After an unlucky past few years which all ended early due to reasons beyond the control of the Thunder—Westbrook’s injury in 2013, Ibaka’s calf injury in 2014 and Durant in 2015—Oklahoma City are focused this year, more so than ever with the return and prayer for full health for the upcoming season.
While the reasons mentioned above were clearly not what the Thunder had in mind, the fact that this upcoming season is that last shot for the organization at success leads fans and analysts alike to point the finger at someone.
In this case, the finger is to be pointed at General Manager Sam Presti and the front office.
Presti started this downward slope in 2012 when he traded away James Harden and followed up by adding an unnecessary Kendrick Perkins to a mix where he didn’t belong. Furthermore, he kept Scott Brooks at the Head Coach position, when all along Brooks was ultimately known for running a system-less offense. Thus the reason why stars like Durant and Westbrook appreciated him—he let them run wild and build themselves an ‘iso-oriented’ offensive personality.
If we take the attention away from the Thunder for a minute and focus on what other teams would have done with the collection of these stars, we would be demolishing the career of the General Manager for not being able to put the supporting pieces around them to lead them to the promise land. Yet, the one reason we have yet to do so with Presti is that OKC is a small market and thus do not have the funds to put all the pieces together. Nonetheless, Presti’s career, the Thunder’s future and the success of the players on the team all depend on Kevin Durant. If he for any reason were to miss this upcoming season due to injury, all the above listed dependents would turn out for the worst.
For those who haven’t figured out why the deadline is the summer of 2016—Kevin Durant will become a free agent and hasn’t explicitly stated that the Thunder will be his definite home post free agency.
Russell Westbrook’s health is also an issue and could cause the same results as that of a potential Durant injury. Yet, his knees have not been an issue after the surgery a few years ago but his reckless and energetic style of play cause his health to be at risk at all times.
With all that in account, the weight is on the shoulders of Billy Donovan who has yet to coach an NBA minute in his career. His strength of team chemistry and point-guard oriented offense could come as a blessing and may be the piece to finish the puzzle.
Everything is on the line and the Thunder have a pivotal year ahead of them. From the looks of it, they have the right mindset, the right roster, the right chemistry and the right motivation to go after the NBA Championship. The season will be one for the ages.
