Thunderstruck: 6 Reasons Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Are Ready to Take over
The song "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC is an unbelievable heavy metal hit that brings high energy and has a tendency to pump up even a 77-year-old grandmother.
The Oklahoma City Thunder brand of basketball is similar. They've been highly explosive for three seasons now and are ready to challenge the Miami Heat for the NBA crown this summer.
After a devastating loss in the Western Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder now have higher expectations. They are experienced, talented and ready to meet those lofty expectations set up not only by themselves, but by the media and the city.
Experience
1 of 6When the Oklahoma City Thunder first made the playoffs back in 2009, they lost to the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a hard-fought six-game series. The series could've gone to seven games if Pau Gasol hadn't made a dramatic shot in the waning seconds to give the win to the Lakers.
That series made a statement to the rest of the NBA that the Thunder were going to be around for many years.
Last year they went even deeper in the playoffs, losing to the eventual champions, the Dallas Mavericks, this time.
The Thunder fought hard in both series against teams that eventually won the championship. They've seen it all. This year's playoffs won't be their first walk in the park. They carry the memories of last year's and 2009's brutal playoff defeats with them and sometimes that can create enough adrenaline to carry a team over the hump.
Down Year for the Western Conference
2 of 6The Dallas Mavericks aren't even in the Western Conference playoff picture right now. They lost too many pieces during the offseason to have another shot at the championship. They lost J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler.
Plus, Dirk Nowitzki may have lost some hunger. He was out of shape before the lockout ended. That vigor just isn't there anymore.
The Los Angeles Clippers look great, but it's the first year for this group together. One advantage that Oklahoma City has over other teams is that the core is the same group of guys. The Clippers have a bunch of new guys playing with each other and it may take awhile for them to mesh with each other.
As for the Los Angeles Lakers, they have a huge deficiency at the point guard position. Russell Westbrook will absolutely expose that team if they are to meet in the playoffs. Plus, who knows how healthy Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum can be come playoff time?
Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers don't have as much talent as the Thunder do. They can't match Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. This isn't to say that the Blazers haven't improved and that they won't be a threat to Oklahoma City's chances. They will, but that being said, the Thunder are the more playoff ready because of their experience and talent.
Kevin Durant
3 of 6He's the heart and soul of the Oklahoma City Thunder and one of the best players in the league.
If the Thunder go to the Finals, it's going to be because of his play and his leadership.
Durant's explosiveness and agility is going to be too much for the Western Conference to handle. Currently, he's averaging 25.7 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds.
He's shooting 49.2 percent from the field and has drained 40 percent of his three-pointers.
Have fun trying to stop this guy, NBA.
Russell Westbrook
4 of 6The NBA title is not won by one person.
Jordan had Pippen. Duncan had Parker. Garnett had Pierce and Allen. Kobe had Shaq and Pau.
Kevin Durant has Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook is arguably the best point guard in the Western Conference today. The point guard position is extremely important because it requires high basketball IQ along with athleticism. The point guard's job is to facilitate the offense and Westbrook does this for his team very well.
The Thunder are in the top five in scoring and part of it is because of Westbrook. He's averaging 5.3 assists per game and 17.3 points to go along with it.
Physical Presence in the Paint
5 of 6The Oklahoma City Thunder aren't only about high-paced scoring. They have some big bodies, too.
Last year's acquisition of Kendrick Perkins gave the Thunder some thickness up front along with a guy who has played in some big battles throughout his NBA career.
Perkins' ability to clog the paint for opposing teams along with the fact that he has a lot of playoff experience makes the Thunder an even deeper squad.
The Thunder also have Congolese center Serge Ibaka, who is another 6'10" body that will make it more difficult for teams to out-rebound the Thunder.
This team is not only fast, but also strong.
Offensive Balance
6 of 6The Oklahoma City Thunder have a lot of balance in that they don't really statistically dominate a single category, but they're up there in almost every one.
They're in the top five in points scored, No. 8 in three-point percentage and No. 6 in field-goal percentage.
They can win in different ways. They can either pound the ball inside, win by the three or get into a track meet with their opponent. They're a tough team to play against and there's a reason why they're 8-2.
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