The Thunder have hit a rough patch as of late. We knew that coming out of the All-Star break they were facing a formidable challenge of Spurs-Magic-Lakers. Originally I had thought that, best case scenario, they could go 2-1, or reasonably, 1-2. I didn't anticipate the big trades, or what impact it would have. As a result, the Thunder are on their first three game skid and playing a decent but flawed Pacers team tonight.
From Around the NBA:
| SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
| SB Nation | 9 (10) | A big question for this season will be how Kendrick Perkins gets integrated into the Thunder offense. |
| ESPN - Hollinger | 9 (9) | Remaining at 9, the Thunder are looking to do a better job against the upcoming weaker opposition. |
| ESPN - Stein | 8 (8) | Thunder went from being the team of the future to the team of the present. |
| NBA.com | 8 (6) | The Thunder could really have used the inside presence in their last two losses. |
| CBS Sports | 11 (8) | A rare comment that the Perkins deal was a panic move. I respect the opinion, but I don't think it is based on the full reality of the situation. |
| ProBasketballTalk | 8 (8) | The trade of the deadline still on deck to see if it propels the team to where it wants to go. |
| Hoopsworld | 8 (7) | Thunder looking very short-handed at this time. |
| Behind the Basket | 9 (9) | Less than enthused about the Perkins upgrade; the problem is that they still should have beaten the Spurs and Lakers; the reasons they lost weren't because of inside play. |
| FoxSports | 7 (6) | Remain focused on May, not March. This is important, because it is likely that the Thunder will be taking steps backward before they can go forward. |
| SportsIllustrated | 10 (8) | This season's success revolves around the health of Perkins and Durant/Wesetbrook's willingness to see the game through defensive eyes. |
| Covers | 9 (8) | Thunder struggling with the changes now; should get better soon. |
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