SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 8. Oklahoma City Thunder

+Oklahoma City Thunder  Overall Win/Loss Record :  60-22,  first place Northwest Division	Last Season’s Rank 8	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 8
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 105.7 (3rd) Points Allowed: 96.5 (10th) Team FG%: .481 (3rd) Opponent’s FG%: .425 (2nd) Team FT%: .828 (1st) Team Three Point FG%: .377 (3rd) Rebounds per game: 43.6 (6th) Opponents rebounds per game: 40.7 (6th) Turnovers per game: 14.6 (26th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.2 (14th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +Kevin Durant  (28.1) Rebounds per game:   Kevin Durant (7.9) Minutes per game:  Kevin Durant (38.5) Assists per game:  +Russell Westbrook  (7.4) Field Goal Percentage: +Serge Ibaka  (.573) Free Throw Percentage:    Kevin Durant (.910) Three Point FG Percentage: +Thabo Sefalosha  (.419) Steals per game:  Russell Westbrook (1.8) Blocked Shots per game:  Serge Ibaka (3.0)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, Paycheck and Potential Impact: C. +Kendrick Perkins  PF. Serge Ibaka SF. Kevin Durant SG. Thabo Sefalosha PG. Russell Westbrook	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, Paycheck and Potential Impact: G. Jeremy Lamb F/C. Nick Collison F. Ryan Gomes G. Reggie Jackson C. +Hasheem Thabeet
Analysis: For the last three seasons the Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the most feared teams in the league roaring past their opponents and finishing among the top teams in the regular season. Unfortunately, It looks as of their dominance in the Western Conference will soon come to an end as they enter the regular season shorthanded and without a significant amount of their offensive firepower.  This past summer saw the departure of the Thunder's top bench producer and third leading scorer Kevin Martin as he will be now playing with division rival +Minnesota Timberwolves and to make matters worse, the team will be without its best player for the first six weeks of the season.   Although Kevin Durant led the team in most statistical categories, Russell Westbrook was the true leader on that team last season as he dictated the pace of the offense as well as a lock down defender on the other side of the court. Westbrook's evolution of becoming a better facilitator along with his abilities to push the tempo and get his teammates involved allowed Durant to focus on what he did best--scoring the basket; however, that all change when Russel fell to injury during the playoffs and everything unraveled from there. Without him, the Thunder seemed completely out of sync as teammates who played so well with Russel in lineup started to struggle and Kevin Durant was forced to carry much of the scoring load on his shoulders.  Since they did have Westbrook's explosive ability on the court, the Thunder could not execute their offensive scheme and was thus forced to play a slower paced half court game which led to them being unceremoniously ousted from the second round of the playoffs by an upstart +Memphis Grizzlies team.  Had Russel been able to play in the post season, the Thunder probably would not have only beaten Memphis, but would have also returned to the NBA Finals to face the +Miami HEAT once again; however, that did not happen and the Thunder were forced to sit out and stew about their wasted opportunity. With Westbrook nor being able to play until mid December at the earliest, Kevin Durant will not only have the burden of carrying the more of the offensive load but also has to shoulder the added stress of becoming a facilitator as well getting his team involved--as if he did not ave enough on his shoulders already.  Add the lack of a capable third option and the absence of a consistent contributor off the bench, the Thunder look to step onto the court opening day looking very vulnerable and ripe for the picking. They will be facing two teams in their division that took significant strides this past off season to get better and on paper have rosters that are just as strong, if not a tad stronger than that of the Thunder.  Last season, both the +Minnesota Timberwolves and +Portland Trail Blazers did not pose much of a threat as Minnesota spent much of last season playing shorthanded due to the team's rash of injuries and Portland having a bench that was virtually invisible for much of the season.  Now the playing field will be drastically changed as Minnesota looks to be entering the regular season will a fully equipped and healthy roster with their two star players +Kevin Love and +Ricky Rubio starting the season together healthy along with their off season additions and the re-signed star big man Nikola Pekovic to a long term extension. Portland also spent its off season very well by addressing their short comings on their bench adding a talented group of reputable veterans along with a strong defensive presence in the paint acquiring former +New Orleans Pelicans center Robin Lopez. With those two teams creeping up on them who are more than capable of breaking the 50 win mark, it will certainly be difficult for the Thunder to keep its stranglehold of the Northwest and add other teams such as the +Los Angeles Clippers, +San Antonio Spurs, +Golden State Warriors, and +Houston Rockets into the mix, Oklahoma City simply does not look that intimidating anymore as they once did.       Even when Russel Westbrook returns to the court, the Thunder still lack that strong intimidation factor as the team virtually have no one else to look to other than him and Durant to consistently put points up on the boards.  Before Durant and Westbrook had strong buffers behind them to lessen the load on offensive load in the form of +James Harden two seasons ago and most recently Kevin Martin; however, with both of them sporting new uniforms, who in the Thunder is capable of picking up the mantle and become that third scoring option they so desperately need?  Serge Ibaka could probably pick up more of the slack as he will certainly benefit with the extra touches, but he is so not much an initiator on the offensive as much as he is more a recipient of Westbrook's passes and open looks.  The same goes for the Thunder's other starter, Thabo Sefolosha, whose offense mainly comes from kick outs to him to shoot the open three, not from actually putting the ball on the floor and actually making something happen.  So far, the Thunder have set their hopes on second year guard, Jeremy Lamb, to become that third scoring option behind Durant and Westbrook; however aren't those expectations a little to unfair and unrealistic for a player who had just played such 23 games last season averaging just six minutes of playing time per game? With all those factors combined, it is certainly a fair assessment to say that the Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer the team to best in the Western Conference--in fact, it looks like the complete opposite, however.  Now the Thunder find themselves slipping from the top of mountain down to the middle of the pack in the Western Conference with team that look just as good as them, if not better looking to use them as a stepping stone.  This certainly does not bode well for Thunder fans where this situation may reach a point where both Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook will no longer want to play in Oklahoma City because their window of opportunity for a champion shutting in their faces.  Nonetheless, the Thunder will still remain among the NBA's elite during the course of the season, but just don't expect them to reach any further than a second round playoff finish because the firepower is simply not there anymore.  It is sad to say, but it looks as if the Thunder, despite being such a young and athletic team has finally reached it peak and unless something drastic is done, the only direction that they will be heading is straight down.