Billy Donovan Articles - Page 12

Despite a key bounce-back win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t get to the free-throw line as often coach Billy Donovan would have liked. According to the helmsman, this was no fault of his two catalysts, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, who had done plenty to merit some shots at […]

The NBA G League is starting to gain some traction as a destination for high school players who may not want to go to college and be subject to the NBA’s one-and-done rule. One of the advocates of high school graduates joining the G League if they go undrafted is Oklahoma City Thunder head coach […]

The experiment of putting together three All-Star caliber players in reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, former Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, and New York Knicks centerpiece Carmelo Anthony was a major risk for the Oklahoma City Thunder. While this team put on paper would contend with the likes of the Golden State Warriors and the newly-formed […]

After the All-Star players’ names were announced fans immediately started talking. It was either about the sequence the teams got drafted or about snubs in the Western Conference. However, the very same people are overlooking an interesting turn of events hidden between the lines. It revolves around one particular player and the future of his […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder (32-24) recently hit another rough patch in their 2017-18 season with four straight losses. A few days ago, Thunder All-Star forward Paul George sat down with Rachel Nichols of ESPN to discuss the relationship he’s developed with teammates Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony as well as his decision to not to go […]

OKLAHOMA CITY — With Oklahoma City riding a four-game losing streak, Thunder coach Billy Donovan says a change in the starting lineup may be in order as they head into their matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. “I don’t know yet, I’m not sure,” Donovan responded to being asked about keeping the […]

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has been one of the main people feeling the absence of Andre Roberson, after he suffered a season-ending ruptured patella injury that put the team in a tough position. Roberson was the team’s key perimeter defender and one that excelled at it — averaging 1.2 steals and 0.9 […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder made waves when they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers by 24 points last Saturday. But Thunder head coach Billy Donovan is not resting on his laurels. According to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman, Donovan has something to say regarding the film of the 148-point game against the Cavaliers. “Just because you put […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have fallen back down to earth with back-to-back losses following their six-game winning streak. Thunder head coach Billy Donovan pointed to some “slippage” in the team’s defense as the culprit for their recent setbacks. Per Erik Horne of The Oklahoman: Billy Donovan says there’s been “slippage” defensive (sic) with little practice […]

Despite coming off a solid road trip, the Oklahoma City Thunder still find themselves wading below .500. As a result, the frustration has clearly started to mount following their recent loss to the New York Knicks without budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis. Anthony recently attributed their struggles to the lack of clearly-defined roles on the team. […]

With Oklahoma City off to a 12-14 start, much of the blame has started to fall on the shoulders of head coach Billy Donovan. Some around the league have whispered that the veteran squad doesn’t respect their skipper, who is in his third year in the NBA. However, Donovan’s players brushed those thoughts aside rumors […]

With the addition of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to their fold in the offseason, the expectations on the Oklahoma City Thunder understandably grew quickly. However, things have not gone according to plan for them so far this season, as they own a losing record, and their “Big 3” is still adjusting to playing alongside […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are just about set to travel to Mexico City to play an NBA game. The Thunder will play the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in the NBA’s initiative to expand the game of basketball to other continents. The Nets will also play the Miami Heat on Saturday in the same city. When […]

Steven Adams’ sudden emergence as a key offensive player has been highlighted this season, when the Oklahoma City Thunder has had the most offensive firepower ever with the coalition of the Big Three. To head coach Billy Donovan, it’s all about the fruits of collective effort, crediting his main cogs for playing a supporting role […]

Over their past two games, it has been noticeable that Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has given the backup shooting guard minutes to rookie Terrance Ferguson over Alex Abrines. Not only is he not playing at the same level as he was last season, but the veteran head coach also noticed that he […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost three games in a row and four out of the last five after beating the Golden State Warriors last week — and with the losing comes the microscope to pick out every possible flaw in this super team assembled to win now. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wasn’t short of […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder passed a major test on Wednesday, taking down the Golden State Warriors 108-91 and proving they can hang with the best teams in the league, despite their rough start to the NBA season. Head coach Billy Donovan is hoping this isn’t just a one-game act, but rather a trend they can […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are losing more frequently than a team loaded with three All-Stars in Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George should. For what it’s worth, the Thunder had a better record of 8-8 through 16 games last year than the one they have now over the same stretch. After suffering another disappointing […]

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has shared his players’ frustration with getting ahead early and finding his team unable to keep up a consistent lead on the second half. The Thunder is coming off another blown lead against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, even after star center DeMarcus Cousins was ejected in […]

It can come off as coach speak. Hearing the phrase “play for a full four quarters” is at the top of the list of cliches coaches and players say when they can’t figure out what’s wrong. However, for the Oklahoma City Thunder, not performing at a high level for 48 minutes has been a sizable […]

In recent months, there has been a progressive push by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to discuss possibly altering the one-and-done rule, which has been in place for over a decade. With that in mind, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, who held the same position at the University of Florida prior to his jump […]

Going into Friday the Oklahoma City Thunder were the talk of the league. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t in a good way. The Thunder had dropped their last four games and were not looking like a team that was supposed to challenge the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy. In fact, during their first […]

The NBA league office has fined Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, point guard Russell Westbrook, and forward Paul George $15,000 each for “public criticism of the officiating” stemming from Sunday’s 103-99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript. Both players and coach were critical of the officiating […]

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan was having none of the notion that his star point guard, Russell Westbrook, is easy to guard. ESPN’s Zach Lowe’s article described how the MVP’s often-rampant style of play was “like cake” for the Golden State Warriors to defend, playing into their strength as a team. “I think […]

After the New York Knicks dealt Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the many concerns that emerged was the role the 10-time All-Star will play in a lineup that will feature another star small forward in Paul George. That question, however, has an answer now as Thunder head coach Billy Donovan revealed […]

It’s not easy handling three superstars on one team, but that’s the kind of challenge Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has at hand for the upcoming season. And perhaps there’s no bigger quandary for Donovan to solve within his team than finding a way to evenly distribute the shots among his three stars […]

A summer of bad decisions took Kevin Durant from championship glory to some regrettable choices with his latest social media snafu, where he ripped into his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder and even his former head coach Billy Donovan. While he apologized a day after the finding at a tech conference in San Francisco, […]

The Melodrama is over. After the news that Carmelo is willing to make a switch to Oklahoma that came from the left field, the Thunder front office immediately jumped the gun and secured another star to put alongside the reigning MVP and PG-13. The trade will leave a bittersweet taste for Thunder fans, since Enes Kanter’s […]

Following his secondary social media scandal, Kevin Durant apologized for his comments on his former coach Billy Donovan and the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, upset at himself for taking debates with fans to that length. “I have another Instagram account, but that’s just for my friends and family. So I wouldn’t say I was using […]

Finding words to describe Russell Westbrook’s historic season has been a challenge at times. Sometimes fewer words is the way to go. After the Thunder’s critical 115-113 win in Game 3 over the Houston Rockets Friday night, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan had this to say about his MVP candidate. Via Yahoo! Sports: “He’s a […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder‘s loss on Sunday, in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, exposed their vulnerability when Russell Westbrook is double-teamed almost the entire game. It also opened Billy Donovan‘s eyes that he cannot play another player in extended minutes versus their opponents in the first round of the playoffs. With 7:39 left in the […]

Routinely viewed as one of the best general managers in the league, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti does exhaustive research on all aspects of the team and fully dedicates himself to the job. But Presti’s hard work has paid off as the Thunder have been one of the better teams in the league for […]

Friday night did not  go as planned for Russell Westbrook. Entering their game against the Phoenix Suns, many believed they were going to win easily and that he will make history by becoming the player with the most triple-doubles in a season. However, both did not happen on the night. The 28-year-old UCLA product reportedly […]

A report surfaced this week that Billy Donovan was in Bloomington, Ind. on Friday to interview for the Indiana University head coaching job. False. Donovan addressed that report with media on Saturday. Via The Oklahoman: “Yesterday morning, I was here in practice,” Donovan said. “I was not there. I was here in practice and actually was […]

Russell Westbrook screamed as loud he could to be heard over the boisterous crowd. “You’re standing right there! Blow the f—ing whistle!” On a potential game-winning shot his shot was seemingly blocked, but he felt there was indeed a foul. The official standing near never blew his whistle and the Thunder lost the game to the […]

Following the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 99-96 win over the Boston Celtics, spirits were high in the locker room after winning seven of their last eight games, thanks in large part to Russell Westbrook‘s triple-double antics. Center Steven Adams, who enjoyed an efficient night at home with 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field and eight rebounds, […]

When free agency started last summer, Al Horford generated a lot of interest from various teams as one of the most highly touted players up for grabs. He may have ultimately decided to play for the Boston Celtics, but Horford recently revealed that he strongly considered the Oklahoma City Thunder as well. Not only was the […]

After a 126-115 win over the Washington Wizards, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves on a four-game winning streak. In completely related news: Russell Westbrook has a triple-double in four straight games, and he’s making believers out of people around the league. Westbrook now has nine triple-doubles on the season and is the first player […]

After his team’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook tied LeBron James for sixth place in the most career triple-doubles list. However, what’s more impressive is that he was able to reach that feat in 395 less games than the four-time MVP. The 28-year-old UCLA product finished […]