Thunder Leading the NBA Thanks to Durant
The NBA Western Conference is by far the more talented conference. The top team in the league by just 0.05 percentage points is the Oklahoma City Thunders.
Three of the top five teams in the league and 8 of the top 10 are all from the Western Conference. Indiana and Miami are in the top team in 2nd and 5th place respectively, with over 20 wins but then you have to drop to 11th before there is another Eastern Conference team.
As mentioned before, the Thunder is leading the league with a record of 25-5. Oklahoma City has won three straight games and all without its explosive point guard Russell Westbrook who is out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.
What the Thunder and the rest of the league are learning without Westbrook in the lineup is that All-NBA Kevin Durant has matured enough in just his fifth season to put his team on his shoulders and carry them until Westbrook returns.
In just the team’s first game without Westbrook last week, Durant scored 34 points in an 89-85 win over Charlotte and then turned around and scored 33 points in the Thunder’s rout of the Houston Rockets 117-86. In addition to his scoring output, Durant had 13 boards and 5 assists against the Rockets.
When Durant sat for the last time with seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter he was given a standing ovation.
Durant has told his teammates and the press that they must work collectively. He is the first to say he needs his supporting cast of Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Reggie Jackson. Durant knows this adversity will make his team and teammates stronger when Westbrook returns.
Against the Rockets, Durant showed how he has become the team leader and can carry the team to victory, of course with a little helps from his friends.
Statistically he dominated the game, but he also showed a more vocal disposition as he exhorted on his teammate. He has recognized if the Thunder want to build momentum sans Westbrook he has to be the one player to make sure the rest of the team is pushing forward.
Thanks to his maturity and the current play of bench players, the Thunder look nearly as strong as they do with Westbrook in the lineup, and for opponents that is a scary thought come the All-Star break when Westbrook is due to return.
The bottom line however is that the fate of Oklahoma City starts and ends with Mr. Durant.
His play is better than it has ever been as he currently is enjoying careers highs in assists, rebounds and shooting from three-point territory. He is leading the league in scoring.
Durant’s supporting cast is much stronger this season making it just a bit lighter of a load for him to carry. Their team defense is playing stronger and offensively they are near or at the top of most statistical categories.
When Westbrook returns completely healthy around the All-Star break, the team should be on course to take a run at its first NBA Title.
