Keep the Oklahoma City Thunder together
From left to right, Oklahoma City’s Jeff Green, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have shown strong chemistry during and after the season. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
In the late 1970s, the term "25 players, 25 cabs” was a not-so-subtle jab at the Red Sox’s lack of team chemistry.
The Thunder’s slogan could be 14 players, two cabs. Only problem is you can’t squeeze more than three NBA players into a taxi.
Doesn’t matter. This isn’t a taxi cab team. On road trips, they often walk together to a mall, movie or restaurant.
Recent examples of the Thunder’s chemistry underscores why Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti probably isn’t in any hurry to shake up the roster.
The weekend after the season ended on a Pau Gasol put-back basket with .5 of a second left, James Harden and Eric Maynor hooked up with Kevin Durant and Jeff Green in Washington, D.C.
"Something small like that shows we’re ready to build together as a group, get better as a group,” Durant said. "It’s not just the basketball court. We like hanging out with each other off the basketball court. That will make it easier for us when we start playing basketball again.”
They didn’t play much basketball.
"We really didn’t go anywhere,” Harden said. "We just hung out at Kevin’s house and played video games, just had a good time.”
The trip didn’t end in D.C. Durant and Harden flew to Arizona for a few days. Harden showed his teammate around, having played college ball at Arizona State.
"We went to a graduation, saw some of my old teammates and just hung out,” Harden said. "Arizona is like a hide-out spot, where you can hang out by the pool, work on your tan.”
A coast-to-coast mini-vacation continued when they flew to Los Angeles, Harden’s hometown and also Russell Westbrook’s hometown.
"It was a little road trip,” Harden said. "It was fun. It was exciting. The better we know each other off the court, the better it will click on the court.”
Every time you hear someone suggest Presti should ship Green to Toronto in a sign-and-trade swap for Chris Bosh or sign a free agent like Kyle Korver, the more likely scenario is Presti won’t sign any free agents this summer.
Sometimes the status quo isn’t a bad option.
Veteran forward Nick Collison has played for five different coaches during seven NBA seasons. Since he was the No. 12 overall selection in the 2003 draft, Collison has played with 62 different teammates.
That’s why Collison said continuity — same coach, same system and same core group of players — were the biggest factors in the Thunder’s startling 27-win improvement.
"And it will be huge going into next year,” Collison said. "That’s how the best teams are made, keeping that continuity.”
Don’t be surprised if the current nine-man rotation, plus D.J. White, Kyle Weaver and Byron Mullens and a couple of rookies from the June 24 draft comprise Oklahoma City’s 15-man roster in October.
"We’re on the verge of building something great,” Durant said. "It took us a little time, but I think we’re on the way up... If we stick together we can do great things. I’m confident we will. I have faith that we will. I’m looking forward to playing with these guys next season.”
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