Oklahoma City Thunder Previews:
xphoenix87: BallerBlogger
5. Is Clay Bennett in fact the devil incarnate?
Short answer: Yes. In addition to stealing cherished NBA franchises from their loyal fan bases, Bennett also kicks puppies and devours small children. In all seriousness though, the only real storyline on the court this season is Durant. Just how good is he and how quickly will he reach his potential? Will he continue to struggle with his efficiency? Will he be an All-Star? Will he average 30 a game? Will he earn a cool enough nickname to offset the terribly bad team name (The Thunder, really?) Nothing would surprise me. The sky is the limit.
Zorgon: Blue Blitz
The #1 weakness is just lack of overall talent. Our Team revolves around Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook. Those guys are all young, and not ready to be stars. Aside from that, we have Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Desmond Mason, Joe Smith, and Earl Watson....do you see a star here yet? While all guys have their respective skills, none of them have what it takes to lead a team or be a 20 point scorer every night. In a coupel of years, sure, maybe Durant could do that....but right now, he doesn't look like Chris Paul.
Royce: The Thunderworld
5. Will the current roster resemble the roster at season's end?
You know Sam Presti probably worked his magic again by acquiring Joe Smith. Smith will be a great bargaining tool at the trade deadline and OKC will probably pull a few draft picks from a contending team that needs a warm body in the post. (Atlanta I’m talking to you and we’ll take that unconditional 2010 pick, thank you.) But Smith will serve his purpose here. He helps the Thunder not be totally incompetent in the post and should guide along Johan Petro and Bob Swift. Heck, he could probably show Chris Wilcox and Nick Collison a thing or two. Come 2010, this team should be a serious contender.