2010 Oklahoma City Thunder: How Russell Westbrook Has Proved NBA Fans Wrong
On June 28, 2008, the then-Seattle Supersonics decided to draft the top defensive point guard available in the draft with the fourth overall pick. His name was Russell Westbrook and many people were skeptical of the decision.
Many people had the team selecting Kevin Love out of UCLA with their pick based on the reasoning that the Sonics had just secured the future of their wing players and would likely go for a long-term big man.
However, the media was very divided with their grade of the pick and some thought that Oklahoma City made a Portland-like draft bust by going with a player that hasn’t proven himself that much offensively.
Russell Westbrook took a lot of criticism during his rookie year after a lot of those in the media wanted to accuse him of not being a “true” point guard even though it was his first time EVER playing the position. Not a lot of people took the time to realize it was his rookie season playing a position he never played before.
Of course he was going to fail a lot that season.
But he also made more improvements in that season than anyone else put in a similar situation.
Halfway through his rookie season, the man who everyone thought the Thunder should have drafted, Kevin Love, was having a very average start to his season. He was being exposed as an undersized power forward, while Russell Westbrook was starting to turn heads.
Coming off the bench, he averaged 4.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 12.3 points a game while performing amazing defensive.
Even after the season, people wanted to accuse him of being extremely inconsistent, claiming he would never be a true facilitator for the Thunder.
I never quite understood that, I knew that he was extremely raw and pretty inconsistent, but how could people accuse him of not being a true point? During his rookie season he had awesome on-court vision and passed the ball really well.
His only drawback was that he tried to do too much at times and never had a true jump shot on top of non-existent range outside the three-point line.
However, in his rookie season, especially in the playoffs, he has made unbelievable improvements.
Everyone in the area had heard about the hard work he had put in prior to last season, but everyone was still extremely quick to predict him to keep the Thunder back from making any improvements.
Although, he became a lot more patient, developed a free-throw line jumper, and learned to cut down on his mistakes for the most part, his speed was setting him apart. He was a mismatch for the majority of the league and many teams could not contain Westbrook.
He made his plays on the defensive side and made the SportsCenter top 10 with his dunks on a weekly basis. Everyone in LA and Oklahoma will remember the Westbrook dunk on Lamar Odom for a long, long time.
Now with his performance in the FIBA Championships, many people consider his defensive attributes one of the best in the league for a point guard. He has literally shut down everyone he has defended and made explosive plays on the offensive end.
He has turned a lot of heads in the past, but there are still many haters in the media. And he’ll definitely look to prove them wrong again this season.
Like Westbrook would say, “Why not?”.
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Oklahoma City Thunder Will Benefit From Free Agent Frenzy
There have been quite a few teams that have been hurt by all the player movement by the stars this summer. One of the teams that have benefited from all the drama is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
We know they are up and coming, talented, and gave Los Angeles all they wanted in their first round playoff series last year. We know they have one of the top five players in the league in Kevin Durant, but they just moved up from their eighth seed in the playoffs last year without playing a game.
Let’s look at their own division.
The big news there is where will Carmelo Anthony end up. Even if he stays with Denver this year the cloud of his impending free agency will be over that franchise until Anthony gets traded or leaves. Either way Denver will not be as good as they were last year because Anthony‘s heart won’t be in it.
The Northwest Division is the toughest in the west, and when Denver comes down a notch, (and they will) Oklahoma will come up. If Anthony ends up going to the east coast it will be even better for the Thunder.
Another team that will suffer from free agency is the Phoenix Suns. The loss of Amar’e Stoudemire hurts them up front and they don’t really have a way to replace what he gives them on the offensive end on the blocks and on the break.
They won’t completely fall apart, but they won’t get back to the conference finals either. Steve Nash will only be able to do so much. Oklahoma will benefit from that and move up more in the win column. Keep in mind that the Thunder will be better just because they are young and now have some playoff experience.
There is no substitute for that.
Individually they will be better as well. Durant took a big step this past year and will look to dominate and elevate his game even more.
It is scary, but he can and probably get better. Dare we say that he may surpass Anthony in the player rankings. Russell Westbrook is one of those tough and fearless young players that can dominate a game from the defensive, and offensive ends. He is dangerous in the open court as a passer and scorer, and can lock you down defensively.
Westbrook is still getting better as well.
For a point guard he grabs a lot of rebounds and it is very conceivable that he can be a triple double threat on a regular basis ala Jason Kidd. His versatility makes him indispensable since he his capable of playing both guard positions well.
Even if Jeff Green doesn’t get much better than he is now, Oklahoma is still in good shape. They do need some size in their front court if they are going to deal with the Lakers over a seven game series. Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison are not enough if Oklahoma has aspirations of dethroning L.A.
One of the teams that could be a surprise coming out of the west this year is the Houston Rockets.
Yao Ming is back, and if he can stay healthy, the Rockets will be good. Add to that they have a chance to get Anthony, and they could really make a big jump. A lot of things have to go right for Houston, and I don’t think Yao can be counted on to stay healthy over the course of a season.
very deep though, and will be a factor.
The Thunder finished with the same record last season as Portland, and they have their own issues. Rudy Fernandez doesn’t want to be in Portland next season and is at a stand-off with management. They are deep and talented but seem to under perform in big situations. Portland will be in the mix, but they are not on the up-swing, like the Thunder.
Let’s not forget New Orleans, and the fact that Chris Paul wants out of there as well.
They will not be a factor this year even with a healthy Paul. Surprisingly that doesn’t leave many teams in the west ahead of Oklahoma. I look for them to make the next progression in becoming a great team and finish in the middle of the pack in the west.
Free agency will have a positive effect on where they finish, plus the fact that they will be better collectively. Watch out.
Can you hear the Thunder in the distance? I can.
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Oklahoma City Thunder Sign Cole Aldrich: Could This Be the Piece They Need?
According to NBA.com, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a contract. Aldrich was originally drafted by the New Orleans Hornets but was later traded to the Thunder.
The Thunder didn’t give the terms of the contract, but according to the NBA’s rookie scaling Aldrich should be making $1.8 million his first year and $1.9 million the second year with options for the third and fourth years.
I know everything above is old news, but I’m just putting it in here in case anyone forgot. And this is an article I had on a previous site.
When the Thunder acquired Cole Aldrich on draft night, I was really excited. He is a 6’11″ guy who is a great defensive and tough player. In the playoffs, the Thunder didn’t have a good, tall, defensive presence like Aldrich. They were dominated by Gasol and Bynum the whole series.
Aldrich played against some big guys in college, including 7-footer Jeff Foote, and had great success on the defensive end against them. With the Kansas Jayhaws last year he pulled down 9.8 rebounds per game and had 3.5 blocks per game. I think that Cole is the piece the Thunder need to make a run for the Finals.
Yes, I think the Thunder have a shot at the Finals. The way I see it, the elite teams in the West are getting old—the Spurs, the Lakers, and the Suns. There all still really good teams, but they’re not the same as the young Thunder team.
The Thunder are the team of the future; if you like it or not, they are. Durant will be there his whole NBA career, Westbrook will re-sign when his contract is up, and hopefully they keep my favorite Thunder player, Jeff Green, around.
Along with OKC’s version of the “Big Three,” the Thunder have good young players like James Harden and Eric Maynor. Harden who has a pretty good three-point shot and Maynor is a great backup to Westbrook.
Having a veteran like Nick Collison isn’t bad either, as he led the league in charges drawn, with 57. Not to mention NBA sophomore Serge Ibaka, who led the Thunder and rookies with 1.33 blocks per game, 97 total blocks, and who I think will win a Defensive Player of award in his career. He also recorded 4 double-doubles this past year.
Veteran Morris Peterson was also added to the Thunder this summer. If all of that’s not enough to convince you that the Thunder is the team of the future, then this might.
Remember when the Thunder traded for sharpshooter Daequan Cook, but also made the genius move of trading Eric Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future first round pick? What’s so great about that? Well, think about it, the Clippers have had a top-20 pick since 1998 (except in 2006 when they didn’t have a first round pick).
That means the Thunder could potentially get another young superstar. Some players expected to be taken in the top 10 next year (according to nbadraft.net) are Harrison Barnes, Kyrie Irving, Terrence Jones, Perry Jones, and Jared Sullinger.
Nobody is as excited as I am to watch the Thunder take over the West, maybe the NBA. Just when will it take place? I hope it does soon, very soon!
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Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder: NBA All-Time Starting Fives
Quick! Name a time when the Sonics/Thunder had NO top-flight talent. It’s pretty tough. Throughout the years, this has been one talent-laden franchise.
From Bob Rule and Mahdi Abdul-Rahman (better known as UCLA great Walt Hazzard) to Kevin Durant today, superb offensive talent and exciting play has been a hallmark of the Supersonics’ (now Thunder) franchise.
Despite missing the postseason in their first seven seasons, talent was not in short supply for the Sonics. In a rough 23-59 debut season, the 1967-68 Sonics boasted a solid man in the middle in Rule (18.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and a 24 ppg from Abdul-Rahman in his only season with the team.
The following season, Rule took his game to new heights as the Sonics welcomed star PG Lenny Wilkens, previously of the St. Louis Hawks. Wilkens’ outstanding play carried over to Seattle as he averaged 22.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 8.2 apg in the first of his four seasons with the Sonics.
After one more excellent season, Rule’s run in Seattle came to a disappointing end, as injuries limited him to just 20 games over the next two seasons. However, Spencer Haywood was there to pick up the slack, after an awesome 30 ppg and 19.5 rpg rookie season in Denver. He was a double-double machine for the Sonics over the next five seasons, the last of which included the Sonics’ first-ever postseason trip.
The Haywood era also saw the end of the Wikens era, though the Supersonics did add a trio of talented guards during that stretch- “Downtown” Fred Brown in 1971, Slick Watts in 1973, and future Hall of Famer and 1979 Finals MVP Dennis Johnson before the 1976-77 season. The following year, Seattle added a pair of young stars—Gus Williams and Jack Sikma—who would combine with Brown and Johnson to spearhead runs to back-to-back Finals appearances and the NBA 1979 championship.
Williams joined the Sonics after two years with the Warriors, while Sikma was the eighth pick in the 1978 draft. Williams was a consistent offensive threat over the next six seasons, and Sikma became one of the NBA’s best centers of the late-1970s and 1980s, regularly averaging a double-double and possessing a soft outside touch.
By the mid-1980s, while Sikma continued to anchor the middle, Williams was on his way out and a fading David Thompson had played out his last two seasons in Seattle. Unless they retooled quickly, the Sonics would become an also-ran contender.
Not to worry, more talent was on the way!
After acquiring Tom Chambers in 1983, the Sonics drafted rugged power forward Xavier McDaniel in 1985 and the following year—their first post-Sikma—traded for underutilized Mavericks’ two-guard, Dale Ellis. The trio clicked beautifully in their first seasons together, 1986-87, each averaging 20+ ppg and leading the Sonics to the 1987 conference finals.
While Chambers was gone by the start of the 1988-89 season, Ellis and McDaniel remained, holding down the fort until the arrival of the cornerstones for the next decade—Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. The Sonics completed their return to contender status by adding Detlef Schrempf via a trade in 1993.
This crew led the Sonics to four straight seasons of 57+ wins and the 1996 NBA Finals. However, by decade’s end, Kemp and Schrempf were gone and Payton, now the face of the franchise, was teamed with Vin Baker and rising star Rashard Lewis.
Roughly 30 games into the 2002-03 season, after nearly 1,000 games with the Sonics, Payton was traded, paving the way for a new wave of young stars to rule in Seattle. With Lewis now coming into his own, Payton was sent to Milwaukee in exchange for one of the NBA’s great shooters, Ray Allen.
After a rough 2006-07 season (31-51), luck smiled on the Sonics, as some friendly ping-pong balls and the “you can’t teach seven feet” adage landed the franchise one of this generation’s deadliest scorers, Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, Seattle sent Ray Allen (and his $14+ million salary) to Boston in exchange for Jeff Green and some cheap filler. Also, after becoming a regular 20 ppg scorer, Lewis left as a free agent for Orlando, signing a monstrosity (albatross?) of a $120 million free agent deal.
The Sonics struggled in 2007-08, but Green and (especially) Durant showed themselves to be more than capable of excelling in the NBA. After a couple of tough years, things were looking up in Seattle.
Not so fast!
In one of the NBA’s embarrassing chapters, Starbucks mogul, then-Sonics owner and then-Seattle icon, Howard Schultz, sold the franchise to Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett. Despite declarations of commitment to Seattle and claims that the team would not be relocated, Bennett and David Stern (Bennett’s buddy) tag-teamed to plunge a dagger into the heart of one of the NBA’s best fan bases. The next season, the former Seattle Sonics took the floor as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
What’s happened since? Not much.
Durant’s averaged 25 and 30 ppg in the past two seasons, and become the youngest scoring champion in league history. Meanwhile, the Thunder added stud PG Russell Westbrook in the 2009 draft and have since become one of the NBA’s most likable teams and a budding title contender.
Sorry Seattle!!
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Are Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder Overrated?
Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be the NBA’s new flavor of the month, as most observers expect them to improve on last season’s impressive finish, and even possibly challenge for the Western Conference crown.
The Thunder have a talented nucleus in Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green, and the trio led the young franchise to a 50-32 regular season record, and the eighth seed in the playoffs.
Oklahoma City would later lose in the first round to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, but the Game 6 loss did little to temper the excitement surrounding the potential of the team.
Many people feel the Thunder are ready to take the next step in their development despite their inexperience, but before Oklahoma City can be considered a legitimate contender, some issues should be addressed.
Durant is one of the NBA’s premier scoring talents and Westbrook has become a viable second option, but what happens if both players are bottled up defensively for a significant period of time?
Who is the third option?
Green would be the likely candidate, but the series against the Lakers proved that he may not be ready to assume that mantle, because under the heat of playoff pressure Green was atrocious.
Green averaged 11.8 points per game in the first round, but it came on 32 percent shooting from the field, and an even worse 24 percent from the three-point line.
Other than Durant, Westbrook, and Green, no other member of the Thunder’s team managed to average double digits in points scored during the series.
In fact, the series with the Lakers exposed various flaws in the Thunder’s make-up, and all of them can’t be solely attributed to youth.
Considering Durant led the NBA in scoring, the thought of an opponent containing him throughout a playoff series would seem implausible at first, but Lakers forward Ron Artest offered the rest of the league a blueprint to follow.
Durant’s perimeter offensive game is nearly flawless and he is able to get his shot off with only the tiniest sliver of space, but Artest clearly bothered him with his physical play.
Durant averaged 25 points per game in the Lakers series, but Artest made him work for every one of them.
Artest harassed Durant at every turn, and his 35 percent shooting average during the course of the series was only a reflection of the frustration Durant suffered at Artest’s hands.
Westbrook was actually the Thunder’s best player in the postseason, averaging 20.5 points per game, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds, while shooting 47 percent from the field.
Westbrook took turns abusing Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown, and the only way the Lakers were able to slow him down was by switching Kobe Bryant on defense.
Bryant’s height bothered Westbrook, and once his penetration was taken away he was forced to rely on his mid-range jump shot, which is still a work in progress.
Westbrook’s jump shot is improving as evidenced by his play for Team USA this summer, but against a team like the Lakers the battle will be fought, and won in the interior.
Lakers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum dominated the Thunder in the post, and combined to average 30 points and 21 rebounds, while shooting 55 percent from the field through the course of the series.
Bynum was able to remain relevant in the series even after tearing the meniscus in his knee, and although the Thunder’s big men were competitive, they were clearly overmatched.
Oklahoma City has decent size in the post with players like Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison, and Serge Ibaka, but none of those players can be considered as difference-makers in the paint.
Draft pick Cole Aldrich, at 6’11″, gives the Thunder more height up front, but it’s doubtful his presence alone will have a significant impact on Oklahoma City’s post players.
The Lakers added size at the point guard position in Steve Blake, and they signed Matt Barnes, another player who can guard either Durant or Westbrook on defense.
Los Angeles also added Theo Ratliff, a 6’11″ veteran with a defensive tilt to his game and a reputation as a shot blocker, which is backed up by a career 2.2 blocks per game average.
Assuming Bryant and Bynum can return healthy, the Lakers will prove to be a very difficult mountain for the Thunder to hurdle, and they may find the rest of the conference even less inviting.
The element of surprise is gone for Oklahoma City in 2010-11, and although other Western teams may not present the same type of matchup problems as the Lakers, they will have a better idea on how to defend them.
Keep in mind that despite the Thunder’s impressive season, they were still only the eighth seed in the West, and of the seven teams ahead of them, only three face real questions entering next season.
The Phoenix Suns were last year’s conference runner-up, but the loss of Amare Stoudemire in free agency to the New York Knicks changes the complexion of their team.
Al Jefferson may be able to replace Carlos Boozer in Utah, but how will the Jazz adjust to the losses of Wesley Matthews and Ronnie Brewer in free agency as well?
The Denver Nuggets should once again be one of the top teams in the West, but that depends solely on whether or not Carmelo is as adamant about vacating the premises as he seems.
Oklahoma City is capable of eclipsing either of those teams, but they are still probably a level below teams like Portland, Dallas, and San Antonio.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies may figure in the postseason picture as well, considering the Clippers will benefit from the return of Blake Griffin from injury, and the Grizzlies were in the thick of the playoff race last season.
Oklahoma City does have a chance to turn even more heads this season behind the play of Durant and Westbrook, but winning the Western Conference may be a little out of their reach.
The future is very bright for the Thunder’s franchise, and management has done a brilliant job of building the roster around young, talented players but there are still holes to be filled.
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Thunder C Nenad Krstic Suspended Three Games by FIBA Incident
It looks like Oklahoma City Thunder center Nenad Krstic won’t miss the entire 2010 FIBA world championship. Fanhouse.com has reported that FIBA announced Thursday that Krstic will only be suspended for three games after throwing a chair at a couple players from the team from Greece. Three other players from the Greece team has also [...]
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Thunder add Trakh to coaching staff
The Oklahoma City Thunder have hired Maz Trakh to fill an opening on their coaching staff.
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Oklahoma City Thunder: 30 Team Previews in 30 Days
2009-’10 Statistics
Finished 50-32, fourth in Northwest Division, eighth in Western Conference
Postseason
First Round: Lost to Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Additions and Re-Signings
Cole Aldrich via trade, Daequan Cook via trade, Morris Peterson via trade, Tibor Pleiss via trade, Ryan Reid via trade, and Latavious Williams via trade.
Losses
None
It’s hard to believe that only two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder were a struggling young franchise that had just lost it’s core and was set to rely on a lanky forward out of Texas that couldn’t bench the set weight at the combine once.
Coming into the 2010-2011 season, the Thunder have become Western Conference contenders, and after a successful postseason where they went six games with the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, they now have bigger dreams than ever before.
The 50-win season last year was their first since 2004, and they have no one to thank more than Kevin Durant, who will be going into just his fourth year. Durant set the mark for youngest player to win a scoring title at only 21 years old after averaging 30 points and leading the league in free throws made per game at nine.
His length and versatility were nearly unstoppable at times after Durant showed off impressive range, ability to drive, and uncanny ability to get to the line 10 times per game, which tied for the league lead. While his defensive game could use some work, his offensive game is perfectly well-rounded, and at only 21 years old, we can only imagine what he has in store for us for the next decade.
His running mate in Russell Westbrook is the starting point guard on this roster of young guns, and in only two years of work, has shown that he is the point guard of the future for the Thunder after a successful sophomore season where he averaged 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. His athleticism was a sight to behold as well as it added another dynamic player on an already exciting starting lineup.
He still has holes to fill when it comes down to his shooting at only 41 percent and his turnovers at over three per game, but like Durant he is also 21 and has plenty of time to develop into one of the premier point guards in the league. His strong drives and ability to find open teammates give him a strong case to make an All-Star Game in the near future and to help Durant lead this team to a championship that could be within reaching distance in the next few seasons.
Harden was selected third in the 2009 draft and was utilized solely as a three-point threat for most of the games he played in. He hit one three-pointer per game on 38 percent shooting and was third on the team in three-pointers made behind Durant and power forward Jeff Green. Harden should see an increased role on the team as the possible largest three-point threat after a quality rookie season.
If the Thunder suffer from anywhere on the court, aside from inexperience, it’s their lack of a post threat. Green is a quality forward, but isn’t a large threat in the post. Nenad Krstic isn’t leading any team to the promise land. Nick Collison is a defender and nothing more, and B.J. Mullens is a project that will probably have to be put on hold.
The Thunder might have made a wise investment in the draft by trading for former Kansas Cole Aldrich. He averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in his final season at the collegiate level, while showing a hard nosed defensive game, but an offensive game that could really use work. There is little chance that he will develop into a star center to run with the Thunder, but he could be a solid defensive option in the future.
He only hit 32 percent from deep last season in limited time as his spot on the roster fell off due to his poor shooting. When he is hot though, he can be one of the streakiest shooters in the league and can hit from all parts of the court. Whether he can break out of this slump with the Thunder will be up to him and how the team utilizes him, but he would be a huge underrated pick-up if he can pick up where he left off prior to his All-Star weekend win.
The Thunder will be the team to watch for next season as they are set to prepare for a push that could challenge even the most powerful of the Western Conference contenders. Now that the younger players have another year of experience along with a postseason appearance, they are now more ready than ever to propel themselves to the next level.
Projected Starting Lineup
PG-Russell Westbrook
SG-Thabo Sefalosha
SF-Kevin Durant
PF-Jeff Green
C-Nenad Krstic
Prediction
53-29
This is part 21 in a 30-day series of previews for each NBA team for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. My profile contains the other teams that I have already previewed.
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Oklahoma City Thunder Blogger Wanted
ThunderUpReport.com is currently looking to add a lead blogger. The ideal blogger would be a die hard Oklahoma City Thunder fan who is self motivated and internet savvy. The new blogger will be responsible for covering the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fun and engaging way!
The blogger will be compensated for this position.
If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please email us at jobs AT windycitymedianetwork.com. Please send a resume and links to writing examples as well.
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Thunder C Krstic involved in brawl (AP)
Serbia basketball player Nenad Krstic, a center with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, was released Friday after being held in police custody overnight following a remarkable brawl during a match with Greece. The last game of the Acropolis tournament was abandoned with 2:40 to go and Greece leading by one point when the fight broke out.
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