Both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been two of the NBA’s biggest laughingstocks over the past three seasons. In fact, during the 2006-07 and 2007-08, these two teams held the bottom two spots in the Western Conference standings. In 2008-09, they finished with a combined 47 wins and ended with two of the four worst records in the Western Conference.
All of that has changed, however, this season, as both the Grizzlies and the Thunder remain in playoff contention through 50 games in the regular season. The Thunder are surprisingly 29-21 and currently sit seventh in the Western Conference. In addition, they have already surpassed their win total from each of their past two seasons. Along the same lines, the Grizzlies currently have a winning record with 26 wins and 24 losses, after beginning the season at 1-8.
First, the Thunder have achieved their remarkable start with an outstanding young nucleus, which features four lottery picks in the past three drafts. In 2007, during the first year of Oklahoma City’s existence, the Thunder picked up forwards Kevin Durant and Jeff Green within the top five picks. After a long and heated debate about the future potentials of Durant and Portland center Greg Oden, the Thunder have come away with arguably the best player to have come out in the past five years.
Kevin Durant has played at an all-star caliber level throughout the season, earning a berth in this year’s All-Star Game in Dallas. He has improved his scoring in each of his first three seasons in the league, averaging 20.3 ppg his first year, 25.3 ppg in his second year, and an incredible 29.7 ppg currently this season. In addition, he has become a more complete player this year, averaging career highs in steals, assists, rebounds, and field goal percentage. Durant has become an unstoppable force this year, largely due to his developed inside game to go along with his exceptional shooting abilities.
Furthermore, Durant has additionally helped foster the growth of Jeff Green, who has averaged 14.4 ppg and has played tremendous defense this year. After allowing over 103 points per game over each of the past two seasons, the Thunder have only surrendered 95.8 ppg this year. Green has contributed immensely to the defensive resurgence, as his versatility and length allow him to guard the opponent’s best player, regardless of position.
Moreover, the Thunder’s past two lottery picks, guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden, have had productive seasons as well. The revamped backcourt has turned into a strength for this team, as Westbrook is averaging 16.2 points and 7.5 assists per game. The point guard has additionally become a vocal leader for his team both on and off the court. Meanwhile, Harden has had a solid season, averaging 9.7 points and 1 steal per game. Both players will continue to improve with more experience.
Along the same lines, the Grizzlies have built an outstanding young core through the draft and free agency. First, the team has one of the more dynamic backcourts in the league, with top-five picks Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo anchoring the unit. After a mediocre first two seasons, Conley has played well this year, averaging 10.2 points and a career-best 5 assists per game. In addition, he has drastically improved defensively, allowing point guards to stay in front of him. Mayo, on the other hand, has become the clutch scorer for this team, averaging 17.7 points and hitting numerous key shots for his team.
Likewise, the Memphis frontcourt has been the overall strength of this team. After acquiring him in a trade from the Clippers, Zach Randolph earned his first all-star appearance this year, as he has accumulated totals of 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. His dominance has opened up the floor for other players on this team, including Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, who are averaging a combined 35 points per game. Furthermore, this unit has tremendous depth on the team, with Darrell Arthur and Hasheem Thabeet developing into quality NBA prospects.
Therefore, both the Thunder and the Grizzlies have positioned themselves beautifully for the future, as the nucleus of each team is under 26 years old. In addition, each team is phenomenally positioned financially, having more than $13 million to spend for the upcoming free-agent class, which is arguable the greatest offseason class ever.
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