SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 17. Oklahoma City Thunder

2014/2015 Projection: 50-32, second place Northwest Division, fifth place Western Conference Actual Finish: 45-37, second place Northwest Division, ninth place Western Conference	Projected 2014/2015 Finish 9	Actual 2014/2015 Finish 17
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 104.0 (5th) Points Allowed: 101.8(24th) Team FG%: .447 (18th) Opponent’s FG%: .440 (9th) Team FT%: .754 (15th) Team Three Point FG%: .339 (23rd) Rebounds per game: 47.5 (1st) Opponents rebounds per game: 42.7 (11th) Turnovers per game: 14.0 (20th) Opponents turnovers per game: 12.9 (21st)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Russell Westbrook (28.1) Rebounds per game:  Serge Ibaka (7.8) Minutes per game: Russell Westbrook (34.4) Assists per game:  Russell Westbrook (8.8) Field Goal Percentage: Enes Kanter (.566) Free Throw Percentage:  Jeremy Lamb (.890) Three Point FG Percentage: Anthony Morrow (.434) Steals per game:  Russell Westbrook (2.1) Blocked Shots per game:   Serge Ibaka (2.4)
SDH’s Hero to Honor: +Russell Westbrook What an absolute shame that the Thunder failed to make the post season, because if it had, this man would have most likely won the title of Most Valuable Player; however, even if he may be overlooked in the MVP race, there is no doubting that Russell Westbrook put forth one of single most impressive athletic performances for not only the year, but possibly in recent history.  This man literally carried the team on his back over the course of the regular season on both ends of the court as he finished it as not only the league's leading scorer, but also fourth in the league in assists with nearly ten per game and second in steals per game.  In addition to ranking in the top five in scoring, assists and steals, Westbrook was a absolute monster on the boards leading all point guards in rebounds averaging more than seven per game thus making him even more statistically intimidating that the king himself, +LeBron James.    Although Westbrook may have earned bragging rights for having the single most impressive season in possibly NBA history, what stings the most is that it was essentially all for naught as his team failed to make the playoffs despite such a mind blowing performance that will probably will never be seen again for quite some time	SDH’s Face to Forget: Scott Brooks As Westbrook's earth shattering performance and super-heroics feats disappear in the annals of sports history, there will be an equally tragic event for Thunder basketball.  Scott Brooks--the man who led the team to countless division titles, playoff appearances, thus making him one of the sought after coaches in the +NBA--has been let go by the organization due to the team's inability to make the playoffs this season.  What makes this decision so unjust was not the fact that he got fired after just one disappointing finish, but the fact that he kept the team afloat and in the playoff chase despite the obstacles.  For much of the season, he was without +Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Russell Westbrook, yet still managed to keep the Thunder in striking distance of the post season; yet, through some cruel twist of fate, the team was eliminated out of contention as the +New Orleans Pelicans snatched the tie-breaker away from them leaving the Thunder on the outside looking in for the first time in five years and their now former head coach looking for a job.  Now Brooks will have a chance to prove that he can still coach an NBA team to playoff glory without having his two former anchors in Durant and Westbrook.  It will be interesting to see how he will manage in a new environment, with new personnel and a different front office; however, what will be even more intriguing is who the Thunder chose as his successor and whether or not he will maintain the team the way Brooks had for so long.
Forgive the pun, but to say that the 2015 +NBA Season for the +Oklahoma City Thunder was a "stormy" one would be putting it mildly as the team started it without its two leading scorers +Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for the first month on the season and stumbled out of the gates with a 5-12 record.  Yet in spite of the odds against them, the Thunder clawed back to respectability thanks to the return of their dynamic duo leading the charge, but by the time the team seemed to get back on track Oklahoma City still faced an uphill battle as they had plenty of ground to return to contention in the rather overwhelming Western Conference.  As if matters were not arduous enough, in their quest for returning to relevancy, the Thunder would receive another harsh blow as Kevin Durant would be lost for the rest of the season after playing just 27 games leaving Westbrook to shoulder the scoring load in the most crucial month of the regular season; nevertheless, Westbrook answered the call as he put up on the single most impressive individual performances in possibly the history of sports and dragged his team to very end battling for the final playoff berth in the West.  His finishing the season not only as the league's top scorer, but one of its top assist men and ball thieves would possibly earned him MVP honors had the Thunder managed to clinch the final playoff spot in the West; however, both Westbrook and his team were cheated as they had been eliminated out of contention at the very last game of the season thanks to the +New Orleans Pelicans--who narrowly passed them thanks to a tie breaking technicality. Although they finished with the exact same 45-37 record, the upstart Pelicans narrowly edged the more seasoned Thunder thanks to them having a better record in the Western Conference--29-23 compared to OKC's 25-27 finish; however, that should not mar what has been an overall impressive season by a team that had so many odds against it.  Oklahoma City literally took the expression "fighting to the very end," to heart as it virtually brushed off such a horrific start, scratched and clawed through every game winning 40 of their next 65 while undergoing great flux within the organization--not only with the absence of Durant, but also great with upheaval within the roster as well.  Along with Durant, the Thunder also had to endure another significant loss in +Serge Ibaka--the team's leading rebounding and shot blockers as well as its third leading scorer to boot--who had to sit out the season as well for knee surgery and had to deal with an emerging problem heading over the horizon.  During the first month of the season, point guard Reggie Jackson had stepped in to fill the void left by Westbrook's and Durant's absence and posted the best numbers in his career leading the team in points (19.3), assists (7.5) and minutes played, while at the same time grabbed 5.3 rebounds at the same time; however upon Durant's and Westbrook's arrival, both Jackson's minutes and production significantly dropped resulting in him becoming frustrated with his role and demanding a trade.  This resulted in the Thunder pulling off a massive deal involving the +Detroit Pistons and +Utah Jazz that not only cast away a disgruntled player, but also relieved them of a perennial useless dead weight in +Kendrick Perkins--who had worn out his welcome with fans for quite some time--plus gathered pieces to bolster its roster for the final stretch run. From Detroit, OKC received point guard DJ Augustin and swing man Kyle Singler--two players whose both their ball handling ability and shooting prowess meshed in well with the Thunder's offensive set giving a team a suitable fill in for Durant in Singler while at the same time adding a point guard who did not mind to take a back seat, unlike Jackson; however, they were not the biggest part of the deal.  In a shocking move, the Jazz gave the Thunder rising young big man +Enes Kanter, who had been just coming into his own in the last couple of years and had the makings of a potential All Star down the road; however, similar to the situation with Jackson, Kanter felt uncomfortable with his limited role in Utah and upon arriving to Okay City, he certainly proved himself worthy of All Star consideration with a stellar performance that was only eclipsed by Westbrook's own.   The 23 year old fourth year center from Turkey was unstoppable as he stormed in posting some of the best numbers that has not been seen from an NBA center with averages of 19 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting an unconscious .566 from the field during the last 26 games of the regular season.   In addition to +Dion Waiters,  whom the team acquired earlier in a trade with the +Cleveland Cavaliers, along with an already solid supporting class of role players from the previous seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked just as strong as it did with both Durant and Ibaka in the roster on both ends of the floor while at the same time provided fans a sneak peak of what might come once they return next season.  Unfortunately, in spite of the rather impressive roster upgrades, it became a case of "too little, too late" for the Thunder as the team's 5-12 start was simply too much of a burden to bear resulting in not only missing the post season, but also falling out of any chance of attaining the number one overall pick in this summer's upcoming draft which is probably worse than simply falling apart and wasting the season away the same way the +New York Knicks, +Los Angeles Lakers , +Philadelphia 76ers and +Minnesota Timberwolves did to the chagrin of many. Fortunately for the Thunder, they are not in as too bad of a situation as the other teams in the league that fell short to make the playoffs since their fall came due to a series of unfortunate circumstances rather than showing that they are a team in decline or disarray.  Had both Durant and Westbrook been healthy from opening tip off, Oklahoma City would  have won at least 55 to 60 games easy; however, as a result of just sheer bad luck and the even worst misfortune of being in a conference which does not allow any margin of error, the Thunder were forced to play catch up for the majority of the season.  The team will certainly be in better shape with Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka at full strength as they have the entire summer to relax, recuperate and recover from their respective surgeries and hopefully if there are no complications, their restoration period will pass without any complications; however, next season will be bittersweet as they will return without their head coach from the past seven years as it was recently announced that Scott Brooks had been relieved of his post as a result of this off chance season.  The dismissal of Brooks can be considered as both a shame and an injustice since he had led Thunder to stand among the league's elite from the moment he stepped into the coaching seat and it was primarily because of his coaching that the Thunder managed to remain in the playoff chase until the very end; plus, the person who will be replacing him has no experience coaching the NBA and will be expected to return this seasoned veteran team back to the stature that Brooks originally brought it in the first place.  Billy Donovan has been successful in the college ranks leading the +Florida Gators to two straight +NCAA Championship titles plus numerous tournament appearances since then; however, so far no college coach, even the most successful in their respective fields has been able to bring that same success to the pros and he will be expected to coach a team where he will have little or no learning curve and the margin of error is nonexistent.   The introduction of a new coach could not have come at a worse time as next season will possibly be the most pivotal for the franchise because the contracts of both the team's franchise players will expire at its end and such a crucial time needs a more seasoned professional at the coach's seat rather than one that is learning the ropes.  This past season has made this situation especially rough because it was essentially wasted due to the the injuries of both Durant and Westbrook and the team's failure to make the playoffs thus resulting in this upcoming one possibly being the last hurrah for this small market NBA franchise that has gained such critical acclaim in such a short span of time. Since arriving to Oklahoma City from Seattle, the Thunder went from wallowing at the bottom as a lottery team its first year to winning 50 games and reaching the playoffs in its second to reaching the NBA Finals two years later and has maintained a reputation as one of the league's elite and most successful franchises since then.  Unfortunately, this past season has put all that in jeopardy as it was supposed to be a make or break year to see whether or not it had what it took to at least pull off one last NBA Championship run before everything falls apart and the Thunder would be forced to start back from scratch after such a successful seven year playoff run.   Now Thunder fans will have to painfully endure endless speculation and await this season not with their usual hope and excitement, but with the dread of what may soon come.

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shootaround: Scott Brooks (1/28/2015)

Head Coach Scott Brooks addresses the media at shootaround prior to the +Oklahoma City Thunder game in New York against the +New York Knicks on Jan. 28, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shootaround: Steven Adams (1/28/2015)

Center Steven Adams addressed the media at shootaround prior to the +Oklahoma City Thunder game in New York against the +New York Knicks on Jan. 28, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shootaround: Kevin Durant (1/20/2015)

Forward +Kevin Durant  spoke to the media at shootaround prior to the +Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the +Miami HEAT on Jan. 20, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shootaround: Scott Brooks (1/20/2015)

Head Coach Scott Brooks spoke to the media at shootaround prior to the +Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the +Miami HEAT on Jan. 20, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Practice: Andre Roberson (1/19/2015)

Guard Andre Roberson discussed the +Oklahoma City Thunder's  recent play after practice in Miami on Jan. 19, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents from Bball Breakdown: Can J.R. Smith Save The Cavs Season? Will Dion Waiters Help The Thunder?

+Coach Nick broke down the 3 team trade between the +New York Knicks, +Oklahoma City Thunder, and the +Cleveland Cavaliers. Find out who won the trade, and how J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert will fit into the Cavaliers system, and whether Dion Waiters is a good fit with The Thunder. See more of +BBALLBREAKDOWN and always keep up with all 30 +NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!    

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shoot-around: Dion Waiters (1/7/2015)

Guard Dion Waiters talks about joining the team and the +Oklahoma City Thunder game against the +Sacramento Kings on Jan. 7, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents Oklahoma City Thunder Shoot-around: Scott Brooks (1/7/2015)

Head Coach Scott Brooks discusses the addition of Dion Waiters and the +Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the +Sacramento King on Jan. 7, 2015. Catch more in-depth coverage of the +Oklahoma City Thunder as well the other 29 teams in the +NBA right here on +Slap Dog Hoops.  Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents Real NBA Moves: Kevin Durant Crossover Jab (featuring Zach LaVine)

Internationally renowned +NBA  trainer Drew Hanlen (of Pure Sweat Basketball) uses +Zach Lavine of the +Minnesota Timberwolves to teach the +Kevin Durant Crossover Jab -- a highly effective crossover move to get past your defender. To see Drew's full NBA training program, please visit http://www.PureSweatBasketball.com. Thanks for watching! SUBSCRIBE to the Stronger Team channel for NEW basketball performance videos every week: http://goo.gl/8fBV7A. You can purchase the full Stronger Team Training System here: http://strongerteam.3dcartstores.com/

Catch more great helpful, entertaining and challenging videos to help perfect your game and watch them being done in practice right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents from JRSportBrief: JR Smith Traded to Cavs! Dion Waiters to the Thunder! Who Got Better?

After quite a hiatus, +Slap Dog Hoops brings back an old staple, +JRSportBrief, to grace us all with his wisdom on all things +NBA. In this edition, JR discusses last night shocking trade news:  JR Smith and Iman Shumpert will be heading to the +Cleveland Cavaliers, +Dion Waiters will go to the +Oklahoma City Thunder, while the +New York Knicks  get cap space and will probably be looking to tank the season more likely. Who won out in this three team trade??  View more #JRWisdom and always keep up with all 30 +NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!   

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Thunder vs. Pistons, December 7th

+Kevin Durant  scored 28 points and dished out four assists as the +Oklahoma City Thunder  beat the +Detroit Pistons in Detroit. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Thunder vs. 76ers, December 5th

+Russell Westbrook  scored 27 points and +Serge Ibaka added 19 as the +Oklahoma City Thunder  beat the +Philadelphia 76ers  103-91. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents Kevin Durant's Season Debut

+Kevin Durant  put in a solid performance in his 2014-2015 season debut as the +Oklahoma City Thunder  fell to the +New Orleans Pelicans. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH's 2014/2015 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 9. Oklahoma City Thunder

+Oklahoma City Thunder  Overall Win/Loss Record :  59-23,  first place Northwest Division 2014/2015 Projection: 50-32, second place Northwest Division, fifth place Western Conference Projected 2014/2015 Finish 9
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 106.2 (5th) Points Allowed: 99.8 (12th) Team FG%: .471 (6th) Opponent’s FG%: .436 (3rd) Team FT%: .806 (2nd) Team Three Point FG%: .361 (14th) Rebounds per game: 44.7 (7th) Opponents rebounds per game: 40.9 (3rd) Turnovers per game: 14.8 (26th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.5 (10th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Kevin Durant (32.0) Rebounds per game:  Serge Ibaka (8.8) Minutes per game:   Kevin Durant (38.5) Assists per game:  Russell Westbrook (6.9) Field Goal Percentage: Nick Collison (.556) Free Throw Percentage: Reggie Jackson (.890)  Three Point FG Percentage:  Kevin Durant (.391) Steals per game:   Russell Westbrook (1.9) Blocked Shots per game:   Serge Ibaka (2.7)
Projected Opening Day Starters Based on Past Performances and Potential Impact: Reggie Jackson (PG) Russell Westbrook (SG) Perry Jones (SF) Serge Ibaka (PF) Kendrick Perkins (C)	Key Reserves Rank Based on Past Performances and Potential Impact:: Jeremy Lamb (G) Nick Collison (F/C) Anthony Morrow (G) Sebastian Telfair (G) Steven Adams (C)
Three years ago, it looked as if it would be just a matter of time until the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship and have a dynasty of their own; however, after two straight disappointing post seasons, not only does it seem like the Thunder's window of opportunity for  championship glory has closed, but it also looks as if this team is running on borrowed time.  Both the team's two key figures--reigning MVP Kevin Durant and his back court sidekick Russell Westbrook--will have two years left on their contracts and if the post season fortunes of the Thunder do not improve, they might find themselves in different uniforms by then.  Numerous big market teams such a the +New York Knicks, +Chicago Bulls, +Los Angeles Lakers, +Houston Rockets and +Miami HEAT  will be looking to snag either one or both Durant and Westbrook and will have the cap space to certainly make a play for them.  Surprisingly, another team that also seemed as unlikely location has also been added as another potential location is the +Washington Wizards, who will not only have the cap space, but also the hometown edge with Kevin Durant hailing from Baltimore, Maryland.  Nevertheless, time is running out for the Thunder and the last thing they need is a major setback such as having one of their Dynamic Duo out for a great portion of the season which may lead to disaster, especially in an already tight Western Conference. Sadly for Thunder, such a tragedy has already happened with the news that Kevin Durant will not be available for the first couple of months of the regular season due to breaking his foot; nonetheless, such news does not phase Oklahoma City fans as they know that as long as they have Westbrook at the helm, their playoff expectations will remain intact.  The problem will be if ever the Thunder lose both Westbrook and Durant at the start of the regular season which will leave the Thunder virtually unarmed and powerless; however, the chances of such a disastrous event to occur can be measured between slim and none.  If such an unlikely moment were to occur, though, the results would be disastrous as the Thunder has virtually no one to pick up the slack since the team's virtual identity has revolved around those two players for the past five or so years.   Even if both managed to return by mid season, the damage would have already been done with the Thunder falling behind in the standings that they may not be able to recover thanks to the rather oppressive hold of the Western Conference by the very few along with the emergence of young teams such as the +Phoenix Suns, +Sacramento Kings and +New Orleans Pelicans.  Just one slip up and the Thunder will find themselves completely losing their current and rather strong foothold in the West to middle of the range teams such as the +Dallas Mavericks, +Memphis Grizzlies, and +Denver Nuggets will be there to quickly snatch OKC's long standing place in the Western Conference. The team's front office did not help itself during the off season as it wasted its first draft picks taking two players that were not even in many analyst's draft board and created a rather noticeable logjam in the front court causing even more trouble for the team in the future.  In a draft that still had big name talented and athletic prospects such as +Cleanthony Early, +Thanasis Antetokounmpo, +KJ McDaniels, Glen Robinson III, Kyle Anderson and +Melvin Ejim still available, the Thunder used the draft pick they had claimed from the infamous +James Harden trade to select Mitch McGary--a player in which they did not need whatsoever.  McGary, a 7 foot center out of the +University of Michigan, was expected to fall to the mid to late second round, but the Thunder picked him thus increasing logjam of centers on its roster to five total.  That resulted in OKC having to trade away +Hasheem Thabeet and waiving the player they received in exchange to free up a roster spot for McGary; however, even with the departure of Thabeet, McGary still remains way down the team's totem pole playing behind Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, and Steven Adams thus resulting in him possibly not wearing a Thunder uniform for the entire season.  To make matters worse, save for Ibaka who led the team in rebounds and blocked shots per game last season, McGary joins a sad group of big men that have produces very little thus far and who the team are virtually stuck with for better or worse. Kendrick Perkins has been an absolute embarrassment for the Thunder after the team signed him to a very lucrative contract deal and for the past three years his production has dwindled from 5.1 points 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game to 3.4 points, 4.9 boards and 0.6 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game.  What's worse about Perkins is not just his declining production on the court or his extremely bad contract which thankfully expires once the seasons ends, but the sad fact that he is right now the best option at center for the Thunder.  Although he had a moderately decent rookie campaign which earned him All Rookie Second Team Honors, nothing much else is expected from second year center Steven Adams as he has been projected to have as much upside as Perkins thus making him not that much of an alternative.  Nick Collison has been a mainstay of the Thunder since the team was once called the Seattle Supersonics and at the advanced age of 34, he will no likely do any better than the 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game as his basketball career comes to a close.  As for McGary, he did not necessarily set the +NCAA on fire as he did not have a standout career in his two years in Michigan and only entered the draft because he would not have been able to play the following year due to being suspended for marijuana use. As if the McGary selection  at number 21 was bad enough, the Thunder's front office still had a chance to right their wrong as they still had the twenty ninth pick of the draft and with the likes of the aforementioned Early, Daniels, Antetokounmpo, Ejim, and Robinson among others. Unfortunately, instead of adding any one of those players who certainly would not have only been an excellent steal, but a great fall back plan if Kevin Durant got hurt or choose to sign elsewhere, the Thunder's decided to waste that pick again.  This time they choose some nobody from Stanford, whose last name when say very quickly sounds like "who's this"--something that many OKC fans asked themselves when their team selected him in the draft.  Like McGary, Josh Huestis certainly did not set the NCAA on fire with his career stats of just 7.2 points and 6.2 boards per game for +Stanford University; in addition to his less than stellar collegiate career, Huestis probably would have been available for the Thunder in the second round as he probably would have never been drafted, period.  So in summation, the Thunder could have had selected a much needed swing-man who could have been great option to fall back on especially with the injury to Durant, but instead selected two players who will most likely not even play this season due to the severe logjam of already mediocre players in the paint. Now with Durant out of the picture until at least January, the Thunder are left with no real option at the small forward position and will have no other choice but to use a far smaller player such as Jeremy Lamb or Anthony Morrow--both of whom are talented for their positions at shooting guard, but simply do not have the size or ability to keep up with NBA small forwards.  Unfortunately, like Durant, Lamb will also be riding the pine as he has yet to heal from a tweaked back injury during the preseason thus limiting the Thunder's options even more, so if a tragedy were to happen--let's say that Russell Westbrook were to be lost early in the season due to injury--this season certainly will not start off on the right foot.  In fact, such a loss can prove so damaging that it might prove fatal as OKC has the misfortune to reside in the most ruthlessly competitive of the two NBA conferences where even the slightest setback can drop a team from being among the top teams in the West to falling completely out of the playoff picture.  Hopefully Westbrook will remain healthy as he remains as the sole source of not only scoring, but leadership in this very vulnerable Thunder team and can at least tread water in the rather deep Western Conference until Durant returns to the court; however, even with him projected to start on opening tip off, it feels as if something bad is going to happen and everything that OKC fans have long feared might just happen.   It does not help that Durant's injury has occurred at the worst time: where the Thunder are virtually on the clock and are literally running out of time as their window for championship glory seems to slowly close with each passing game.  Perhaps losing Durant and Westbrook for an undetermined time will probably be good for the Thunder as the team as well as its fans will have to soon deal with the reality that neither of them may return once their contracts expire.  Fortunately for OKC, there are some bright spots in an otherwise bleak future thanks to Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson who not only both posted breakout performances last season, but also have the upside to just possibly become the future faces of the franchise if ever Durant and Westbrook decide to part ways with the Thunder; however, all of that is just speculation right now.  What should be focused on is the present and so far it does not have an bumps on the road, even with Durant sitting out the first couple months of the regular season; however, there still remains a trembling "what if," scenario if the Thunder's second franchise pillar sudden takes a fall once the season starts.

SDH Presents Russell Westbrook's Return to Action

+Russell Westbrook  scored 32 points and dished out eight assists in the +Oklahoma City Thunder  105-78 win over the +New York Knicks. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Jazz vs. Thunder, November 26th

Reggie Jackson (22 points, 8 assists) led the +Oklahoma City Thunder to a 97-82 victory over the +Utah Jazz. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Thunder vs. Nuggets, November 19th

+Wilson Chandler scored 21 points to lead the +Denver Nuggets  over the +Oklahoma City Thunder, 107-100. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Pistons vs. Thunder, November 14th

+Brandon Jennings  scored 29 points as the +Detroit Pistons  defeat edthe +Oklahoma City Thunder  96-89 in overtime. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!

SDH Presents NBA Recap: Thunder vs. Celtics, November 12th

Reggie Jackson and Anthony Morrow scored 28 apiece to lift the +Oklahoma City Thunder  to a 109-94 victory over the +Boston Celtics.   Visit nba.com/video for more highlights and always keep up with all 30+NBA teams right here on +Slap Dog Hoops. Also, please be kind enough to share this post by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest buttons below.  It would be greatly appreciated; Thanks!