Thirteen games into this NBA season and nothing seems apparent except the Thunder without Durant are probably a bottom half team in the Western Conference. As one objectively watches these games without Durant both last season and this season–there doesn’t appear to be a player on Sam Presti’s roster who can pair with Westbrook to give OKC a dependable twosome when Durant isn’t available due to various health issues. Kevin Durant has now missed 60 of OKC’s last 95 games dating from last to this season. …so this is an issue.
7-6 into a young NBA season is not a disaster or a reason to panic because OKC isn’t going to catch Golden State in the standings regardless. But thirteen games into a season in which you were picked by Vegas to be one of the top four teams in the league for a second straight season and seeing the same trends of play is a reason for serious concern.
Bottomline even with an All-Star triple double machine in Russell Westbrook, OKC isn’t a good basketball team without Durant on the floor. They appear disjointed, lacking in confidence and unsure of who has the right to be the second star in Durant’s absence. In these games—Serge Ibaka is clearly defining himself as a limited player within a limited role who doesn’t appear confident moving beyond.
So a red hot Dallas club rolls into Chesapeake at 9-4 and on a current six win streak. OKC is 7-6 overall and 2-3 minus Durant. Dallas has been a bit of an early season pleasant surprise. An interesting blend of Dirk, Deron Williams, Wes Matthews, Chandler Parsons, Zaza Pachulia, Dwight Powell, JJ Barea, Devin Harris, Raymond Felton and Charlie Villanueva.
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Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia have been nice off season additions as consolation prizes roster additions after the soap opera failed free agency signing of Deandre Jordan.
No official word on Durant’s status tonight as of this writing. With Durant this makes for a compelling game to watch–without Durant I’d have Dallas as the favorite at say -4.5 or so.
Dirk versus KD always makes for an entertaining watch, Dirk versus the Thunder team without not so much.
Below is the Dirk Championship MVP Finals video. If Durant is a no play tonight—this might be a better basketball watch as a fallback position courtesy of OKCThunderGround. Always be prepared.