Only a year removed from falling 4-1 to Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder are once again among the contenders to make a deep playoff run this season and compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Despite losing Sixth Man of The Year James Harden, the Thunder have remained a Western Conference superpower. In fact, this season they have secured the No. 1 seed for the first time since moving to Oklahoma City. With Kevin Durant having another stellar season, and Russell Westbrook continuing to improve, all things lead to a deep playoff run. With one game to play, they hold the second-best record in the NBA, going 60-21–the first 60-win season since the relocation.
Is it Kevin Durant’s time to win a ring? Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
Team Leaders (per game):
Points: Kevin Durant, 28.1
Assists: Russell Westbrook, 7.5
Rebounds: Kevin Durant, 7.9
Steals: Russell Westbrook, 1.8
Kendrick Perkins is the rock that holds this team together. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
Emotional Leader: Kendrick Perkins
Of course, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are by far the best players on the Thunder roster, but Kendrick Perkins is the emotional leader of this team. He has the championship experience and is looked up to by many of the players. Perkins isn’t the most productive player on the court, but off it he is the rock that the Thunder lean on.
Player To Watch: Kevin Martin
Again, it would be too easy to look at Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant here. We know what we are going to get from them; the two reached the NBA Finals last season. However, all eyes could be on Kevin Martin come playoff time. Martin has trouble creating his own shot, which means he probably won’t have the same dominating impact that James Harden did off the bench last year, but expect to see Martin knock down some big shots come the 4th quarter — as opposing teams double team Kevin Durant. Kevin Martin will be the player to watch as we will only find out in the postseason whether OKC made the right move by trading away MVP candidate, James Harden.
First-Round Matchup: L.A Lakers/Utah Jazz/Houston Rockets
Aside from a meeting with the Utah Jazz, the first round of the playoffs will provide some decent narrative for the Thunder. The Houston Rockets are back in the playoffs, largely due to one man OKC knows all too well: James Harden. To see Harden and his old team go at it would make for fantastic television. Nevertheless, you would expect OKC to have too much for the Rockets, but with a team like the Rockets, they can catch fire in an instant and shoot you into a series.
As for the Kobe-less Lakers, the young legs of the Thunder would most likely run them off the floor. However, the series would be an interesting one as Dwight Howard now is the first option of the team and will be looking to show he can be ‘‘the man’’ in L.A. If they can get the wily Steve Nash back, the Lakers could perhaps steal a playoff game.
The Jazz lost 4-0 last season in the first round, and should they meet the Thunder — it won’t be much different. There needs to be some real upheaval in Salt Lake City this summer and a playoff berth would only paper over the cracks.
Prediction: I can see the Thunder once again advancing from the West, to meet the Miami Heat in the finals once again. There, it will be Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James all over again — and it would be great if Durant could overcome the odds. I have them losing the finals in 6.