Don't look now, but the team that shall not be named is improving quietly

by premthegrem on Jun 26, 2009 2:01 AM PDT

OKC adds James Harden and BJ Mullens, which rounds out a starting five that would feature Westbrook at the 1, Harden at 2, Durant and Green at 3/4 and prolly Mullens at 5. If nothing else, that is a team that can win some games. They are probably not at a contending level yet, but if Harden develops into a quasi B-Roy type of guy as he has been projected to become, it would be interesting to see whether he and durant will coexist. Don't know if Mullens sticks, so that will be interesting to see as well.

Don't know if OKC has now improved its roster enough to challenge for the 9th spot in the WC, let alone a playoff seed, but the NW division almost certainly got tougher today.

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We da Blazers

I ain’t sweat’n

"Knowledge will get you from A to B. Creativity will get you anywhere." Einstein

by Garden of ODEN on Jun 26, 2009 2:15 AM PDT reply actions

They could very well be playoff material.

Assuming the rookies start off strong, and Westbrook improves his point guard play I think they have a strong case for 8th seed. It would be a huge jump, but with their mini big 3 improved and if Harden is as NBA ready as he, his agent, and analysts claim they will be a great offensive team.

This is assuming all goes as well as realistically possible. Including some other western team falling off. They still likely have one more season of lottery in them, which I think would be better in the long run.

I think Harden will eventually be looked at as the true leader of that team, not Durant. Assuming he works out. Durant is the perfect guy to have as a number 1 scoring option but I think he works better in a Melo type role than a Kobe one.

by Bskey on Jun 26, 2009 2:17 AM PDT reply actions

And they could also very well be..

..not. For admittedly selfish reasons, I hope these guys become more like the Kidd/Jackson/Mashburn-Dallas Mavericks and less like, well, US!

"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."

by GonzoFan on Jun 26, 2009 2:19 AM PDT up reply actions

You're right though.

They can pretty easily not amount to more than a 30 win team. The potential for playoffs is there though.

I honestly think it all depends on Harden and Westbrook, not Durant. Durant is what he is… a scoring machine, decent rebounder, but not much else.

by Bskey on Jun 26, 2009 2:28 AM PDT up reply actions

BJ Mullens does not scare me at all.

They might as well have drafted DeAndre Jordan.

Harden seems like a good pick though.

Roy is the best player in the world with the exception of Incarcerated Mike from Queensbridge .

by Nick Van Excellent on Jun 26, 2009 2:20 AM PDT reply actions

what comes next in the pattern? Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Saer Sene...

Beej

UDOKA!
(formerly my boy, now just fun to say)

by CLRNCE. on Jun 26, 2009 2:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Best news of the draft for me.

I was worried that Presti would realize Westbrook cannot be the PG, but apparently not. As long as Green is at PF and Westbrook is at PG, they are not going to be contenders in the future.

Harden was a good pick. He can shoot the ball and make plays. The most all-around player in the draft in my opinion. BJ Mullens can’t scare 6 year olds.

"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith

by blzrfan on Jun 26, 2009 2:23 AM PDT reply actions

Then I guess you don't have a lot of faith in Bayless?

Roy is the best player in the world with the exception of Incarcerated Mike from Queensbridge .

by Nick Van Excellent on Jun 26, 2009 3:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Bayless could be a decent backup PG in the future

Like a spark off the bench. I’m very open about not being a Bayless believer.

"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith

by blzrfan on Jun 26, 2009 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Frankly, I hope OKC makes the playoffs THIS year

I’m getting a little nervous about all the lottery picks they keep accumulating. They’ve been faring better with those picks but it will be interesting to see if Seattle’s curse with selecting big men in the draft translates to OKC.

I don’t think they are contenders with this roster but if they keep getting high draft picks they are eventually going to turn into a good team…

by JStal on Jun 26, 2009 3:07 AM PDT reply actions

Harden

will prove to be this year’s best all-around baller. Im starting to get scared of the Thunder. The NBA should impose a limit on how many times one team can pick in the lottery in a row.

http://following-thetrail.blogspot.com

by BigCelPhone on Jun 26, 2009 3:28 AM PDT reply actions

They still don't have much of a frontcourt

Only Jeff Green. But I agree — they are going to be moving up while the Suns and maybe Mavs start sliding down. They played the Blazers surprisingly well last year and it made an impression on me.

by Kaboomm on Jun 26, 2009 7:22 AM PDT reply actions

I find it hard to be scared of a team

whose best player couldn’t guard a chair.

I blame Prez

by cloudydays on Jun 26, 2009 8:12 AM PDT reply actions

Yeah, but there isn’t a chair in the world who can guard him either! ;-)

by danielfarrell on Jun 26, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions

I ain't scurred, they're gonna have quite a bit of trouble keeping all those young talents in a few years when they have to start paying them.

by dario argento on Jun 26, 2009 8:54 AM PDT reply actions

there are those who say that about the Blazers too!

Without you out there, we're nowhere here

by 22baylor on Jun 26, 2009 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions

Back in Feb/March

I predicted here on this board that the “Thunder” make the 2010 playoffs. Not sure I’d bet on it, but it isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Figure:

LA
SA
Por
Den
Hou
Utah

That leaves Dallas, New Orleans, and OKC battling for the last 2 spots IMHO. Phoenix is done, GS is a mess, and I don’t think the Clippers are there yet.

BTW, is the NW now getting insanely tough? Portland, Denver, Utah are all 50+ win teams, while OKC and Minny are young teams with a lot of talent that should be on the rise. Yikes!

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Jun 26, 2009 9:11 AM PDT reply actions

Harden never really struck me as looking like a top-3 pick

He’s not super athletic and has a funky Roy-esque shot. He could be great, but he (and the rest of the Sun Devil squad) often times looked outmatched playing other teams in the tournament.

by ninjasocks on Jun 26, 2009 9:16 AM PDT reply actions

But yeah, OKC is going to look good in a couple of years

As long as they can afford to resign all their young talent.

by ninjasocks on Jun 26, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions

bj mullens

was a flop pick for whoever picked him, whether it was 15th or 50th. As a buckeye, I can tell you he didnt even come close to holding his own in college. he was a good off the bench center, and has obvious talent and would have developed into a great center. saying he will develop in the nba though is like throwing a 5th grader into harvard and saying he will get used to it and “develop”. he is a boy among men, and I would be shocked if he didnt end up in europe or the d-league.

- Sam

by RipCitySam on Jun 26, 2009 10:22 AM PDT reply actions