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Oklahoma City Thunder: How Kevin Durant Can Make OKC A Title Contender Again

By Tim Samuelson

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Kevin Durant‘s ascended to the near top of the NBA ladder, but it might not be enough to bring the Oklahoma City Thunder a title. A minor addition could change that

NBA superstars are under a different level of scrutiny than the rest of the league. Once you reach a certain level of stardom, every imperfection, no matter how small, gets picked at. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant has certainly reached this level of stardom.

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He’s undoubtedly one the league’s three best players. The 2014 league MVP has four scoring titles on his résumé.. Come next year’s offseason, Durant will have all 30 teams falling all over themselves, competing for his services.

But even with Durant as the crown jewel on a very talented roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder seem as though they’re on the outside looking in as far as being a realistic competitor for the NBA title. Just a few years ago, OKC seemed primed for a long stretch of championship-level play. But a series of unfortunate injuries and questionable personnel management have knocked them down a peg on the NBA ladder.

Meanwhile, a new power has risen in Golden State, the Spurs have retooled, and both the Rockets and Clippers have continued to add to their already strong units. They’ve still got a roster strong enough to compete, but the overwhelming talent advantage that used to separate them is now gone.

The playoffs are all about maximizing whatever advantage you can and having an ultra-skilled, lanky scoring machine at power forward certainly seems like a nightmare proposition for opposing defenses.

As good as Durant is, it’s possible that this rendition of him isn’t good enough to lead this team out of the hellish landscape of the Western Conference. That said, the line that separates teams at the top is very thin and even the tiniest of changes can swing the balance.

Given his monstrous size, measured at 6’10” in shoes with a 7’5” wingspan in 2007, Durant, at least in theory, makes for a lethal small-ball four. The playoffs are all about maximizing whatever advantage you can and having an ultra-skilled, lanky scoring machine at power forward certainly seems like a nightmare proposition for opposing defenses.

Looking back at data from the 13-14 season – Durant didn’t play enough in 2015 to gather much information on the subject – we can see defenses struggled to contain power forward Durant, per 82games.com:

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s overall offensive rating was 1.11. As you can see, it was generally much higher in small-ball lineups with Durant playing up. Playing Durant at the four makes the Thunder a nightmare to guard, even with subpar shooting around him. Now with sharpshooters like Anthony Morrow and Kyle Singler on the roster, their small-ball lineups could be devastating.

But there is a catch. Durant’s an awfully long dude, but he doesn’t have much bulk to him. That length means nothing if you don’t have the strength to hold your own on the low block. Watch Blake Griffin pummel Durant in their playoff series against the Clippers two years ago:

In the previous series against the Grizzlies, Durant struggled similarly whenever given the task of covering Zach Randolph on the low block.

Going small with Durant at the four may make the engine hum in the regular season, but in the playoffs, gameplans become far more rigid and teams will pick at any weakness you have relentlessly. If you’ve got a low-post bruiser, forcing Durant out of the four spot is easy. Just feed him the ball on the block and presto, you’ve eliminated one of the Thunder’s advantages.

Looking forward at the road ahead, if the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to make it out of the brutal Western Conference and into the NBA Finals, they’re going to have to go through a whole host of stud power forwards. Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph haven’t gone anywhere, the Rockets have Donatas Motiejunas, and the Spurs just loaded up with both LaMarcus Aldridge AND David West. If they make it through that bloodbath, Kevin Love likely awaits them in the finals. There’s no escaping it. Golden State seems to be the only legitimate competitor that doesn’t have a low-post threat at the power forward.

Having a more versatile Durant helps the Thunder in bigger lineups as well as switching becomes a more consistent option. Having the ability to switch everything three through five could stifle opposing offenses. It’s just another boost a stronger Durant would give them. You need to seek out any edge you can get in the playoffs.

Expecting Durant to become the lockdown, versatile defender that Draymond Green‘s become is unrealistic. Green’s a rare bird with a skillset that’s practically unheard of in the NBA. But if he could play up a position and avoid getting consistently abused by bigs on the low block, it’d would go a long way for the Thunder’s title hopes. He doesn’t have to be great, he just has to be competent. The level of offense he offers provides that privilege.

It’s fair to criticize Durant and pick at his weaknesses on a micro level. He’s reached the level of super-stardom where massive expectations are placed on him. He’ll continue to be a great, incredibly valuable player should he never develop this skill. But his legacy and position among the league’s elite talents could be affected. More importantly, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s title hopes could be riding on it.

Next: Every team's best and worst case scenario for the 2015-16 season

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