The Daily Thunder Podcast
by Daily Thunder
Beat reporter Brandon Rahbar joins host John Napier for a weekly breakdown of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Listen for game analysis, news, and coverage of the OKC Thunder trade deadline, draft, free agency and offseason moves. Daily Thunder is the OG diehard fan blog, covering the team since its inception. We feature reader and listener interaction alongside our contributors and guests, keeping the authentic voice of Thunder fans loud, fun, and independent.
Episodes
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The Injury Bug Bites: What Should the Thunder Do Now?
The Daily Thunder Podcast is back, and things have changed dramatically in Oklahoma City. John Napier and Brandon Rahbar return to discuss the devastating injuries to Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Chet Holmgren—and what they mean for the Thunder's championship hopes. Brandon revises his...
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Season Preview Pod
The Thunder are back, and Brandon Rahbar thinks this roster could be the best in the NBA again. But health, depth, and the right rotations will be key to another championship-level run. John Napier and Brandon preview the season’s biggest Thunder questions: who starts and closes, how Mark...
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Sam Presti and Media Day
The 2026-27 is basically here, with Sam Presti speaking to the media last week, along with Media Day on Monday. Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar was at both for DT, and he and John discuss thoughts from the first press availability of the season, including: Cason Wallace extension Is SGA...
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Revisiting Brandon's 26 Statements Made with Extreme Confidence
The 2026-27 season is right around the corner, and what better way to get primed for the next season of Thunder basketball than to revisit Brandon's 26 Statements Made with Extreme Confidence made just before the 2025-2026 season. Plus, Brandon and John discuss the Kawhi Leonard punishment, Cason...
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The Presti Call
Ryan and Cray vent session about Sam Presti's vent session about the Lu Dort trade. Or was this all a big misunderstanding? Presti's pulpit: The Oklahoman Blaming owners: What's the end game? Why Dort critics think we're overreacting Show links: Our reaction post to the Dort trade Round-up Bolts...
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Offseason Check-In: Did the Thunder Stay Ahead or Fall Behind?
Host John Napier is joined by Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar for a summer offseason check-in as they ask the big question: after a busy NBA offseason, did the Thunder stay ahead of the competition—or did the rest of the Western Conference close the gap? The two break down Oklahoma…
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Offseason Roundtable
Ryan, Brandon, and Cray discuss the Thunder wheeling and dealing that has happened so far, and all the business yet to come. The Isaiah Hartenstein deal Updated impressions of OKC's draft picks Wiggins and Joe memories Cason Wallace's extension talks The Dort question Taxes, aprons, and the cap...
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Mara & Stirtz: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Ryan and Cray take a deep breath...then let out all their frustrations. OKC's underwhelming return from the mega-hyped 2026 first round of the draft Brandon jumps in between radio duties to give us a splash of sunshine on Aday Mara's value at #12 and Bennett Stirtz's ability at #16 Stuck at 12?…
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Thunder Take-Off
Ryan and Cray are joined by first time guest Wes Hill to air out their reactions and predictions for the Playoffs, the Presti presser, and plans for the Thunder future. Ranking offseason priorities: How will Cason Wallace’s long-term spot determinethe Thunder’s priorities for Isaiah Hartenstein…
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Blind Ranking Game 7 Overreactions
Well, the Thunder suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, and it didn't take long for the hot takes and overreactions to start flooding the internet. On this week's pod, host John Napier gets Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar to blindly rank some of the...
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game 6 ugh
We're joined by Austin from All Things Thunder to recap another disappointing road Game 6 for Shai and OKC. Shai's poor shooting and muted impact JDub's return Spurs outmuscling the Thunder The third quarter from hell Chet Rorschach test Who will start Game 7? And all the rest from the Western...
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Thunder Takes Control of the Western Conference Finals
In this episode, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar and host John Napier break down what went wrong in the Thunder’s Game 4 blowout loss, how OKC responded with a huge Game 5 win to retake control of the series, and the growing impact of Jared McCain and the Thunder role players. They also...
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The McCain Game
Special guest Ezra joins Ryan and Cray to exult in everything about the Thunder's huge win against the Spurs to go up 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
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A brutal, thrilling Western Conference Finals
Brandon and Cray break down OKC’s Game 2 win, JDub injury anxiety, and the playoff coping mechanisms needed when the free throw take wars get stupid. Ranking the biggest series factors so far: coaching adjustments, player performance, and injuries What Jalen Williams' injury means for his…
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Game 1 Meltdown
We recap the thrilling, heartbreaking classic that was Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The rotation, the pitiful shotmaking from Shai and company, the wasted Caruso performance, the uncomfortable Wemby/Chet reality, and much more from the Thunder's first loss of the playoffs.
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Thunder Advance to the WCF: How Sweep It Is
Host John Napier and Brandon Rahbar recap the Thunder’s second straight playoff sweep and all the good vibes that came with it. The pair discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliant Game 4 performance, Chet Holmgren’s strong play, Ajay Mitchell’s statement showing, and much more as Oklahoma City...
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Thunder-Lakers: Game 1 Hot Takes
Game 1 is in the books, and the Thunder made a pretty clear opening statement. Host John Napier is joined by Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar and EIC Cray Allred to break down OKC’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. They get into the real takeaway from a sloppy-but-comfortable Thunder...
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First Round Takeaways and Second Round Thoughts
The Oklahoma City Thunder capped a sweep of the overmatched Phoenix Suns, and on this week's podcast, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar give their takeaways on the first round, offer an early preview of a potential second round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, and...
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Game 2 Dub 😕
The Thunder got the dub, but another hamstring injury got JDub. We break down the team and player performances from a C+ win that put OKC up 2-0, and brace for an extended postseason stretch without Jalen Williams.
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The Playoff Preview Pod
The playoffs are here, and host John Napier, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar, and Daily Thunder contributor Ryan Woods chop it up to get you ready for the first round. On this week's show, the crew dive into: Who is more important to a repeat, JDub or Chet? Who wins in a 7-game series,...
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Season Intermission: The Play-In, Playoff Memories, and the Masters
Cray and Ryan brace for the good, bad, and ugly of playoff basketball soon to return for Thunder fans. Which Thunder players are still getting better? How this OKC teams compares with former magical playoff squads. Who do we want to see win the 8th seed and face OKC in Round 1? Who does Shai want...
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That was quick: Recapping a historic OKC season
The pod boys put a bow on another historic season for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, before running through the possible playoff matchups and lottery picks that are yet to be determined for OKC. Plus, an update on Brandon's free agency pitch to the league's most aggressive...
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Free Throws? We're Talking About Free Throws?!
It's the narrative that won't die--OKC and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander benefiting from the whistle. On this week's episode, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar throw water on this tired trope, analyze the SGA vs Wemby MVP race, discuss whether it's actually okay if the…
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Shai & OKC vs. Everyone
After reviewing OKC's recent play, the challenging final stretch of the season, and who could challenge the Thunder in the playoffs, Brandon and Cray celebrate Shai while trying not to gripe about those who refuse to appreciate his greatness.
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Thunder Wizards recap
Ryan and Cray break down a rambunctious game in Washington.
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Alex Caruso Breaks the Rulebook and Jared McCain Breaks 76ers Fans
On this week's episode of pod, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar dish on SGA's excellence and the Thunder's 10-game win streak, as well as: Why do people love to hate SGA and OKC? Did the refs get the call right when Alex Caruso used his shoe? Is Jared McCain a playoff...
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Thunder Nets Reaction
Ryan and Cray break down Oklahoma City's relaxing 121-92 win in Brooklyn.
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Has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander locked up the MVP repeat?
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer state the obvious: SGA is the best player in the league and is barreling toward a repeat as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Plus, the duo discuss: Jaylin Williams's breakout season Is Ajay Mitchell one of OKC's 5 best players? Is...
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Shai Ticks Off the Knicks
Ryan and Brandon break down the Thunder winning a nail biter in Madison Square Garden, injury updates, roster developments, and buzz out of Oklahoma City. New York's failure to bottle up SGA Mike Brown's misplaced complaints over Shai's free throws Chet's scoring explosion J-Will's growth Ajay's...
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Health or Homecourt?
After some very encouraging play from the Thunder of late, Brandon Rahbar and Ryan Woods join Cray Allred to compare vibes before a tough road trip ahead. Should Oklahoma City worry more about health or home court advantage as the postseason draws near? Shai's looming return The big bad Spurs…
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Blind Ranking Bad Thunder Takes
JDub is back. Shai is still out. The NBA is investigating. And the bad takes are flying. On this week’s Podcast, host John Napier, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar, and reporter Michael Martin dive into: The impact of JDub’s return Life without SGA Jared McCain early reviews The NBA...
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Trade Deadline Live Reactions
It's trade deadline time, and host John Napier, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar, and Daily Thunder contributor Ryan Woods react on the fly to the latest deadline deals, including the Thunder's acquisition of Jared McCain. How did Presti pull this off? What is McCain's role in the short…
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The Thunder are better than you think
Cray and Brandon review the Thunder's injury-riddled last week, and ask whether the team is better heading into the home stretch of the season. Isaiah Hartenstein's return: has he been the Thunder's third-best player this season? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's historic rise: where does he rank among…
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Protect Ajay Mitchell at all costs
This week, Cray Allred joins Brandon Rahbar to recap theThunder's 3-1 road trip, preview the upcoming home stretch, and try to make the Thunder's trade season sound exciting. Appreciating Shai's greatness Peak Lu Dort Who would you trade Ajay Mitchell for? And more!
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Finally Beating the Spurs
Ryan Woods and Brandon Rahbar dive deep on the Spurs victory. What changed to lead to a Thunder win? Is San Antonio still a postseason matchup concern? Can the Thunder be this good if Jalen Williams' wrist isn't right? And more!
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The Thunder Slump: What's Behind the Thunder's Struggles?
On this week's episode, host John Napier, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar, and Daily Thunder contributor Ryan Woods dive deep into what's behind the Thunder's slump--is it shooting variance, working Jalen Williams back into form, the defense, or something else? Listen in to find out.
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Top 10 Thunder Moments of 2025
On this New Year's Eve edition, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar start by breaking down the Thunder's losses to the Spurs and examine whether San Antonio just has OKC's number. Then, after breaking down wins against the 76ers and Hawks, Brandon and John give their top...
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The Christmas Show
In a very special holiday episode, we have a full panel with Brandon Rahbar, Cray Allred, Ryan Woods and host John Napier. The group dissects the Thunder's loss to the Wolves and the win against the Grizzlies. More importantly, the group gets in the Christmas spirit by giving some Thunder player...
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The Clippers, the Wolves, and the MVP Race
Ryan Woods and Brandon Rahbar discuss the recent play from SGA and the Thunder. The Clippers are what the French call les incompétents. Will the Wolves put up a fight? Is the MVP's Shai's to lose? That and more on an exciting week of OKC basketball.
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The Year of the Cup?
It's been a season full of sunshine. Ryan Woods and Brandon Rahbar dissect the team's recent electrifying performances, in an episode that AI suggested called for "Unstoppable Momentum: The Thunder's Journey to NBA Glory" as the title. Defense, depth, and dominance Will the Thunder win the NBA…
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SGA is the best player in the NBA (aka simping for Shai)
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar recap yet another unbeaten week of basketball for the defending champs and also discuss: Is Shai under the radar? The rotation with so much depth That Rich Paul quote about OKC A look at the week ahead And more!
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A Very Thunder Thanksgiving
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer recap the dominant last week of Thunder basketball, preview the games ahead, and also cover: It's time to put the free throw narrative to bed, for good Is the story about OKC being a market with "nothing to do" a media…
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The One Where We Give Chet Holmgren Some Love
On this week's pod, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar are joined by beat reporter Michael Martin. It was another winning week of Thunder basketball, and the trio get into: OKC's demolishment of the Lakers Wins over the Hornets and Pels Chet Holmgren's stellar play The...
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Has Isaiah Hartenstein Made Himself a Keeper?
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer run through the highlights of the last 3 Thunder games, discuss how OKC could approach Isaiah Hartenstein's contract next season, previewing tonight's Thunder-Lakers game, and a larger lookahead.
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Isaiah Joe's Hot Right Now
Ryan Woods is back on the mic hosting the pod, alongside Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar. On the show this week, Ryan and Brandon gush about Isaiah Joe's immediate impact now that he's back healthy, discuss how good this team is so far despite the injuries, and take a closer look the...
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Ajay, Aaron, and a 5-0 Start
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar look back at the first 5 games to start the season, give it up to Ajay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins for their hot starts, examine what's going on with Shai's free throw attempts, and talk when the Thunder might be…
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2025-26 Season Preview: Defending the Title
After the shortest Thunder offseason in history, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar are back to preview OKC's title defending season. Listen in as the pair discuss: Is Shai still underrated? Who else from the Thunder could win some awards? Brandon's playoff picks and...
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The Thunder's Top 10 Free Agent Pick-ups
On this week's show, along with host John Napier, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar runs through his list of the Thunder's top 10 best free agent acquisitions. Plus, the duo discuss whether Russ comes back to the Thunder, Josh Giddey's big pay day, the Kawhi Leonard scandal, and the Thomas...
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The Top 10 Draft Picks in Thunder History
On this week's show, Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar walks host John Napier through his top 10 draft picks in Thunder history, and boy were there some surprises. You won't believe who's number 2 on the list, and who wasn't on the list at all. Plus, the pair discuss the biggest offseason...
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Thunder Salary Cap Considerations: How Long Can OKC Remain a Contender
On this week's show, host John Napier and Daily Thunder beat writer Brandon Rahbar break down the Thunder's long-term salary cap situation after the three big extensions to SGA, JDub, and Chet, and whether the team can stay a contender for future years. The pair also discuss: The National TV…
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About this show
Beat reporter Brandon Rahbar joins host John Napier for a weekly breakdown of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Listen for game analysis, news, and coverage of the OKC Thunder trade deadline, draft, free agency and offseason moves. Daily Thunder is the OG diehard fan blog, covering the team since its inception. We feature reader and listener interaction alongside our contributors and guests, keeping the authentic voice of Thunder fans loud, fun, and independent.
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