5 Reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder Can Still Contend During 2014-15 Season
The Oklahoma City Thunder have dug themselves into a big hole in the early portion of the season, but don't count them out as contenders just yet.
With a record of 3-12, the Thunder sit alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They have lost six straight games and are still without the services of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Needless to say, it's a dark time in Thunder Nation.
Probably the most frustrating part of this lackluster start is the Thunder's inability to close out games. In the 15 games they have played this year, they have only lost one by 20 or more points (they fell to the Nets by 31 on Nov. 3). Heck, in most of the games, the Thunder led in the second half only to squander it away in the fourth quarter.
"Thunder has now led at some point in 13 of 15 second halves this season. Kinda remarkable considering the 3-11 record.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 24, 2014"
And even though the thought of a Thunder-less NBA playoffs was preposterous at the beginning of the season, it seems more and more likely with every tally in the loss column.
As it stands, the Thunder are six games back from the eighth and final postseason slot with 67 games left to play—it doesn't seem that bad when you put it that way.
The Dallas Mavericks had to win 49 games last season to claim the final postseason bid in the West. For the Thunder to reach that mark, they would have to win just under 69 percent of their remaining games. That's not an easy feat in the NBA, but it is possible for a team that won 72 percent of its games last year.
That said, Thunder fans need to take the advice of Aaron Rodgers and R-E-L-A-X. There is still plenty of time to make up ground in the standings and reclaim the "contender" label.
The early-season woes were expected. The team has been fighting an uphill battle since the first week of the season with an absurd amount of injuries, including injuries to its best two players in Durant and Westbrook.
The Thunder have been short-handed. But that is about to change—knock on wood. And with the addition of Anthony Morrow to the roster as well as a few developments this season to benefit the Thunder in the long run, there is no doubt they can battle their way into the postseason.
It might be hard to see at the moment because of the team's unfavorable position, but a perfect storm is brewing. And it may just bet what the Thunder need to get over the hump and capture that elusive NBA title.
Here are five reasons the Thunder will contend in the 2014-15 season.
1. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
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The most obvious reason the Thunder can contend this season is because Durant and Westbrook are going to return to play, and recent reports suggest it could be very soon.
Anthony Slater of NewsOK.com reported Monday that the two All-Stars participated in most of practice and even took part in contact drills for the first time since their injuries.
Coach Scott Brooks said they "looked good" in their workout, but he is still awaiting further evaluation to know when they will be back on the floor.
"This week, I don’t know what day, they’ll get evaluated and we’ll go from there,” Brooks said. “They’ll continue to go through this process and when they’re ready—100 percent ready—they’ll play.”
Brooks was later asked of Westbrook's availability specifically and did not rule him out.
“Don’t know,” Brooks responded. “Just focus on his work he put in today and continue to build on that. He’ll get evaluated later on this week, and we’ll make some of those decisions later on.”
It was mentioned earlier that the Thunder would need to win about 69 percent of their remaining games to match the Mavericks' win total from last season that was good enough for the final playoff spot in the West. With Westbrook and Durant back on the floor in the near future, that feat would become way more realistic.
In fact, the Thunder have won about 72 percent of their games in the last four seasons with Durant and Westbrook both playing, as Daily Thunder's Royce Young notes.
It's a simple realization. The sooner the team's best two players return, the higher the chance the Thunder can climb out of the Western Conference cellar.
2. Addition of Anthony Morrow
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The acquisition of sharpshooter Anthony Morrow in the offseason was exactly what the Thunder needed.
In the past two postseasons, they lacked a dependable sharpshooter to draw some of the attention away from Durant and Westbrook on the offensive end.
Morrow averages 42 percent from three-point land in his career, and with him standing behind the arc, opposing defenses will have no choice but to cover the perimeter.
This does two big things for the Thunder offensively. Not only does it limit the number of double-teams on Durant and Westbrook, but it also adds a viable scoring option for when the two stars are on the bench.
So far this season, Morrow is averaging 12.1 points on 41 percent shooting and 36 percent from three. His shooting percentages are down a little from his career averages, but a lot of that is due to the role he is playing with the short-handed Thunder.
This team is built around Durant and Westbrook. Morrow is a key addition in complementing them. Once the two All-Stars return to the lineup, Morrow's skill set will flourish.
3. Experience of Scott Brooks
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Scott Brooks has a difficult task in trying to get his team to tread water in the standings while being short-handed. The Thunder's 3-12 record may not show it, but Brooks has grown as an NBA head coach in the early season.
He received criticism for the Thunder's postseason woes the past few years. The criticism was mainly due to his offensive scheming, which basically encompassed giving the ball to Durant and Westbrook and letting them use their superstar abilities to score on isolation plays.
With Durant and Westbrook sidelined in the early season, Brooks has had limited options to utilize on the offensive end. Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka were the only proven offensive playmakers coming into the year, but outside of that, there was no telling where OKC's points would come from.
To Brooks' credit, there has been a lot more ball movement and play sets. It's nothing comparable to an elite offensive identity like the San Antonio Spurs, but the fact that the Thunder have any offensive identity at all is a huge step in the right direction for Brooks and the Thunder.
As a result, lesser-known players are contributing offensively: Lance Thomas (6.7 points), Sebastian Telfair (8.6), Jeremy Lamb (11) and Perry Jones (15 before his injury).
Kendrick Perkins is even playing a role offensively with an average of 4.7 points per game, which is pretty good compared to the 3.4 he averaged last season. Brooks must be doing something right.
4. Emergence of Reggie Jackson
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Reggie Jackson is showing the league he is a star with his play this season. He is averaging 20.1 points per game, 7.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds—all career highs.
Taking over the starting point guard role while Westbrook is sidelined is a perfect opportunity for Jackson to showcase his worth with his free agency just around the corner. And so far, he has taken advantage of the opportunity.
He has made it clear that he wants to be a starter, even if he has to part ways with OKC in the near future.
Whatever his intentions, he is most responsible for the little success the Thunder have experienced this season. And once he goes back to his traditional sixth-man role when Westbrook returns to the floor, he will be a valuable weapon in leading the second team.
5. Development of Andre Roberson
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Players like Andre Roberson, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III have had bigger roles in the absence of Durant and Westbrook. It has hurt OKC in the standings, but on the bright side, these young players have had opportunities to gain some valuable experience that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten.
Roberson will play an important spot at the 2 for the Thunder this year. He's filling the role that Thabo Sefolosha had the past several seasons. And like Sefolosha, Roberson is a lanky, solid defender who can knock down the occasional catch-and-shoot three on the perimeter.
He still has room for growth on the offensive end, but he's showing he can use his length to disrupt ball-handlers with exceptional defense.
With all of the length the Thunder have in their starting lineup, they can pose a lot of problems to opposing offenses. Roberson adds to that defensive strength, and it could lead to OKC featuring the best defense in the league down the stretch.
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