It’s been a bumpy ride, but things are finally coming together for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
All of the injuries, the growing saga of Reggie Jackson’s free agency and two major in-season trades weren’t enough to overwhelm them. Now, they look like a lock to make the playoffs and become the eighth seed from Hell.
The main reasons for their resilience are named Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Both megastars have dealt with multiple injuries this season, but they’ve been characteristically brilliant whenever they are on the hardwood.
Unlike years past, however, OKC’s success has gone beyond its leading men. General manager Sam Presti made a brilliant move at the trade deadline, and the result is a Thunder roster that is deeper than ever before. This depth has allowed the team to tread water while Durant, Westbrook and Steven Adams have missed time.
Furthermore, while Presti’s dealings created a stacked Thunder team ready to hit its stride in the home stretch, the same cannot be said for its opponents challenging for the eighth seed. The Phoenix Suns traded away talent and depth, while the New Orleans Pelicans have been hit with their own injury bug.
It hasn’t been easy by any stretch of the imagination, but the Thunder have survived a brutal season and are now emerging as a lock for the postseason—and a matchup nobody wants to face.
This slideshow discusses seven of the most prominent reasons why Oklahoma City will be in the playoffs.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1DNpcKS
via IFTTT March 04, 2015 at 04:23AM
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