2009-10 NBA preview: Oklahoma City Thunder

People seem to be pretty high on this team that only won 23 games a year ago. Of course that was three more than this team won in their final season as the Seattle Supersonics. Since the team was sold, and GM Sam Presti came to town, only one player Nick Collison remains with the team. Presti has gone through a somewhat painful tear it down and rebuild it plan that has suffered a lot of growing pains. This is a team that is winning over the fans in Oklahoma, since they are the only pro team there, but this is a team with some more work to do.

Sure the foundation is solid. Being the only pro team in town they are converting the die hard College Football Fans into die hard pro basketball fans. They have a solid nucleus in Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook. On top of that they are some 14 million dollars under the salary cap so if the right move comes along they can take advantage.

Presti has taken the long view on the building of this team, and at some point it seems that it will pay off. Since NBA games are still a novelty in Oklahoma City here isn’t a lot of pressure on this team to win, as there is in other NBA cities. For now the fans re happy to have a team and Presti has sold them on his plan for building a winner. Granted another 20 win season may start to test that patience.

Really this is a team bucking the NBA norm; Presti is building his team around talent and character, and so far as shown great restraint in pursuing free agents. Having Salary Cap flexibility means his team can take on a big contract or two if he feels those players push this team in the right direction.