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Oklahoma Sooners in the NBA: Your weekly update on Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield and Trae Young - March 19

Blake Griffin turned 30 over the weekend. Damn, I feel old.

By Kartik Rajendran
NBA: Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Last week was relatively slow for your Oklahoma Sooners in the NBA, at least as far as stats and wins are concerned. So, while Sooner Nation is gearing up for an NCAA Tournament appearance this Friday against Ole Miss, here’s how OU’s current NBA stars are doing less than a month away from the end of the regular season.

Blake Griffin

The Pistons started out last week in Brooklyn, the team nipping at their heels for the sixth spot in the East playoff race. Griffin’s 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists weren’t enough to prevent a blowout loss, 103-75, against the Nets. The next night wouldn’t go much better, as Detroit went down at Miami by a score of 108-74, with Blake finishing with 13 points.

The Pistons were able to bounce back the next evening back at home, beating the Lakers 111-97, with Blake going for 15 points on 3-of-12 shooting but putting up nine assists in the easy win. He also showed off his handle on this smooth-as-silk move, a la CP3, on the dumbfounded Lakers.

In fact, let’s just admire Blake’s handles some more.

The week was highlighted by Blake’s 30th birthday on Saturday. It’s utterly absurd how fast the time has flown from when he was hitting his head on the backboard in an OU tourney game to now. So, it’s only fitting we take a stroll back through highlight lane. Oh, what a street of highlights Blake Griffin has built in his near-decade in the NBA...

Oh, what the hell, let’s just continue with more homage to Blake Griffin. In case anyone forgot about this video from back in 2012, here are some of the league’s current young stars absolutely star-struck by the Superhuman Highlight Film from Oklahoma City:

And to anyone still living in 2012, Blake Griffin is no longer “just a dunker”. #Boomer

Griffin’s best game of the week came in a 110-107 win against the Raptors at home on Sunday. Blake finished with 25 points, connecting on four of his eight attempt from three-point range and adding eight boards.

The Pistons rested Griffin in Monday’s loss at Cleveland. Detroit is now 36-34 on the season and two games ahead of the Nets for sixth place in the East.

Buddy Hield

The Sacramento Kings started out last week with a 121-115 loss at Washington on Monday, with Buddy wrapping up the night with 15 points. The following Thursday evening in Boston, however, Buddy Buckets was in the building.

Though the Celtics outlasted the young Kings 126-120 at home, they couldn’t contain Hield, the Kings leading scorer, who went for 34 points on 14-of-24 from the field, and 6-of-10 from deep, along with adding seven assists (and just 1 turnover) and four boards in one of the league’s toughest places to play.

Buddy finished with 14 points in Philadelphia the following evening in a 123-114 loss to the Sixers. The Kings finished the week with a 129-102 win over the Bulls at home on Sunday. Hield recorded 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, with three rebounds and four assists.

Buddy Buckets is currently sixth in the league in three-point field goal percentage at 43.4. The Kings are 34-35 and still in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Trae Young

The electric Hawks rookie enjoyed a big 132-111 win against Mike Conley and the Grizzlies last Wednesday, and finished with 22 points on a highly efficient 8-of-12 shooting. Trae connected on three from deep and also added eight assists in the big win. He is currently second only to Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook in total assists on the season (544).

Here’s Trae’s after the win.

Following the win over the Grizz, Trae’s Hawks took on the Celtics in a classic. Though Atlanta lost 129-120, Young went at his counterpart on the other side — NBA superstar Kyrie Irving — all game long in a dynamic point guard battle.

Trae’s outing yielded 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field with five threes, four assists and four rebounds.

Naturally, his exemplary play earned respect from Irving.

Along with sportscasters and fans, alike...

Wtf... Seriously, bro?

Here’s a startling stat. Convention would incline most knowledgeable hoop fans to believe the top spot here would belong to established long-range specialists like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. But, in fact, it is Trae Young who stretches the floor the farthest in the NBA. Range from the parking lot...

Trae closed out last week with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a 91-101 loss on Sunday in Orlando. Although he didn’t connect on a three in the contest, he added six boards and five assists.

Blake Griffin

Season Stats: 24.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.4 BPG, 46.8% FG, 36.3% 3FG, 74.5% FT

Schedule: Thu. at Suns, Sat. vs. Trail Blazers, Sun. at Warriors

Buddy Hield

Season Stats: 20.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 46.3% FG, 43.3% 3FG, 87.7% FT

Schedule: Tue. vs. Nets, Thu. vs. Mavericks, Sat. vs. Suns, Sun. at Lakers

Trae Young

Season Stats: 18.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 41.5% FG, 33.5% 3FG, 82.1% FT

Schedule: Tue. vs. Rockets, Thu. vs. Jazz, Sat. vs. Sixers

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