Sports Illustrated: Rockets Under More Pressure to Win?
All season long, the Thunder has been playing with house money. With a .2 percent chance of making the playoffs, the Thunder should just be happy with accomplishing what they have, right?
Wrong! With an uncertain future ahead of Danilo Gallinari, Chris Paul, and others, the Thunder must approach this postseason as if this will be their only shot at a ring; because it is. With all due respect (I said with all due respect) to Robin Lundberg of Sports Illustrated, the Rockets are not under any more pressure to get past this first round than Oklahoma City.
The Thunder is under more pressure if you want to blunt. No matter what happens over these next seven games, James Harden and Russell Westbrook will still be under contract.
Mike D'Antoni could get fired, but, with two superstars (even north of 30) on the roster, you will have your pick of coaches who will gladly take that job. Daryl Morey and Tilman Fertitta will have to navigate some rough salary cap waters in a post-pandemic. NBA, still you're in the eighth largest media market.
So anything you pay in luxury tax will be far less painful than what Sam Presti and Clay Bennett fork out.
When this season ends, the Thunder will rebuild. Presti didn't acquire all those first-round draft picks to put players around a 35-year-old point guard and a 32-year-old power forward.
Billy Donavon is in the last year of his contract. While it's easy to assume he'll be back, it's fair to wonder if Donovan wants to go through a lengthy rebuild process.
The Rockets' window will still be open after this season for the Thunder; there is no tomorrow.
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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
