The Thunder enjoyed three wins against sub .500 teams last week and then ran into a buzzsaw Clippers team that is bursting at the seams to make statement games. I think tonight's game against the Mavericks will tell us a lot more about the Thunder than the Clippers loss did; OKC must regroup and come out with a better game plan than the last outing in Big-D.
From Around the League:
SOURCE | RANKING (last) | COMMENT |
SB Nation | 1 (5) | Thunder won't sleepwalk through the season, but Monday's loss proves that they have to be mentally locked in early against the elites of the West. |
ESPN - Hollinger | 3 (5) | OKC joins the Heat and Nuggets as the most efficient offensive teams in the league. |
ESPN - Stein | 2 (2) | A sad note - if the Thunder hadn't lost to the Wizards, they would have won 12 in a row before this past Monday's loss. |
NBA.com | 2 (2) | Thunder about to run through a number of playoff teams, all of which will test their competitive resolve. |
Sports Illustrated | 3 (2) | Robson makes a good point about Westbrook, but here is the counter - why must we assume RW must change, rather than the team build its own offensive identity around his and Durant's skill-sets? |
ProBasketballTalk | 1 (3) | We're about to find out if Dirk Nowitzki truly is not concerned about the Thunder in the west. |
HoopSpeak | 3 (3) | Thunder still a bit top-heavy as both Durant and Westbrook seek to extend their in-game influences. |
Hoopsworld | 1 (2) | OKC has received criticism for its relatively soft schedule, but keep in mind that they've played more games on the road than at home. |
Behind the Basket | 2 (6) | Thunder are good. Also, Westbrook turns the ball over a lot. |
FoxSports | 3 (2) | Thunder best in the west, despite the beating they took on Monday. |
Covers | 1 (2) | Thunder are meeting their high expectations. |
CBS Sports | 3 (2) | Blake Griffin, the smiling Ringwraith. |
Bleacher Report | 1 (3) | OKC moves to the top, but for how long? |
Rankings updated when available. If you know of any rankings that we have missed, please let us know!
Loading comments...