Is It an NBA Title or Bust for the Oklahoma City Thunder?
The Thunder have steadily progressed each season since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008. By reaching the playoffs in 2010 and the Western Conference finals in 2011, would anything less than an NBA title at this point please Thunder fans?
Kevin Durant has back-to-back NBA scoring titles and is quickly making a name for himself as an unquestioned top player in the league. With Russell Westbrook seemingly able to find a comfortable control to this game along with James Harden and Serge Ibaka having breakout years, are the Thunder now expected to win it all?
Just a few short seasons ago the Thunder arrived in Oklahoma City and posted an inaugural season record of 23-59. That was actually a slight improvement from the team's final season in Seattle of 20-62. P. J. Carlesimo was still running the team and Kevin Durant was in just his second year as a pro. Russell Westbrook was a very rugged rookie playing alongside Jeff Green, Earl Watson and Nenad Krstic.
Fast-forward to 2012 and my how things have changed. From zero expectations to an NBA title or bust. It seems like a lot is expected from this young group who has progressed at such a rapid rate that fans soon forget just how bad this team was a few short years ago.
The way this franchise went from a perennial bottom dweller of the league to the best in the West in such a small frame of time is something rarely seen in sports the way the Thunder have done it.
Traditionally a franchise would require a blockbuster trade or off-season free agent signing to pull off such a turnaround. The Thunder, however, have done it with brilliant drafting and front office management. The top notch jobs putting this team together by Sam Presti and Scott Brooks is nothing short of brilliant.
From taking a chance on Russell Westbrook, to seeing the potential in James Harden, the management team has hit a homerun with their philosophy to build from within and craft out the exact team they wanted.
Is it really fair to expect an NBA title out of this young team so early on?
Probably not, but I sure am enjoying the ride.
Even if the Thunder do not win it all this year, I am still grateful to have such an entertaining and special team in Oklahoma City to watch. Be it this year or one of the next, a championship banner will hang from the rafters of the Chesapeake Arena.
