Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.
Before I begin, I would be remiss if I did not take time to thank ESPN2s SportsNation for honoring us yesterday. It truly was a surprise to be chosen, and the four of us writers here are very grateful for not only the kind words from ESPN, but also the continued support from our readers. It is days like that that make this gig even more exciting! Thank you!
(We know return to our regularly scheduled debating!)
We take a break from the Olympics to take a quick look at the NBA. The Sports Debates has not focused much on the NBA yet in 2010, but with another NBA debate coming on Friday, I think we are getting ready to see more basketball debates as the season enters the stretch run. Today we are looking at teams who might make a charge as the season begins to wind down, and the first team that comes to mind for me is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder has a star on their team in Kevin Durant, who is much better than I believed he ever would be. He is quickly become one of my favorite players. He is that good, and the fact that he plays in a small market in the Midwest makes him a little underrated in my book. Yes I know it is hard for someone averaging 29.7 points a game to be underrated, but when talk centers around the best players in the game (LeBron, Kobe, D. Wade, etc), I do not think Durant’s name quickly comes to mind. It seems like yesterday he was a freshman at Texas, and now he is in his third season in the NBA. Keep in mind the kid is just 21 years old, too!
Another young stud for the Thunder is point guard Russell Westbrook, who really slides under the radar. He and Durant have something special going on out there. Mr. Westbrook is averaging around 16 points a game with 7.5 assists. He has a chance to be an all-star in this league in the coming years. Even guys like Jeff Green and James Harden are making a big impact for the Thunder. Wow, just typing this makes me truly realize how young this team is! They are continuing to grow, too.
Thru Tuesday’s action, which includes a victory over the new look Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder sat fifth in the Western Conference with a record of 31-21. They have a decent chance to get all the way up to second, which is currently where the Denver Nuggets reside. Catch the Nuggets, and that gives the Thunder a division championship. Wasn’t it just two years ago that the Thunder was actually a bad Seattle Supersonics team? Thanks to some excellent drafting, this franchise is turning the corner. It is exciting to watch.
The Oklahoma City Thunder possibly fit the old cliché of being “the team no one wants to play.” With the youngsters growing before our eyes, I would say they fit that description.
