How Good are the OKC Thunder

[John Stamos]

This is my home team and I have followed Kevin Durant since college. I think what the Thunder have done for OKC and the downtown area is incredible and our fans in OKC show their appreciation by making the Chesapeake Arena the toughest place to play in the NBA. I want to know from people on the outside what they think of the Thunder though. Do you think they can close out the Spurs at home in game 6? Do you think they can beat the Heat (most likely) or Celtics?

[John Stamos]

On an unrelated note I might have a special guest for radio tomorrow, I don't want to give away the surprise but it is a very interesting individual that me and my friends met the other night that I think you all will enjoy. Drexel can confirm this could be a HOF guest.

[Dan Druff]

Thunder are exactly the type of team that the Lakers can't handle. Until the Lakers find an answer for quick guards, they will keep losing to the Thunder.

I said during the Lakers series that I thought the Thunder will win it all this year, and I still think that.

[Muck Ficon]

Boston and San Antonio are too old. I said OKC and Miami in the finals before the playoffs started. I would love to see that match up. Two young teams with tons of talent. I really want OKC to win it.

[NoNolva]

Sorry, what you mean?

[BUBBLES]

Sorry, what you mean?

[John Stamos]

Thunder are exactly the type of team that the Lakers can't handle. Until the Lakers find an answer for quick guards, they will keep losing to the Thunder.

I said during the Lakers series that I thought the Thunder will win it all this year, and I still think that.

Sam Presti (GM for the Thunder and the man that put the Spurs team together) built the Thunder specifically to beat the Lakers. That's why they got Kendrick Perkins in a trade because he is the Andrew Bynum stopper. Serge can handle Gasoft and Thabo gave Kobe a ton of trouble. I am a little surprised with just how well the Thunder have handled the Spurs the last 3 games. I think they close it out in game 6 and we get to watch Durant and Westbrook vs. Lebron and Wade which is what the NBA wants.

[John Stamos]

Boston and San Antonio are too old. I said OKC and Miami in the finals before the playoffs started. I would love to see that match up. Two young teams with tons of talent. I really want OKC to win it.

Yea people say the Spurs are too old until they end up with the best record in the NBA and handle the Grizzlies (who are a tough team, really they are) and Clippers in the playoffs with EASE. I hope you are right though, would love to see Durant with a ring and Lebron still without one.

[Sloppy Joe]

I think the Thunder are fucking awesome to watch.

I grew up in Chicago and am still a big Bulls fan but have been more drawn to the development of Kevin Durant than Derrick Rose, partially because the rest of the Bulls are mostly Duke guys and players I hated when they were in college (Boozer, NOAH, Deng, Korver)

I think it only gets better for the Thunder. Some of the Westbrook criticism is valid (some isn't) but he has gotten much smarter with decision making and controlling games in this Spurs series, despite not shooting well. I hope its Miami-OKC and Durant rises to the occasion. He's my favorite player to watch since Chris Paul was in his 'above the rim' prime before messing up his knee.

[shortbuspoker]

I don't follow basketball anymore, but the team is definitely on my good list for busting Little Wayne out over him "not being allowed in the arena". The truth is never as gangster as the tweets.

[tony bagadonuts]

[jsearles22]

I used to love me some Supersonics........

[HEX]

OKC is awesome. So are the Heat and SA. Very hard to say who will win it all. All three teams are championship caliber and any of them would be worthy champions. It's been a great season. If Rose had stayed healthy it would have been one of the best playoffs we've ever seen imo.

[tommyt]

if the heat and okc play in the finals it will be a great series. most likely go to game 7.

[JUSTIFIEDhomicide]

Thunder are exactly the type of team that the Lakers can't handle. Until the Lakers find an answer for quick guards, they will keep losing to the Thunder.

I said during the Lakers series that I thought the Thunder will win it all this year, and I still think that.

The Lakers have ALOT more problems to worry about this offseason beside conquering the Thunder. They are in trouble in the future IMO. Send Bynum to Philly

[Serial Fail]

Thunder are exactly the type of team that the Lakers can't handle. Until the Lakers find an answer for quick guards, they will keep losing to the Thunder.

I said during the Lakers series that I thought the Thunder will win it all this year, and I still think that.

The Lakers have ALOT more problems to worry about this offseason beside conquering the Thunder. They are in trouble in the future IMO. Send Bynum to Philly

This 100%

LA is completely screwed from a salary cap point of view. They need to make some big moves and start thinking about the future without Kobe, they won't win another title until they get rid of Kobe and build around a new core.

[Steve-O]

The Thunder is the most exciting team I've seen since the Showtime Lakers. Durant is unguaradable and the best pure offensive player since Dominique Wilkins, Westbrook and Harden can both create their own shots, Ibaka and Perkins are perfect big men (they can score but don't demand the ball), and they have the best bench (I know Harden comes off the bench but he plays starter minutes so I listed him above) in recent memory: Sefalosha (who starts) is a lock-down defender, Fisher is a proven veteran, Cook can hit the three, and Collison is a good complimentary big man.

The only thing this team lacks is a pure point guard --someone who the offense flows through, i.e. uses the pick and roll to create and exploit mismatches and can quickly reverse ball movement to setup plays on the weakside.

It still sickens me that the Celtics traded Perkins.

[BCR]

I stated last week that I thought OKC was the 2nd best team behind SA, it appears they may be #1. Pretty amazing to take 3 straight off a team as well-schooled as the Spurs. The Spurs had been 46-4 when starting their usual line-up over the past 50 games. To beat that team 3 times in a row is unreal. They will have to put the dagger in them though as the Spurs will show up in game 6. To me, Harden has been the difference this entire season and elevated them to an elite team, in addition to the Big 2 who we already knew were good. Westbrook imo still is playing below expectation over the course of the playoffs in the games I've seen and is shooting badly, which means they could even play better if he returns to the mean.

My biggest desire is simply to see the Heat lose, whether to Boston, or either of the two Western teams. OKC I think will beat them, but they scare me in that they turn the ball over fairly frequently, and that is problematic against the Heat with their transition game, plus just their youth. They are so much deeper though with Ibaka and Perkins guarding the rim and Miami having no equal in that area that they should be able to get past them as long as Westbrook doesn't fall apart and make 8 TO's a game. He needs to penetrate the Heat defense and dish, take efficient shots, and it's game over.

[jsearles22]

I stated last week that I thought OKC was the 2nd best team behind SA, it appears they may be #1. Pretty amazing to take 3 straight off a team as well-schooled as the Spurs. The Spurs had been 46-4 when starting their usual line-up over the past 50 games. To beat that team 3 times in a row is unreal. They will have to put the dagger in them though as the Spurs will show up in game 6. To me, Harden has been the difference this entire season and elevated them to an elite team, in addition to the Big 2 who we already knew were good. Westbrook imo still is playing below expectation over the course of the playoffs in the games I've seen and is shooting badly, which means they could even play better if he returns to the mean.

My biggest desire is simply to see the Heat lose, whether to Boston, or either of the two Western teams. OKC I think will beat them, but they scare me in that they turn the ball over fairly frequently, and that is problematic against the Heat with their transition game, plus just their youth. They are so much deeper though with Ibaka and Perkins guarding the rim and Miami having no equal in that area that they should be able to get past them as long as Westbrook doesn't fall apart and make 8 TO's a game. He needs to penetrate the Heat defense and dish, take efficient shots, and it's game over.

Miami and OKC is the series that I would really like to see. I would be hoping for a Miami win. These two teams split home and home during the regular season. I think it would be a great series:


Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK


AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL

[John Stamos]

The Thunder is the most exciting team I've seen since the Showtime Lakers. Durant is unguaradable and the best pure offensive player since Dominique Wilkins, Westbrook and Harden can both create their own shots, Ibaka and Perkins are perfect big men (they can score but don't demand the ball), and they have the best bench (I know Harden comes off the bench but he plays starter minutes so I listed him above) in recent memory: Sefalosha (who starts) is a lock-down defender, Fisher is a proven veteran, Cook can hit the three, and Collison is a good complimentary big man.

The only thing this team lacks is a pure point guard --someone who the offense flows through, i.e. uses the pick and roll to create and exploit mismatches and can quickly reverse ball movement to setup plays on the weakside.

It still sickens me that the Celtics traded Perkins.

Yea the Celtics are still regretting that move. Also, Perkins obviously learned to sit his vicious screens from KG. They had that pure point guard, probably the best backup PG in the league, in Eric Maynor before he went down with an ACL injury. Watching Maynor, Harden, and Collison pick and roll off the bench was a thing of beauty.