Where Do The Thunder Go From Here?

The Oklahoma City Thunder once again were knocking on the door of an NBA championship only to fall short of their goal. Kevin Durant deservedly won MVP, but he clearly was unable to will his team to victory against the more balanced San Antonio Spurs, who will face the two time defending NBA Champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals beginning Thursday. Durant's inability to will his team to victory has much more to do with the supporting cast around him than it does with him not stepping up in the series. Outside of Russell Westbrook, Durant has nobody else on his team who he can rely on to score. Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson do average in double figures, but neither of them make up for the absence of James Harden.

The harsh reality for the Thunder is that even with the league's best player in Kevin Durant and a top-ten player in Russell Westbrook, they do not have enough to win a championship. The bench is too thin and inconsistent and the interior is solid but not dominant. The difficult question that the Thunder have to ask themselves as well as answer is "Where do we go from here?" The answer to that question is far from obvious, but I will try to throw out a few ideas.

The first answer to this question that is most straight forward is to fire Scott Brooks, their head coach. There are a lot of quality coaches looking for work (E.g. Lionel Hollins, Alvin Gentry, and Mark Jackson). If the Thunder feel like what they have on their roster is enough to win a title, then firing Brooks makes sense. I personally don't believe that they have enough on their roster to win a title, but the Thunder could easily argue that a team that has Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka by default should be a contending team. I certainly wouldn't be shocked if they held this position, and if they do, then Brooks likely gets the axe.

The second possible option is to trade Russell Westbrook. This move is risky, but the rewards could be high depending on what they get back. Westbrook at times takes the ball out of Durant's hands and tries to take over when it really needs to be Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have shown to be able to co-exist on the floor, but that doesn't mean that they can win a title together. Durant might benefit from having a better supporting cast around him that can help him out in more areas but also let him be the alpha dog. Westbrook is clearly a double-edged sword for Durant and the Thunder. He scores really well and can take pressure off by taking over games, but he also takes a lot of ill-advised shots and doesn't always let Durant take over the game when he needs to. For the right price (and it has to really be the right price), letting Westbrook go is the smart move.

The third option is pretty radical and highly unlikely, but still possible. That option is to keep Kevin Durant but view everybody else as expendable and open to being traded. This means Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Steven Adams, and everybody else on the team not named Kevin Durant can be traded. This sounds insane, but it is an option. If the Thunder want to keep Durant happy, they may want to see what they can get back for a few different players. Could they acquire Kevin Love? Could they pry away Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes? There are some good players in the NBA who would be great alongside Kevin Durant. Blowing up the team through trading for other quality players is an option that the Thunder should consider, though I doubt they'll do it.

The fourth option is to stand pat and gun for the #1 seed. Maybe if they have another year of experience and growth under their belts, this same core group of guys can win it all if they get the #1 seed in the Western Conference and have home court advantage. The problem with this decision is that indicates that nothing is wrong with the team and nothing needs to be fixed. That's a hard sell when your team hasn't been to the NBA Finals in 2 years and with the Western Conference continuing to grow strong with the rise of the Warriors, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Clippers.

I personally think the Thunder have to do something. What exactly, I don't know, but if I had to make a move I would strongly consider firing Scott Brooks and trading Russell Westbrook. Those two moves are the simplest moves to make and moves that can yield the highest rewards. If Kevin Durant truly doesn't have enough around him, then the Thunder need to think about dealing their best asset, which is Russell Westbrook. They might get themselves an overall better package of players to help him win if they trade Westbrook for the right price. Also, firing Brooks almost seems too obvious of a move to make. He has made some shaky coaching moves related to his rotation like playing guys too long, and he doesn't exactly seem to be the kind of guy who makes great tactical decisions in games. Combine that with the fact that there are quality coaches looking for work and all of a sudden Scott Brooks becomes really expendable.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Defining Moments......The Los Angeles Clippers

The Final Chapter has yet to be written.......

There are times when a victory can change the course of a series in the NBA Playoffs and today was no exception but ironically the same can be said of a defeat.  The Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers engaged in a battle that will likely be remembered in the annals of time as one of the most significant playoff games in the history of the respective franchises.  The Thunder were 12 minutes, 720 seconds from escaping Los Angeles with a 3-1 series lead and a 90% chance of moving to the NBA's Western Conference Finals.  The Clippers and more so Chris Paul were 12 minutes, 720 seconds away from once again questioning one's place in the NBA after potentially preparing to suffer another second round loss and then it happened.

It was run that has been orchestrated in the past by the likes of the Thunder and the two time defending NBA Champion Miami Heat but the scoring outburst this time belonged to the Clippers and it came at the expense of one of the NBA's best defenses.  While on cruise control and at one point leading by 22 points in the first half, the Thunder was then outscored 38-24 in the 4th quarter by a resurgent Clippers team that was as close to being run out of their home arena as a franchise could be.  The plight of the Clippers has been well documented over the last 2 plus weeks and as the NBA world along with the real world were caught up with the salacious details, the players of the Clippers were united in a way that's greater than sports and entertainment, young men on a quest not only to win an NBA Championship but to also prove that they belong in a world that continues to shun them, disrespect them and treat them as the hired help.

The Thunder stood united behind the media's "MVP" in Kevin Durant, the "best basketball player" in the NBA.  It was a time where the eye test trumps the analytics of those who try to appear smarter than they are.  40 points on 50% shooting from the field, all the while converting 15 of 18 free throws should equate to a win for Durant and the Thunder but sadly that wasn't the case.  What was't visible in the numbers of the world of analytics is how the media's "MVP" failed to convert in the closing moments of the game.  Durant, standing at 6'10 seemed ineffective as the 6 foot Chris Paul crowded his airspace.  99.9 percent of the time 6'10 trumps 6 foot but when it mattered the most, Oklahoma City's Mr. Unreliable proved to be just that as he was pestered and bamboozled by the suffocating defense of the diminutive Paul.  As the war of attrition came to a close, a mini duel erupted between former UCLA teammates Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison.  Fueled by a three point shot by the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford to put the Clippers ahead for the first time in the game, Collison would have the last laugh as he scored the Clippers last 4 points on layups.

12 minutes, 720 seconds away from almost guaranteeing a spot in the Western Conference Finals to now having given birth to a franchise that's hungry for more than an NBA Championship.  Giving that team life is a colossal mistake on the part of the Thunder and the media's "MVP".  Due to allowing the Los Angeles Clippers to become only the 10th team in the shot clock era to win a playoff game after trailing by 17 plus points after one quarter of play, the Oklahoma City Thunder has opened the pandora's box of a city, a nation that will support this team as they not only fight for the right to win the champion but also to prove that yes they do belong against the will of those who continually try to oppress them.  Championship teams don't blow leads, championship teams come back from seemingly impossible leads.  The Oklahoma City Thunder has welcomed the Los Angeles Clippers to have their first of many defining moments.

The Final Chapter has begun........

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NBA MVP: Kevin Durant

There are times when it's ok to admit that one was wrong, wrong in judgment or assumption.  Wrong with a life altering decision or wrong with choosing which sneaks to lace up for a daily trip to the court that we all love.  The one constant here is being wrong but then comes the acceptance of one's....wrong.  The admission that a mistake was made and the journey to move forward can be life altering, mind calming.  The following is an admittance that yes I was wrong and despite wanting to be right so bad I was blind to what was happening in front of me, Kevin Durant, of the Oklahoma City is the NBA's Most Valuable Player.  The picture to the right illustrates my most significant image of Durant, succumbing to the immense gravity of the moment after a devastating defeat in the 2012 NBA Finals, a Finals that I attended but the significance of that image has been eviscerated in the mind of many.  The winds of change are constantly flowing through the NBA and now Durant stands a top of the shoulders of giants as the new face of the league.

Being anointed as next in line is a pressure that many have succumbed to.  Ghosts of NBA's Past like Anfernee Hardaway and Grant Hill had fallen victim to being once herald as the face of the league.  Greats like Kobe Bryant carried the mantle but many saw Bryant as being prepped his entire life for the moment.  Durant took a slightly different path, growing up in the Washington D.C. area and playing on several AAU teams which also featured NBA stars Michael Beasley and Ty Lawson.  That's where of legend of "35" was born, the grit of "Chocolate City" gave birth to Durant and it was a tragedy that allowed the ascension to begin.  Kevin Durant begin wearing the #35 to honor his AAU coach Charles Craig who was murdered at the age of.......35.

Fast forward to this current season and 4 scoring championships later, Kevin Durant has without a doubt proved that he is ready to carry the mantle.  This season alone he went on a terrible scoring tear all the while putting the NBA on notice by scoring at least 25 points in 41 consecutive games breaking a record held by NBA Legend Michael Jordan.  The irony is that Durant didn't care about breaking Jordan's record; it was a natural occurrence as Durant paced the Oklahoma City Thunder on his back night after night to eventually lead then to the 2nd overall playoff seed in the NBA's Western Conference.  Durant was able to accomplish this despite his dynamic teammate Russell Westbrook missing 35 games due to various knee injuries.  The regular season saw Durant average 32 points (career high), 5.5 assists (career high) and 7.4 rebounds per game which was stellar considering that Durant has yet to max out his abilities, his ascension continues season by season.

One is hungry for more and the other wants to keep what he has

In order to reach this moment in time, a moment where he is now officially recognized as the games best player, Kevin Durant had to displace the two time defending MVP in LeBron James.  James's goal was to keep what was his while Durant was hungry for more but for Durant this is not the final destination.  A perfect season would include winning his first NBA Championship and it would be heavenly if he were to vanquish LeBron James and the Miami Heat to do so, erasing the stinging sin of losing to James in the Finals of 2012.  The anticipation of a rematch occurring this season is astronomical and parallels can even be made to a season 21 years ago where again one was hungry for more and the other wanted to keep what he had.

At that time Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were fighting for the right to 3 peat and he was challenged by good friend Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns who had the league's best record at 62-20.  Jordan was the time 2 defending MVP and Barkley, in his first year in Phoenix, was hungry for more and captured the league's MVP with averages of 25.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 12.2 rebounds per game.  The two Basketball Hall of Famers engaged in an epic battle during the 1993 NBA Finals which saw Jordan average 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.  The 1993 NBA Finals saw Jordan average the most points per game in his six finals appearances and after six grueling games, the Bulls stood victorious and despite the hunger of Barkley, Jordan was able to keep what he had.  Despite the loss, from that moment on Barkley was considered as an all-time great in the history of the league and 3 short years later during the ending chapters of his career, Barkley was named alongside of Jordan as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players.

If hindsight is indeed 20/20 then it's easy to say that despite setting the league on fire this past regular season, Kevin Durant could once again fall in the NBA Finals at the hands of LeBron James.  In similar fashion to Barkley, Kevin Durant can move from the realm "potentially" to being considered as one of the games all-time greats; a feat even more incredible once one realizes that Durant is still entering his prime.  A second loss in the NBA Finals could propel Durant into the stratosphere, the process of turning a negative into a positive akin to Kobe Bryant who led the Los Angeles Lakers to back to back championships after being defeated in the finals by the Boston Celtics (2008).

Lasting images are as powerful as they come and despite Kevin Durant being an NBA player with tremendous talent, the image of his NBA Finals failure from 2012 is etched in my mind, forged by the pain of defeat and the fire displayed not by Durant but by teammate Russell Westbrook.  He's gotten a pass by many insiders but will receive no such pass here.  Call it selfish, wrong or even hater-ish but out of respect for his talent, respect for the rivalry that I want and need in the NBA and respect for the league's future; I need my lasting image of Kevin Durant to simply be raising this................................

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Grizzlies grind is too much for Thunder in Game 3

The Memphis Grizzlies 98-85 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder proved as to why the FedExForum is nicknamed the "Grindhouse" as the Grizzlies controlled this game from start to finish despite a few scares in the closing seconds of regulation and overtime to go up 2-1 in this Western Conference series.

In Game 3 against the Thunder, the "Grindfather" aka Tony Allen showed the TNT viewers as to why he's one of the most elite defenders in the NBA despite his advanced age. Allen held Durant to 10-for-27 from the field which included 0-8 from the 3-point line. It's quite clear that Allen is messing with psyche of Durant even though the scoring champ of the regular season thinks otherwise as he said after Game 2.

"He's making it tough, but it's not like I'm just nonexistent. I don't know what you guys have been watching. He's just making me work, like everybody else will."

Allen had a bunch of energy going in the fourth quarter but committed a bad foul as Thunder guard Russell Westbrook rose up for a 3-pointer and drained the shot sending him to the line for a 4-point. Also in the closing seconds of overtime Allen yet again fouled Westbrook with 0.9 seconds left in the game but like Durant in Game 2, an incredible 4-point play was accompanied by a tough loss.

Speaking of Game 2, it was like that game was somewhat replayed in Game 3 with Durant (10/27) and Westbrook (9/26) hoisting up similar amount of shots as both finished with 30 points apiece. Both All-Stars had the opportunity to tie the game up but missed their field-goals to become the heroes of the night. Serge Ibaka is the only other Thunder player to score 10+ but he was just filling up space as his presence was hardly felt. 

MVP: Mike Conley Jr. led Memphis with 20 points and 5 assist, big-man Zach Randolph "Z-Bo" also chipped in with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Key Stat: Memphis key to victory was their bench as they won that battle 34-9 

Game 4 is Saturday at 9:30 p.m. EST

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Will the OKC Thunder break through in the West?

No doubt it's been yet another stellar season for Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  OKC clinched the #2 seed with a record of 59-23 and will soon face the Memphis Grizzlies (the same foe who dealt Oklahoma City with a bitter second round defeat last season) in round one of the NBA Playoffs. Russell Westbrook, despite all the knee surgeries, seems healthy and ready to go. Kevin Durant in all likelihood will capture his first Most Valuable Player Award, but will this all be enough to push the Thunder over the top in this year's playoffs?

The road to the Finals will be tougher than ever for any Western Conference contender this season. All top four seeds have the talent to make it to the NBA Finals and this will perhaps pan out to be the greatest Western Conference playoffs of all time. Although not as deep as the team that made it to the 2012 Finals (lost 4-1 to the Miami Heat), the current incarnation of the Thunder has an improved  Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka as well a more mature Russell Westbrook which has somewhat made up for the loss of James Harden. With that being said the Thunder are still in desperate need of consistent scoring off the bench. They were able to lure Caron Butler to Oklahoma City after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks but he hasn't made much of a contribution scoring wise, which is what the Thunder were anticipating when he was signed.

Overall, the formula for a Thunder title is simple:  Get Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook going, and make sure the others keep up. The load can't be placed squarely on the dynamic duo's shoulders every night, or else we will see the same result as we did last season (Westbrook's injury didn't help much either). With the west as wide open as it is this year, players like Serge Ibaka (who is a stud in his own right), Reggie Jackson, Caron Butler, as well as Thabo Sefolosha will need to consistently be there every night because you can't expect them to win a championship without playing like a team (ala Heat vs Mavs, 2011). One advantage OKC does have, is that no matter what team comes out of the east, if they manage to get out of the west, they will have the home court advantage, which is significant to them because no one wants to come play at Chesapeake Energy Arena. With the Finals being switched back to the 2-2-1-1-1 format, it's a huge upgrade from 2012, where they split at home and lost the next three straight on the road.

If the Thunder fail to break through this season, expect huge ramifications. The "LeBron" mark will be placed on Kevin Durant, becoming known as one of those superstars without a title. Could the team clean house and start over (around Westbrook, Durant, and Ibaka)? Doesn't seem too unlikely, considering some of their role players are well beyond their prime. This will undoubtedly be the toughest road to an NBA Finals appearance in the modern era, but if anyone can make it out of the west, my money is on the soon-to-be MVP and his crew. To answer the question, can the Oklahoma City Thunder win this year's NBA title? Absolutely. Will they? That's why it's called the playoffs, we're just going to have to wait and find out.

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NBA Playoffs: Western Conference 1st Round Preview

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs Dallas Mavericks (8)

The Spurs have ignored the murmurs of them being too old to contend for the Championship once again, and not only have they secured the top seed in the West, but also home court advantage throughout the playoffs. They have also accomplished this while managing the minutes of every player on the team, with no-one playing an average of more than 30 minutes per game. This is a great testament to the coaching of Gregg Popovich, who continues to get the most out of his team no matter who is on the court.

The Mavs were able to sneak into the playoffs after beating the much improved Phoenix Suns in a battle for the eight spot. Dirk Nowitzki has been instrumental once again in his team making the playoffs, with his 21.7 points per game landing him joint 12th in the league in scoring. He has been aided by an unlikely Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Vince Carter, who has provided some much needed offense off the bench.

This battle of Texas has the potential to be a walkover. The Spurs are well rested and will be looking to get this series over with as quickly as possible so they can get an extra few days rest before the next series. The Spurs swept the season series 4-0, and I expect the same result here. Despite the potential sweep, it will be great to see arguably two of the greatest power forwards of all time, Nowitzki and Duncan, lock horns once again in the playoffs. Duncan currently has a slight 14-12 advantage over Nowitzki in playoff games played against each other, expect that margin to grow.

Winner: Spurs in 4.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) vs Memphis Grizzlies (7)

The Thunder secured the second seed in the Western Conference despite not having Russell Westbrook for 35 games due to injury. This has been, in large part, due to the play of Kevin Durant, who will surely win the Most Valuable Player award this season, after leading the league in scoring with a monstrous 32 points per game. At one point in the season, Durant had a streak of 41 games with 25 points or more, truly astounding numbers.

The Grizzlies are a team that the Thunder would probably have liked to avoid. Their big men of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol will punish the Thunder inside, and will look to slow the game down so that they can keep up with the young and athletic Thunder. Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince will have to be at their best defensively, as they will no doubt shoulder the unenviable task of taking it in to turns to guard Kevin Durant.

This is a re-match of last season’s Western Conference semi-finals, in which the Grizzlies prevailed against the Thunder, who were missing Russell Westbrook due to injury. These two teams do not like each other, with Randolph and Perkins getting in a verbal altercation on the court last season. That is the type of physicality we can expect to see in this series. Ultimately, the Thunder should have enough to get past the Grizzlies, as they will have no answer to the offense that Westbrook and Durant can create.

 Winner: Thunder in 6.

LA Clippers (3) vs Golden State Warriors (6)

The Clippers are an exciting team to watch and are almost impossible when running on the fast break. Chris Paul orchestrates this team perfectly, getting everyone involved, which makes things a lot harder for the opposition defense. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordon’s athleticism is going to be very tough for the Warriors to deal with, as they are not blessed with athletic big men. The Clippers made solid acquisitions during the season and look more than ready for a deep run into the playoffs.

It is baffling that there were rumors during the season that Mark Jackson was on the verge of being released from his position, despite him leading the Warriors to the playoffs for the second season in a row, the first time Golden State have done this in over 20 years. The Warriors have the ability to bury any team when their shooting is on form, with Stephen Curry being almost impossible to stop when shooting off the dribble, and Klay Thompson is not a bad second option either.

This should be an exciting series, with two high scoring teams who will be playing at a fast pace. The Warriors will need their shooting to be on top form in this series, because if Andrew Bogut does have to miss this series due to a broken rib, the Clippers will have a much easier job of dominating in the paint with their athletic big men. Again, this should be an exciting series, so enjoy it, as it could be over quickly.

                                                                   Winner: Clippers in 5.

Houston Rockets (4) vs Portland Trailblazers (5)

This could be the best chance that Dwight Howard has had so far to win a Championship. The Rockets are built perfectly to play an inside-outside game, allowing Howard to go to work in the post and passing the ball out to a shooter if he is double-teamed. It was this style of play that saw him make the NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic. James Harden and Chandler Parsons make a lethal pairing on the wings, and will be very difficult for the Blazers to stop.

The Trailblazers got the season off to an incredible start, leading the way in the Western Conference with a 31-6 record. They fell off slightly in the second half of the season, but did enough to finish in 5th place. LaMarcus Aldridge has had a season that deservedly put him in the MVP discussion, and will be hoping to repeat his 31 points and 25 rebounds performance he had against the Rockets in December throughout this series. Damian Lillard has continued the form that saw him win Rookie of the Year last season, scoring over 20 points per game this season. His match-up against Beverley will be very interesting to watch.

These teams are two of the highest scoring teams in the league, averaging 107.7 and 106.7 points per game respectively, with Houston scoring slightly more. The Rockets have had injuries to Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley in the last month or so, and they will need to be back to their fittest to help negotiate this tricky first round match-up. The Blazers should make things difficult for the Rockets, but player for player, Houston has the superior talent on their side.

Winner: Rockets in 6.

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