Well now is a very time for mt nba 2k20 OKC. This is the first year the Thunder have not had Westbrook or Kevin Durant about the roster so things are quite odd. The Thunder lost into the uncharted Heat Big 3 and have been a team on the cusp of something great, but only attained one Finals. The best player on the roster at the moment is up for debate. My favorite is Steven Adam's because of his defense, rebounding, passing, and attitude. A lot of people would state Shai is the best player because of his unbelievable potential, and I'd be hard pressed to disagree. Chris Paul also deserves a nod for being a classic wonder managing to direct a young and technically gutted roster to a"playoff" spot.
Biggest rival is sort of tough to select. I'd say it is a toss up between Golden State (because of KDs snakely death ), San Antonio (since they have always been a big test for OKC in the playoffs), Utah (because their fans are crap and also have had beef with OKC forever), and even Dallas but that was more so in the past.I've been a Thunder fan since about 2010 and I can honestly say this team was a burst to follow. A good deal of downs and ups together with the roster and achievement, but Presto always manages to put a team. Since I have been avidly watching OKC they've just missed the playoffs once and it was the time which both Westbrook and KD were injured for big stretches.
Westbrook took a group that had been a shell of its former self and managed to put together among the most remarkable individual seasons in NBA history and carrying them to a playoff berth. Definitely put the Rockets from the rivals list. Fuck Patrick Beverly. The Thunder very well could have competed for a ring that he knocked Russ out with a dirty play that changed his career forever. Harden being there and being the whiniest participant in the league does not help.
I believe staff was probably the Thunder facet, a their best shot at a title. While losing Harden was large, I think the rise of KD and Westbrook, in addition to Kevin Martin being like 80% as great as Harden (because 6th man role sharing the ball with another two at the point in their careers) greater than made up for this loss. Sefolosha could still take on a bit. Collison balled out and the league and Perkins had not completely passed by. Yeah that season was a heartbreaker. I remember walking about seeing that game in my phone and watching Russ lift his leg up then drama I knew it wasn't going to go as planned. A little definitely hurts the offense, but just like you stated KMart filled in at the point. I seriously believe if Russ doesn't get hurt OKC gets a ring which year.
This is an awesome breakdown, but Portland should be added to the rivals list as well. I truly coined it, but outside of last year I never actually felt like they were about precisely the exact same level as Houston, Utah, SAS, or GS, but I can definitely say they're a honorable mention at the very least, kinda on precisely the exact same level as Dallas. I put Dallas on there because Cuban is such a damn trill and that super filthy series we played the year we made the WCF against GS. OKC went for to GS on that run. If KD really shows up in NBA 2K21 game 6 or 7 of that series we would have observed another finals appearance. I will forever stand from the speculation that KD understood he was going to GS already and quit going in when he realized they were going to mt for sale 2k20 eliminate his soon to become team.