The Oklahoma City Thunder have dug themselves into a big hole in the early portion of the season, but don't count them out as contenders just yet.
With a record of 3-12, the Thunder sit alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They have lost six straight games and are still without the services of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Needless to say, it's a dark time in Thunder Nation.
Probably the most frustrating part of this lackluster start is the Thunder's inability to close out games. In the 15 games they have played this year, they have only lost one by 20 or more points (they fell to the Nets by 31 on Nov. 3). Heck, in most of the games, the Thunder led in the second half only to squander it away in the fourth quarter.
Thunder has now led at some point in 13 of 15 second halves this season. Kinda remarkable considering the 3-11 record.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 24, 2014 And even though the thought of a Thunder-less NBA playoffs was preposterous at the beginning of the season, it seems more and more likely with every tally in the loss column.
As it stands, the Thunder are six games back from the eighth and final postseason slot with 67 games left to play—it doesn't seem that bad when you put it that way.
The Dallas Mavericks had to win 49 games last season to claim the final postseason bid in the West. For the Thunder to reach that mark, they would have to win just under 69 percent of their remaining games. That's not an easy feat in the NBA, but it is possible for a team that won 72 percent of its games last year.
That said, Thunder fans need to take the advice of Aaron Rodgers and R-E-L-A-X. There is still plenty of time to make up ground in the standings and reclaim the "contender" label.
The early-season woes were expected. The team has been fighting an uphill battle since the first week of the season with an absurd amount of injuries, including injuries to its best two players in Durant and Westbrook.
The Thunder have been short-handed. But that is about to change—knock on wood. And with the addition of Anthony Morrow to the roster as well as a few developments this season to benefit the Thunder in the long run, there is no doubt they can battle their way into the postseason.
It might be hard to see at the moment because of the team's unfavorable position, but a perfect storm is brewing. And it may just bet what the Thunder need to get over the hump and capture that elusive NBA title.
Here are five reasons the Thunder will contend in the 2014-15 season.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1pjDH8d
via IFTTT November 25, 2014 at 08:19AM
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