15th in the Western Conference

As you can see, D and I have decided to preview each one of the 30 NBA teams in preparation for the upcoming season. He's got the Eastern Conference while I've got the Western Conference. So, without any further ado, let's get right to it.

Oklahoma City Thunder.

Backcourt:

At least Luke Ridnour's gone. If he hadn't been traded this very well could've been a three-headed disaster of a timeshare. Earl Watson now has the keys to the offense, though it's very conceivable that he could lose the starting PG job to Russell Westbrook. Watson is rather unspectacular while Westbrook is like a bigger, more explosive Rajon Rondo. Either way, Westbrook is a big part of the future for this team so he will probably at least secure around half of the minutes at the point as his defense is superior to Watson's. At the 2 we have Kevin Durant. His FG and 3 PT %'s are a bit frightening, but as last season wore on, he stopped jacking up so many 3's and started playing smarter. The light went on in March, as he had only 4 games where he shot under 50% from the field. He'll probably be taking most of the Thunder's shots again but should be able to improve slightly all around. Once he puts on more muscle and works on his defense, he'll become an All-Star. Backing him up is Damien Wilkins, an inconsistent scorer who like Watson doesn't figure to be a factor in the Thunder's future.

Balls of Potential: 2.5/5

Frontcourt:

Center is a mess here. If you thought a potential Ridnour/Watson/Westbrook combination at the point was bad, wait'll you see the stiffs at the 5. Mouhamed Sene, Robert Swift, and Johan Petro are all guys who should be in the NBADL, not vying for a starting position on an NBA team. Both Swift and Sene look like they will never pan out. For Swift, it's usually not a good thing when you're better known for your tattoos than your game. Petro has some range, but he is far too inconsistent. Instead of those 3, look for Nick Collison to step in and start as an undersized center. He is a steady presence who can score a little and rebounds well. At the 3 and 4 there are Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox. Like Durant, Green struggled with the %'s and was very inconsistent. He didn't do too badly, but was disappointing nonetheless. Wilcox is a bit of a mystery. He'll be a force one game and then disappear the next. For now he's more of a stop-gap player than an investment. Joe Smith figures to be the first big off the bench while Desmond Mason will back up Green. D.J. White and Devon Hardin are probably headed to the D-League and won't have any impact.

Balls of Potential: 2/5

Overall:

This is a young team that doesn't figure to make much, if any, noise in the West. Durant should be able to improve on his rookie numbers and will fill up the stat sheet, but he doesn't have much help. The core (Durant, Green, and Westbrook) is there, but it will be awhile before they can even think about competing for an 8th seed. This team's defense is suspect and the offense is streaky at best. There will be a lot of growing pains and things won't look pretty, but the future is relatively bright.

Projection:

The worst team in the West, if not the league. If they don't finish worse than the Nets, they'll at least come close. Back to the Lottery again.

I give this team 2/5 balls of potential for this upcoming season. This could increase in the coming years, but don't expect to see much out of this team except Kevin Durant highlights.

Alfred's Sleeper:

"Hey there. For each of these teams I'm gonna give you someone I know you're going to be sleeping on fantasy-wise. Ladies and gentlemen, from the Oklahoma City Thunder, I give you...Nick Collison. This guy is like the white version of Udonis Haslem. He'll get close to a double-double a night and won't hurt you anywhere. And his competition doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of people. So draft him. At the end of your draft, if you need a big man, give Collison a look. He'll have center eligible and you could do worse with the last pick of your draft."

*Discalimer: The views of each author are strictly his own. We do not speak for each other. So if, say, Alfred, says something that you take offense to, don't go crying to Matt or D. We'll simply point you right back to this disclaimer. And you'll have to read it again. Reading is fundamental.