Oklahoma City Thunder Are Top Contenders Again
From 2010 to 2014, the Oklahoma City Thunder evolved from a team on the rise to a perennial championship contender. They made an NBA Finals appearance in 2012 and reached the Western Conference Finals in both 2011 and 2014.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed Oklahoma City’s title aspirations in both 2013 and 2015.
In 2013, the Thunder’s dream of a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance was halted by Russell Westbrook‘s season-ending torn meniscus. In 2015, OKC’s promising season was ravaged by Kevin Durant‘s lingering foot issues.
Even 2014 was impacted by Serge Ibaka missing two critical games in the Western Conference Finals.
In 2015-16, however, the Thunder are reloaded and revitalized. The pressure is as high as ever with Durant’s pending unrestricted free agency, but depth and star power are prevalent in Oklahoma City.
By all means and measures, the Thunder should be viewed as genuine championship contenders in 2016.
Interior Depth
The Oklahoma City Thunder have built one of the most balanced interiors in the NBA. There are a pair of defensive standouts, a pick-and-roll specialist and fair blend of shooting touch, veteran experience and upside.
Both in the starting lineup and throughout the second unit, Oklahoma City has an impressive collection of players down low.
The star interior player is 2015 All-Defensive Team snub Serge Ibaka. He’s an elite rim protector who has begun to set the standard for what it means to be a 3-and-D interior player.
In 2014-15, Ibaka averaged 2.4 blocks and 1.2 3-point field goals made per game. He did this while shooting a very efficient 37.6 percent from 3-point range.
Most importantly, he limited opponents to 40.8 percent shooting when he met them at the rim, per NBA.com—No. 2 in the association.
Opposite Ibaka, a three-time All-Defensive First Team member, is Enes Kanter. Kanter has his critics, but he averaged 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in 26 games with the Thunder in 2014-15.
Admittedly, that small sample size was built without Kevin Durant taking the lion’s share of the shot attempts. Fortunately, Kanter and Russell Westbrook played with a healthy enough chemistry to warrant a belief in sustainable success.
If all else fails, the likes of Steven Adams, Nick Collison and Mitch McGary are waiting in the wings.
Adams was a highly serviceable starter for the Thunder before Kanter arrived, providing physicality and defensive prowess down low. McGary showed similar potential on offense, where he has solid fundamentals and reasonable range.
Rounded out by Collison’s respected veteran presence, Oklahoma City is a deep and balanced team down low.
Perimeter Depth
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder to have an elite perimeter. Both are top-flight scorers who can light teams up without a moment’s notice.
Durant and Westbrook make the Thunder contenders, but it’s the depth behind them that gives Oklahoma City its best on-paper chance at a title yet.
The key shooting guard will be Dion Waiters, who’s a polarizing but gifted scorer. He can shoot, attack the basket off the bounce and make plays in transition.
If Waiters comes anywhere close to meeting his potential, Oklahoma City will be a force to be reckoned with.
Alongside Waiters is the resurgent D.J. Augustin, who has turned his career around since a breakout 2013-14 campaign with the Chicago Bulls. In 2014-15, he had the Detroit Pistons looking like a playoff team before he was traded to the Thunder for Reggie Jackson.
Augustin can do a bit of everything, and that makes him a more-than-ideal backup to Westbrook.
The other players to watch include sharpshooter Anthony Morrow, defensive specialist Andre Roberson and promising rookie Cameron Payne. Morrow and Roberson will both see significant playing time as role players who can contribute on a nightly basis, while Payne is a good shooter with significant defensive potential.
With depth both down low and along the perimeter, there’s only one thing left to round the team into championship form: the best 1-2 punch in the NBA.
Two MVP Candidates
In 2013-14, Kevin Durant ran away with the NBA MVP award during one of LeBron James‘ most prolific seasons. There wasn’t a debate as to who should’ve won, but instead a widespread belief that spanned cities, states and fan bases: Durant deserved MVP.
It was hard to argue with averages of 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.4 3-point field goals made on a slash line of .503/.391/.873. It was even harder to debate when Durant led the short-handed Thunder to 59 wins.
With Russell Westbrook missing 36 games due to injury, Durant’s case built stronger by the day
One season later, it was Durant who missed significant time. He played in just 27 games, leaving Russell Westbrook to go Michael Jordan with a string of triple-doubles that will not be soon forgotten.
Unfortunately, Westbrook came up short in the MVP voting after Oklahoma City missed the playoffs. Westbrook did end up winning his first career scoring title, however, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
Plain and simple, that’s one hell of a 1-2 punch to have running the show in OKC—perhaps the best in the NBA.
Durant and Westbrook have been criticized for their inability to properly complement one another. What’s undeniable, however, is the fact that they’re two exceptional players with All-World abilities and a hunger to win.
If there were ever a season for Oklahoma City to be viewed as genuine championship contenders, it’d be the deep and star-studded team of 2015-16.
Next: Will Kevin Durant lead the league in scoring in 2015-16?
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout