After an unpredictable season, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season comes to an abrupt halt with the New Orleans Pelicans victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The 2014-2015 season was definitely one of ups and downs, injuries and trades, and has now concluded with the Thunder on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoffs.
In the beginning of the 2014-2015 NBA Season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were projected to be one of the many powerhouses of the Western Conference.They have the pairing of two top 10 players in the NBA in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant so they were expected to do big things. However, seemingly unfitting with his durability track record, Durant repeatedly acquired foot injuries that would eventually sideline him for a majority of the 2014-2015 season. It began with a Jones fracture back in October of 2014 that would cause him to miss six to eight weeks. A mere sixteen days later after his return, Durant then sprained his right ankle in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. A little more than a month later, it would be an injury on Durant’s left foot now that caused him to miss time, as he sprained his left big toe in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. To assist in fixing his injury riddled right foot, Durant underwent minor surgery to relieve the discomfort and pain from his right foot. Inevitably, on March 27, Durant was ruled out for the season after receiving bone graft on his right foot. Westbrook missed some games himself in the beginning of the season and made the media very skeptical of the Thunder being a threat in the West.
However, Westbrook has played a majority of the Thunder’s games this season putting up incredible numbers, breaking records, and acquiring multiple accolades. Russell saw the opportunity to put up the superstar statistics he knew he was capable of and seized that opportunity.In his first game back from missing fourteen games, Westbrook dropped a 32-point, 7 rebound, and 8 assist performance against the New York Knicks and that would start an explosion of a season for Westbrook. Russell would continuously break his career high in points from 45, to 48, to 49, and finally 54 and also break his career high in assists with 17. He would also show out in the 2015 All Star Game in New York scoring 41 points and winning All Star Game MVP. Westbrook recorded an outstanding eleven triple doubles to finish the season that no other NBA player was able to come close to. Westbrook would finish the season averaging a career high in ppg at 28.1, spg at 2.1, and apg at 7.3. James Harden seemed to be running away with the scoring title, but due to Russell's heroics in the last few months; Russell would unknowingly to many win the title with his scoring average of 28.4. Although Westbrook has been quoted to say he doesn't care about leading the league in scoring, he has still accomplished so much this season and though he does tend to have an erratic style of play; their team deserved to make the playoffs. His performance even sprouted his name into the MVP conversation with Rocket’s James Harden, Cavalier’s Lebron James, and Warrior’s Steph Curry.
During different times of the season, Oklahoma City improved their roster with the additions of Ish Smith, Dion Waiters, Enes Kanter, Steve Novak, Kyle Singler, and D.J. Augustin either through free agency or trade. If Durant wasn't injured and joined Westbrook, this team would be in the conversation to win it all this season. With Kevin Durant, Westbrook’s numbers wouldn't be so inflated, but this team would definitely have to be reckoned with and feared as a contender in the NBA. The holes at the center position were filled by Kanter and an improving Steven Adams and the holes at the depth coming off the bench were filled by veteran Augustin, Jeremy Lamb, Anthony Morrow, and Mitch McGary. They are a big body team that would have a been a very strong team had Kevin Durant not been injured. Even if the New Orleans Pelicans hadn't won their last game against the San Antonio Spurs pushing Oklahoma City out of the playoff picture, OKC wouldn't have stood a chance against the hot Golden State Warriors. If the Thunder are able to retain most of their assets and acquire more valuable pieces, than they will have a legitimate chance at the NBA Championship in the 2015-2016 NBA season. Of course, Durant and Westbrook both need to be healthy as well because they're extraordinary players in this league, but the Thunder are poised to be the next NBA dynasty with Kevin and Russell at the helm.
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