.
That's all from me this week. The NCAA Tournament continues on Thursday, so check it out. And Thunder Up!
This week
3/21: Thunder vs. Boston, 7 p.m., Bally Sports Oklahoma
3/23: Thunder vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., BSOK
3/26: Thunder @ Denver, 8 p.m., BSOK