Oklahoma City Thunder: Fool's Gold or Real Deal?

kapono24UCLA · Post #61 » by **kapono24UCLA** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:26 pm

Turn Jeff Green into something productive on the front line and they improve greatly. It's all well and good to be a young team, but need to add a wisehead to be a real contender.

GameOver25 · Post #62 » by **GameOver25** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:49 pm

They were pretty much injury free all of last year. I think that help them out more than people realize, it kept their chemistry together. If they can remain healthy, I see them winning around the same amount as last year. A frontline with Jeff Green isn't the answer though.

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #63 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:26 pm

They are overrated and Durant is. They will win around 50 games but probably won't get out the second round of the playoffs. They have zero size in the paint and Durant is a one dimensional player for now. I do think they have some great building blocks and Russell Westbrook is underrated.

Post #64 » by **slick_watts** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:59 pm

I think a top four seed is a possibility. I think an eigth seed (or even no playoffs) is also possible.

The Thunder have a few fundamental weaknesses. The first is the inability to defend good PF's. They've done nothing to address this weakness during the offseason.

The rest of the weaknesses have been addressed, or can be addressed, to some extent.

- OKC was a horrible shooting team. Getting James Harden more minutes / into the starting lineup would help. Praying that Jeff Green is closer to the 39% 3PT shooter than 32% 3PT shooter would help. Russell Westbrook making some jump shots would help. Getting a little more complex with the offensive system would help. I think all of this is possible, with the first being most likely.

- OKC sucked on the defensive boards against bigger teams. Aldrich is supposed to address this. He would to some extent if he's played big minutes. Rebounding is one of those things that usually carries over.

- OKC turned the ball over too damned much. This might just be inexperience. Maybe it improves with Westbrook / Durant. Probably not a given. Better shooting could help this.

Anyway, the team was good at a lot of things. Perimeter defense was always excellent, they get to the line and make FT's, offensive rebounding almost best in the league. Just some marginal improvements offensively could make the team a top four candidate.

On the flip side is the health issue. Any kind of injury to Durant or Westbrook would be devestating.

gnar bonez · Post #65 » by **gnar bonez** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 8:27 pm

mrfatwrecker wrote:
DWadeno3 wrote:You don't just win 50 games by accident and then fall out of the picture the year afterwards after improving an already good roster.

Hornets

Post of the year, all years.

Blazerepresent · Post #66 » by **Blazerepresent** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:12 pm

They are fo real. They are almost in the same position blazers were before last year but since they are not the blazers **** wont fall apart for them

KnicksScholar24 · Post #67 » by **KnicksScholar24** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:16 pm

Both The Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant have been overhyped this summer. I think they'll be good, though.

Westbrook might be better at SG than PG, because he's not a pass-first guy. Also, Green & Durant was a strange draft selection pairing (sort of like Rubio & Flynn), as they play the same position. I guess the progression of Jeff Green will be the X-factor for that team.

Dr Positivity · Post #68 » by **Dr Positivity** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:56 pm

Real deal, Westbrook is about to have his 3rd year breakout and become a perenniel all-star PG. Stud PG + MVP caliber Durant = great offense, and they play great d and have a top culture in general

Jose_Matador · Post #69 » by **Jose_Matador** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:00 pm

fools gold, Durant needs to take the next step and become a facilitator.

ujjain · Post #70 » by **ujjain** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:25 pm

Fool's Gold, this is Portland and Denver all over again. Both teams good enough to make the play-offs, but don't expect them to go far in the play-offs if they have to match up vs. the Magic, Celtic, Lakers, etc.

I do love the team though, everybody does. I do feel that they're a little overrated, even though they're great, young extremely talented team with great chemistry, incredible talent and beautiful cap space.

draemos · Post #71 » by **draemos** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:38 am

They need another star player, either a PF or C. They are a good team, a mid-level playoff team thats a danger to push anyone... but they don't have enough talent to win a ring.

Clangus · Post #72 » by **Clangus** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:11 am

its only preseason, but based on tonight we're headed back to the lottery.

*chants* its only preseason.....its only preseason.....its only preseason.....its only preseason.....

RichardsRival3 · Post #73 » by **RichardsRival3** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:57 am

Clangus wrote:its only preseason, but based on tonight we're headed back to the lottery.

*chants* its only preseason.....its only preseason.....its only preseason.....its only preseason.....

lol, I know how you feel but, even if they lose every pre-season game, there is no way they are headed back to the lottery. Durant and Westbrook are too good.

Blame Rasho · Post #74 » by **Blame Rasho** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:00 am

I think they are legit...and have been blossoming at the right time.

jzmagik · Post #75 » by **jzmagik** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:01 am

They really need to package Green for a real pf, he turns into an absolute scrub when hes up against good pfs.

zapatasblood · Post #76 » by **zapatasblood** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:02 am

I think they are fools gold but are going to get the 2nd seed in my book but are not the second best team. I think they could be very much like the Mavs a few years ago and get knock out in the first round by low seeded team or win that round and get knocked out in the second round.

zapatasblood · Post #77 » by **zapatasblood** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:04 am

I think they are fools gold but are going to get the 2nd seed in my book but are not the second best team. I think they could be very much like the Mavs a few years ago and get knock out in the first round by low seeded team or win that round and get knocked out in the second round.

DEEP3CL · Post #78 » by **DEEP3CL** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:47 am

They have to keep developing and now be ready for teams.....the elite teams to come after them hard. What OKC did was earn respect, so the element of surprise will be gone now.

WillyJakkz · Post #79 » by **WillyJakkz** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:00 am

DEEP3CL wrote:They have to keep developing and now be ready for teams.....the elite teams to come after them hard. What OKC did was earn respect, so the element of surprise will be gone now.

And this is what I think is gonna hurt them and what I was talking about when I said teams are gonna be gunning hard for Durant.

If Durant can't get the team over the hump on certain nights OKC is in for a long season because Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green aren't the type of guys that are going to beat you consistently.

They'll help get you there but I don't see either one of them as that guy you can count on to come up big on a regular basis.

Harden looks like he may have it in him though.

Post #80 » by **DeBlazerRiddem** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:37 am

Blazers fan here, and because I look forward to a long and bitter rivalry, I am going to say they are the real deal.

You see, it absolutely all starts with Kevin Durant. He seems to have that perfect basketball mindset - calm, focused and deadly. He is ambitious, he wants to win. Heck, at 21 he took home world gold. During the season he doesn't do much besides work and watch tape. Not only all that, but I get the feeling he is a very loyal and devoted guy, so I think Oklahoma has a real shot at building around him ala Duncan or Nowitzki.

Which takes me to the second most important point; management seems to have a good thing going. I hope we disrupted some of that by stealing Cho away, but I don't think it will phase them too much. They seem to know how to work the draft and make deals, and IMO have put together (and this leads me to point 3) a very solid foundation for a team. Also as part of the management they seem to have a pretty darn good coaching and staff which bodes very well for them (more than people realize to long term success... to use a Pritchardian word how important culture is.)

Although Aldrich isn't very flashy, he was probably the safest choice among the big men, which means that Oklahoma filled their biggest hole with the lowest risk they could. Of course we know about Durant and Westbook, holding down foundational roles on the team, as well as a good number of useful role players. Perhaps most importantly they have almost no fat on them. Because of the youth and talent that they have acquired at key roles I think they have one of the more solid foundations from which to start the franchise on.

Now I am not agreeing with the OP's definition of the real deal, because I don't think the Thunder are going to be clear cut favorites of anything this year, and that includes playoffs. It is oh so very likely that injuries happen (I would say pick up Damp if you can), and even if they don't this looks to be a competitive year in the west, injuries causing many sleeper teams the past few years which look to be waking up... However, I do actually think they are the real deal because (based on their trajectory) I think they are going to shape the face of the west for the next 5-10 years.