[valentine]

OKC will win it all next year. Their starting lineup will be Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Cole Aldrich with a great bench that includes B.J. Mullens, D.J. White, Thabo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor, Daequan Cook, Morris Peterson, and Nick Collison thats STACKED and we will be champs!!!!!!!!!1

[Michael.S.Participant]

No you won’t, sorry. You will be good. Possibly a 6th seed but let’s not get crazy.

Also, i can’t believe you said we have “Mullins and D.J. White on the bench” as if it was a good thing

[knicks82Participant]

Lets not get carried away here. OKC will be good no doubt. But winning a championship is not too likely. I mean Ron Artest pretty much shut down Durant in the 1st rd, and if Durant isnt scoring then those other guys really need to step up big time.

[kanebangerParticipant]

cole aldrich wont be better than ibaka either

[catoosanumber22]

Wanna bet cash that we will win it all kid?

[catoosanumber22]

knicks82, two questions. 1, isn’t it past your bedtime? 2, are you knowledgable about basketball?

[Tyreke JohnsonParticipant]

Maybe some time in the next couple years but you are very premature, they did really well this season but in the talented, competitive Western Conference they are not making more then the 5th seed in the playoffs, I see them getting 6/7th seed this upcoming season. They can become a very scary team to go against though down the line, with so much young talent and unselfish players on the team, they not only have a lot of room to grow but wonderful team chemistry, they treat each other with great respect and work very well together.

[catoosanumber22]

i respect that opinion, and it is reasonable. However, we will surprise everyone as we did last year and we’ll win it all

[jeff416Participant]

I think they could be a top 3 seed in the west this year but I think there a few years away before they can win a championship.

[knicks82Participant]

Past my bedtime?…no. Im 28 yrs old. Im married with 2 kids. And i guarantee i know more basketball than you. And only immature kids comeback with a comment like that.

[eprizzle14Participant]

ive seen a lot of dumb bets, and betting on the Oklahoma City Thunder to win it all next season would be a bet I wouldnt pass up in a minute. It’s just too easy to take the field.

[jerb2011Participant]

When was the last time you heard of a player get shut down offensively but still average 25 points a game lol. But yea, I’m the biggest Thunder fan here but I highly doubt wins it all. Maybe 4-6 seed, but not champs. And down clown Byron Mullens DJ white until tey actually get PT. BJ was a rookie big man and we all know it takes big men 2-3 years before they are good, althought there are exceptions. And DJ White had 15pts and 11rebs in his rookie debut. The only reason he doesn’t play is because Serge came out of nowhere jumping out of the gym.

[knicks82Participant]

Ok he didnt shut him down. But he held him to 35% fg. 28% 3pt. he made 54 free throws. 43-123 from the field.

[buckeyefanParticipant]

Jerb2011

Those that say okc will only be a 6 or 7 seed,what other teams besides la do you think are better then them in the west?

[billykParticipant]

Every teams that wins championship has to go through the process….
* Lose in the 1st or 2nd round (a few times)
* Lose in the CF (once or twice)
Then the following year or two after they lose in the CF, then they usually take the BIG step and reach the Finals…

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

I don’t get it. How is Aldrich a 6-10, 236 lb center with little athleticism going to make enough of an impact to push this team to the championship?

He might become a solid shot blocker and rebounder eventually but I really don’t see him grabbing 10 boards and blocking 2 shots a game as a rookie. He’s going to get pushed around at first and will need time to adapt to the NBA game, just because he played three seasons in college does not make him NBA ready. Especially when he’s going to have to go up against guys like Bynum, Gasol, Stoudemire, Duncan, Camby, Oden, Kaman and Nene in the western conference. Not to mention possibly somebody like Howard, Perkins or Bogut if OKC makes it to the finals.

If OKC is ready to make the jump to being a championship team next year Aldrich will NOT be starting. Quite simply if Aldrich is starting as a rookie on a team they are not championship caliber.

[rtbtParticipant]

ItsDwightHoward, that’s a fair question. However, I disagree with you, I think Aldrich could be the missing ingredient. OKC has plenty of firepower on offense. What they need is a big man who will rebound and block shots. Those are two things a rookie can do immediately.

Aldrich is not John Wall but he’s very agile for a 6 ft 11 inch guy. You have to keep his athleticism in perspective, centers don’t have to move very far or very fast.

On another note, drafting Aldrich and the German center affirms that Sam Presti made a big mistake last year when he took BJ Mullens in the first round.

I also think Presti, who is a very good GM, made a huge mistake in the 2009 draft by taking Harden instead of Tyreke Evans.

[StF616Participant]

rtbt
How is taking evans over harden a mistake?
Sure, evans is the better player.
But do you really think okc needs a guy who dominates the ball like evans?
They already have a superstar in Durant,and a rising star in Westbrook.
When they took harden they got a good shooter and scorer as a starter off the bench
They dont need tyreke, he wouldnt even fit in well in Oklahoma

[rtbtParticipant]

StF616, here’s my take when you’re selecting in the top ten of the draft. It may also apply later in the first round, but it definitely applies to the first 5 or 6 players on the board.

1. Always draft the best player available! That’s especially true when the difference between your two choices is significant. With Harden vs Evans, it was very significant, a no brainer in my opinion.

2. NBA rosters change so fast, that drafting to fit a particular need usually becomes a moot point only 2 or 3 years later when players leave for free agency or are traded. But 2 or 3 years from now Evans will be an elite player on any team and you can’t say that about Harden.

Tyreke Evans is a fantastic player who will probably become a perennial All Star. At best, Harden will be a starter for OKC some day, but never an All Star.

Draft the elite player and then you can make trades to ensure the player you drafted is surrounded by the type of players that will make him successful.

By the way, Harden is a guy who also needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Isn’t that the same argument you made against Tyreke Evans? Do you agree?

[JoeWolf1]

They won’t win it all, but they are doing a good job building a team. I would expect them to advance past the first round and Ibaka could even play some power forward next to Aldrich and let Green play the 3 with Durant and Westbrook, when you have those guys at 1-3, you don’t need your 4 and 5 to score much, just shut down the other team and with Ibaka’s athleticism and Aldrich’s length and shot blocking that could be a very good lineup, but you’d still be able to play Durant at the 3 and Harden or Thabo at the two in other situations, they have alot of lineup options.

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

Did the Goofy Ass Wonder Cole Aldrich really just make the THunder a contender in front of my eyes and you guys didn’t respond with something in this tone…Cole would not have made a difference had he been a the Celtics in game 7…what makes you think he’ll have an impact to the effect of making the exiting 1st round exit team of the moment to Championship Caliber…WOW….OKC We-Tards…lay off the Pig’s Tits and bang your sister…

[JJeff6Participant]

where the hell did that come from? OKC is a good team but NOT a championship team. not this year or probably next or the year after that. it takes more time. and that lineup is good, but it wont compete with the lakers. I like Durant (who doesnt? lol) i like Jeff Green and I like Russel Westbrook a lot, but they need more depth off the bench. they have at least 3 guys on the bench that wont see significant minutes at all, leaving them with 9 reliable guys. Aldrich will be ok but not a savior

[[email protected]Participant]

Aldrich gives them a nice backup to Ibaka and Green, Latavious Williams also gives them the athlete they’ve needed to come in for Durant for a few minutes.

BJ Mullens was not a bad selection by the Thunder, they got him for free from Dallas, who wouldn’t take a free 19yr old center!

They will be either the 2,3 or 4, Denver has a shot to be the 2 and if Yao makes a goodcome back or Tiago goes to the Spurs then the Thunder will be the 4(doubt both will happen to make them 5).

C Ibaka, Kristic, Aldrich, Mullens
PF Green, Collison, Aldrich, White
SF Durant, Green, Williams
SG Harden, Sefolosha, Mo Pete, Weaver
PG Westbrook, Maynor, Weaver

Thats probally as good a 15 as any team in the League, just not the experience of the Lakers, Mavericks, Magic, and Celtics. If they can beat Houston or Sanantonio in a 4-5 series thet could make a run.

Championship is probally 2-3 years away, but they definatley have the alent to suprise.

[JJeff6Participant]

They kind of remind me of the clippers. They are a team that is very young and very talented. But im gonna say the same thing. They all have very little playoff experience. Now, granted they did play well against the lakers in the first round this year, but they just didnt seem to have the vetern leadership. After 3 years of making good playoff (but not championship) runs, they will have a good amount of experience, and they may become a championship contender at some point. what they need to do is sign a veteran who can provide a spark off the bench and would not need top dollar this year……Tracy McGrady? surely he cant expect the max dollars hes gotten in the past…..

[JoeWolf1]

Mark my words, I know I’m going to get some backlash from this comment, but Cole Aldrich is ready to contribute. No way does he play behind Kristic for long. Kristic is a soft jump shooting center, and OKC needs defensive toughness. I’ve said this multiple times, but just because a guy looks like he can’t play doesn’t mean he can’t. If Evan Turner called you on the phone, didn’t tell you his name, and told you he was going to be the #2 selection in the draft, would you believe him? Just because he looks goofy, doesn’t mean he isn’t going to make an impact. 8pts 8rbs 1.5 blocks as a rookie. He’ll tear it up in Summer league to get you haters to give him a second thought.

[JJeff6Participant]

OK….i agree he will contribute. Kristic sucks, hes wayyyyy too soft. he should start right now. hes their best option. i just dont think hes the answer to all of their problems. Nobody is hating on him, we’re mostly just saying he wont be the all start that OKC thinks they traded for. and im feeling more like 10 and 9 and 1 block a game. very solid numbers, but he wont ever be a dominating all star center

[rtbtParticipant]

spenserb1701@ya… said, ” BJ Mullens was not a bad selection by the Thunder”

1. He is 21 years old and was 20 last spring.

2. Do you think there were good reasons why Dallas, a team desperate for a good center, passed on him?

3. If he wasn’t so bad, why did he barely play the entire season? Since Kristic is such a soft player, you would think they could give Mullens 10-15 minutes per game.

3. Finally, if BJ Mullens wasn’t a bad selection, then why did Presti make all of those moves to draft not one, but two centers in the 2010 draft?

Joe Wolf:

As usual, excellent points on Aldrich. The best part for OKC is he doesn’t have to do anything other than rebound and block shots which happen to be his only two strengths. And those also happen to be two skills that rookies can handle immediately.

[IknoBall12Participant]

team is gonna be really exciting to watch this year. i think the cole aldrich addition was great. but i saw sumbodys starting lineup and im sorry but serge ibaka is not going to be starting at center. anyway i think the thunder have a realistic possiblilty at getting a top 5 seed next year. with durant westbrook and the rest of the guys getting better and maturing everyday its only a matter of time before they wreak havok on the league.

[IknoBall12Participant]

team is gonna be really exciting to watch this year. i think the cole aldrich addition was great. but i saw sumbodys starting lineup and im sorry but serge ibaka is not going to be starting at center. anyway i think the thunder have a realistic possiblilty at getting a top 5 seed next year. with durant westbrook and the rest of the guys getting better and maturing everyday its only a matter of time before they wreak havok on the league.

[mgreener_34Participant]

” he wont be the all start that OKC thinks they traded for”

I’m pretty sure no one thinks Cole is going to be an all-star, not even the Thunder. They gave up two low picks for a player that at worst is going to be a good role player. Thats great value. I see Cole the same way as I see Kendrick Perkins. A 6’10 big body who will play defense, and grab you some boards. He’s not as good defensively, but he’ll be playing the same role.

Plus do people seem to forget the Thunder were one of the best teams last year when it came to blocks and rebounds? All they needed was a big body to make it harder for the other team to get the ball really.

“BJ Mullens was not a bad selection by the Thunder, they got him for free from Dallas”

Not really, they swapped picks. The other guy they traded…Roddy Boubois, an interesting prospect in his own right. Would have been perfect for the Thunder.

[JJeff6Participant]

im just saying that hes not the solution to the problem. and those picks werent too low. they were 21 and 26. they still could have gotten some good players with those picks. and im sure they had good thoughts in mind for cole aldrich, because if you remember, they were trying to trade up to get him about a week before the draft. obviously they think that he will be pretty good.

[mgreener_34Participant]

What problem are you talking about lol? The team is still one of the youngest in the NBA, and like I said already one of the best rebounding and defensive teams. They just need to grow. It’s not like the Cavs who “need to find a solution to the problem”. It’s more like “This team needs more experience”.

I know where your coming from though. Most people thought they were going to do some monster trade or sign, and were disappointed because they sort of played it safe. But I think in the long run this was the best solution now that it’s obvious they aren’t getting Bosh or any other big name free agent. If you look at the players left in the draft at that point not many of them have the promise that Cole has. And your forgetting that the thunder had to get rid of those picks. They couldn’t have that many guys signed to contracts, even more so because they aren’t a sure thing; Which Aldrich is.

[OhCanada-Participant]

I wouldnt rule it out. OKC proved they can take it to the Lakers. Right now name 3 teams in the west that are better.

[JJeff6Participant]

okay there was never a “problem” but im just saying that aldrich wont win them a championship. It still isnt too late to trade for a guy like vince carter, maybe send them maynor, Ibaka, and a future 1st or 2nd round pick. im just throwing stuff like that out there.

[rtbtParticipant]

sunsturnaround, I like Vince Carter but did you see what happened in Orlando. They were a better team with Turkoglu who knew how to distribute the basketball.

[JJeff6Participant]

oh i know! im just throwing veteran names out there that the thunder could possibly trade for and free up some roster space. that was just an idea. also turkoglu didnt produce as well as everyone thought he would in toronto.

[mgreener_34Participant]

They just spend a top three pick on a SG, and really aren’t looking to trade for a player on their last legs. Keep in mind this is a team who just started rebuilding. They don’t have that “win now” demeanor to them just yet. Give Harden some more time, and just the team in general. Look how much KD and Westbrook improved last year. They now have great rebounder’s at the PG, SG, SF, and C position with Ibaka coming of the bench. This team is going to be really exciting to watch grow, and the key is Kevin Durant not a Cole Aldrich. KD like LeBron before him needs to step it up when it matters most.

[rtbtParticipant]

sunsturnaround, the team dynamics in Toronto were very different than they were in Orlando where Turkoglu was a perfect fit and Carter wasn’t. Toronto wasn’t the kind of team were Turkoglu fit in. I still can’t believe he decided to go there.

I don’t see anything in OKC which would make me believe Hedo would fit in there any better than he did in Toronto. He might, but I would be very surprised. Besides, offense isn’t a problem in OKC.

[Author]

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