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Don't take this the wrong way, but your post is very ignorant. The NBA is so much more than scoring.

Sefalosha is an all-nba caliber perimeter defender and has a good 3pt%. You ever heard of Bruce Bowen? I believe he was a key piece of the Spurs run and he didn't have to score very much. Sefalosha is a huge loss right now. Also, Perkins and Ibaka form a top 3 defensive big man tandem in the league. Sure Perk doesn't score, but the Thunder have given up 10 less points per game since the trade for Perk. You tell me he is worthless. Just ask the celtics in game 7 when he was hurt and they lost to the Lakers. Many people feel the Celts repeat if Perkins was healthy. Throw in the fact that Ibaka is the BEST shot blocker in the league and you have the best starting 5 when Sefalosha is healthy. You have plenty of scoring and defense. Where is the hole? You might say low post scoring, and that could be the only thing, but the thunder score plenty in the paint even if it isn't through their bigs.

Now you go to the bench. James Harden is a top 3 SG in the Western Conference and he is the 6th man of the year. He is also one of the top pick and roll players in the league. Kobe and Monte are better than him at SG in the West, then who? Again he is coming off of the bench! Daequan Cook is also a 3pt sharp shooter that every team needs and he has played well defensively in Sefalosha's absence. Not outstanding, but very good. Then you get to the backup front court. Collison and Mohammed are a GREAT big man tandem off the bench. Collison is one of the biggest glue guys in the league. Every single team in the league would LOVE to have him and he has received high praise from most coaches and gm's around the league. Mohammed is a guy you call a "wiley veteran" and gives good minutes. Throw in Aldrich and nobody has that luxury coming off of their bench.

To start the season they also had Eric Maynor who is one of the best backup PG's in the league as well. He tore his ACL and Reggie Jackson (rookie) has been getting his minutes. He is the one weak link and is the reason why the Thunder are shopping for a PG.

You look at most teams in the league last season and they had an 8 man and possibly 9 man rotation. Some played 10 but not regularly and only when necessary. The Thunder brought back their entire 10 man rotation from a season ago. The reason why everyone picked the Thunder in the West (nearly) is because they brought everyone back AND they were young. Plus everyone talked about how deep that rotation is and then you throw in Cole Aldrich and you have 11 deep. Sure not everyone averages a ton of points, but that's not their job. Another reason why the Thunder have been good this season is because every single guy knows his role and accepts it.

There is a reason why so many people believe in the Thunder, AND why they have been okay with injuries. They have a deep rotation, period. Will they win the title? Maybe not, but you are ignorant if you say they have no depth. Ridiculous really.

Last edited by Stauder at 3/5/2012 9:38:59 PM

I love when Stauder gets going :)

Well if I'm passionate about the topic then it gets me riled up!

If anyone wants to argue that OKC isn't the best team in the league, then I could see a few teams that they could argue for, but to say they have zero depth is just crazy talk.

This post is particularly interesting given the whole defense and rebounding argument was my exact point as to why you and others where overrating the clippers and underrating the Lakers.

People are blinded by offense far too often, I agree 100%. It is the Thunders ability to control the paint and the boards that separate them. Those were the exact reasons I had them as the favorite over Miami in the preseason. To beat the heat you have to force them into the half court by controlling the boards and not turning over the ball. The Lakers laid out the blue print yesterday. But very few teams have the personnel to follow it. The Thunder are one that can.

I still put the Lakers as the second best team out west and really have the only chance to knock off the Thunder. The reason why they can is because they have two front court players that can score. Most teams have one, which means the Thunder can matchup with Ibaka on the lesser of two inside scorers where he can roam and disrupt. This is obviously what he does best. But against the Lakers, they can make Ibaka play post defense where he isn't nearly as effective. Perkins then becomes the off ball roamer and he isn't a shot blocker. Their interior defense is forced to play out of its comfort zone. Am I saying the Lakers win? No, but they clearly have the best shot of any team out west.

The Lakers still are in terrible need of a pg though. If they find someone and their chances go up even higher exponentially.

Unless you suffer injuries, depth isn't a huge issue come playoff times. Playoff basketball has a lot more commercial breaks than in the regular season. Most teams shorten their bench to about 8 players. Depth is far more important during the regular season grind.

Last edited by Hoosier at 3/5/2012 10:26:36 PM

The funny thing is that the Thunder are not a great rebounding team. Almost killed them tonight against the Mavs at times. If the Thunder clean up their turnover problems then I think they will be in the finals.

The Lakers do have 2 post scorers, but they also have a perimeter player that does not give them the ball enough. Westbrook bludgeons the Lakers too....there isn't a PG on the market that could slow him down so the Lakers may be in trouble. Plus the Thunder are the 1 team in the league that can constantly throw good defensive bigs at the Lakers in Ibaka/Perkins/Collison/Mohammed/Aldrich (if needed). We'll see if Bynum makes it to the playoffs with his knees before I even resign to the fact that the Lakers will even get to the Thunder.

Without Billups the Clippers lose a mismatch as well as a good defender...something they don't have an abundance of. They just lost for the 3rd time against Minnesota. Love has their number! The injury has hurt the Clips quite a bit. I want both LA teams to play in the first round. PLEASE be the 3 and 6 seeds! I just don't see it...the West isn't that strong. Lots of parity after the Thunder actually.

Last edited by Stauder at 3/5/2012 10:59:17 PM

I still stand to my word when i say they have no depth. Kendrick Porkins, is not a good basketball player. He does do one thing well though, which is to be a big presence in the middle so ill give him that, but besides that he is nothing, and i still say Sefolosha sucks. In my opinion that is. Feel free to yell at me on how I'm wrong again if you feel necessary but like I stated in my last post We can agree to disagree. Theres no problem with that.

As for Harden being 6th man of the year you may be correct about that but there are a few others that could claim that title (A. Harrington from Denver), but i wont get too much into that because you are right. Harden is good and in my opinion should be the starter over Sefolosha, and any other SG on that team.

P.S. I don't mind you explaining why OKC has some depth but you must also be very ignorant if you think they have the best depth in the league.

P.S.S. Can we still be friends?

I could practically make a similar argument for the Timberwolves. We have a very good scorer in Beasley, a 3 pt shooter in Ellington, two defensive bigs/ shot blockers in Milicic and Randolph. We have a solid backup PG in JJ Barea. And I didn't even mention Derrick Williams. I would put the Thunder's bench depth at average for the league. Not great, not awful. But you're a bit of homer if you're saying they have the best bench in the league ( No matter how much I love Aldrich ;) )

You just named a bunch of lesser versions of Thunder players. Wow, you and EWB can be ignorant together.

Man, you must be a die hard Thunder fan Chill out bro.

We can agree to disagree, sure. However, I'll agree to agree with people who cover the NBA for a living. Last time I checked guys like Sefalosha don't make all defensive teams because they are trash. Hope you watched the game tonight. Perkins guarded J Terry on the perimeter tonight and forced an airball that ended in a shot clock violation. Perk is not an offensive player, but is a great defensive player and rebounder. Again, the proof is in the pudding. Celtics are repeat champs if he plays game 7. Period. You think it's a coincidence the Celtics haven't been as good since that trade?

Harden should NOT be the starter. Do you not see guys like Terry, Ginobli, Odom for LA last season, that come off the bench and score? Bench points are more valuable than having him start with RW and KD. He finishes in the 4th quarter when it matters and actually plays D unlike Al "nobody will keep me longer than 2 seasons" harrington.

Then you fail to even acknowledge guys like Collison that consistently rebound, take charges, and play great defense coming off the bench. Not to mention that he is one of the best screen setters in the league.

So let me see. The Thunder have a top 5 PG, the best pure scorer, the best shot blocker, the best 6th man, an all nba defender, and a top 5 post defender as their top 6 players. Then you throw in the best depth at post in the league in collison/mohammed/aldrich and you are telling me there is no depth?

You must be a Lakers fan....they are all ridiculous.

Die hard? sure. Homer? Not really considering I even posted that I believe you could make an argument for a few teams having a better shot at the title than the Thunder. For the record I would say there are only about 4 or 5 that even have a shot and the Thunder are definitely one of them. Of course the popular choice is the Heat, but the thunder have been the next most popular choice for a reason.

I'm plenty chill, but I will post sensible arguments when others come at me with ignorance and just cop out by saying "agree to disagree".