Why I can't root for the OKC Thunder

[Celticsfan336]

I disagree with everything you said.

They are a very tough and grit team.......I think they utilize everyone perfectly. There are times they have 3 of the top scorers in the league on the floor at once.



The reason I have trouble rooting for them, is that I truly think they are the only team the Celtics cannot beat in a 7 game series.

[StartOrien]

I won't root for them until Seattle gets their NBA team back, simple as that.  Also I don't like Russell Westbrook, I think he's very overrated.

I live in Seattle.  I agree with this stance.  I want to root for the THunder (I love Durant and obviously have a soft spot for Perk), but it would kill my friends out here who were hardcore Sonics fans.  Seeing the thunder win a title just a few years after Oklahoma stole them from Seattle would be incredibly depressing.

I moved out here in 1995 when I was about 13 years old.  This was right before everyone had personal computers and the internet.  The Celtics stunk and I was in the dark about what they were doing aside from maybe checking the newspaper.  So I was a huge Sonic fan for a few years (Pitino coming on board coincided with us finally getting the internet... from that point on I either watched the Celtics on TV or listened to every game via internet radio).  My dad and I pretty much had season tickets and the Sonics were contenders.  They made it to the finals against Jordan.  It was terrific.  So you gotta realize that my peers out here grew up rooting for an awesome Sonic team that just kept falling short year after year after year.   Most of them were in complete denial about the Sonics leaving until they had already left.  This would just kill them.  My best is 29 and he had been going to games with his dad since he was 3 years old.  He was obsessed with the Sonics.  He's the type of guy who literally sheds tears when his team loses a big game... or at the very least locks himself in his room and refuses to do anything for a day.  If the Thunder win a title he might jump off the space needle.

Also, the fans in Oklahoma are the least deserving group of fans in the league.  None of them had to root for a struggling team.  It's their 4th year and every year has been sugar and fluff.  The heck with them.  

I'm summarizing a point made by an old Sonics employee in this fantastic Sonics article

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2012/05/03/confessions-of-a-sonics-employee-howard-schultz-was-cheap-cared-about-rich/

Seattle fans have the right to be angry that their team got hijacked. But one important thing to remember is that it was the OKC owner who brought in the strong management team that has turned this team into a contender.

Yes, Durant was a layup for them, but Westbrook and Harden were both picked well before they were initially projected and Ibaka was a diamond in the rough.

I don't see an indication that previous management would've been capable of making similar decisions. In fact, the loss of their team kind of supports that they weren't.

So again, I understand being upset about the ways things played out but I don't think it's right to project the thoughts that 'this would be our team if they were still in Seattle.'

Nah bro.  Nah.

Kevin Durant played in Seattle his rookie year.  I use to work with the guy who edited the SOnics Gate documentary... supposedly management wouldn't allow Durant to to interviews his rookie year.  Reason being, they didn't want the fans in Seattle to fall in love with him and the team.  My buddy and I went to Durant's first ever home game.... we knew what was up.  That team let Lewis walk (smart move), but dumped Ray Allen 5 years early for a project (Jeff Green).  They were TRYING to lose so that they could make their path to Oklahoma easier.  Ray and Durant could have made some noise together.  

Look... Kevin Durant is that team.  Dude is an MVP candidate.  And he played his rookie season for the Supersonics before that team was robbed.  I'm not buying the argument that they drafted WEstbrook and Harden and thus Oklahoma deserves this.  That seems out of touch.  Westbrook and Ibaka was drafted by the Sonics.  And why are we so certain that those were the best moves?  Say a different management group was there.  Say they also decided to dump Ray for the Jeff Green pick.  Big deal... Durant would STILL be there unquestionably.  Everyone knew Durant was going to be a phenom.  That was a no-brainer pick.  ANY management group would have taken Durant.  No question.  Then in 08... they took Westbrook with the #4 pick.  Big deal... Kevin Love went #5.  Eric Gordon went #7.  Brook Lopez went #10.  Put any of those with Durant instead of Westbrook and you still have a contender.  You're forgetting who is the superstar of that team... Kevin Durant.

In 09 they Take James Harden #3.  Big deal.  Tyreke Evans was picked #4.  Rubio was taken #5.  Steph Curry was taken #7.  Brandon Jennings was taken #10.

In other words... pick any two players (Love and Curry... Gordon and Rubio... Lopez and Evans) and stick them next to Kevin Durant and you have a contender.  This bogus idea that Oklahoma management put that team together and thus Seattle has no reason to be upset is RIDICULOUS.  They stole Kevin Durant (a franchise PHENOM) away from Seattle.  I can't root for them.    

Serge Ibaka was drafted by Sam Presti, the GM brought in by what is now OKC management.

I disagree with your assessments of Tyreke Evans as well as Brook Lopez, who I don't think are particularly extraordinary players. Certainly a significant downgrade over their Thunder equivalents.

Regardless, in any draft you can go through it w/ revisionist history and point out the other options they could've had and still be successful. Point is, this management group has hit and hit big.

Whether or not years down the line that those players were the absolute best option is semi-debatable, but they never missed. That's an accomplishment that many want to dismiss while failing to recognize the amount of other organizations who've failed to do the same.

[scaryjerry]

Durant on of the best players in the league, and you utilize him on isos and running off screens? Thats horrible

How else are they supposed to utilize him?

He's not a pick and roll ball handler type of player.

Exactly....They're playing to one of his "favorite players" stengths...you'd think he'd have known that.
Anyways, I agree I cant root for them because I cant stand russell westbrook ...but would completely disagree they dont have toughness...thats absurd to me...I cant remember a tougher young team, ever

[StartOrien]

While he's a flawed player, and maddening at times - I really enjoy Russel Westbrook. 1990's style point guard. Kind of love it.

[SHAQATTACK]

Lord ...its easy for me to pull for the Thunder over the LAKERS,  even though I enjoy LA vs Boston series....  I just can't possibly pull for LA under any circumstances. 

Its in my DNA to dislike the LAKERS .

[Spilling Green Dye]

OsirusCeltics, I definitely agree.  I can't stand Westbrook and I don't particularly agree with their Offensive schemes and lack of teamwork at times.  That said, I'm still hoping they beat the Lakers

[csfansince60s]

I dislike the Thunder for the same reason that I dislike the Spurs:

They were both the beneficiaries of us getting screwed by the ping pong balls/Stern. The Thunder, as the Spurs, have something (Durant/Duncan) that we wanted and should have gotten.

Yah, yah, I know this jealousy is somewhat puerile, and I know the argument that if we had gotten Durant, then we dont get Ray who helped us get KG that got us 17.

Can't help myself. They lucked out tremendously, and we got porked tremendously. Don't like them.
 

[SHAQATTACK]

Yea ...it is easy to be jealous of the OKC "LUCK"  , to luck into all those good players at the SAME TIME is unreal.  
Then they unload Jeff Green off on us with a heart condition. They can keep Perk for all I care.

The whole time we should have taken Harden or "NO DEAL"  , regardless of our intentions to keep Perk or not. DA got fleeced by taking the sorry center and Green.  

Clearly ( and I'm no talent scout) just watching the Thunder before we traded for Green, Harden was a far better talent just off the bench than Green and I wonder what he was doing sitting on the bench. They were sand bagging HArden, hiding him , and holding him back till they could unload Green.  DA took the bait.

I still think they dumped Green , because obviously Harden was the better player and ultimately they had to resign both and there was no money for both.  

I just can't see how OKC can keep and pay under the new rules so many great young players that can go elsewhere and double their salary.

Eventually the TALENT will have to be rewarded with contracts OKC can't provide under the new rules. So they are under pressure to get it done (win it all) , before they have to pay the bill .

I think Brooks is another Spobot , only he has coachable unspoiled players (nice kids) for the most part.

Brooks couldn't make it on the Cavs or Bucks , or Raptors , he'd be fired in 1/2 season.

Still I have to pull for OKC over LA  

[StartOrien]

Clearly ( and I'm no talent scout) just watching the Thunder before we traded for Green, Harden was a far better talent just off the bench than Green and I wonder what he was doing sitting on the bench. They were sand bagging HArden, hiding him , and holding him back till they could unload Green.  DA took the bait.

They didn't do too terrific of a job of 'hiding him', as it's pretty well documented that Ainge called Presti about a trade for Harden, and the Thunder refused to go forward.

[Josh88]

I dislike the Thunder for the same reason that I dislike the Spurs:

They were both the beneficiaries of us getting screwed by the ping pong balls/Stern. The Thunder, as the Spurs, have something (Durant/Duncan) that we wanted and should have gotten.

Yah, yah, I know this jealousy is somewhat puerile, and I know the argument that if we had gotten Durant, then we dont get Ray who helped us get KG that got us 17.

Can't help myself. They lucked out tremendously, and we got porked tremendously. Don't like them.
 

In what way, shape or form did Stern have any control over that? I'm really getting sick of NBA fans using Stern as the scapegoat any time something doesn't go their team's way, it's getting ridiculous.

I wanted Durant as bad as anyone in 2007 but implying Stern had anything to do with us not getting him is just absurd. 

[Yogi]

   I couldn't stand Westbrook last year, but this year he took a step I didn't think was possible for him to take.  He is very quietly the most improved player in my opinion.  His decision making is 10 times better and he's started passing up open layups to get his scorers confidence like Rondo.  He has developed more chemistry with Durant than Wade and Lebron have.  He also improved his pull up jumper and his ball handling.  He's now officially my second favorite point guard after Rondo.
   The best part of Durant's game is shooting and fast breaks.  Coming off a Perk screen, he is unstoppable because he's 7ft (not 6'10), long, and has great elevation and a high release.  He can post some smaller guys, but he doesn't have the strength to post up guys like Artest, nor the footwork to post up shot blockers (He's improving though).  I think it's great that they don't make him go iso all the time like Melo or Joe Johnson.  The result is they play great and are up 2-0 on the Lakers.  The only thing I don't like about the Thunder is that they are a threat to the Celtics.  But other than that, I absolutely love that team.  They are one of the few teams along with Celtics, Spurs, Bulls and Grizzlies that play basketball the way it's supposed to be played. 

[Q_FBE]

It would truly suck if we ended up playing them in the Finals. Instead of a bus ride cross town, It would be a minimum of two flight segments on Southwest Airlines to watch the NBA Finals. I volunteer to be Seattles representative to be a "Goodwill Guest" for the OKC Thunder........ And show up hanging Larry Bird's poster at Toby Kieth's Bar and Grill entrance to the Men's Room (labeled Who's Your Daddy of Course).

[OsirusCeltics]

I'm watching this Thunder-Lakers game, and the Thunder are just playing dumb
They are down, and they are just dribbling the ball up and jacking up jumpshots. Or driving the ball into the Laker bigs without passing the ball

Yes they are talented, but the style they play would fail against teams who can better defend their simple offense

[mr. dee]

I'm watching this Thunder-Lakers game, and the Thunder are just playing dumb
They are down, and they are just dribbling the ball up and jacking up jumpshots. Or driving the ball into the Laker bigs without passing the ball

Yes they are talented, but the style they play would fail against teams who can better defend their simple offense

I suggest you should finish games before you make comments

[OsirusCeltics]

I'm watching this Thunder-Lakers game, and the Thunder are just playing dumb
They are down, and they are just dribbling the ball up and jacking up jumpshots. Or driving the ball into the Laker bigs without passing the ball

Yes they are talented, but the style they play would fail against teams who can better defend their simple offense

I suggest you should finish games before you make comments

I suggest you look at that Laker turnover 
Not a Laker fan, but they screwed up that game which was obvious
Read my first post. I never said I hate the Thunder. I just hate how the team plays