Breaking Down Oklahoma City

Those of us who weren't blessed enough to be cool in high school probably can't relate to this analogy.

For those of you who were (damn you), remember that annoying kid who was always hanging around, even though you consistently beat him up and made him feel like a loser? You know which kid I'm talking about. Then you graduate high school, the kid goes through the P90X program, gets a seven figure a year income, and shows up at the 10 year high school reunion with his super model wife and luxury car, while you sit there with your old high school friends thinking "that was that guy?"

This could be about to happen to the Western Conference. Oklahoma City is in the market for a BMW.

Don't believe me? The Western Conference is ripe for the taking. The top teams like Dallas, San Antonio and Los Angeles are aging. The young studs like Portland, Denver and Memphis are a superstar (or two) away from contending. Many star players in the West are teaming up with their buddies out East, and suddenly the West looks to be the weaker conference in a few years.

But not down in OKC, where the Thunder are primed and ready to blow.

Get used to seeing this. It's not going anywhere soon.

Clearly, when discussing Oklahoma City, the first player on everybody's mind is Kevin Durant. Barely old enough to buy alcohol legally, the third year forward is leading the NBA in scoring (again) as well as averaging 7+ rebounds per game. Seriously, how do you stop a quick 6'10 forward with incredibly long arms, who can put the ball on the floor to get past you, AND has the sweetest jumpshot this side of Ray Allen? His three point range extends roughly to the Oklahoma City Arena parking garage. And did I mention those long arms? They bothered LeBron James into a 19 point night against Oklahoma City in their recent visit to Miami. And you know what? Durant is a long ways from his ceiling. If he can find his way into the weight room this summer and add some bulk, there is seriously no telling what kind of unholy fury he will release on the NBA.

Is this a team that could make a title run? Championship teams are traditionally built off a formula. You need a superstar (Durant). You need a super-second banana, and it wouldn't hurt if your second banana was arguably a better player than your first banana (Russell Westbrook). You need an inside presence who scares off slashers trying to get easy buckets (Serge Ibaka). You need a big banger down low who can handle the behemoths that litter the path to the Finals, as well as veteran playoff experience and championship pedigree (Kendrick Perkins). You need a deep bench, capable of carrying the starters' load for an alloted time during the game, and capable of winning a game or two during the long playoff grind (Collison, Harden, Maynor, and Mohammed).

Like every team in the league, OKC has flaws. One of the most glaring problems, especially come playoff time when defense is ramped up to a fever pitch, involves Westbrook's turnover prone offensive attack. And honestly, I'm not sure how he could fix it. Most of his scoring is predicated on throwing himself headlong towards the basket, using his speed to beat his defender. This results in either an open man on the wing (as his defender drops down to help on Westbrook), an easy layup or dunk (or a foul to prevent it), or a turnover. Dangerous? Perhaps. Effective? Absolutely. Out of control? Unfortunately, sometimes. Westbrook is averaging almost 4 turnovers per game. Can you win a championship with a turnover prone point guard? Yes...but a young team like Oklahoma City could struggle without veteran leadership calming them down.

Just for kicks, let's take a quick look at how entertaining a matchup between the defending champion Lakers and Oklahoma City would be this year. Remember, last season these teams met in the first round, with the Lakers getting their toughest Western Conference test, as Oklahoma City pushed them to 6 games.

Point guard: Russell Westbrook vs Derek Fisher
This matchup is closer than you'd think. Westbrook certainly has Fisher beat in athleticism and talent, but Fisher is a wily veteran, very capable of making Westbrook pay for dumb plays.

Shooting guard: Thabo Sefolosha vs Kobe Bryant
Based on the assumption that Sefolosha will still be starting over James Harden come playoff time, the obvious advantage is to the Lakers here. However, Sefolosha is a defensive specialist, tall and quick enough to bother Bryant, especially if Kobe goes into hero mode.

Similar to the Sefolosha/Bryant matchup, Durant is far the superior player, but Artest is strong enough and a good enough individual defender to frustrate the Thunder's slender forward.Small forward: Kevin Durant vs Ron Artest

Power forward: Serge Ibaka vs Pau Gasol
This is sneakily one of the most fascinating matchups. Gasol has been beyond fantastic for the Lakers this season, and he remains one of the best power forwards in the NBA. But where Gasol struggles the most is against players like Ibaka, the long, athletic forward who specializes in altering and blocking shots.

Center: Kendrick Perkins vs Andrew Bynum
Perk is just the type of foil OKC needs for Bynum. Bynum won't be able to move Perkins out of position, or really dominate him down low. On the other hand, Perkins won't be producing points.

As you can see, Oklahoma City match up VERY well against the Los Angeles, and vice versa. NBA fans should be praying for that matchup come playoff time. Los Angeles has an edge in playoff experience, which in all likelihood would make the difference this year. But what about next year, or the year after, when Durantbrook and company have had more time to develop in pressure situations?

This season feels like a precursor for Oklahoma City. Perhaps not this year, but soon. The clouds are gathering. The storm is brewing.

Here comes the Thunder.