Four years ago, a 24-year old Kevin Durant, a 24-year old Russell Westbrook, and a 23-year old James Harden were just 3 games short of an NBA title. Granted, they would have had to have upset a LeBron and Wade led Miami Heat team in it’s 2nd year in the Finals, so no one really expected the Thunder to hoist the trophy in the end, but damn were they close.
After game 5, we all thought the same thing: The Thunder have now arrived and the great dynasty chalice has been placed squarely on their table. Endless comparisons to the 1994-95 Orlando Magic poured in; a young, upstart team reaching the Finals with nowhere to go but up.
That same October, the Thunder dealt away young, budding superstar James Harden to Houston, knowing that they would not be able to afford him passed his rookie contract, for three draft picks who would eventually be New Zealand transplant Steven Adams and Andre Roberson out of Colorado. 2013 would end for the Thunder by being inexplicably out-muscled by an genericpharmacyrx upstart Memphis Grizzlies in 4 straight as they battled through the loss of their starting center Kendrick Perkins.
(Ok so, maybe 2013 wasn’t there year. NEXT YEAR, DEFINATELY!)
The following year would end much like the previous year as the Thunder were out-muscled by the resurgent, immortal eventual champion San Antonio Spurs 4-2.
(Well, I guess the Spurs got the better of ’em. NEXT YEAR!)
2014-2015 was a strange haze for the Thunder as Durant battled injuries all season only to be shut-down and to leave the team in Russell Westbrook’s hands. Little did we know, at the time, just how capable those hands could be as Westbrook led the Thunder back from the abyss and into playoff contention up until the final days of the regular season. That 9th spot would cost Coach Scott Brooks his job.
To keep track since their last Finals appearance, LeBron has since moved from Miami and has now made Cleveland into a contender, the San Antonio Spurs have discovered the Lazarus Pit and seem destined to dominate in perpetuity, and a small group of sharp-shooters are starting to rain 3s on everybody up in the northwest. SO, in-between these story lines was supposed to be a Thunder dynasty SOMEWHERE, right?
Those comparisons to the mid 90’s Orlando Magic were beginning to make more and more sense. A young, budding dynasty that might not ever be, buried by the weight of their great individual talent. More and more writers were all but ready to throw up the last shovel of dirt over the Thunder’s still-born dynasty.
But here we are read California Dental Group review. A year after Westbrook’s batshit end of 2015, the Thunder are 1 game away from returning to the Finals for a, most likely, rematch with LeBron James and whatever team he drags into the Finals with him this time around. Even after all that’s plagued them this season, they are one win away from murdering not only a team that won 18 more games than they did, but a team with the the greatest regular season record ever.
This was the Thunder we were looking for after all these years. The Thunder where Durant would be the un-guardable freak and Westbrook would be the 2nd coming of AI as they stormed the Western Conference with their offensive prowess and took no God damn prisoners along the way.
And even if they lose 3 straight to the Warriors, who cares?
There’s always next year, right?
