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The Oklahoma City Thunder search for every way to maximize their organizational development - a key way to do that is in the offseason during NBA Summer League. Both a place to foster development and search for diamond in the rough players and to grow your coaching staff placing them in different roles with more responsibility.
This has led the OKC Thunder to search for ways to get as many summertime reps as possible - which is the reason the organization participates both in the Salt Lake City circuit and the traditional Vegas format.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will yet again play in Salt Lake City as a table setter for the Vegas event. They will be joined by the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and hosting team Utah Jazz. The games will be played in the Delta Center with plenty of interesting names in the pool.
Utah for example could boast a roster of Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte Geroge, Brice Sensabaugh and the No. 10, 29 and 34 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Oklahoma City could turn to Sophomore Cason Wallace who - much like Jalen Williams last year's Salt Lake Summer League session - is expected to be too good for summer league reps, though uniquely for Wallace he could stand developmental time as a lead ball handler which could lead to more Summer League action than you might expect.
On the flip side, while many will anticipate seeing Ousmane Dieng, the third-year forward will likely be with Team France at training camp helping prepare for the Olympics.
Still, the Thunder could have Wallace, Pick No. 12 and some members of their NBA G League Champion Blue to make up some intrigue in early July.
The Thunder will once again play in Salt Lake City’s summer league ahead of the Vegas event: pic.twitter.com/Yqbwdl19ga
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) June 17, 2024
Oklahoma City will start their summer league stint on July 8 against the Philadelphia 76ers at 6 PM CT. The Thunder will then play the Jazz at July 9 and Grizzlies on July 10 before heading out to Vegas. These games have typically been shown on NBATV or the ESPN family of networks.
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Ohio State football sets all-time record with latest AP Poll drop, leaving Michigan in the dust for second-place
Rodriguez Sees 'Signs' of Something Special Brewing at West Virginia
Can West Virginia be this year's Arizona State? What about this year's Indiana? Those are two questions I get a lot in my weekly mailbag here on West Virginia On SI, or if someone happens to see me out and wants to chat about the Mountaineers. My response is usually one that doesn't fulfill the inquirer's optimism, but I don't completely rule it out. As far as the Indiana comparison, it's a hard no for me. Why? Well, it's not so much about ripping off eleven wins as much as it is the schedule. The Hoosiers didn't play anyone a year ago, and when they did, they got pounded, both by Ohio State and then by Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. West Virginia's 2025 schedule is far from a walk in the park. They play two teams ranked in the preseason top 25 (Arizona State and Texas Tech) and three others who could see a number next to their name at some point this fall — Utah, BYU, and TCU. There are so many unknowns with this roster, and that's the beauty of it. No one has any clue as to what the floor or the ceiling is for this bunch. It's still extremely early, but after spring ball and eleven fall camp practices, head coach Rich Rodriguez is starting to get a good idea as to the type of team he has and what they're capable of doing. During Monday's press conference, he was asked if this team has the "IT" factor or the drive to be a special group. “It’s still a little early, but I see signs of it. I mean, I think we’ve progressed since the spring, and of course, there’s a lot of new guys. And I think we’ve progressed since the first practice, but it’s still not to the point where I never have to blow my whistle. I'm going to say, 'Woah, not Sic'em.' We're saying Sic'Em a little bit too much, and I want to get to the point where we're like whoa, whoa, whoa, we're good, we're good. We’re not there yet.” This is partially why I believe a comparison to Arizona State makes more sense, but it's a two-step process. Two years ago, the Sun Devils went 3-9 and then shot out of nowhere in 2024, making the College Football Playoff. I don't think this team will only win three games, but there will be some struggles along the way. 2026 is when they can make that leap and complete the comparison. MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI Fim Review: Rodriguez Gives Final Evaluation of WVU's First Scrimmage Ex-WVU Cornerback is Selling His Duke's Mayo Bowl Ring for $1,500 on Facebook Between The Eers: Is This a Legit Five-Man QB Battle at West Virginia? Five Legit Options? Rodriguez Sees Something Rare with This Year's WVU QB Room West Virginia's Neutral Court Game vs. Ohio State is Officially on the Schedule
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Packers' injury issues go well beyond just QB Jordan Love
The big injury news for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday involved starting quarterback Jordan Love. That is not their only concern. While Love is expected to be sidelined for at least the next week, the Packers are also dealing with a growing list of injuries at wide receiver, and that list added another name on Tuesday. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs left Tuesday's practice after getting tangled up with a defensive back on a deep pass attempt. While he said he should be okay, it is still a big concern because the Packers are already dealing with injuries to fellow wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Watson's injury is, at the moment, the most significant of them as he is likely to begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list. Overall, that is pretty much every one of the Packers' top returning wide receivers on the injured list. The problem is that by missing extended training camp and preseason time, especially when Love is also sidelined, they are missing a lot of key practice reps and preseason work that could be getting them ready for the season, especially when so many of the wide receivers are relatively unproven and still pretty inexperienced NFL players. Given how tough the NFC North is expected to be, the Packers cannot afford to get off to a slow start. Not only are they going to be dealing with an offensive lineup that may not be 100% healthy at the most important positions, they also open the season with two NFC opponents in the first five days of the campaign, with games against the Detroit Lions (Sept. 7) and Washington Commanders (Sept. 11). That is a grueling start to the season under normal conditions. But when you add in the short week, as well as the injury situation, it is clear this is going to be a massive test for the Packers early on.
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