For those not fully aware Kevin Durant now resides in the Bay area, this January could be your winter of discontent. This won’t possibly be tough, it will be the toughest month the Thunder has experienced since that first 23-59 season way back when. Durant is gone, but more to the point the Thunder schedule in January is sadistic. Of OKC’s fifteen games in the month, twelve of these games will be played away from home. OKC lost 98-94 to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road on Rose Bowl Monday. It doesn’t get easier, instead it gets incrementally tougher as each week in January is peeled off the calendar.
Tonight marks the first night of a road back to back in Charlotte. Tomorrow night it’s Houston where James Harden and his new coach Mike D’Antoni have the Rockets surging as the third best team in the West and possibly the best surprise story in the entire NBA so far. This could be the month James Harden passes Russell Westbrook as the MVP frontrunner.
Of OKC’s fifteen games games in January, ten will be played on the road against teams which if you include the 8th place Sacramento Kings will be participating in the NBA Playoffs. Of OKC’s fifteen opponents in January, only the Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t trending upwards post New Years. And consider this, OKC plays Golden State, Cleveland, and San Antonio all on the road in the final two weeks of the month. Yikes.
If Durant were still here with Ibaka, you might look at that schedule and think to yourself either 10-5 or 9-6 depending on the urgency meter of Durant and Westbrook. With this young group, you hold breath, whisper a prayer, and wish for the best.
Tonight’s it’s Charlotte after the Thunder lost at Milwaukee on Monday night after Westbrook struggled late in the game. OKC is now 21-14 and the 6th seed in the West and the Thunder need to squeeze out wins anyway possible in January. If you’re one of those fans who can’t handle tough games, tough endings, and probably an overall tough month—-you might be better off seeing movies or reading books till February when the Thunder’s schedule inverts where the Thunder play nine of eleven at home.
If you told me right now the Thunder could go 7-8 or even 6-9 this January…I’d take it.