Oklahoma City Thunder Team Preview 2010-2011 season
Kevin Durant has always been the good guy. Whether it was the grin he had while dominating college basketball, his youthful demeanor opposing Greg Oden's old man look as the 2007 NBA Draft neared or the charming way he handled his franchise moving between his rookie and sophomore seasons in the league.
This offseason, he solidified his likeability factor. With all of Cleveland burning LeBron James jerseys on national television, Durant quietly signed an extension to remain in small-market Oklahoma City. He then won the FIBA World Championships gold medal by single-handedly carrying the U.S. through the tournament. And he did it all with that impish grin.
It's funny, though. When we saw James dancing in commercials, we questioned whether his head was in the game. When we consider his relative lack of playoff success, we say he hasn't matured as a person even as his basketball skills are unmatched in the modern game.
Kevin Durant
Those issues rarely rise to the surface with Durant. Why? Because we like him. It's hard not to like him, really. But there's no way to ignore Durant's youth. As gifted as he is – and as gifted as this preseason has shown him to be, with the Thunder using him at every position – he's still the 22-year-old who shot 34.9 percent from the field in an opening-round playoff loss to the Lakers. He's still the kid that looked flustered by Ron Artest's physicality and probably hoisted a few too many shots.
That's the story of the Thunder roster entering this season. Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden and Serge Ibaka are an exciting, young group of role players with just enough talent around Durant that this team will win. A 60-win season, given the rapid evolution of Durant and Westbrook's potential as one of the two or three best young point guards in the game, is not out of the question.
But we have to keep our perspective. This is a team one season removed from a 23-59 record. Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic are the only rotation players with more than four years of experience. And as great as Durant is, and as great as he can be, he's still just 22 years old.
It's easy to root for this team. They've got all the pieces in place to be one of the league's best teams for the next decade. And if this group sticks together, it's easy to imagine them winning a title in the near future. But they're still building.
This offseason, the only real changes made to the team that went 50-32 last year were the additions of mediocre swingman Morris Peterson and first-round drat pick Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-11 defensive presence who probably sits third or fourth on the team's depth chart at center.
Some have suggested this will be the Thunder's year. That's idealistic thinking. It would be nice to see a team of fresh, young faces take on the Miami Heat's “Evil Axis” in the NBA Finals, but there are several better teams in the always-tough Western Conference.
Oklahoma City will have its day. Be patient.
Predicted Record: 54-28
Expected team roster:
Player Height Weight School/Country
PG Russell Westbrook 6-3 187 UCLA
SG Thabo Sefolosha 6-7 215 Switzerland
SF Kevin Durant 6-9 230 Texas
PF Jeff Green 6-9 235 Georgetown
C Nenad Krstic 7-0 240 Serbia
6. James Harden 6-5 220 Arizona State
7. Nick Collison 6-10 255 Kansas
8. Serge Ibaka 6-10 235 Republic of Congo
9. Eric Maynor 6-3 175 Virginia Commonwealth
10. Morris Peterson 6-7 220 Michigan State
11. Byron Mullens 7-0 275 Ohio State
12. Cole Aldrich 6-11 245 Kansas
13. D.J. White 6-9 251 Indiana
14. Daequan Cook 6-5 210 Ohio State
15. Royal Ivey 6-4 215 Texas
