OKC could look like this right now...and why Durant should be mad.

[Connor B]

PG - Westbrook
SG - Sefolosha
SF - Durant
PF - Ibaka
C - Collison

6th man - Harden, Perkins amnestied.

Decent bench.

Fire Scott Brooks, pick up a good coach.

And all of a sudden, you've got a near-dynasty. Harden as a starter as proven to be sometimes inconsistent and very turnover prone and have some questionable shot selections, but he would have run the gauntlet as a 6th man for years to come. Their clutch time line up would consist of two superstars (yes I think Westbrook is that good), an all-star in Harden, a good sometimes very good PF, and a center who frankly is passable (and certainly better than Perkins) on both ends of the floor. That's amazing. 2013 maybe they are in the Finals again, 2014-2017 I say no doubt.


Sam Presti may have literally jeopardized Durant's entire career. Their current lineup can't win a Championship. They could get to the Finals. That is possible. But they aren't beating the Heat and I doubt they would beat Indiana. If I'm Durant, I'm ****ing pissed. Especially after that Memphis series - he was pretty bad clutch time in that series but its hard to blame him when he was being depended on to do literally everything. This is where Brook's revealed himself to be one of the worst coaches in the NBA. Instead of doing something to make the bench/role players step up and creating a game plan that was still a team game, he literally ran pick/ISOs for Durant and Martin nearly the whole game. Most one-dimensional offense maybe ever featured in a playoff series. He won't win any rings as long as he is in OKC. I would demand a trade.

[Marchesk]

I don't know. Let's see what Lamb looks like now that he's going to get a chance. Let's see if Ibaka improves some more. Let's see if Westbrook jumps into the top 5 players in the league.

Then you still have a legit contender. I do worry about Brooks against the Heat, though. Maybe he would learn?

[TheMilkyBarKid]

If you wanna go further forget Perkins, just keep green.
Still they're looking good now.

[Young X]

I hate that Harden trade and always will. Whenever you have a young team that improves every year to the point where they make the finals, you do whatever it takes to keep them together. With how bad Wade and Bosh were playing, they damn well could've beaten Miami last year. SMH.

[kenny817]

As A Mavs fan...I'm pissed at OKC for the Harden trade

They trade him to the Rockets for absolutely nothing...Harden to Houston literally screwed the Mavs out of getting Dwight. Dwight wouldn't go there without Harden

F*ck OKC...choke artists. Hope they never ever ever win a ring

[el gringos]

What was it they traded for Tyson chandler before that trade got stopped for medical reasons? Couldn't it be-

Westbrook
Durant/harden
Green
Ibaka/collison
Chandler

[Marchesk]

I hate that Harden trade and always will. Whenever you have a young team that improves every year to the point where they make the finals, you do whatever it takes to keep them together. With how bad Wade and Bosh were playing, they damn well could've beaten Miami last year. SMH.

Yeah, but I don't know if they beat the Spurs without Westbrook.

[KG215]

What was it they traded for Tyson chandler before that trade got stopped for medical reasons? Couldn't it be-

Westbrook
Durant/harden
Green
Ibaka/collison
Chandler

No, because almost no team in the league could afford all of that, especially the team in the smallest market in the NBA.

I get the frustration over and making fun of the Harden trade, but when people start including Chandler and Green, I laugh, because financially that would be murder.

[TexasBloodMoney]

It's almost as if they have this long-term plan, where they could develop a couple young players and then insert them into their already very strong core, while also not paying out the ass for going above the tax line.

Nahh you're right, they're purposely self-destructing just cause they can.

[kenny817]

No, because almost no team in the league could afford all of that, especially the team in the smallest market in the NBA.

I get the frustration over and making fun of the Harden trade, but when people start including Chandler and Green, I laugh, because financially that would be murder.

Westbrook Harden and Ibaka were still on their rookie deals

It was possible...but they would have broken up like a year or so later

[Young X]

Yeah, but I don't know if they beat the Spurs without Westbrook.

We could play this game all day, but if Harden was still on the Thunder, Houston wouldn't be in the playoffs and Westbrook wouldn't have gotten injured.

Wade and Bosh were playing way below their standards in the playoffs and Miami wasn't the force they were in the regular season. If they played in the west they wouldn't have even made the finals. If OKC keeps Harden, they definitely have a chance against Miami.

[SamuraiSWISH]

I hate that Harden trade and always will. Whenever you have a young team that improves every year to the point where they make the finals, you do whatever it takes to keep them together. With how bad Wade and Bosh were playing, they damn well could've beaten Miami last year. SMH.

Preach buddy. I agree. And not just making the playoffs and improving with such a young core, they went to the Finals and were Harden not being distracted by strippers from being potential champs. Even with such a shitty coach.

[MastaKilla]

He has 2 top 5 players at their position doe

WB may be top 5 in the league. Definitely a top 5 talent.

They should have never of given up Harden, hindsight is 20/20 but it was obvious he had major potential. You've got to literally pay the price to be a contender and that's just something OKC didn't want to do.

Imagine if the Spurs would have gotten rid of TP or Manu after one bad finals

[SamuraiSWISH]

Hindsight 20/20? It took no foresight of Nostradamus to see Harden was rapidly improving, on pace to be one of the leagues best shooting guards, as if he wasn't already top five. It was a dumb decision before retrospect kicked in.

[andremiller07]

Why didn't OKC sign Johan Petro before he went to China? I know he's fairly terrible but still probably better than Thabett and Perkins at this point.