Oklahoma City Thunder Season Preview!!

Previous Record: 50-32
Projected Record: 55-27
Key Gains: Cole Aldrich,Tibor Pleiss,Daequan Cook,Morris Peterson,future first round pick.
Key Losses: Eric Bledsoe,Kyle Weaver,the element of surprise.

Projected Line-Up:

PG: Russell Westbrook/Eric Maynor
SG: James Harden/Thabo Sefolasha/Daequan Cook
SF: Kevin Durant/Morris Peterson
PF: Serge Ibaka/Jeff Green/Nick Collison
C: Cole Aldrich/Nenad Kristic/Nick Collison/Byron Mullens

Most of this team is very young and will only get better. I doubt we win more than 55 games next year since I personlly think a lot of teams got better and teams expect us to be good from now on. Maynor is a veteran in a young man's body and he is very solid. Harden will be more confident next season. Thabo will always be our lockdown guy. Cook gives us a very good 3-point shooter which we really needed and could help space the floor. Durant's defense is only getting better. Green will hopefulyl come off the bench even though I doubt it. Green would be a very good 6th man and could be the focal point of the second unit. Ibaka has shown glimpses of brilliance and is a high energy player who can defend pretty well and has some range. Collison will once again be the blue collar,glue guy that he has been for us. Alrich loks like a stiff to me, but if he works out, then great. If he doesnt, then we have Kristic,Collison,and Ibaka to take in minutes at the C position. Mullens probably needs a year more to develop but it looks like he will be a better version of Kristic. This team will reach the Western Conf. Semi's or Final's depending on when they face the Lakers...the only team in the West that I think can beat the Thunder in a 7 game series.

GTFO Serge Ibaka over Jeff Green

I see a major jump in success for the thunder. 58 wins.

I think the Thunder are gonna rape everybody

Me too.

Cool.

Actually, the coaching staff and management have thought of putting Ibaka at the 4 spot. It reallty doesn't matter since Ibaka will get nearly 30 minutes PG either at the center or PF positions. Green plays a lot of time at the backup SF position. Anyways, Ibaka has a boatload of potential, and I see him becoming the big man the Thunder have beem looking for. Jeff Green would also be great coming off the bench and being our 6th man, to give our bench some instant offense, especially because Harden will be inserted into the starting line-up. Another possible line-up would be Westbrook/Thabo/Durant/Green/Ibaka. That would be the best defensive line-up we could put out on the floor.

Still need a center. That's their only clear hole.

In the regular season and playoffs combined, any time Serge Ibaka plays more than 2 minutes a game, his numbers look something like this:

9.4 PPG
9.0 RPG
2.3 BPG

That's pretty damn solid for a rookie.

Not a center. Good player, can play center if necessary, but not a center. He's a tall athletic forward. Not really a banger like a good center should be.

The top 2 centers alltime werent "bangers"

oklahoma city doesn't need a top 2 center all time (btw kareem n ...who?)...they have their scorers. which is why they need a center who can do all the other things. rebound, box out, bang, etc.

Dub C wrote:

oklahoma city doesn't need a top 2 center all time (btw kareem n ...who?)...they have their scorers. which is why they need a center who can do all the other things. rebound, box out, bang, etc.

I know. I just wanted to say that because you said "like there supposed too". Kareem and hakeem btw

Steph wrote:

Dub C wrote:

oklahoma city doesn't need a top 2 center all time (btw kareem n ...who?)...they have their scorers. which is why they need a center who can do all the other things. rebound, box out, bang, etc.

I know. I just wanted to say that because you said "like there supposed too". Kareem and hakeem btw

oh, i meant good. just good. not great. a center with great skills are uncommon.

Steph wrote:

Dub C wrote:

oklahoma city doesn't need a top 2 center all time (btw kareem n ...who?)...they have their scorers. which is why they need a center who can do all the other things. rebound, box out, bang, etc.

I know. I just wanted to say that because you said "like there supposed too". Kareem and hakeem btw

You mean one of these 3:Bill Russell/Shaq/Kareem

Defense! wrote:

Steph wrote:

Dub C wrote:

oklahoma city doesn't need a top 2 center all time (btw kareem n ...who?)...they have their scorers. which is why they need a center who can do all the other things. rebound, box out, bang, etc.

I know. I just wanted to say that because you said "like there supposed too". Kareem and hakeem btw

You mean one of these 3:Bill Russell/Shaq/Kareem

lol..nah. russells not in my top 5. And shaq is #4.