If OKC is healthy.... Who's gonna stop them come playoff time? (If they make it)

[russwest0]

PG: Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson
SG: Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Lamb
SF: Kevin Durant, Perry Jones III
PF: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary
C: Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins

This team when fully healthy is easily one of the top defensive, rebounding, and offensive teams in the league. Last year OKC had a much worse rotation, battled many injury issues, were less experienced, and still came close to winning 60 games...

I don't think the average fan knows just how deadly this team is at full strength. Anthony Morrow was the perfect pickup for this team, as they have been needing a true sniper for years. Steven Adams and Kendrick Perkins together are a nice two headed monster at center. Andre Roberson is one of the top defensive and rebounding SG's in the league who isn't likely to shoot below 50% on offense.

And then you add Reggie Jackson off the bench... This year he easily has a chance to establish himself a better 6th man than Harden ever was for OKC...

Sorry, this team is deadly as ****, and if they are full strength, they are going to SHRED the rest of the league. Especially in the playoffs.

[SugarHill]

You're overrating the depth because outside Reggie, it's pretty mediocre, at best.

[russwest0]

You're overrating the depth because outside Reggie, it's pretty mediocre, at best.

And it's still quite easily the best depth they've ever had, along with the best starting lineup that they've ever had.

Morrow is going to get the most open looks of his career once Durant and Westbrook are both back. He's a perfect fit for this team. Lamb mostly sucks but he's talented enough where if no one else gets it going you can call his number and have some success. PJ3 has played great with every chance he's gotten these past two seasons. Nick and Perkins makes for a decent frontcourt duo off the bench.

[navy]

They were taken to 7 by the Grizzlies last year who are better than they were before, with a bailout Game by Reggie Jackson.

Why do you keep making this thread? This team has never appeared unbeatable in any postseason.

[LoneyROY7]

Grizzlies.

[ballinhun8]

Isn't your thread title an oxymoron?

[J Shuttlesworth]

Agreed

#STACKED
#NOEXCUSES
#RINGORBUST

[russwest0]

They were taken to 7 by the Grizzlies last year who are better than they were before, with a bailout Game by Reggie Jackson.

Why do you keep making this thread? This team has never appeared unbeatable in any postseason.

First off the Grizzlies are a serious contender and I don't want to downplay that.

But secondly, the Grizzlies proved to be such a tough challenge to OKC last year for a few reasons.

1. Adams wasn't playing anywhere near as much as he should have been. Brooks realized this (although late) and it's a large part of the reason why OKC won the last two games.
2. OKC didn't have enough outside shooting making it harder to score on the Grizzlies
3. Durant looked pretty gassed, while this year he will be more rested.
4. The refs REALLY let the Grizzlies play physical, and they still lost.

So yeah, you're talking about a team that lost to OKC last year, with OKC making some pretty big roster improvements, both through addition, and subtraction.

[russwest0]

Agreed

#STACKED
#NOEXCUSES
#RINGORBUST

If healthy (at least among the key players), then I 100% agree.

I felt like 2013 was OKC's year and then Westbrook went down. Last year I had some doubts with as much as Durant was playing towards the end of the year despite being in a shooting slump. But Ibaka went down killing any chances of that.

This year, is OKC's year.

[HylianNightmare]

Grizzlies.
this

[russwest0]

Was just looking back at the Grizzlies series box scores....

With Butler, Sefolosha, and Fisher all playing god awful basketball, it's a miracle that OKC even won that series.

Looked at Butler and Sefolosha's stats so far this year... Both are playing awful. And Derek Fisher is coaching. Thank god we don't have those 3 for Brooks to overplay anymore.

[LONGTIME]

If Durant and Westbrook are playing at their best nobody will stop them. They'll win the title.

[lilgodfather1]

Firstly, I just want to say, fantastic thread title.

Secondly, you do realise that in order to make the playoffs if the current winning %'s for the other teams, the Thunder have to win over 70% of the remaining games.

Considering the rust that Westbrook is likely to have, and Durant is going to he out of shape (for a pro athlete), and have to work his way into shape over the next couple weeks, I would suggest that their record will be 8-16 before the team us back in synch.

If that is the case, Then over the remaining 58 games, they need to win 75% of them.

It isn't impossible, but it is incredibly unlikely. This year looks like a lost season, there's always next year.

[Marchesk]

If that is the case, Then over the remaining 58 games, they need to win 75% of them.

It isn't impossible, but it is incredibly unlikely. This year looks like a lost season, there's always next year.

75% over an 82 game season is around 62 wins, which isn't out of this world. So it's not unthinkable for OKC to do that over 58 games.

But man if OKC misses out winning 48-50 games and some crappy team in the East makes it in under 500 again.

I feel that no under 500 team in professional sports deserves a playoff spot. There's a very good chance that will happen in the NFL this season, and someone like Dallas or San Fran is going to get screwed out of a spot. Just because of some silly notion about divisions being important.

[Demitri98]

PG: Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson
SG: Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Lamb
SF: Kevin Durant, Perry Jones III
PF: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary
C: Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins

This team when fully healthy is easily one of the top defensive, rebounding, and offensive teams in the league. Last year OKC had a much worse rotation, battled many injury issues, were less experienced, and still came close to winning 60 games...

I don't think the average fan knows just how deadly this team is at full strength. Anthony Morrow was the perfect pickup for this team, as they have been needing a true sniper for years. Steven Adams and Kendrick Perkins together are a nice two headed monster at center. Andre Roberson is one of the top defensive and rebounding SG's in the league who isn't likely to shoot below 50% on offense.

And then you add Reggie Jackson off the bench... This year he easily has a chance to establish himself a better 6th man than Harden ever was for OKC...

Sorry, this team is deadly as ****, and if they are full strength, they are going to SHRED the rest of the league. Especially in the playoffs.
You're overdoing this a bit...

First, of all, SG is probably going to go Lamb/Morrow/Roberson. Secondly, we are not yet considered a great defensive team, though Brooks seems to preach it a lot. We'll have to really step it up to be seen as one. Morrow is nothing more than a role player, though he could maybe play some sort of poor man's Mike Miller/Shane Battier role. Adams will only get better and Perk is great off the bench when we need a big-bodied muscular bruiser in the paint. Roberson is not even close to being a top defensive/rebounding SG. For one, his natural position is SF, and his outside shot is awful. He still has a lot of learning to do at the NBA level. He is nothing more than a project/prospect type player with potential to be a great defensive player. Jackson is good, but not nearly as good as Har_en was off the bench. Harden would've easily been an All-Star from 2012 on if either Durant or Westbrook were not on the team. Jackson still has a lot of work cut out for him if he wants to establish himself as a star like we knew Har_en was from the start.

[3peated]

when do they plan on getting a shooting guard that is decent

[ArbitraryWater]

Scott Brooks

[Springsteen]

Scott Brooks

I can't believe people still think Brooks is a bad coach after this stretch of injuries. He's kept OKC competitive with scrubs like Telfair in their starting line-up.

[ArbitraryWater]

I can't believe people still think Brooks is a bad coach after this stretch of injuries. He's kept OKC competitive with scrubs like Telfair in their starting line-up.

Man... He may thrive with a group like this (then again their record is still poor), but he can't handle guys like Durant and Russ... There's no movement, especially outside of those 2... Through 3 rounds in the Playoffs, every time the key moments came they went ISO... I don't remember not one good drawn up play out of a timeout. It all came down to the same BS... And listen to him in the huddles, it's all this same recycled crap about "believe, fight, play hard" etc..

[KDthunderup]

Grizzlies.
Are we talking about the same Grizzlies we nearly beat with half the team out?

[r0drig0lac]

if healthy...Spurs in 5

[Pointguard]

PG: Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson
SG: Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Lamb
SF: Kevin Durant, Perry Jones III
PF: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Mitch McGary
C: Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins

This team when fully healthy is easily one of the top defensive, rebounding, and offensive teams in the league. Last year OKC had a much worse rotation, battled many injury issues, were less experienced, and still came close to winning 60 games...

I don't think the average fan knows just how deadly this team is at full strength. Anthony Morrow was the perfect pickup for this team, as they have been needing a true sniper for years. Steven Adams and Kendrick Perkins together are a nice two headed monster at center. Andre Roberson is one of the top defensive and rebounding SG's in the league who isn't likely to shoot below 50% on offense.

And then you add Reggie Jackson off the bench... This year he easily has a chance to establish himself a better 6th man than Harden ever was for OKC...

Sorry, this team is deadly as ****, and if they are full strength, they are going to SHRED the rest of the league. Especially in the playoffs.
Well they are going to have to play 6 months at 700% winning. That's going to mess with their head some, despite they are good enough to do it. SA and Dallas are both experienced teams with a better bench. Memphis and SA are playing great team ball.

[rmt]

As a Spur fan, I'm most afraid of OKC (then HOU). The athleticism, Durant, Westbrooke and Ibaka patrolling the paint give Spurs the most trouble. That's not mentioning Spur killer - Reggie Jackson. Hope Leonard and Green are up to it. If Spurs get by OKC, I like their chances against anyone in the East.

[G0ATbe]

Lakers when Kobe gets them there somehow. Grizzlies also have a small chance. Spurs will get manhandled as long as OKC is 100%.

[lilgodfather1]

75% over an 82 game season is around 62 wins, which isn't out of this world. So it's not unthinkable for OKC to do that over 58 games.

But man if OKC misses out winning 48-50 games and some crappy team in the East makes it in under 500 again.

I feel that no under 500 team in professional sports deserves a playoff spot. There's a very good chance that will happen in the NFL this season, and someone like Dallas or San Fran is going to get screwed out of a spot. Just because of some silly notion about divisions being important.
I don't really think anyone likes the way the playoffs seeding works. It's bullshit that a 35 win team might make the playoffs in the East, and in theory, a 50 win team could miss the playoffs in the West.

Like i said, it's not impossible they make the playoffs, but it's gonna be rough. That's without going into tie breakers. I don't know if they've lost to PHX, or Sac yet, but that could make all the difference in the world for the playoff hopes.

[SOD 21]

I just want to see their closing lineup of Adams, Ibaka, KD, RJ (or Morrow) with Westbrook or a small lineup of Ibaka, KD, Morrow, Jackson with Westbrook.