OKC Thunder: Five Stats to Explain Their .500 Record
By Tony Heim
After starting the season 6-1, the OKC Thunder have dropped seven of the last nine games. These last nine games have not been a fluke.
The first seven games of the season gave OKC Thunder fans hope that Kevin Durant wasn’t necessary for a 50-win team. But as other teams got more footage on the Thunder, the results started to change. After being atop the Western Conference for some time, now the Thunder sit at 8-8 and tied for sixth in the West.
I was optimistic and didn’t want to believe that losing KD would hurt Oklahoma City this much. But the fact of the matter is this:
The roster was built to support Westbrook and Durant. It wasn't intended to function around a Westbrook solo show.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 24, 2016
I'm amazed at those that are completely flabbergasted at OKC having problems after losing a top three player. Like it wasn't going to matter
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 24, 2016
But here’s the big problem:
Now 16 games into the season, I don't see where the Thunder have gotten better since opening night.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 24, 2016
I hate to just use Royce Young to prove my points, but he’s spot on with all of this. PLUS plagiarism is kinda an issue in this industry. But that’s besides the point.
The point is there’s big problems in Oklahoma City, but these problems can be fixed. Let’s take a look at the five statistics that have caused the Thunder’s freefall but can easily be corrected by the end of the season.