OKC Roster, Starting Lineup & Trade Updates: Kevin Durant, Russel Westbrook and How the Thunder Fares for the 2014-15 Season
- Chad Arias
- Jul 25, 2014 08:50 PM EDT
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Entering into the NBA off-season, most teams are looking to beef up their roster by way of the draft or free agency pickups. Contrary to popular choices, the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed surprisingly content about their off-season deals, which have been few and far between.
To make matters worse, the Thunder used their first-round draft pick on Stanford's Josh Huestis, who will forego his rookie deal and go straight to the D-League.
While the Thunder management is one of the more cutting edge groups in the NBA, some of their decisions could be labeled as poor. A first round draft pick going straight to the D-League seems to be a wasted pick. Although the Thunder were drafting with the 29th spot, there are always talented picks, which can at least make some impact coming off the bench.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have made the NBA Finals once. The Thunder's 'Big Three,' of Durant, Westbrook and Harden were utterly destroyed by the Miami Heat.
Following the loss Harden was shipped to Houston and the Thunder have never been the same.
For such a talented team to always come up short, the Thunder should have been looking to pick up their one missing ingredient. Instead they lost starter Thabo Sefolosha and picked up Anthony Morrow and Sebastian Telfair.
While Morrow is a productive player, shooting the three-ball above 40 percent, he is not the key for the Thunder to make the next big step.
Telfair is a questionable pick up as well, having left the NBA to play ball in China after a dismal career. The Thunder were rumored to have interest in Pau Gasol, but they weren't able to couch up the cash needed to secure him a roster spot.
The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result. It's unclear what the Thunder are thinking by failing to improve their roster over the off-season. The tandem of Westbrook and Durant, though laced with talent, has failed to produce physical results.
Reggie Jackson is an up-and-coming star, but he's shrouded behind Westbrook. There is no doubt that next season he will leave the team as a free agent to seek a major contract elsewhere.
If the Thunder fail to make the NBA Finals again, it's questionable whether Durant will choose to stay. No matter how much talent, or how deep a team goes into the NBA Playoffs, if they aren't bringing home trophies, something has to change.
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