Oklahoma City Thunder: Team of the New Decade
The Oklahoma City Thunder already matched last years 23 win total this year, with 42 games remaining. They currently occupy the 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference, and boast a .561 winning percentage. Houston has an identical record as OKC, but appears to be cooling down of late. Look for OKC to ride the hot shooting of Kevin Durant and crew to rise up the playoff table in the second half of the season. This team appears to have be on the verge of something very special.
KD is giving OKC fans something a future to smile abut. (Credit: picapp.com)
These kids are dangerous. Stopping all of them is nearly impossible, with Durant being the hardest of all. He has eclipsed 30 points 22 times already this year. Kevin Durant should be mentioned in MVP discussions. If you see how much better he is on defense, and the fact that he is averaging nearly 30 points a night.
This miraculous turnaround is attributed to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and rookie sensation James Harden. Durant has always been known to be a prolific scorer, but this season his defense has been on par with his scoring. The result has been a vastly improved defensive toughness.
These kids are gelling together well, and as Westbrook learns wiser shot selection, the Thunder’s future will become brighter. Westbrook is already a triple-double threat If he gains the ability to make people honor his shot selection, his capabilities to drive and dish will dismantle teams in the future.
Jeff Green is coming evolving into a solid player this year. His numbers might not be all star caliber, but he is wiser, and making sound judgment calls in tight situations. Just watch this decision he makes with the shot clock down and Durant unavailable.
If Green can continue to develop into an all around threat, it is hard to imagine anyone shutting down all 3 on any given night.
James Harden is a veteran in a rookie’s body. He has come on strong for OKC of late, giving the Thunder the 6th man they need to transcend the second unit to the next level. He is intelligent, wise with the ball, and can shoot from long range.
OKC is on the road to title contention, and sooner than you might think. If you were a team in the playoffs, would you honestly want to face them?
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Tue, Jan 19, 2010 by Adam Sedie
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