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If you live in Oklahoma, and especially in the Oklahoma City Metro area, you are likely a Sooners fan, or you're a fan of that team up in Stillwater. But most likely, you're a Sooners fan. And, you're probably also an OKC Thunder fan.
The Thunder are the best team in the NBA after finishing their season having won 68 of 82 games, two wins away from having the third-best regular season record ever. And let the stats show that they had a historically elite defense, and that's also showing up in the postseason. They have the NBA's MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, too.
The Thunder are currently up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, two wins away from the NBA Finals. Of course, the state of Oklahoma knows the last time they were there, the 2012 season. That same year, the Sooners finished 10-3 and won the Big 12 Championship. So, it's safe to say that the two sometimes feed off of one another.
And, maybe that carries over to this upcoming season for the Sooners. In fact, Brent Venables should be paying attention to the Thunder and what they have done -- they just might learn something. Or, maybe this is just me finding a reason to write about the Thunder. Both could be true.
The Thunder feed off of their home crowd, especially in the postseason. It's often said that they have the best homecourt advantage in the NBA, and it often replicates a college atmosphere, which makes sense. They also use their defense to win on offense, by creating chaos and turnovers and turning those into fastbreak points.
Mark Daigneault, the OKC Thunder head coach, has created a culture and environment that makes it easy for his team to succeed. The chemistry is as good as it gets, and they all play that way on the court. They are deep, very deep, play to their strengths and play with depth.
And, they are young, the youngest team in the NBA. The Thunder are built around SGA, but have used being a small market to their advantage. Every player they have is homegrown and developed, not bought in free agency.
Obviously, it's two different sports, one in college and one in professional, but I can't help but feel like the Sooners could actually learn from the amazing season the Thunder are having.
More must-reads:
- How ESPN plans to honor Lee Corso before final 'College GameDay'
- Archie Manning drops bombshell prediction on Texas QB grandson
- The '2024-25 NFL passing-yard leaders' quiz
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NFL Hall of Famer reveals why he chose to join Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff
Cardinals announce Nolan Arenado news
The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen out of playoff contention in recent weeks, sitting at 58–58, and have shifted toward a clear rebuild after trading All-Star closer Ryan Helsley at the deadline. One name that surfaced in trade rumors but will remain with the club through season’s end is veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado. Now in his fifth season with St. Louis after being acquired from the Colorado Rockies ahead of 2021, the 34-year-old is enduring the worst offensive stretch of his 13-year career. Through 96 games, Arenado is hitting just .235 with a .660 OPS and 10 home runs — all of which are career lows for a full season. Cardinals provide Nolan Arenado update To make matters worse, Arenado was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 1 with a right shoulder injury. Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Dodgers, manager Oliver Marmol announced that Arenado will report to Jupiter, Florida, on Friday to begin a rehab assignment. The club hopes that once his shoulder strengthens, he’ll be able to return to game action soon. Arenado’s legacy remains one of the game's best Despite the down year, Arenado’s career remains incredible. Between his time with the Rockies and Cardinals, he’s earned eight All-Star selections, 10 Gold Gloves — cementing his status as one of the best defensive third basemen ever — and five Silver Slugger awards. Since joining St. Louis five seasons ago, he’s batting .266 with a .779 OPS, 116 home runs and 415 RBI, helping the team reach the postseason in 2021 and 2022.
Complete Recap Raiders vs. Seahawks: Good, Bad, Ugly
SEATTLE, Wash.—The Las Vegas Raiders returned Pete Carroll to the Pacific Northwest at beautiful Lumen Field tonight, but it wasn’t the outcome the future Hall of Fame head coach desired. The Raiders completed their first preseason game of the year with a 23-23 tie. It was a typical first preseason game for both teams in which they looked sloppy, made plenty of mistakes, but also gave their respective fan bases some things to cheer about. Pete Carroll was encouraged by his team competing to the very end. The Good Rookie quarterback Cam Miller had an impressive performance as he transitions from FCS to the NFL. Although it's worth noting that he wasn't facing the Seattle Seahawks' starting lineup, or even most of their second team, Miller completed six of seven passes for 76 yards and threw one touchdown, achieving an outstanding rating of 151.5. How big is the transition from FCS to the NFL? He mentioned in the locker room that he had never needed to use a silent snap count in college. Isaiah Pola-Mao (IPM), the emerging star, made a terrific interception early in the game against a strong group of Seahawks players. I believed that when he arrived as an undrafted free agent, he would need some time to develop, but that he had the potential to play at this level. So far, he has done nothing to change that opinion. I think he is a year away from reaching his full potential, but I expect him to become a Pro Bowl-caliber starter by 2026. Thomas Booker, a third-year defensive tackle from Stanford, delivered his best performance of the preseason tonight. He showcased impressive motor and mobility, making a strong statement on the field. He ended the game with four tackles but played a significant role in several other plays as well. The phrase "Can’t keep a good man down" perfectly describes sophomore running back Dylan Laube's journey. At the start of camp, there was speculation that if rookie Tommy Mellott could successfully transition to the role, Laube might be left behind. However, Laube has stepped up impressively, excelling on special teams and delivering a remarkable performance on offense. He recorded four rushes for 31 yards, one catch for six yards, and scored one touchdown. The Bad Wide receiver Alex Bachman has had one of the best preseasons of anyone on the team, earning a spot on the 53-man roster. However, a non-contact injury late in the first half raised concerns. During the game, he recorded two catches for 36 yards, but another impressive catch that gained significant yardage was nullified by a penalty committed by rookie offensive tackle Charles Grant. Carroll said afterward, when I asked about Bachman, that he had been hurt earlier in camp, but did return. The Ugly Aidan O’Connell, in the first half, had a challenging performance. He underthrew a deep ball intended for an open Dont’e Thornton, leading to an interception. Later, he was baited into making another poor throw, resulting in his second turnover of the game. Describing O'Connell's performance in the first half as disappointing would be an understatement; it was nothing short of ugly. He was 9/18, for 114 yards and had an abysmal rating of 30.6 to end the first half. Credit the Raiders and AOC. I didn't think they would keep AOC in to start the 2nd half. They did, and he immediately rewarded them with a TD drive, culminating in a TD pass to Dylan Laube—an enormous confidence builder for AOC. He finished the night 18/30, for 205 yards. His rating rose to 63.9. Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and talk to us in 2025 about the Raiders and more. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss all Raiders content in 2025.
Three takeaways from Raiders’ preseason tie against the Seahawks
SEATTLE—It was a mixed bag of tricks for the first Las Vegas Raiders game in about seven months. On Thursday, the Raiders launched a comeback bid against the Seattle Seahawks to finish their first preseason game with a 23-23 tie. Both team starts out their preseason slates with a 0-0-1 record, with each having something to work on heading into next weekend. Here are some major takeaways to come from the Raiders’ side of the equation. Jeanty posts forgettable debut Ashton Jeanty did not get much playing time as expected, but it was not the first impression he wanted to make for the Raiders. On three carries, the sixth overall pick managed to pick up -1 rushing yards. It was hard for him to find room, as the Seahawks defensive front swarmed him at every turn. It was just a preseason game that has little effect on the season, but Jeanty struggling like this could pose a problem for a Raiders team desperate for him to solve their rushing woes. QB2 heating up In the battle to be Geno Smith’s backup, the edge in the first preseason game went firmly to sixth-round rookie Cam Miller over Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell’s day was not without positives, but a couple of second quarter interceptions derailed momentum on some drives. When Miller came in for the fourth quarter, however, he rallied the Raiders from down ten points with a pair of scoring drives, including a beautiful 41-yard touchdown pass to Shedrick Jackson. It would not be surprising to see Miller get more reps throughout the rest of the offseason to see if he can capitalize on the momentum. Clutch defensive play After tying the game, the Raiders had to stop Jalen Milroe and the Seahawks from going down the field. On third down, the Raiders finally managed to get their first sack of the day from Treven Ma’ae. It was the first major play the defense made all game, giving the Raiders serious momentum for their final drive. Unfortunately, they could not finish off the Seahawks in the end, as they blocked a 55-yard field goal attempt from Daniel Carlson to clinch the tie.
5 Takeaways from Seahawks preseason-opening tie vs. Raiders
Undrafted rookie edge rusher Jalan Gaines blocked Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson’s would-be game-winning field goal with no time on the clock and the Seattle Seahawks tied with the Raiders, 23-23, in the preseason opener on Thursday, Aug. 7, at Lumen Field. The Seahawks denied Pete Carroll and co. a win in his first return to Seattle as an opponent, and head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense looked stellar in the first half with two turnovers and a 16-3 halftime lead. Here’s what we learned from Seattle’s first game action of the 2025 season against the Raiders. Robbie Ouzts can really play fullback Rookie fifth-round fullback Robbie Ouzts was the star of the show early on for the Seahawks’ offense. Not only did he come out of the backfield for a 17-yard reception in the first quarter, but Ouzts also showed his ability to seal the edge as a lead blocker to fuel the run game. With 5:44 left in the first quarter, Ouzts spurred a 24-yard touchdown run by George Holani by squarely picking up the edge rusher out of the backfield. Holani was able to get to the outside and outrun the crashing linebacker — doing the rest of the work with his speed. Ouzts, however, made the entire play function. He made multiple other impressive plays as a blocker throughout the night. Ouzts could be a star in Klint Kubiak’s system. Speaking of Holani The second-year former undrafted free agent out of Boise State looked like a polished rusher, totaling seven carries for 61 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. Holani is competing with rookie seventh-round pick Damien Martinez for the third running back spot with Kenny McIntosh sustaining a potentially season-ending knee injury. Martinez was less effective in his opportunities, taking six carries for just 10 yards. Holani looks like the clear option there, at least through one game. He has sneaky speed, good vision and an impressive contact balance. It was a good start to Holani’s campaign to be kept on the 53-man roster. Running back sleeper: UDFA Jacardia Wright had an impressive debut. He had a 45-yard run negated on a holding call, but Wright showed deft vision on a short 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Wright saw a stone wall in front of him and cut it back to find a hole and six points. He finished with seven carries for 34 yards and the score and will be one to watch through the rest of the preseason. Mike Macdonald got a little spicy It’s just the preseason, but Macdonald wasn’t afraid to dip into his bag of tricks with Pete Carroll on the other sideline. Late in the second quarter, Macdonald sent a disguised blitz at Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell — forcing him to throw early and into a trap coverage. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, a 2024 fifth-round pick, jumped in front of the pass for the interception. It was a nearly impossible situation for O’Connell to win unless he had the rapid wherewithal to throw the ball away. Unfortunately for the Raiders, he did not. Rapid-fire defensive standouts Rookie second-round safety Nick Emmanwori looked as good as advertised in his first game action at Lumen Field. The do-it-all defender nearly had a sack on former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on the first Las Vegas drive of the game, and he had a tackle for loss later on in the first quarter. Nose tackle Brandon Pili impressed in the middle of the defense with two tackles in limited action. He was consistently penetrating the Raiders’ front line and disrupting the offense. UDFA wide receiver-turned-edge rusher Connor O’Toole had the only sack of the night by either team in the fourth quarter, taking down Raiders quarterback Cam Miller. O’Toole finished with three total tackles. Pritchett finished his day with four tackles, two pass deflections and his interception. He’s in a battle with Josh Jobe and Shaquill Griffin for the third cornerback spot. Jobe also had an interception in the first half. Gaines deserves major credit for denying Carroll his first win in Lumen Field as an opponent, also. He used all of his 6-foot-3 frame and long wingspan to bat down Carlson’s would-be game-winning kick. About that Tory Horton hype train … It’s rolling, with a full head of steam. Horton totaled three catches for 31 yards and a spinning touchdown that saw him weave through three Las Vegas defenders to get into the end zone. It was anything but ordinary, as Horton caught a simple stick route pass from Drew Lock and did the rest himself. This train isn’t slowing down any time soon, and Horton looks to be the real deal. Up Next The Seahawks host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. That will be their final home game before returning home for the regular season opener on Sept. 7.
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