Why Oklahoma City Thunder Should Be Feared As Legitimate 2015 Title Contenders
Despite a 33-27 record and their current placement as the eighth seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are legitimate NBA title contenders this season. The team's combination of experience, balance and star power will make the Thunder a tough out for whoever draws them in the playoffs.
When talking about the title hopes of every team poised to make the postseason, it's easy to accompany their chances with a "But..." somewhere in the middle.
The Golden State Warriors have the best record in basketball, but they lack depth behind oft-injured center Andrew Bogut. The Houston Rockets have an MVP candidate in James Harden, but The Beards haven't made it out of the first round since 2008-09. The list goes on and on.
In the case of the Thunder, there are a number of reasons skeptics will give as to why the team won't win it all this year. They might say the team is too beat up or head coach Scott Brooks' offensive philosophies are too flawed or (insert reason here).
The cause for pessimism may be valid.
Everyone from Russell Westbrook to Kevin Durant to Steven Adams has felt the wrath of the injury bug. It probably doesn't even rain in Oklahoma City because there isn't enough healthy Thunder to generate a storm.
The club is also having to incorporate midseason additions like Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters while still contending in a Western Conference that's deeper than a Wale poem.
The next week will be another test of Oklahoma City's mettle. Adams (hand) and Durant (foot) have made progress in their respective ailments, but won't be re-evaluated until next week, per Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
Now, Westbrook is sidelined with a fracture in his face that required surgery, per NBA.com. He will be re-evaluated this week and could return as soon as the team's Wednesday home showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers, per Mayberry.
With everything this team has had to endure, it shouldn't even be in the playoff mix. But here OKC is, and that's not a fluke.
The Thunder is a battered and bloodied Rocky Balboa waiting for the right opportunity to knock off Apollo Creed in Rocky II, and, once the playoffs start, the club has as much of a chance as anyone to be crowned champion.
Depth
One of the underlying bright spots in the three-team trade that brought Kanter to OKC was it allowed the team to add depth in other areas.
Kanter is the interior scoring presence the offense sorely lacked, and D.J Augustin gives the team a legitimate backup point guard capable of running the second unit. Kyle Singler is a talented outside shooter who doubles as a quality caddy for Durant. Even sweet-shooting big man Steve Novak could be an asset once he returns from his appendectomy.
After playing short-handed for most of the first half of the season, the Thunder will be at least two-deep at every position once they return to full strength.
When asked for encouraging signs following the Thunder's heartbreaking overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman was quick to mention the team's newfound depth.
"The continued strength of this team's overall depth. Westbrook/Ibaka were 4/20 at halftime of a game KD wasn't playing. Usually that spells elimination for a top-heavy OKC roster. But on Thursday, OKC was only down five because of the strong offensive play from Kanter/Waiters/Augustin, three guys who weren't here in December.
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Depth becomes increasingly important once the postseason starts, but it is especially critical for the Thunder. The past two playoff runs have been derailed by the team's failure to have a backup plan when a key piece goes down.
Last season, it was Serge Ibaka. The year before, it was Westbrook. While you can't truly replace Ibaka or Westbrook with someone like Novak or Augustin, it's better than having nothing.
This time around, the Thunder have six guys (Ibaka, Adams, Kanter, Novak, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary) who can contribute up front, while also having five guards (Westbrook, Augustin, Waiters, Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow) who all bring something different in the backcourt.
The presence of Augustin might be the most crucial, both because of Westbrook's recent injury and the team's reliance on its star point guard. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Westbrook leads the league with a usage rate of 37.9 percent.
As the new additions become more acclimated, the Thunder will develop into a well-rounded team that can hurt you in a number of ways. Kanter can score down low. Ibaka can space the floor. Westbrook and Durant can do pretty much anything they want on the court. If one pin goes down, the team now has two others waiting in the wings to step up.
That's a luxury few contenders can match.
Coming Together At The Right Time
You often hear how the NBA season isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. That couldn't be more true in the case of this Thunder team. As if 82 games wasn't grueling enough for the league's best players, the NBA's elite have to endure the wear and tear of a lengthy postseason run.
Fortunately for Oklahoma City, the team's core got its wear and tear out of the way already.
By the time the playoffs roll around, superstars like James Harden and Stephen Curry will be fresh off of carrying their respective teams to the top of the standings. Even with the occasional night off to rest, fatigue is bound to set in after such a rigorous journey. Harden has already played 59 games this season, while Curry has played in 57.
As for Westbrook and Durant, they've made 72 appearances. Combined.
Assuming the Thunder buddies sit out this week's slate, they will have 20 games to shake off the rust and solidify the team's position in the playoffs. While other contenders will have homecourt advantage, the OKC duo will have the benefit of not having gone through a full season.
The last time Durant and Westbrook had this light of a workload was the shortened season of 2011-12, which just so happens to be the last time the team was in the NBA finals. The difference between then and now is two-fold. First, Harden is no longer on the team. Second, Durant and Westbrook have both evolved as players.
Westbrook, in Durant's absence, has taken his game to new heights. He has a triple-double in his last three outings and a league-leading five overall. He's averaging 26.8 points (second in the NBA), 8.1 assists (fifth), 6.8 rebounds and two steals (second) this season.
With each game, he's forcing his way into the MVP discussion with the same aggressiveness he uses to bully his way into the paint. That means the Thunder will likely enter the postseason with their two best players on extended rest and playing at or near a MVP level. Good luck, everybody else.
However, Westbrook's maturation as a leader has been just as important as his production, per Mayberry.
"'Honestly, I think tonight I was actually shooting too much, man,' Westbrook said. 'I got to do a better job of trusting more of my teammates. Not saying that I don’t but constantly keep trusting in them regardless of what’s going on, regardless of the time, score and possession. Just still find a way to trust in them and let them make some plays as well.'
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As for the rest of the team, the group seems to be having more fun, especially since removing the sulking demeanor of disgruntled point guard Reggie Jackson at the deadline.
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports Southwest noted the jubilation after the team's win over the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 24.
"And all of this recent success has turned the Thunder from playoff outsider to championship contender. And it's like the players know it. Mitch McGary hugs anything that walks. He even gave coach Scott Brooks a playful slap on the chest. Anthony Morrow celebrates 3-pointers like he won the lottery and Russell Westbrook's game is RedBull with a jumper.
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New additions such as Kanter are also benefiting from the team's cohesiveness.
"So much fun," Kanter said, per Gilman. "I'm actually liking basketball. I've never felt like this before. It's how close we are. Everybody tries to help each other. I've never seen it before."
Given the shuffling the roster has underwent in the last two months, this increase in chemistry is huge. Kendrick Perkins, a formidable presence in the locker room, is gone. Durant's been hurt, and there are a lot of new faces on the roster. There are plenty of reasons for the team to be splintered. Instead, it is as strong as it has ever been.
It shows in how the Thunder interact and, more importantly, how they play together. When you watch Kanter and Westbrook run the pick-and-roll, you'd think they've been working together for years instead of weeks.
The thing that separates a champion from a contender are the intangibles that can't be measured by looking at a box score.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have always had the talent to be an NBA champion. They've had great scorers like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The Thunder have had stout defenders like Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha. In the end, OKC has continued to come up short.
This season has the makings of being different. Much like the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder have become a master of the little things. Their depth, chemistry and versatility is as much a part of what makes them great as their impressive placement in various statistical categories.
After treading water for much of the season, Oklahoma City is finally hitting its stride.
It couldn't have come at a better time.
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