Thunder In the Best Spot

[3ball]

Last year Durant was fatigued going into the playoffs due to having a Top 20 all-time regular season.

This year, he gets a two month vacation to start the year - broken foot... so he will not fall off physically in the playoffs this year because he'll only be playing a 50 game regular season, with the utmost attention paid to taking it slow early on and monitoring health more carefully than before... by the playoffs, he'll feel physically the way he felt last March.

Russel Westbrook gets a month off, so ditto for him, although he didn't need the break like Durant did.

If you look at the Thunder and the Cavs rosters, the Thunder's is way better - better quality up top, and far deeper, probably the best bench in the league.

But more importantly than just on paper - lebron's heat teams won with both defense and offense, whereas this Cavs team will rely more on offense... OKC is more like lebron's Heat, because they can use both at a high level to win games.

Looking at all the teams that can beat the Cavs, OKC by far leads the pack.

[tpols]

I shudder to think what Russell Westbrook would do to Kyrie Irving.. he would absolutely destroy him, and with no rim protection to face once he reaches the second level.

[navy]

no excuses

[Cocaine80s]

Why is op so nervous about Lebron?

[Fire Colangelo]

Thunder are still relatively young, it's hard to predict how well they'll do without HCA. Not to mention te west is so stacked that they might not even make the playoffs without Durant for two months.

The 8th seed in the west had 49 wins last year, assuming the same again this year. Durant's out for 2 months so that's around ~30 games. Assuming they go something like 10-20 in their first 30 games, they'd need to go 39-13 (on pace for 61 wins) for the rest of the year to be in the playoffs conversation.

Of course that's assuming OKC don't rush Westbrook/Durant back earlier than schedule.

Anyways, I wouldn't say they're at a good spot at all lol. Never know how that foot injury is gonna bother him.

[russwest0]

If you bet 200 on OKC winning it all right now, your return would be something like 3200 dollars.

I've been thinking about doing it but I don't have much time to think because betting odds change fast.

[KirbyPls]

Why is op so nervous about Lebron?

It may have to do with OP's suboptimal post rate.

[theoneneo]

Good chance they don't even make the playoffs

[tpols]

If you bet 200 on OKC winning it all right now, your return would be something like 3200 dollars.

I've been thinking about doing it but I don't have much time to think because betting odds change fast.

They'll probably keep getting better and better over the next month as OKC keeps losing. So you have some time.

[Lakers Legend#32]

As long as they are located in OKC, they are far from the best spot.

[All Net]

Best bench in the league? What? OKC lack of supporting cast is a big factor why they havnt won the title. Their support around their main two is very questionable.

Going through every round on the road? Think that would be too much to overcome

[Done_And_Done]

The road to achieving a playoff birth will be farrrr from a vacation my friend. Brooks is gonna have to play his key cogs into the ground once they get back in hopes of making up all the missed ground. It's gonna be a grind for sure, albeit doable...

[SOD 21]

Best bench in the league? What? OKC lack of supporting cast is a big factor why they havnt won the title. Their support around their main two is very questionable.

Going through every round on the road? Think that would be too much to overcome

I understand what you're trying to say that to say that Oklahoma City is only Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but that seems both unfair and inaccurate.

Ibaka is one of the top shot blockers in the league and also one of the best mid range shooters, not to mention him extending his range at the three-point line, in the NBA. He's a solid 15 ppg scorer and provides elite rim protection.

Ready Jackson is also one of the best sixth men in the league and will likely average 14 or 15 points per game off their bench this year. There are not many bench perimeter players better than he is.

If you want to say that they have a mostly unproven roster after those four, then I understand what you're saying. They do you have Anthony Morrow, who is one of the best catch and shoot and three-point shooters in the league. But it is the rest of this young roster like Adams, Lamb, Jones and Roberson, that have a lot to prove and are mostly unproven. OKC's average age is 25.4 at the start of the season, which is ridiculously young for a championship contender.

Their championship hopes ride on good health from here on out, or maybe I should say after KD and RW return, and the rapid development of these players. Sam Presti is trying to do the nearly impossible balancing act of constantly building for the future and also competing for a championship simultaneously.

[Uncle Drew]

I shudder to think what Russell Westbrook would do to Kyrie Irving.. he would absolutely destroy him, and with no rim protection to face once he reaches the second level.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...1&p2=westbru01

[All Net]

I understand what you're trying to say that to say that Oklahoma City is only Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but that seems both unfair and inaccurate.

Ibaka is one of the top shop blockers in the league and also one of the best mid range shooters, not to mention him extending his range at the three-point line, in the NBA. He's a solid 15 ppg scorer and provides elite rim protection.

Ready Jackson is also one of the best sixth men in the league and will likely average 14 or 15 points per game off their bench this year. There are not many bench premier players better than he is.

If you want to say that they have a mostly unproven roster after those four then I understand what you're saying. They do you have Anthony Morrow, who is one of the best catch and shoot and three-point shooters in the league. But it is the rest of this young roster like Adams, Lamb, Jones and Roberson, that have a lot to prove and are mostly unproven. OKC's average age is 25.4 at the start of the season, which is ridiculously young for a championship contender.

Their championship hopes ride on good health from here on out, or maybe I should say after KD and RW return, and the rapid development of these players. Sam Presti is trying to do the nearly impossible balancing act of constantly building for the future and also competing for a championship simultaneously.

Their supporting cast is only questionable due to what they did the last few years but going forward they have great potential. It just depends how quickly they develop.

Maybe this year with durant and russ out even if they fail to make the playoffs it might help them going forward as the young guys would of developed a lot who knows.