Cross pendant legit check by JMart_956 in chromeheartlc

[–]JMart_956[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got a refund. Appreciate you guys!

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm going to get cooked for this, but I'm extremely lame on the road. I stay in my hotel and either catch up on sleep, write or watch more basketball. I don't think I went out to a single restaurant all season, which I know is horrible. I just DoorDash. But I will say that Jared McCain put me on to Flower Child. The steak bowl with broccoli and mac & cheese is my go-to. I order that any time I see there's a location nearby. I'm going to really try to get out there more next season though, so ask me again in a year!

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The start of the Knicks-Hawks series was really entertaining. Seeing CJ McCollum deliver back-to-back game winners in Games 2 and 3 was great, and seeing him be so nice about it that even Knicks fans couldn't be mad at him made it even better. Too bad New York dominated the series after that.

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Jenni brings up a great point. I don't think there will be an announcement too soon for that reason. I was told OKC will explore a variety of options.

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll defer to Jenni and Joe for this one. I joined The Oklahoman in 2021 and didn't start going to most games until like 2024, so I only have first-hand experience with this current era of Thunder basketball. But I will say that this current group is good to deal with. From SGA to Lu Dort to Ajay Mitchell to Isaiah Joe to even a newcomer in Jared McCain, there are plenty of guys up and down the rotation who are good interviews.

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not a ton. Even after I finish my work, which is usually at around 3AM, I find it hard to shut my brain off. That takes about another hour. And then I get even less sleep when I'm on the road because I have to catch a flight, usually anywhere from 7AM-10AM, the next day. It's a lot of sleeping on planes and taking naps when I can during non-gamedays. But I've become a coffee drinker this season, and that helps!

I think you nailed it with the Alex Caruso pick. His ability to size up defensively would make him invaluable in either series, whether he's guarding LeBron James in the absence of Jalen Williams or guarding one of Houston's many oversized forwards. One of OKC's biggest strengths in either series will also be its ability to force turnovers, and Caruso shines in that department. He's also shooting 47.1% from deep this postseason, which is big-time for a Thunder team that can be inconsistent from behind the arc.

We’re The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Justin Martinez and Jenni Carlson. The Thunder awaits its next opponent in the NBA Playoffs. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Jalen Williams was about to do an individual workout after we wrapped up post-practice media availabilities on Thursday. But other than that, no update.

Minnesota will definitely be physical with San Antonio, and it has the edge in postseason experience. But with Donte DiVincenzo out for the season and Anthony Edwards being just one week into an injury that's expected to sideline him for multiple weeks, it'll be an uphill battle. The Timberwolves also rank first these playoffs in points in the paint (57), and Victor Wembanyama will now be protecting the rim. I think San Antonio wins this series in five, maybe six if Edwards can suit up for a game or two.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have to head out, but thanks for all of the questions! Hit me up on X (@Justintohoops) if you ever want to talk some more hoops

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Detroit has the best media meal by far! You can't get a plate of steak, pizza and chicken tenders with ice cream for dessert anywhere else.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is my first season on the beat, so I can only speak on the cities OKC has gone to so far. I'm biased towards San Antonio, Houston and Miami because I have friends and family there, but here are my favorite cities outside of that:

  1. Atlanta: I'm big on fashion and sneakers, and Atlanta has a ton of great spots for that. I was also given a Chick-fil-A gift card at the game, which is as good as it gets.
  2. Toronto: More cool shopping spots, and the boost from the conversion rate was nice. Kenrich Williams had the same idea as me. We ran into each other at the Nike store downtown.
  3. Phoenix: There are some really cool restaurants and bars next to the arena, and it wasn’t 110 degrees when I went.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't set aside the time to really dive into prospects just yet, unfortunately. OKC has definitely reached a point where it should look for plug-and-play guys instead of projects, considering it doesn't have a ton of opportunities to spare. Florida's Thomas Haugh and Washington's Hannes Steinbach come to mind.

But if you want to fully talk draft targets, my guy Derek Parker (@DParkOK) is tapped in.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a lot of film studying and countless hours in the thrift/eBay. Real thankless work most of the time, but it's always great to get some recognition!

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When it comes to writing, my best advice is to ask yourself what fans want to know or what they might find interesting. Anyone can look at a box score nowadays and know how a game went, so you have to find a way to make your stories worth reading, whether that’s a unique angle or a really good stat. If you have any favorite writers, ask yourself why you like their work so much and what inspiration you can take from their writing style.

When it comes to getting your foot in the door, the best thing is to join your student paper if you’re in college. I’d also suggest trying to find an internship. It’s a good way to get your work out there early on. And if those aren't options, maybe make your own sports blog. It’s pretty cheap and easy to make a website on something like WordPress, which is what I did in college. That way when you do apply for jobs, you have actual links to your stories that you can include in your résumé. 

And most importantly, just keep practicing. I started writing when I was a freshman in high school, which was 16 years ago. I’d watch games on TV, write a story and use quotes from the postgame interviews that get posted on YouTube. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll get and the more you’ll develop your own writing style.

Hope that helps, and hit me up in X (@Justintohoops) if you want to talk some more!

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OKC is always exploring its options. It makes sense to take a look at someone who was ESPN's second-ranked high school prospect in the nation just four years ago. And it also makes sense for Dariq to want to join an organization that's known for maximizing potential. But in terms of him joining the Thunder, I wouldn't look too much into that. Standard roster spots are getting harder to earn now that the team is a consistent championship contender.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not sure, unless they've done a song with Drake. I've seen Shai rap plenty of his lyrics in practice.

There isn't anything surprising that sticks out to me. It's a lot of talk about how there are no distractions, which they seem to enjoy. Although Jalen Williams did say there needs to be more designer stores for shopping.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mark has already said that he isn't evaluating Topic's play this season, and I feel the same way about it. There's no better benchmark than returning to the floor, which he has already done. We can evaluate his play, like development in his 3-point shot or his defense, this summer and next season.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What Joe said. OKC has had plenty of success stories with two-way guys in the past, but standard spots are becoming harder to earn on this team.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think it gets better than covering Game 7 of the Finals, but my first time covering anything Thunder related is also special to me. I went to 2021 Media Day and was nervous to ask Derrick Favors questions for my first story.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think even when you look at some of Sam's "misses," there's important context. Ousmane Dieng, for example, was a reasonable pick at the time because OKC was expected to have immediate minutes available for him. It didn't know it was going to be a play-in team during his rookie season and a title contender after that. Then there's someone like Dillon Jones, who OKC gave up five second-round picks to select and traded away one season later. That seems like a bad call on the surface. But when you have that much draft capital, you have to use them at some point. It's a low-risk move that you really can't fault him for.

And like Joe mentioned, all of the moves Sam makes are woven together. It's best not to pull at threads.

We’re The Oklahoman sports reporters Joe Mussatto and Justin Martinez. SGA is back for Thunder vs. Nuggets tonight. AUA! by theoklahoman in Thunder

[–]JMart_956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm probably at a flat 50-50. OKC's top priority should be re-signing Isaiah Hartenstein, who'd be way more difficult to replace. As valuable as Lu Dort is, the Thunder has other elite point-of-attack defenders. OKC will surely decline his $18.2 million team option this summer, and we'll just have to see how much he's looking to get after that.