Thunder showing signs of rounding into form
Photo Credit: BallIsLife.com
It has been a very strange season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led to an ugly 5-12 start, and at 20-20, the Thunder are still trying to work their way out of the early-season mess. Mixed in all this was a trade for enigmatic young shooting guard Dion Waiters to help boost the bench.
Even with the team at full strength in January, Oklahoma City has had its share of problems. 2015 started off great with an impressive win over the Washington Wizards, but three of the next four games were ugly losses by a combined 58 points. The lone win was a narrow one over the Utah Jazz, and the chatter about the Thunder possibly missing the playoffs began again.
However, the last two games have shown what Oklahoma City is capable of when firing on all cylinders. The  first victory was a 127-115 triumph over the league-best Golden State Warriors, making it the Thunder’s best win of the season. Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka all had huge games, with Durant scoring 36 points on 14-of-18 shooting, Westbrook notching a triple-double and Ibaka putting up 27 points.
Oklahoma City followed up that offensive explosion with another 127-point effort on Sunday night. The Thunder annihilated the Orlando Magic from the tip, scoring 79 first-half points and taking a 34-point halftime lead before taking the foot off the gas pedal in the second half. Durant almost put up a triple-double, and he had another insanely efficient shooting night. He scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, giving him 57 points on 21-of-28 shooting over the last two games.
Waiters played well off the bench again, scoring 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. The shooting guard had 21 points in the victory over the Warriors, and he has played well since coming over from the Cleveland Cavaliers. In five games with the Thunder, Waiters has averaged 14.4 points while shooting 45.3 percent overall and 37.5 percent from three-point range.
Oklahoma City still has its work cut out for them in terms of getting back into the playoff picture. The Thunder are still three games behind the Phoenix Suns for the last playoff spot, although they’re only two games back in the loss column.
Despite the early-season issues, Vegas’ faith in Oklahoma City has never really waned. The Thunder currently have 10/1 odds to win the 2015 NBA title, which is fourth-best in the rugged Western Conference, according to Bovada. The odds to win the West are at 6/1.
It’s easy to see why Oklahoma City is still considered one of the top title contenders. Durant and Westbrook are absolute forces of nature and arguably the most devastating duo in the NBA. Ibaka is an elite rim protector and a solid offensive threat. Waiters has shown some value as a scorer off the bench. Reggie Jackson is another talented young player, and although his future with the team is in question, he’s an important part of the roster for now.
Who knows how things play out, but one thing’s for sure, no top team in the West wants to face the Thunder in a first-round series.
