Look at the picture above and tell me what do you see. These men were the feared foursome of the Oklahoma City Thunder one season ago. The coach, Billy Donovan, who led them to a good first year after Scott Brooks' departure; Serge Ibaka, one of the best defenders in the league; Russell Westbrook, a man who treats every game like his last and thus has become one of the very best; And Kevin Durant, the 2014 KIA MVP and the face of the franchise ever since he was a teenager, when the team was still called Seattle SuperSonics. The OKC made it to the Western Conference Finals in the 2015-16 season, with the supporting cast for the three bigs proving to be very successful as well. But the Thunder choked at an opportunity to enter their fifth NBA Finals, and second as the Thunder. The Golden State Warriors, who would soon solidify their status as the true villains of the league, eliminated them in 7 games, despite a deadly 3-1 lead for the Thunder.
This came one season after a barrage of injuries cost the Thunder a place in the Playoffs. In 2012, their last Finals to date, the Thunder was nearly dismantled by the Miami Heat, only winning a single game in the series.
And with failure, comes the torture. Half of that fearsome foursome is gone from the OKC, with only Donovan and Westbrook remaining. Serge Ibaka was traded to the Orlando Magic after a disappointing season, perhaps giving the Magic a shot at having one of the best defenses in the league. The face of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, has bailed to Oakland with his tail between his legs in pursuit of his elusive championship. The OKC fans are irate, and rightfully so. Something must be done to salvage the franchise's status as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. And that's where I enter.
Tasked with taking the Thunder to success, I will be at my very best to do just that. I will be able to, and perhaps have to, move a few pieces of the puzzle in order to achieve that goal, and develop the current studs at my disposal. Westbrook is a loyal player and as I said, one of the very best in the league, perhaps trailing closely to the likes of Stephen Curry in the race for the rights to be called THE best. He's a surefire replacement for Durant as the face of the franchise, and he will be that face for years to come. With Ibaka's departure, comes an influx of young talent. Magic's point guard Victor Oladipo, who was on the bench for Orlando during a good part of the year, won't face the challenge for minutes in OKC. Steven Adams showed improvement, and at 23 years old, he can only get better. Enes Kanter was even better than Adams, and he's only one year older than the latter. With the additions of newcomers Joffrey Lauvergne from the Denver Nuggets and Magic draftee Domantas Sabonis, our Center scene could be scary in a few years. Add in the veteran Nick Collison, a functional forward in Ersan Ilyasova and a few more players who I'll look to develop, and we have a nice team. Not as good as last year's or the one that led us to the Finals, but it's something. Trades are always an option and I have the nose for a good exchange. We might not see some instant results with my arrival, but the wheels are in motion for the re-development. A new era is coming for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and we will fight for supremacy in the NBA.
Game: NBA 2K17
Platform: Playstation 4
Mode: MyGM
Roster: Default Official 2K Roster
Difficulty: All-Star
Gameplay: 12 Minutes (Sim and Quarter Length), Simulation, Default Sliders
Season Length: 82 (Amount of games played is undetermined)
Playoff Format: 7-7-7-7
Injuries: On
Fatigue: On
Chemistry: On
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