[RondoJB11Participant]

I was reading on the nba.com power rankings and the Thunder were rated 6 overall. I agree with this because they just added a knew young center in aldrich and everyone else is a year older. I think they could possibly be second in the west this year and win 55 to 58 games or so this year. They can compete with the Lakers and this time won’t have to play them in the playoffs. Does anyone else think they can be title contenders this year?

[catoosanumber22]

hell yeah they got Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook, Nick Collison, Morris Peterson, Eric Maynor, Byron Mullens, DJ White, And Serge Ibaka now that is stacked

[TyroberParticipant]

they are a very good team but they wont be winning a championship this year. Cole Aldrich is going to be a stud but lets not forget he will be a rookie. Nobody is going to want to play them in the playoffs. All the pieces on there but they just need to get a little older

[ChrischiParticipant]

I think they have a very good chance getting home court advantage. Around 55+ wins

[romeeezybabyParticipant]

As an 8th seed. If it wasn’t for Gasol’s game winning tip in game 5 the series would have gone to 7! The OKC Thunder were a matchup nightmare against the Lakers.

They have a guard in Westbrook who gives the Lakers problems due to his athleticism and penetration ability. Durant is Durant and will always get his 25-35 ppg. Green was a non factor against the Lakers because the Lakers made him work downlow in the post w/Gasol and Odom. Harden is a player that I have always liked since his days in Artesia HS here in Cali. His upside is huge, expect for him to start at the 2.

Sefolosha, Maynor, Cook are good bench players who give the Thunder a lot more options off the bench. Ibaka surprised the heck out of everybody with his playoff performance against the Lakers. Mullens has looked solid and is showing why he was so highly regarded out of High School. DJ White could be the Carl Landry of the OKC Thunder in terms of being a scrappy, do the dirty work type of player.

I really like what the front office has done to build around Kevin Durant, and if you ask me, as Kobe and the Lakers get older look for the OKC Thunder to compete with the Heat as one of the premier teams in the NBA and NBA Championship contenders year in and year out.

[idunnonymoreParticipant]

i think bj mullens is take a big step for 7 points 4reb and harden too he ll be a big time scorer and serge ibaka gonna get better gonna start imo.

[duhrant35Participant]

Neither of these guys will be studs, but they will be servicable. I think alrich replicates nick collison a lot, so who knows if that was a good trade. With improvements from the entire team, the Thunder will be very exciting and I do think they will win 53+ games and be a top 4 seed. All they need to be a legit title contender is to get a 4/5 who has enough length to defend Bynum/Gasol and to maybe score a little in the post. I’m really hoping they make a big offer for Al Horford when he becomes a restricted free agent, and that could moke Ibaka to the 5 and have jeff green coming off the bench in a lamar odom type role.

[catoosanumber22]

Aldrich and Harden will be studs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[sc0rebuckets11Participant]

trade jeff green, that team will be championship bound.

I just don’t think they can win with him at the 4.

[Russell0WestbrookParticipant]

whenever you have a talented team and an assian like KD you can always compete for a ship this is a good team with a lether scorer KD is a special talent that can will a team to wins and win you have that you always have a chance. then you have Westbrook going into year 3, thabo locking people up, KD being KD, Green being the glue guy, Aldrich blocking shots grabbing boards and that just the starters. Bench: Maynor, Harden, Ibaka, Collison, Kristic, Cook, Mullens, DJ White this is the deepest team in the league

[Russell0WestbrookParticipant]

If the playoffs were any indication Westbrook will be a major force this year as he started turning the ball over a lot less

[stanford hoops]

Good team. Not title contenders yet. They aren’t better then a healthy Houston or Denver team and y’all keep forgetting about Portland when healthy. Another case of people jumping on the bandwagon of a new young up and coming team

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

IMO, They need more heartbreak. They need to get some more playoff grit.

I think they need to look for a playoff series win first.

[wd40rocksParticipant]

I am pretty sure that there is no such thing as a healthy Denver team….

[stanford hoops]

And that can easily be okc. Injury doesn’t play favorite and I’m guessing everything is based on players being healthy correct

[PlatypusParticipant]

Thabo needs to start, who else will defend the Mello’s, Kobe’s, and Ginobli’s

He’s the defender that they need

[JNixonParticipant]

OKC and Denver would be a great series. They have alot of the same matchups.

Billups and Westbrook would be a great PG battle.

Sefolosha and Afflalo is the matchup of the DEFENSIVE-MINDED 5th option

Anthony and Durant would be the matchup of elite scorers.

Kenyon Martin/Birdman (to a lesser extent) and Jeff Green is the matchup of the stretch PF.

Krstic and Nene is the matchup of the offensive-minded, mediocre rebounding and below average D low post men. Who play soft.

And J.R. Smith and Harden is the matchup of the instant offensive 6th man.

That would be an AMAZING series

[ChrischiParticipant]

I don’t think Nene is soft. Seriously where is he soft? That guy is pure muscle, you can’t compare him to Kristic at all.

But the rest is totally true. I like the defensive SG as a starter and the instant offense 6th-Man SG strategy.

[JNixonParticipant]

If you’re as big and as strong as Nene is, you should pull down more rebounds and play better D than he does. You can’t be tough down low if you don’t rebound or defend.

[ChrischiParticipant]

I think Nene would rebound more on a different team. I mean he plays next to Kenyon and Chris Anderson, two double doubles waiting to happen and Carmelo who is a good rebounder for his position as well.

I don’t think he’s a leet rebounder, but put him next to a Jeff Green for instance and play him 2-3 minutes more and I think he could average close to 10reb.

His defense is average though. Atleast he leads the league in steals from the center position.

[Author]

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