The time is now: Oklahoma City Thunder

Will arguably on of the best duos earn their just rewards this season?

It’s desperation time for the Oklahoma City Thunder, no other way to put it. With Kevin Durant in the last year of his contract, it’s championship or bust. Ever since the team traded away James Harden the Thunder have been on the clock. As a Thunder fan I believe that the team has all the right

Starting with the man on top, the Thunder’s new head coach Billy Donovan is the right man for the job. At Florida Donovan had a history of success, with back-to-back national championships and countless playoff appearances. As great of a coach Scott Brooks was, he couldn’t get the team over the hump. Donovan is a well-respected coach, a great leader, and excellent at developing players for the future.

In the offseason Sam Presti the general manager made some very smart pick-ups. Starting with retaining Enes Kanter’s contract. For a long time there has been a gaping hole in the Thunder’s frontcourt. After Serge Ibaka there has been very little out put from the centers. I mean come on we started Kendrick Perkins for multiple seasons. Steven Adams has been maturing into a great defensive player, but offense is hard to come by. Enes Kanter is that guy. He grabs boards, can play in the post, and even has a jumper.

Draft day was also a win for the organization, with picking Cameron Payne. A backup guard is great to have, to give Russell a break during the course of the year. The guard position has become increasingly deep with D.J Augustin and Cameron Payne; Westbrook will be more rested for late-in games. Payne is a pretty good 3-point shooter and can provide a scoring burst off the bench.

The depth of this team is the best it’s been in a long time. With the backup five projecting to be D.J. Augustin, Anthony Morrow, Andre Roberson, Nick Collison, and Steven Adams there is a nice blend of offense and defense. There is also a gang of three point shooters, which is very important for the team. Dion Waiters maybe very streaky but he can have a great game at anytime. This could make the difference on a few nights as he could also play an offensive role similar to J.R. Smith.

Defense could be a problem for this team. Losing Thabo Sefolosha a year ago the Thunder still haven’t signed a player to shut down the other team’s star. In the frontcourt there are plenty of shot blockers to go around but the backcourt could use help. Russell Westbrook already has enough of a challenge guarding all the talented point guards that come to town every night. Andre Roberson is the best shot for a quality defensive player. If the offense is as explosive as it can be this won’t be a problem.

Finally the best part – Russell and KD. They are the backbone of the team. After two years of both of them trading injury-riddled seasons, this could be the one when they are back to 100%. There are a lot of question marks regarding Durant’s foot, but hopefully it won’t hold him back. It would be a shame to see a great player like him lose his prime. With Westbrook learning how to become a leader in his absence last year it is possible that this will be the tandem at their best.

Even in a crowded western conference the Thunder have a legit chance of being crowned champs. With all the potential this team has this season will be very exciting. If all goes well Durant will have a ring and will be choosing to resign come July 2016.