The All-Time Team rosters for NBA 2K18 have officially been announced. Who made the cut for the Oklahoma City Thunder?
The Oklahoma City Thunder, while only being in existence for only nine seasons, have had some excellent players suit up for them. Going back to their days as the Seattle SuperSonics, that list becomes even longer. Now, fans of the team will be able to mix players from the two franchises on the court.
It was announced that NBA 2K18 would have an All-Time Team for every franchise in the NBA. It would give fans a chance to play as some of the greatest players in NBA history on the same court no matter what era they played in.
This could create some amazing matchups in the virtual world. Imagine Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal matching up with Miami Heat Shaq or Orlando Magic Shaq. For Oklahoma City fans, it gives them a chance to blend the Seattle days with the current team.
There has been much debate as to which players could make the cut. The Oklahoma City/Seattle franchise does not have as extensive a history as other franchises, but there were some good players to choose from.
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Now, we know just who will be making the roster. Thunder and SuperSonic fans alike should both be happy with who 2K has chosen to make up the roster. The official roster was shared via the official 2K Facebook page.
Good luck keeping up with that starting lineup. Shawn Kemp didn’t play much center until his SuperSonic days were over, but he would fit perfectly in today’s NBA with small lineups. He would be a handful for traditional centers to contain given his otherworldly athleticism. Kemp would also be able to take advantage of being the fourth option, at best, in this starting lineup.
Any team will struggle to contain a backcourt of Gary Payton and Russell Westbrook. Payton will get after you defensively, while Westbrook would bring the same tenacity offensively. The two would be interchangeable given their skill-sets.
On the wings, this All-Time team has as much scoring as any franchise. Ray Allen and Kevin Durant are two of the greatest shooters the NBA has ever seen; good luck slowing them down. Having Durant play power forward is unfair given the mismatch he would represent.
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Watching that starting five in the open court would be a sight to see. They would push the ball relentlessly. Imagine Westbrook throwing alley-oop passes to Kemp on the fast break. Or Payton and Durant locking opponents up defensively.
The bench has plenty of great players as well. If the Thunder used a traditional lineup, there is no doubt that Jack Sikma would be the starting center. James Harden was a budding star as the sixth man during his time with the Thunder and blossomed once being traded to the Houston Rockets.
This team is very deep given the players’ overall ratings. Having Serge Ibaka as an 86 as the worst rated player on your team is quite impressive. This roster has plenty of star power at the top but doesn’t experience a huge drop-off like some of the other All-Time rosters.
With only 15 roster spots available, there will undoubtedly be some players left off the roster. Arguably the biggest omission from their roster is forward Rashard Lewis. Lewis was a great stretch-4 before it became vogue in the NBA.
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It was surprising to see him not making the team, but there was plenty of competition at the forward spots with Detlef Schrempf getting the last small forward spot.