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NBA Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder Should Not Give Up On NBA Championship Hopes

By @MrAnderson035

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder went into last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies as healthy as they’ve been since the beginning of the 2014-15 NBA season. Jeremy Lamb returned to add some much-needed depth to the Thunder roster, but it still wasn’t enough for OKC to avoid falling to 1-5 on the season.

Other than their home win against the Denver Nuggets, this was by far the Thunder’s best performance. With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook awaiting their return to the court, it’s been a rough start out of the gates for this team. In their 91-89 loss last night, the Thunder gave their fans hope with their tough play on both ends of the floor.

If it weren’t for Nick Collison‘s turnover on OKC’s second-to-last possession, then there’s no telling what the outcome may have been. Their record may not indicate it, but things are slowly getting better for this team. The biggest concern for the Thunder is whether or not Durant and Westbrook’s return come too late to save their season. Forty-eight wins wasn’t enough to make the playoff in the Western Conference last year, so OKC will need to find a way to start winning games without their star players.

Durant and Westbrook’s time away has surely helped OKC, giving their young players valuable minutes they otherwise wouldn’t come by in normal circumstances. With those minutes, those players have shown that this team may be strong enough to an NBA Championship with a fully healthy roster. Three-point shooting is something that has hurt this team in prior years. Adding Anthony Morrow, who is supposed to be returning within a couple games, automatically made OKC better from distance.

There’s also Serge Ibaka, who has shown improvement from beyond the arch thus far. We’ll have to wait and see just how this all plays out when KD and Westbrook returns, but the Thunder have certainly improved in several areas, which may be enough for them to get back to the NBA Finals. Aside from their shooting, OKC’s bench may be as good as they’ve been since the days when James Harden was the sixth-man. Perry Jones has shown improvement and Lamb is expected to be more of a weapon off the bench. There’s also Sebastian Telfair, who is coming off one of his best games so far this season. With that trio coming off the bench, OKC just may be in the best shape they’ve been in since their debut in the league.

All may seem grim at the moment, but if this team could find a way to sneak into the playoffs, then they’ll have just as good of a chance as any team to make it to the big dance.

Brian Anderson is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrAnderson035 “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your networkon Google.

Related:

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