warning: Irrational Fans are prone to homerism, over-exuberance, and loftly expectations.
Everyone’s down on the Thunder.
They were never real fans.
If it wasn’t for the injury of 2013, we would have a championship banner flying high. Two transcendent stars? Championship! Scottie Pippen and Jordan did it. Lebron and Wade are doing it. Would Durant and Westbrook have checked Lebron and Wade? Probably.
But this year. Wade is older. His knee is bad. We got this. ’14 Thunder = ’96 Bulls. The ’96 Bulls would destroy the Heatles.
Take a look at the 96 Bulls roster:
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Toni Kukoc
Steve Kerr
Ron Harper
Luc Longley
Bill Wennington
Dennis Rodman
These guys won 72 games! Aside from Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman–there’s no amazing talent there.
Now take a look at the ’14 Thunder:
Kevin Durant
Russel Westbrook
Kendrick Perkins
Serge Ibaka
Thabo Sefolosha
Jeremy Lamb
Reggie Jackson
Nick Collison
We’ve got Durant and Westbrook! In ’96 Dennis Rodman made 1st team All-Defensive. In ’13, Serge Ibaka made 1st team All-Defensive. So their 3 = Our three.
Now Jordan and Pippen averaged 30.4 ppg and 19.4 ppg, respectively that season.
Last year? Durant hit 28.1 ppg, with stronger rebounding and assist numbers than Jordan. Westbrook was at 23.2 ppg, with stronger assist but weaker rebounding than Pippen. So Durant + Westbrook = Jordan + Pippen; at least scoring, rebounding, and assist wise.
Defensively, Jordan and Pippen were legends. In ’96, Jordan, Pippen, and Robman all made 1st team the NBA all defensive team. But the Thunder’s team defense creates an average scoring margin at +9.2, only 3 ppg behinds the ’96 Bulls margin of +12.2.
Everyone remembers Dennis Rodman as rebounding king (which he was) But Rodman’s rebounding can be made up by our two solid big men–Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley we’re good pieces, but not solid forces.
In ’96 Kukoc, Longley, and Rodman snagged 4.0 + 5.1 + 14.9 rebounds, for a total of 24 boards.
In ’14, Ibaka, Perkins, and Nick Collison snagged 8.4 + 3.7 + 4.6 rebounds, for a total of 16.7 boards–7.3 boards less than the Bulls trio. However, Westbrook and Durant out rebounded Pippen and Jordan by 15.5 > 13 for a +2.5 margin, so our “big men + star players” only get out rebounded by the ’96 Bulls by 4.8 boards per game. This can be negated when you consider that the Thunder have guards rebounding at a higher rate than most teams (see Reggie Jackson and Thabo Sefolosha).
Steve Kerr was a great 3 point presence of the bench. Derrick Fisher and Sefolosha can equal that production. And KD is perhaps the most clutch from three since….Jordan.
There are many fans bemoaning the lack of value from the Harden trade/dump to Houston. However, having three players that are top 3 at their positions (though Westbrook will likely fall to 4th best pg now that Rose is back) at point, shooting guard, and small forward is a glut of ball-needy scorers. Harden–now considered the best shooting guard in the league–came off the bench for the Thunder back in 2012. Having all three as starters is redundant. Who knows, maybe Jeremy Lamb will pan out.
In every major way, the players match up from ’96 Bulls to ’14 Thunder. All the pieces are there for one of the greatest teams ever. The 2014 Thunder!
The Irrational Thunder Fan
(stats from ESPN stats, pictures from wiki commons)
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