OKC Blue: Blue Eliminated From Playoff Contention, Close Out on Strong Season
The Oklahoma City Blue’s season came to a close Friday evening, officially being eliminated from playoff contention.
After a dominant Winter Showcase Cup saw the Blue reach the finals, Oklahoma City was expected to be a frontrunner leading into the G League regular season. Armed with a heap of talent, they waltzed into March in playoff range – settling at a 12-11 record. However, a late 3-9 conclusion to the season moved them out of a potential seed, officially being knocked in Friday’s loss versus the Iowa Wolves.
They finished the season with a 15-20 record, good for 10th place in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City became a growing grounds for a bevy of Thunder members this season, fostering ten players total, either on standard or two-way deals, throughout the year. The G League experience undoubtedly proved to be positive in the big leagues, but the ever-changing landscape of the roster made the starting unit a toss-up for most of the season.
The Blue prided themselves on defensive ability this year placing the second-best defensive rating (105.8), the least points allowed in the paint (47.4 PPG), and a top 10 finish in steals (9.0). Though these strong efforts often yielded victories, their shifty rotation made it a hardship to solidify the pecking order of scorers.
Similar to last year’s “bubble” season, the Blue opened this season as hot as a pistol, defeating teams handily on a day-to-day basis. However, the production couldn’t last the entire season. Led by Moses Brown and Omer Yurtseven last season, the Blue were primed for a playoff push at a league-best 7-1 record. Following a heap of bad breaks, they ended the year on a 1-6 cold spell, ultimately moving them out of the playoff race.
A turning point for the group was distinguished this season when center D.J. Wilson inked a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors in late-February. Following the deal, the Blue struggled in sourcing interior play and filling out the five spot – having to place modern-day forwards at center.
This coming offseason will be huge for the Blue moving forward. With 2020 G League draftees Zavier Simpson and Rob Edwards entering the open market – there’s a real shot that Grant Gibbs’ bubble duo may split. That same sentiment can be applied to the entirety of the roster, as the Thunder’s abundance of incoming players, combined with other professional opportunities, could set Oklahoma City into a major facelift.
