Oklahoma City’s Sefolosha Could Be On His Way Out

The Oklahoma City Thunder was knocked out of the NBA playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday. The team must regroup and try to find what is missing on a team that has two of the top 10 players in the league in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder will rebound and with its core of Durant, Westbrook and power forward Serge Ibaka will once again be a powerhouse next season in the NBA.

However, the supporting cast on the club will likely have some new faces. Thabo Sefolosha will become an unrestricted free agent and could be the first member of this season’s supporting cast for the Thunder that moves on.

Shortly after the Thunder’s elimination from the playoffs, Sefolosha was asked about his future with the Thunder.

The veteran said he was not sure but that he would take his time to make a decision after seeing all the options available to him.

This season for the swingman for Oklahoma City was not as positive as prior years with the Thunder. His points per game dropped from 7.6 to 6.3, while his shooting percentage was down 7% to just 41%.

His shooting from three-point territory dropped by over 10% compared to last season.

The low point of Sefolosha’s season came during the recently ended Western Conference Finals. After the team lost Games 1 and 2, Sefolosha was relegated to the bench. He did not play a single minute in Games 3, 4 or 6, while only getting 8 minutes of action during Game 5.

Sefolosha said that the benching during the conference finals was frustrating as has the past month of the season.

He called the loss to San Antonio tough on the team. He also wondered why he was left out of the action after being an important part of the team’s game plan during the entire season.

In Games 1 and 2 of the San Antonio series, Sefolosha did not score a point, did not record an assist, and had just two rebounds, one turnover and no blocks. He missed all five of his shots during the two games.

Sefolosha’s numbers or lack of numbers is what prompted head coach Scott Brooks to play Reggie Jackson and bench Sefolosha.

Playing in a system that relies mostly on just isolation plays for the team’s stars is tough for role players such as Sefolosha.

The role player does not know when their next shot or touch will come and prevents them from becoming comfortable. Hence, many are not able to ever get into a rhythm while on the court.

Even with Durant and Westbrook, a title might elude the Thunder unless the correct complementary pieces are brought in to bolster the team’s roster.

Jackson might be a part of that as he is itching to start. His extra minutes during the postseason, might just be the writing on the wall that Sefolosha needed to see to make his decision to stay or leave a little easier.

Sefolosha can give a number of teams much needed perimeter defense and if he is more in the offensive scheme for a team, he could increase his offensive output.

Do not be surprised if Sefolosha is wearing another uniform to start the 2014-15 season.