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Fantasy Basketball Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder

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Categorized as: Author: Nels, Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2010, Oklahoma City Thunder
Posted on: July 13th, 2010

Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant - NBA Basketball

Off a screen, score – slam
Kevin’s crowd waves
Like a vision he dances across the court
As the stadium plays
Buck 65 singing for the lonely
Hey that’s me and I want you only
Don’t turn me home again
I just can’t face him one-one-on again

If building a team is like putting together a puzzle (and yes, even The New Heat need to add some pieces to fill some holes in their puzzle) the Thunder have a lot of pieces. Probably not enough to get it completed before some of the other 29 teams, but in this puzzle, some of the pieces grow to fill in more of the picture. And OKC has those kinds of pieces.

Last year, they put together 50 wins, good for only 8th place in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. This year, they’re hoping that by keeping their young guys around (and signing Kevin Durant to a five year extension) they’ll see some dividend-like growth that comes from holding growth stock rather than by trying to buy and sell at the right time.

So, now that I’ve mixed a couple metaphors (and badly at that), let’s get on with the fantasy analysis, starting with a (very rough) depth chart.

G Russell Westbrook, Eric Maynor
G Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden, Daequan Cook
F Kevin Durant, Morris Peterson, Thabo Sefolosha
F Jeff Green, Nick Collison, Ryan Reid?
C Nenad Krstic, Serge Ibaka, Cole Aldrich

The two forward positions are obviously locked up (KD played 39 minutes per game last year, and Jeff Green averaged 37), as is the PG spot (Westbrook was going 34 minutes). Those guys are young and going to be playing big minutes, leaving minutes about the size of a Fuck U on LiLo’s fingernail for their backups. The additions of Morris Peterson and Cole Aldrich as well as the efficiency of Serge Ibaka make the other two positions almost a jump ball. (And that’s a pretty good metaphor if I do say so*)

So, really, when it comes finding the lightning amidst the Thunder, look at the three solid players with the guaranteed minutes and then look elsewhere. The lesser Thunder players will be (or at least should be) available for the managers who swim in the Free Agent pool.

So, for the guys we want to draft… Here’s your official GMTR Guidance (for a 12 team league):
Kevin Durant: 1. Yes, overall.
Jeff Green: Late 4th/5th round
Russell Westbrook: 7th round

You down with OKC?
Yeah, you know me

These guys are down with OKC: fBasketballBlog and Steve Alexander @ RotoWorld

And if you want to be down with OKC, here’s just about the only good computer background / wallpaper image that I could find featuring your new #1 fantasy draft pick. The former #1 pick has about 5 pages of wallpaper-worthy pictures. Let’s call Durant and his Thunder cats: Quiet Storm. Say it really quiet whenever you talk about them.

Kevin-Durant-Wallpaper-1024x768

Bonus points to anyone who can tell what song was parodied in the into.

* A jump ball should be won by the player with an obvious advantage such as height or vertical jumping ability, but sometimes it comes down to who wants it more.

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  • Shap

    Whoa, Thunder Road. Whoa, Thunder Road.

  • http://nelswadycki.com nelswadycki

    That was quick like Kevin Durant's release.

  • doneycat

    Not saying you're wrong, but I've got a sneaking feeling that Westbrook gets taken before pick 73. There's always a run on PG's, and someone's going to be pissed they didn't get Rondo or Evans.

    Boy, the Thunder must be getting good – the sure sign a team in real life is good is that they don't have a lot of fantasy producers. For the antithesis, look at Golden State.

    I would have no problem taking a late round flier on Serge Ibaka, like 11 or 12.

  • http://nelswadycki.com nelswadycki

    As usual, the GMTR Guidance is where we think you should take a player to get appropriate value… not necessarily where they're going to be taken by other owners who overvalue them or make poor choices during the draft.

    Serge is probably the best of the rest if you're going to go for someone on the Thunder with one of those last round fliers. As they say, you can't teach height.

  • http://givemetherock.com/ Patrick

    …As they say, you can't teach height

    WHAT?

    // puts away stilts //

    I'm also on the Russell Westbrook bandwagon. He was much better last year than Eric Gordon. Just two guys I compare in my head for no apparent reason than they were in the same draft class.

  • doneycat

    I wouldn't take Westbrook much higher either, but if I'm going high risk/reward for someone who can outperform draft position, I'd take a long look at Russell.

    Can you teach width? I think a lot of guys in the league think so.

  • http://givemetherock.com/ Patrick

    Glen Davis is on line 1 and wants to speak with you doneycat.

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  • http://givemetherock.com/ Erik

    Would consider fatigue from playing in Turkey a potential factor in affecting his endurance, and subsequently his fantasy production throughout the entire '10 season?
    I can recall how Pau Gasol endured a sore hamstring(?) after getting banged up in an international event.
    Durant, who is the likely go-to guy, will be the target of opposing physical play.

  • http://givemetherock.com/ Erik

    Would consider fatigue from playing in Turkey a potential factor in affecting his endurance, and subsequently his fantasy production throughout the entire ’10 season?
    I can recall how Pau Gasol endured a sore hamstring(?) after getting banged up in an international event.
    Durant, who is the likely go-to guy, will be the target of opposing physical play.

  • http://givemetherock.com/ Erik

    Would you consider fatigue from playing in Turkey a potential factor in affecting his endurance, and subsequently his fantasy production throughout the entire '10 season?
    I can recall how Pau Gasol endured a sore hamstring(?) after getting banged up in an international event.
    Durant, who is the likely go-to guy, will be the target of opposing physical play.

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