Every Friday, Oklahoma City Thunder fan Tyler Parker wrestles with his contradictory desires for the team to win and for the team to land a top draft pick. Each week, he checks in on the development of OKC’s youngsters, finds basketball joy in unlikely places, and takes life-changing sojourns to POKULAND. Keep up with each installment here:
-
June 24, 2021
Tank Diaries: Six Is the Number of the Beast
The Thunder entered lottery night with a chance at two top-five picks. Instead, they wound up at six in a draft with five elite prospects.
-
May 21, 2021
Tank Diaries: I Don’t Like Tanking
The Thunder won their regular-season finale. It was one of the worst results in franchise history.
-
May 14, 2021
Tank Diaries: The Pain Is Good
The Thunder’s losses have continued to mount, reaching varying levels of sheesh and slowly melting scoreboards to spell YIKES
-
May 7, 2021
Tank Diaries: Tank, Tank and Tank, Tank, Tank
The end of the season is no place for respectability. What the Thunder need now are losses.
-
April 30, 2021
Tank Diaries: Ostrich Fireball
The tragedy of a rare Thunder win, plus more adventures in Pokuland
-
April 23, 2021
Tank Diaries: I’ll Be Missing Shai
The Thunder have won one game over the past month, and the longing to see SGA play again has started to set in
-
April 16, 2021
Tank Diaries: The Lottery Is No Place for a Wizard
The Thunder prepare to face an old friend, while the Poutine Dream hits another level
-
April 9, 2021
Tank Diaries: Development, Losses, and Fantasy Jacuzzi Suites
Théo Maledon gives the Suns a Larry, while Poku keeps the Kool-Aid cool
-
April 2, 2021
Tank Diaries: All Tanks Ahead
Al Horford was shut down for the season for some reason, Moses Brown is a golden god, and Lu Dort lends a helping hand
-
March 26, 2021
Tank Diaries: Unsung Gems
The Thunder’s draft-pick collection hit the mid-30s at the trade deadline, but the non-bold-faced names they acquire along the way could be just as important
-
March 19, 2021
Tank Diaries: Anything Is Possible in Pokuland
Aleksej Pokusevski exploded for a career-high 23 points to lead the Thunder to a win they didn’t need. Then he had four points in consecutive losses. Neither feels quite right in the midst of a tank.
-
March 12, 2021
Tank Diaries: To Tank Is to Live
When the only way to get a star again is to bottom out, every Lu Dort shot becomes a moral conflict