Just one season ago, Oklahoma City was thrown into a tough situation. The face of the organization packed his bags and left, and the Thunder were left with very few options. Russell Westbrook signed a contract extension and made it his personal objective to put the team on his back.
In a season where some thought the Thunder would not even make the playoffs, the Brodie & Company managed to put together a solid 47-win season that included a lot of special moments, not just for Westbrook, but for the team.
In a way, this season was one of my personal absolute favorites simply because of the struggles that the guys had to go through. A first-round exit was definitely not the goal just one season removed from a narrow loss in the Western Conference Finals, but as a fan, I learned to appreciate every single game because when it came down to it, there was no such thing as a guaranteed win.
With some major shakeups in the roster, primarily the addition of Paul George, the Thunder are expected to win somewhere in the realm of 50 games this year, which as stated in our Countdown to Tip-off | 50 Days post, sounds a bit low for us. No matter what happens this season, it is bound to carry much of the same excitement that came with essentially each and every game a year ago.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.