2015-2016 NBA Preview: Make-or-break season for OKC Thunder, Durant and Westbrook
For all intents and purposes, it’s a make-or-break season for the Oklahoma City Thunder with the looming free agency of superstar forward Kevin Durant. Simply put, the decision of their franchise player will most likely hinge on how deep into the postseason the Thunder will be playing.
The team will be lead once again by Durant and fellow superstar Russell Westbrook. Both have proven that they can co-exist with each other, at least in the sense that they still deliver big numbers. Durant averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while Westbrook averaged 28.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game last season.
Curiously, the uptick in Westbrook’s career-high numbers came in a season when Durant played in just 27 of 82 regular season games because of injuries.
The Thunder have always come up short in the postseason in a bid for an NBA title. The deepest run they had was in the shortened season of 2011-2012 when they lost in the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Durant signed a five-year deal worth $89.2 million (AU $122.73 million) with the Thunder in 2011 but is due for another bigger contract extension after the upcoming season. Multiple teams are reportedly, and expectedly, clearing up cap space or already has cap space, to make room for Durant, who is considered one of the best players in the entire league.
Pegged to chase Durant are the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, among many other NBA squads. But with the looming huge increase in the salary cap, there could be more teams that will join the Durant’s sweepstakes.
There’s also a critical coaching change for the upcoming season. OKC fired long-time head coach Scott Brooks and replaced him with Billy Donovan, who has had a successful coaching stint in college but is a rookie head coach in the pro league.
For all the criticism on Brooks, he still has led the Thunder to a combined record of 377-241 in the regular season and playoffs in seven years as head coach in Oklahoma City. For a first-year head coach, Donovan will be pressured to deliver success immediately for OKC.
The Thunder management knows the risk of losing Durant via free agency if they do not perform well this year. They re-signed Enes Kanter to a four-year contract worth over $70 million (AU $96.31 million), a move crticised by some quarters as an overpay because the big man is effective in only one side of the floor. However, OKC knows that he is a skilled offensive bigman and can help them this season, especially in the playoffs against an even tougher Western Conference field.
Returning for the Thunder are Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow and Steven Adams, who are all expected to be part of the rotation for the upcoming season. OKC missed the postseason last year but is expected to be one of the top teams in 2015-2016. The bigger question is how will they perform in the playoffs against the likes of the defending champion Golden State Warriors, re-tooled San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets plus other West contenders, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.
2015-2016 Oklahoma City Thunder Projected Depth Chart:
Point Guards: Russell Westbrook/D.J. Augustin
Shooting Guards: Andre Roberson/Anthony Morrow/Dion Waiters
Small Forwards: Kevin Durant/Kyle Singler/Steve Novak
Power Forwards: Serge Ibaka/Nick Collison/Mitch McGary
Centres: Enes Kanter/Steven Adams
Other 2015-2016 NBA Season Team Previews:
New Bulls’ main man Jimmy Butler to lead Chicago in new season
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers look forward to return to NBA Finals
Atlanta Hawks return with same core, poised for another postseason run
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