The Oklahoma City Thunder have become a different team without Kevin Durant in the lineup. While most people are aware that he’s out, the Thunder are actually missing even more than just last season’s MVP. As the season is set to get underway and we start to bet night-to-night, let’s look ahead and see how the Thunder will do in their first wave of Durant-less games.
@ Portland Trail Blazers – Wednesday, October 29
The first game of the regular season is a tough one for Oklahoma City. The Thunder will have to go on the road and play the breakout team in the Western Conference from the past season. The Portland Trail Blazers came of age in 2014, with Damian Lillard blossoming into a true star at point guard, helping power forward LaMarcus Aldridge to enjoy even more space and freedom in the low post, since opposing defenses had to respect Lillard on the perimeter.
Portland has a balanced starting five which spreads the court and gets adequate rim-protecting defense from Robin Lopez. The numbers of these core players are undeniably strong. Aldridge averaged just over 23 points per game last season, plus 11 rebounds. Lillard averaged 20.7 points per game and over five assists. Lopez averaged nearly 11 points and over eight rebounds per game. The Blazers are going to be hard to deal with in terms of their starting five. It’s the bench that was underdeveloped last season and remains a concern. However, in a season-opening game, the bench doesn’t figure to be as much of an issue as it is in late December, January, or early February, when teams are a lot more fatigued.
Portland would probably be a slight favorite if everyone was healthy but with no Durant, no backup point guard Reggie Jackson or shooting wing Anthony Morrow, who is also on the shelf with an injury, the Trail Blazers should roll. They were 31-10 on their home court last season and should start off the 2014-15 season with an easy win and cover.
@ Los Angeles Clippers – Thursday, October 30
The Clippers are going to be even more of a problem for the Thunder than the Blazers, because the Clippers have more of what Portland has. The Clippers have Portland’s point guard-power forward-enforcer mix. Chris Paul, who averaged more than 19 points and 10 assists per game last season, is still the league’s best point guard. Blake Griffin, who racked up a statline of 24 points and nearly 10 rebounds per contest a season ago, is the power forward who can score and enters as a legit candidate to succeed Durant and win the MVP award. DeAndre Jordan is the rim protector and rebounder (13.6 rebounds, 2.5 blocked shots).
Even still, the Clippers are more than just their three-headed monster. They picked up Spencer Hawes to spell Jordan in the post and provide more offense than what Jordan is capable of. J.J. Redick is a sharpshooter who extends defenses. The same is true of C.J. Wilcox.
Where the Clippers distance themselves from Portland is at head coach, where Doc Rivers roams the sidelines and gives Los Angeles the leader who injects confidence into the ballclub. Oklahoma City had a hard time containing the Clippers in the playoffs last spring.
On top of all of that, this will be the Clippers home opener and their first game in the Steve Ballmer era. They’ll be fired up to that they’re no longer playing for Donald Sterling and they’ll take it out on the Thunder. You’ll probably want to bet the Clippers here again.
vs Denver Nuggets – Saturday, November 1
The Thunder’s first week comes to an end with a visit from the Denver Nuggets and this could be a winnable game. The Thunder might be a little fatigued as this will be their third game in four nights but it’s early in the season. Denver is a team that was only 36-46 last season and was 14-27 on the road. That should present the Thunder – even as shorthanded as they are – an opportunity to get a win here. Although the Thunder are missing a number of key components, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka should carry this team to – what might be – their first win of the season. By this point, they’ll probably only be a small favorite but this could be a good spot to bet them.
