Thunder place 15th on Zach Lowe’s NBA League Pass rankings

Zach Lowe released his seventh annual League Pass Rankings this week, and the Oklahoma City Thunder came in at No. 15 on the list.

Lowe initially noted some issues with OKC’s 2018-19 team, citing their lack of diversity on the offensive end, the endless search for a closing lineup, and, according to Lowe, their unappealing uniforms. The ESPN Senior Writer then flipped the script and became more complimentary about the Thunder roster.

“But you can’t deny the visceral thrill of Russell Westbrook flying down court, unconcerned with his bodily safety or those three defenders between him and the basket. Paul George is, of course, a boss. There is a delightful dissonance between the softness of Steven Adam’s floater and his titanium body. He is also a nightly threat to become the first player ever to grab 20 offensive rebounds and zero defensive rebounds in the same game.”

He also added some insight on Jerami Grant, one of the more under-appreciated players in the NBA in my opinion. “I would like to know the velocity of Jerami Grant’s right arm when he swings it to dunk or block a shot. He is one of the only players who really can guard all five positions. You never know when it might happen, but over short stretches, the Thunder enter into states of ecstatic frenzy on defense. They are suddenly flying at you 35 feet from the rim, screaming, taunting, arms waving, bodies pressuring every passing lane.”

Check out part one of Lowe’s list here followed by part two here.