OKC Thunder: 2015-16 Roundtable Discussion
1. Is this team a true title contender? The Thunder have had a solid year, but haven’t been able to beat the Warriors and also have losses against Cleveland, Toronto and the Clippers. It’s hard to tell if they are for real or not, do they have enough to win a championship?
Eberley: Do they have enough? You betcha. You will see no sympathy from me. Despite obvious failures of the front office over the past few seasons, this team has two of the league’s five best players. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are going to be the first two teammates since 2007 to make the All-NBA first team together. You can’t have that much talent and not have enough, that’s ridiculous.
Are they contenders? Time will tell, on paper they should be. There’s no one this team can’t hang with. That being said, the fourth quarter collapses, poor shot selection down the stretch, and lack of discipline defensively are understandably keeping them from the conversation.
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Bourguet: In normal years, yes. This year? Not really. To get through the West, the Thunder will have to get through two historically great teams in the Warriors and Spurs, and even if they somehow managed to do so by overcoming their frequent fourth quarter woes, they’d still be rewarded with an NBA Finals matchup against the Cavaliers (most likely). Let’s not forget Kevin Durant is 17-4 in head-to-head meetings with LeBron James, including the playoffs.
Hanneke: Yes. Any team that has Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant on the floor for 40 minutes of a playoff game is a contender. And while the regular season certainly gives a decent idea for how teams can play, the playoffs are an entirely different animal. Durant and Westbrook have been down this road plenty of times now, and they know when to really kick it into high gear and bring the intensity for a full game.
Woods: No, but I’ve been saying this for a while now. It’s nothing against the Thunder, but they are looking up at two of the best teams in history. There is a chance that OKC could upset one of the teams (which would be the Spurs, as the playoffs are currently constructed) and make the Western Conference Finals. Trying to take out two teams that are on pace for at least 69 wins is a tall task.
Next: How do they make the Finals?