A warm “Howdy, partner” to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who joins me this week to talk about the Thunder’s rebuild – where it started, how it’s going and why it’s so far ahead of schedule. Plus, we dig into MacMahon’s recent story revisiting the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George trade and examine SGA’s MVP chances.

Episode highlights:
2:50 How Tim viewed this Thunder rebuild, and how it’s compared to his expectations.
15:50: How Josh Giddey fits now and how that might change in the long term.
26:00: MacMahon on his story revisiting the trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
32:00: Why Chet Holmgren was just what OKC needed… and some trivia about his season that you might not know.
36:30: SGA for MVP? Where he stands now and what he might need to set himself up for a win in the future.

Producer: Jacquelyn Musgrove
Creative Director: Michael Lane
Social media: Bobby Howard
Director of Content: Mike Sherman

Is there a real MVP push in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s immediate future? How much will Gordon Hayward play? And how much do those minutes eat into Josh Giddey’s? Brandon Sowle joins me on this week’s episode to break down all the Thunder’s post-All-Star storylines.

Episode highlights:
3:14: Our takeaways from the Thunder at the All-Star break. What’s surprised us most about where OKC is through 54 games.
9:00:The Thunder in awards races. What are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP chances? Is Jalen Williams a Most Improved Player candidate? Has the Rookie of the Year ship sailed for Chet Holmgren? Is Mark Daigneault the Coach of the Year favorite?
22:15: The Josh Giddey of it all. How much is the defensive strategy on Giddey gumming up the Thunder’s offense? What do the numbers say? How much does Gordon Hayward address the problem?
33:45: Should Gordon Hayward start?
44:45: Where does the Thunder finish in the Western Conference standings?

Producer: Jacquelyn Musgrove
Creative Director: Michael Lane
Social media: Bobby Howard
Director of Content: Mike Sherman

With the NBA trade deadline looming, Jon Hamm joins me to talk about the state of the Thunder, the pecking order of the team’s playoff rotation and what kinds of pieces OKC might need to add if it’s looking to deal.

Producer: Jacquelyn Musgrove
Creative Director: Michael Lane