NBA Season Preview: OKC Thunder

Mark Rawden, and his associates over at Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com), are running their own NBA Season Preview for each team in the NBA prior to the beginning of the regular season. Here's a look at the the 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder, and a Q&A with Royce from Daily Thunder: (http://www.examiner.com/x-10630-Boston-Celtics-Examiner~y2009m9d27-NBA-Season-Preview-QA-with-Royce-from-the-Daily-Thunder) What are your thoughts about the Thunder as the season approaches? How do you feel about their playoff/title chances?Royce, Daily Thunder: It's strange because my thoughts about the team are very positive, but I have no visions of the playoffs. Some folks out there are hyping this team as a dark horse playoff contender or a surprise team and while that's all well and good, most Thunder fans are tempering those thoughts. We just want to see a team that is better than last year and ready to compete for 48 minutes every single night. If that happens, the talent is there and the wins will come. Maybe not enough this year to get to the playoffs, but hopefully enough to warrant legitimate hype going into 2010-11. Do you feel that holes in the roster still need to be addressed, and if so, can they be addressed?Royce: Oklahoma City is in such a strange position in terms of holes on the roster. Technically, every hole on the roster has been "addressed" but it's been addressed with a young 20-year-old that's in his first or second year. The player is there, but it's yet to be determined if he can actually fill that need. For example: The Thunder desperately needs a physical, rebounding, shot blocking big man. That was "addressed" by taking Byron Mullens last season, a 7'1" center. But is he that guy? Can he be that guy? We'll have to wait and see. OKC was one of the worst teams statistically last year at shooting guard. So they took James Harden, the best two-guard in the draft. Will he fill the gap? I think so, but I don't know so. The players are there, but we don't know if that player fills that hole just yet. The good news is Sam Presti has the patience to wait and find out instead of spending big money on free agents. How you feel that they compare with the Celtics, and the rest of the NBA?Royce: Well behind, but gaining. The Celtics are elite in so many ways. They've got the stars (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Paul Pierce). They've got the budding stars (Rajon Rondo, Big Baby Davis, Kendrick Perkins) and they've got the depth (Eddie House, Marquis Daniels, Tony Allen). They're built strong and the roster is basically complete. The Thunder can be that, but they aren't there yet. The Celtics were built for a five or six season run with a couple superstars, but OKC's plan is a long-term investment. Young players, smart free agency moves and keeping what you have. So while Boston is the class of the league, the Thunder are not there yet but with development, they could get there and hopefully, stay there. If the Celtics and Thunder make the Finals, how would you think the Thunder should attack Boston in a 7-game series?To read the rest of Mark's Q&A, click here. (http://www.examiner.com/x-10630-Boston-Celtics-Examiner~y2009m9d27-NBA-Season-Preview-QA-with-Royce-from-the-Daily-Thunder)