NBA: Forecasting the Unpredictable Northwest Division
By Wardell
Oklahoma City Thunder
To say that the Thunder had an interesting offseason would be a gross understatement.
This team, which pushed the Golden State Warriors to a seven-game series in the Western Conference Finals, underwent a complete roster overhaul.
Well ‘overhaul’ might be the wrong word to use in this situation. In this case, ‘evolution’ seems more appropriate because the Thunder are still likely a playoff team.
However, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t still lose Kevin Durant, the 2014-’15 MVP, to the Golden State Warriors. But it does mean that a new chapter will be starting for Oklahoma City basketball. The chapter of the Lone Westwolf.
Russell Westbrook will be given the keys to a team that seems more focused on all-around play, as opposed to the offensive-first mentality of last season’s squad.
They traded for the uber-athletic Victor Oladipo from the Orlando Magic, as well as the fundamentally sound Joffrey Lauvergne from the Denver Nuggets.
This roster is built to stuff the stat sheet in all areas of the game, but the lack of experience around Westbrook is alarming.
There will most definitely be a transition period for him because he’ll have to get used to the fact that he won’t be playing with another top-5 NBA player. That could lead to some frustrations, but Westbrook plays with aggression so intense that he’ll likely find his way through it.
Especially because one of his best friends just left the Thunder to the team that beat them in the Western Conference Finals.
In the end, I see this team finishing a lot of close games throughout the season. But their roster is strong enough for them to win more of those contests than they lose.
Realistic Expectation:
They’ll finish second in the Northwest Division and they still snag the sixth-seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
My bold prediction:
Westbrook will average a triple-double and becomes the NBA’s second ever unanimous MVP.