Oklahoma City Thunder 2010 Preview & Predictions

Oklahoma City Thunder 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds

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Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-2010 NBA Record: 50-32, 4th in Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Trends & Betting Angles:
• 1-8 SU past 9 at Denver
• 9-2 SU, 8-2-1 ATS past 11 at home to Minn.
• 1-6 SU, 2-5 ATS past 7 trips to Portland
• Played 7 straight UNDERs at home to Portland
• 5-15 SU past 20 trips to Utah
• 13-5-1 ATS past 19 games as underdog
• OVER is 7-1 past 8 as fave of 8+ points

Oklahoma City Thunder 2010 Preview & Prediction

After escaping a first-round playoff series against the Thunder on a last-second put-back basket in Game 6, Lakers star Kobe Bryant complimented Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in the hallway between post game interviews. Bryant said he was relieved to win the series and informed OKC’s two young stars the team had a bright future. Arriving a year ahead of schedule, the Thunder compiled 50 wins. The 27-game improvement over the team’s first season in Oklahoma City was one of the best turnarounds in league history. An emphasis on defense sparked the turnaround and once again will be the focus as the Thunder tries to take the next step and move up the standings in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Coach of the Year Scott Brooks returns all nine players from his rotation. With Cole Aldrich and Byron Mullens, two young centers, expected to compete for playing time, the youngest team in the league will have plenty of bodies to throw at opponents. With Westbrook emerging as one of the league’s top point guards and several on-the-rise players (Jeff Green, James Harden and Serge Ibaka), the Thunder have the talent to make a deeper run in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder Coach: Scott Brooks (3rd season)

Oklahoma City Thunder Projected Starters: PG Russell Westbrook, SG Thabo Sefolosha, SF Kevin Durant, PF Jeff Green, C Nenad Krstic.

Oklahoma City Thunder Key Additions: None.

Oklahoma City Thunder Key Losses: None.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder Point Guards:

Russell Westbrook looks like a star in the making. The Lakers’ Derek Fisher simply could not stay in front of him during the playoffs and if Kobe Bryant had not switched to point guard on defense in Game 5 (after having his soon to be surgically repaired knee drained), then the Thunder may very well have toppled the defending champions in the first round. Westbrook has been converted from shooting guard to point guard but in his second season he increased his assists and field goal percentage while decreasing his turnovers. However, his three-point percentage remained poor, so Westbrook needs to improve his perimeter shooting touch to prevent defenses from being able to sag off of him. Backup point guard Eric Maynor is a solid distributor and defender who must develop a more consistent shooting stroke, while Royal Ivey was a starter for Atlanta four seasons ago but is now strictly a bench player who is a defensive specialist.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder Off Guards:

This is a high scoring position for many NBA teams but the Thunder’s off guards focus on defense and versatility. Thabo Sefolosha ranked fourth on the team in mpg but he averaged just 6.0 ppg – 3.9 ppg less than his backup James Harden averaged. However, the long-armed Sefolosha is a good rebounder for a guard and he is an outstanding defender. Harden may not be flashy or explosively athletic but he is savvy and gets the job done, an apt description of how Harden performed as a rookie. Daequan Cook played solidly in his first two seasons and won the 2009 Three-Point Shootout but last season his shooting stroke abandoned him. The Miami Heat dumped him to clear salary cap space and Cook has vowed to not only reestablish himself as a dependable long range threat but to also display his ability to drive and finish.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder Small Forwards:

Kevin Durant became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history and will most likely be a contender for the scoring crown for the next decade or so. He is long, smooth, quick and a deadly shooter from allover the court. His high dribbling style sometimes results in turnovers, but he also has broken a few ankles with his devastating crossover moves. Durant has nearly doubled his free throw attempts per game since his rookie season and that spells trouble for the opposition because he is an outstanding free throw shooter. He was an excellent rebounder in college and after a disappointing rookie performance in that category he has become a very good NBA rebounder, leading the Thunder with 7.6 rpg. Durant is not a great playmaker (2.8 apg) but even though his assist numbers may suggest otherwise he is a willing passer and an unselfish player. His defense improved from horrible as a rookie (which is not unusual) to more than acceptable by his third season and figures to continue to get better. Durant plays nearly 40 mpg, so the other small forwards on the roster will not be on the court for very long. If Morris Peterson can stay healthy, he could provide some much needed long range shooting as either Durant’s backup or even playing alongside Durant as a shooting guard. Jeff Green will also get some minutes at small forward when the Thunder use a big lineup.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder Power Forwards:

Jeff Green is a not a classic power forward but rather a versatile player who is not exceptional at anyone particular thing. He can hit the faceup jump shot and even make an occasional threepointer but his shooting percentages are nothing special. Green only had 11 double doubles but he ranked second on the team with 6.0 rpg, doing his part as the Thunder rebounded by committee well enough to post the sixth best rebounding differential in the league. He does not rack up tons of assists but he is a good passer who will hit the open man. Like Durant, Green logs heavy minutes but when Green is out of the game the Thunder will use Nick Collison here; the Thunder will also use a small lineup at times.

2010 Oklahoma City Thunder Centers:

Nenad Krstic can hit the open jump shot- though it is odd that he is a below average free throw shooter-but he is not a great defender or rebounder, the two most important skills for a center to possess. The Thunder essentially platooned three bigs as centers/backup power forwards, with Krstic starting 76 games at center, but Collison and Serge Ibaka each averaging nearly as many minutes as Krstic did. Collison shot .589 from the field, but most of his attempts came from point blank range. Collison had been a good rebounder for most of his career but last season he posted his worst rebounds per minute average and was not much better than the perimeter-oriented Krstic in that department. Ibaka easily posted the team’s best per minute numbers in both rebounds and blocked shots but his offensive game is extremely limited. Rookie Cole Aldrich is a good rebounder and shotblocker, so he may battle his way into the big man platoon.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the Oklahoma City Thunder will finish 1st in the NBA Northwest Division .

Oklahoma City Thunder Betting

Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Championship Odds: +1200
Oklahoma City Thunder Eastern Conference Odds: +600

Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-2010 Betting Stats

Oklahoma City Thunder Straight Up: 50-32
Oklahoma City Thunder ATS: 48-34
Oklahoma City Thunder Home ATS: 22-19
Oklahoma City Thunder Away ATS: 26-15
Oklahoma City Thunder Record As Favorite: 37-14
Oklahoma City Thunder Record As Dog: 13-18
Oklahoma City Thunder Over/Under: 44-36-2

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