What might August be on the NBA calendar — other than an invitation for dreaded redrafts and for fanbases to mindlessly clash — if not for the league’s schedule release? 

The matchups. The storylines. The anticipation. All tangible, even while being two months from regular season NBA action. 

With plenty to dissect, The Oklahoman’s Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi and columnist Joe Mussatto picked apart the Thunder’s 82-game slate for the most important footnotes on the newest episode of Thunder Buddies. With as highly anticipated a season for OKC in recent memory, there were quite a few notable dates. 

The two tried to frame OKC’s load of back-to-backs; they questioned how former Thunder Josh Giddey might be received in his return; they tried to explain the NBA’s exclusion of OKC on the Christmas slate; they discussed some of the team’s matchups, touching on the Thunder’s national TV slate and a difficult March.