Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Views from OKC: The inconsistencies of the Thunder is a good thing

By Tony Heim

Mar 31, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon (3) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon (3) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Mar 31, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) fouls OKC Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) fouls OKC Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Views from OKC is a daily diary about the current state of the OKC Thunder. Today we look at why the inconsistencies of the Thunder are actually a positive.

I realize this is an incredibly strange premise. Why would inconsistent play be a positive? This season the up-and-down play is not a good sign for the playoffs, nor is it good for us fans’ health. But than we have to look at the current state of this team.

The Thunder aren’t trying to win a title this season. Unless a marquee free agent is signed this offseason that’s not going to happen next year either. So we need to start worrying about 2019, 2020 and beyond when we truly start to contend.

And that’s why the highs and the lows of the Thunder actually excite me for the future. We can’t expect a team with ten players 25 or younger to play with a concrete identity every night. Then factor in that eight of the 12 players (Nick Collison, Josh Huestis, Kyle Singler are excluded for lack of playing time) weren’t even on the team last year.

Simply put, this team shouldn’t be where they are this year.

This roster shouldn’t be able to beat the Cavaliers, Rockets or Spurs. But they’ve beaten all three teams this year. The Thunder also swept the season-series against the current #1 seed out East in the Boston Celtics. They have really good wins against really good teams…but then there’s the losses.

The Thunder have lost to three of the four worst teams in the league: the Suns, Magic and Lakers. In fact the Nets, Nuggets, 76ers and Knicks are the only sub-.500 teams Oklahoma City hasn’t lost to this season. But why does all this matter?

MUST READ: Russell Westbrook is the real MVP of the NBA

Because now Billy Donovan knows that he has a recipe for success with this roster. The entire offseason/first half of the season was one big experiment. He obviously couldn’t look at film from the past season because of the loss of Randy Foye, let alone the new players on the roster.

More from Thunderous Intentions

Now he can point to the first half against San Antonio on Friday when going over film this offseason. He can look at the way the team played when they took out the Cavaliers. And the team can do the same thing.

Jerami Grant can work on his dribble-drive moves. Alex Abrines can work solely on defense. Steven Adams can work on his post-moves. The Thunder have a clear picture of how this roster can succeed, something we couldn’t say going into this season.

Yes, the up-and-down play is a pain for us fans. But instead of getting upset about it we should embrace these growing pains. Because it’s all going to come together when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2020.

Home/Thunder News