Preseason Preview

The Thunder have already surpassed their win total from last year after their 24th win Wednesday against the Timberwolves. They were a hot pick to make the playoffs and are right in the mix for one of the final spots.

They remind me a lot of the Trail Blazers from 2007-08. The Blazers had loads of talent but they hadn’t played enough together and were too young to make a push for a playoff spot, but their future was bright. The Thunder are in the same boat but a weaker Western Conference means the possibility of a playoff trip.

Kevin Durant is playing like an MVP. He’s third in the league in scoring and is the leader of the most improved team this season. The Thunder can beat any team on any given night but have yet to be able to do it consistently enough to assure them a playoff spot.

Ready to Breakout vs. Reality: Russell Westbrook is morphing into a good point guard. He’s a great scorer and has improved his passing ability as well. If he becomes a threat from the outside he’ll be an All-Star.

Over the Hill vs. Reality: Etan Thomas hasn’t played in over a month but no injury has been reported. It looks like we won’t be seeing much of Thomas the rest of the season.

Worst Moment: Any time they play Houston. The Thunder have lost to the Rockets all three times they’ve faced them this year. The difference has been the Thunder’s three-point shooting. They’ve hit just five of 40 three-pointers in the three games combined.

Best Moment: On December 31, the Thunder beat the Jazz to cap a five-game winning streak. It was the first time in four years the franchise had won five in a row (dating back to Seattle). Durant scored 31 points, marking his sixth straight game scoring at least 30.

Best Case Scenario: The Thunder make the playoffs and face an older team like the Mavericks or Spurs and are able to upset them in the first round.

Worst Case Scenario: Youth wins out over talent and they wind up below .500.

NBA Midseason Reports