Dean Blevins, Matt Pinto Talk About Special Thunder Squad

You ever hear a football team talk about “next season is the one we’ve been waiting on?"

We heard some of that kind of talk before this Thunder basketball season -- the one that began with questions on the boulevard about whether making the playoffs would be the benchmark for a successful campaign.

Well, we are mid-March, and 67 games into the 82-game regular season. And with 15 games remaining until ‘April-May-June Madness,’ the Thunder sit first in the West, 47-20, and the consistent talk of the NBA.

With a head coach who should win Coach-of-Year; its brightest star who will most assuredly finish second in MVP voting; a 7-foot future all-pro who will finish second in Rookie-of-Year voting; a third-best player who is steaming ahead at an all-star level; and a quiet assassin-of-a-true rookie who is the latest home run selection by the team’s grand slam GM.

Just how special is it to have two players on the same team finish first or second in the same season in MVP and Rookie-of-Year voting? The Athletic does the homework. And it’s staggering. As in staggeringly good news for the Thunder today, tomorrow, next season and beyond.

Facts are that the 2001-02 Nets were the last to have a Top 2 finish in both categories. So how good were they, you ask? Those Nets made it to the NBA Finals!

And they present more. Before that, you have to go back to 1979-80 on the legendary Lakers team with MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, who finished second to French Lick Larry in ROY voting. How historic, you ask? The combo Top 2 finish has only been done eight times. As in ‘ever’.

Last night on The Blitz, we interviewed veteran Thunder radio play by play (& color) voice Matt Pinto. I started listening to NBA games back in 1970 when Pete Maravich joined the Atlanta Hawks. So infatuated with The Pistol that I listened to 82 games a year (only missing a handful of games when schedules overlapped when I played basketball seasons at Norman High and OU). Kept complete stats and notes. Frequently with girlfriend(s) in the passenger seat. I was addicted listening to Skip Caray and then Hot Rod Hundley when Pete was traded to the Jazz. That’s where my juices for a future in broadcasting was born.

Back to Matt. He’s a pros pro, as good as any, on his fourth decade of calling NBA games, for five franchises – including the Sonics-turned OKC Thunder.

Here's the interview with Matt, which is once again a regular part of our Thunder coverage – our Blitz contributor. Won’t take long to understand why he will call his 3,000th NBA game this Wednesday. Enjoy!