5 Reasons to Be Excited About the Oklahoma City Thunder Next Season
"There's always next year."
It's a phrase fans use to comfort themselves after a season comes up short of expectations. The Oklahoma City Thunder were forced to utter those words sooner than in past efforts due to injuries ruining the team's 2014-15 campaign. For the first time since 2009, the NBA playoffs commenced without a trip to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Fortunately, the black cloud surrounding this past season is gone and it's time to look ahead to Oklahoma City's bright future. On paper, the Thunder have an elite roster that could finally bring home an NBA championship—if they can manage to stay healthy.
However, there is more to be excited about in OKC than another quest for basketball immortality. Next season represents the dawning of a new era, as the franchise parted ways with head coach Scott Brooks on April 22 and will have a new leader on the sidelines.
Thunder fans will also get to once again enjoy the tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook after KD's numerous surgeries limited the duo to just 27 games together. All eyes will be on Durant in 2015-16 as the countdown to his impending free agency officially begins.
Yes, folks, there is always next year, but what a year it is shaping up to be.
New Coach
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For the first time since the 14th game of the 2008-09 season, there will be a new captain leading the charge on the Thunder sidelines. Scott Brooks is out, and Oklahoma City could go in a number of directions to replace him.
In the press conference announcing Brooks' removal, general manager Sam Presti refused to tip his hand on the coaching search, but he said he has an idea of what he's looking for, per DailyThunder.com's Royce Young.
"We've got a pretty clear identity of the type of person and specific vision for that role going forward, but I’m hesitant to speak directly about it because I don’t want to get into comparing and contrasting what we’re looking for and what we had in that position prior in Scott.
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According to ESPN's Marc Stein, University of Florida coach Billy Donovan is believed to be the early favorite. UConn's Kevin Ollie, a former Thunder player, was also believed to be in the running, but he has opted to stay with the Huskies.
Presti could also dig into his old San Antonio Spurs roots and tab assistant Ettore Messina. If he were to come available, the Chicago Bulls' Tom Thibodeau would be an experienced leader for the Thunder to consider as well.
Regardless of Presti's choice, it will be interesting to see the team move to the beat of a different drum. Will the new guy open up the offense? Can he shore up a defense that fell apart down the stretch this past season? Could he actually make Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook better?
The potential answers to all of those questions will make the Thunder even more exciting to watch.
The Continued Growth of Oklahoma City's Young Prospects
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The elite core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka will generate most of the buzz in Oklahoma City, but the continued development of the team's young role players will be an exciting storyline to keep an eye on next season.
The Thunder have a talented crop of prospects in Steven Adams, Mitch McGary and Andre Roberson. That doesn't even include the team's midseason veteran additions, Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters. Of that group, nobody is over the age of 23 years old.
Adams opened his second season as the team's starting center, bringing his own brand of toughness and physicality to the Thunder lineup. The big Kiwi was eventually usurped by Kanter, but still finished with career highs in points (7.7), boards (7.5), blocks (1.2) and field-goal percentage (54.4 percent).
Like many on the Thunder roster, Adams was bitten by the injury bug, suffering a broken hand in February that caused him to miss 12 games.
Roberson was another new arrival in OKC's first string, assuming the mantle from Thabo Sefolosha as the team's defensive presence in the backcourt. He struggled mightily on the offensive end, averaging 3.4 points and converting just 24.7 percent from three, but held opponents to 39.8 percent shooting overall.
McGary battled through injuries to become a spark of energy on the floor as well as a source of motivation on the bench.
Additionally, the Thunder will be adding another young buck to the mix via this year's lottery pick. The team could go big with Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, small with Duke's Tyus Jones or in between with Kentucky's Devin Booker.
The excellence of OKC's "Big Three" is what makes the club elite, but the growth of those waiting in the wings will continue to raise the franchise's ceiling.
The Potential Return of Enes Kanter
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Enes Kanter arrived from the Utah Jazz in February and immediately added a new dimension to an already-impressive Thunder offense. The 22-year-old was a beast on the block, averaging 18.7 points and 11 rebounds and notching 17 double-doubles in 26 games.
However, this summer is when the fun really starts.
Kanter will be a restricted free agent, and his combination of youth, experience and offensive skill as well as the dearth of quality big men around the league will likely make him a hot commodity. Despite the potential for a bidding war, GM Sam Presti remains confident the team can retain the Turkish Tower's services, per Royce Young.
"We wouldn't have traded for him if we didn't feel like we’re going to be in a position to have him with us going forward," Presti said.
In the games Kanter played, the Thunder averaged 109.6 points per game. They were held under 100 points just five times during that span. That's with Kevin Durant not playing a single second alongside his new starting center.
Next season, if Kanter re-signs, Oklahoma City's first string will contain two former scoring champions (Durant and reigning winner Russell Westbrook), a power forward who knocked down 37.6 percent of his threes (Serge Ibaka) and an emerging scoring threat down low in Kanter.
Whether that array of talent culminates in an NBA title remains to be seen, but all of those weapons on the floor together in the same uniform will make the Thunder one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA.
The Encore Presentation of Russ See TV
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In his first season playing mostly without Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook became one of two players ever to average at least 28 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals per game. The other was Michael Jordan in 1988-89.
So, what do you have in store for us next year, Russ?
With his tag team partner reduced to a walking boot and a well-tailored suit on the sidelines, Westbrook carried the Thunder as far as he could before coming up short of the playoffs on the final day. The Long Beach Blur finished with an outstanding stat line of 28.1 points (first in the NBA), 8.6 assists (fourth), 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals (second) per contest.
"It was amazing to see, both as a leader and a player," Durant said of Westbrook's season, per Sam Amick of USA Today.
Westbrook's maturation was as impressive as his production. He refused to quit even as the injuries piled up and the odds of making a playoff run became longer. He was the Thunder's heart and soul.
"I could be a better leader when I put my mind to it, be able to go out and find ways to make my teammates better throughout a season, regardless of how my game is going," Westbrook said, per Amick.
Without Westbrook last season, Durant took the next step in his evolution and ultimately became the league's MVP. This time around, Westbrook emerged as an MVP candidate by being a one-man show. In 2015-16, the two will reunite having both elevated their games to previously unseen heights in back-to-back years.
Could (arguably) the league's best one-two punch actually be even better next season?
Kevin Durant's Comeback
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He's in a contract year. He's coming off of the first injury-riddled campaign of his career. He's still in search of that elusive championship ring.
Kevin Durant has plenty of reasons to be motivated, and just the thought of KD with an increased fire in his belly is enough to get the popcorn ready.
According to KD's Twitter account, The Kevin Durant Comeback Tour will begin Aug. 1. That's when the four-time scoring champion believes he will be ready to step back onto a basketball court. ESPN.com's Stephania Bell believes the reigning MVP will make a full recovery from the bone graft surgery he underwent in March and should be ready to go next season.
While players such as Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook have all emerged in the wake of Durant's absence, the game just isn't the same without the league's second-best player.
Durant averaged 25.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 27 games this season. He shot 51 percent from the field, including 40.3 percent from behind the arc. Still, foot troubles, a bum ankle and a sprained toe kept Durant from getting into a rhythm, and the Thunder ultimately suffered from not having their best player on the floor.
The combination of Durant's recovery and his impending free agency next summer is bound to add suspense to every Thunder game. It's impossible to predict how the Texas product will bounce back, how the team will respond to his return or what the future holds for him after this season.
The fact of the matter is he will be back, and that alone is worthy of excitement in Oklahoma City.
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