OKC Thunder Report Card: Grades for All Key Players Through First Quarter

With a 14-3 record though the first 17 games of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder has lived up to its own preseason hype so far.

Most of the players are filling their roles well, and that's a big part of why the team has the best record in the Western Conference.

However, not everyone is doing as well as a Thunder fan would hope.

Here are grades for each of the Thunder's key players through the first quarter of the season.

Nick Collison

Although the casual NBA or Thunder fan wouldn't know it, Nick Collison is one of the most important players are the team for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If you've heard of the "glue" guy, then Collison is the perfect example of that in action.

He's averaging 5.6 points and four rebounds per game, while also shooting 66 percent from the field.

He also plays stellar defense and is always lurking around the hoop to get his team easy points.

Collison fills a much-needed role on this squad. He's a veteran who provides leadership by example and efficient play.

Grade: A

Nazr Mohammed

Nazr Mohammed is an older, less-athletic Nick Collison in a lot of ways.

The 13-year veteran is one of just two players on the team with a championship ring (the other being Kendrick Perkins).

He plays good defense and is fairly efficient on the offensive end.

Mohammed is nearing the end of his career, but he does have at least this year and maybe one more left in him.

Mohammed has played good defense this season, but he does need to shoot a better percentage from the field (42 percent).

Grade: B-

Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson is getting a lot more playing time as a rookie than he probably expected after backup point guard Eric Maynor went down with an ACL tear.

Jackson has done well for a rookie.

He's only shooting 28 percent, and his play has been very up and down.

He'll improve, but he's clearly shown that he's a few years away from being reaching his potential.

Grade: C

Daequan Cook

Daequan Cook has settled into a comfortable niche in his fifth year in the NBA.

He's a sharpshooter, pure and simple.

He's only shooting 36 percent from three-point range, after shooting 42 percent from there last season for the Thunder.

He's adequate in most other areas as well, but three-point shooting is where he needs to be judged primarily.

Grade: C+

Kendrick Perkins

After completely changing his body in the offseason, Kendrick Perkins has done fantastic this year for the Thunder.

He's averaged around five points and five boards a game, so they could use a few more boards per game.

His defense has been very good and continues to be his calling card.

He's also shooting 76 percent from the line, which is by far a career high.

Grade: A

Thabo Sefolosha

How has the starting shooting guard for the Thunder, Thabo Sefolosha, responded to the arrival of James Harden as a potential star in the NBA?

With the best season of his career.

Sefolosha is posting career highs in field-goal (51 percent), three-point (57 percent) and free-throw percentage (86 percent).

He's also sustained his reputation as a great wing defender.

Grade: A

Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka is not having the type of season many hoped he would in his third year.

It may be due to the lack of a training camp, but it's the truth nonetheless.

His points and rebounds per game and free-throw and field-goal percentages are all down from last season. Even his blocks have decreased by one per game.

Thunder fans better hope that Ibaka figures it out soon. He could make this team even more unstoppable.

Grade: D

James Harden

James Harden is having a great season that has made him the front-runner for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The third-year shooting guard out of Arizona State is averaging 16 points, three assists and four rebounds per game.

He's also shooting 46 percent from the field and 87 percent from the charity stripe.

As Harden's minutes climb, he continues to post better and better numbers. That's all you can ask from the guy.

Grade: A

Russell Westbrook

After starting the season off on a sour note, Russell Westbrook has played very well the rest of the way.

He's averaging around 20 points and almost six assists a game, which isn't as high as last year but is still very good.

His shooting percentage from the field is at a career high, but his free-throw shooting percentage and average attempts are down a bit.

Westbrook has played well, but he could still play even better.

Grade: B

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant just continues to be great.

He's averaging 26 points per game and leading the team in rebounds.

He's also averaging career highs in assists, field-goal percentage and blocks.

Durant is becoming a more complete player and cannot now just be called a "pure scorer."

He's contributing everywhere he possibly can, and that is big when you're in championship contention.

His free-throw percentage and attempts are both down, so it would be nice if he could get those up.

Grade: A