National Basketball Association

Will The Thunder Be Worse Without Durant?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Separating potential from production is important. When evaluating success or failure we can’t judge situations based on what ifs? We must deal in reality and the truth. And the truth is the Thunder aren’t worse off without Durant.

Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Thunder under achieved almost every single season Kevin Durant was in OKC. Outside of their one NBA Finals appearance, when the Thunder lost to the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in 2012, the Thunder haven’t done much.

Now, this is not to say they have been a disappointment. The Thunder have arguably been one of the top 3 teams in the Western Conference every single year they’ve existed as a franchise.

But, it’s about perception and expectations.

If the Thunder miss the playoffs this year, is it that big of a deal?

The Thunder missed the playoffs too in 2015 when Durant went down with a foot injury.

What about if the Thunder make the Playoffs, but lose in the first round. Again, it’s not a big deal because the Thunder lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the playoffs in 2013 after Westbrook was injured.

Does losing Durant hurt because he was an MVP caliber player. Of course, but the projections for this season has Westbrook as the favorite to win the MVP award. So, the Thunder still have an MVP caliber player.

The Thunder over the last 5 years have struggled against two teams; the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.

The Memphis Grizzlies were tough because of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol’s physical presence in the paint, which caused problems for the Thunder. But, the Grizzlies are older and on the decline. As a result, they don’t pose mush of a threat to the Thunder.

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However, the Spurs still do. With no Durant, the Spurs will win against the Thunder in a 7 game series. But, let’s not forget, while the Spurs lost the series in the playoffs last season against the Thunder 4-2, every game was extremely close.

This season there are only two teams in the West better than the Thunder; the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs.

This doesn’t differ much from last season.

Now, many people may say the Thunder last year had a more talented team than Golden State. But, at the end of the day, the Thunder lost the series to them.

Also, we’ve seen in previous years that the Spurs are more than capable of beating the Thunder, with Durant, in the playoffs.

When we step back and look at the situation objectively, the Thunder are really no worse off entering this season, than any other previous year.

If the Thunder make the playoffs and lose in the second round or if they get a low seed and lose to the Spurs or the Warriors in the first round it’s just business as usual.

It’ll be as if Durant never left.

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