Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets - Ready To Make Some Noise

The Oklahoma City Thunder got off to a rough start in their inaugural season in OKC

, but the team righted the ship once P.J. Carlesimo was ousted as coach and replaced by Scotty Brooks. The Thunder still finished 23-59 on the season, but considering their 3-29 start, that's not at all bad for such a young team. People are starting to realize that Oklahoma City Thunder tickets will allow them to see one of the league's up-and-coming teams in action. They may not quite be ready for the playoffs just yet, but 2009-10 should be the season in which this team announces their presence to the rest of the league and the general NBA fan base.

Brooks' first order of business as head coach last season was to move Kevin Durant from shooting guard to his more natural position of small forward, shifting Jeff Green to the four spot as a result. Durant went from a kid with potential to a star almost instantly. Durant had a fantastic season, especially in the second half. He averaged 25 points, six rebounds and three assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from three and 86 percent from the free throw line, all at the tender age of 20. Durant has been viewed as a potential superstar since his standout freshman campaign during his lone collegiate season at Texas.

He was considered by the Blazers for the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, but fell to the then-Sonics at number two. Durant looks to be on the verge of superstar status already. He's getting stronger and learning to play smarter basketball, which should only unleash his immense talent even further. There's a chance that he leads the league in scoring this season and he looks poised to have a Hall-of-Fame caliber career.

But as we've learned time and time again, one player can't do it all by himself. Thankfully for Thunder fans, Durant has help. The aforementioned Jeff Green took to his move to power forward nicely and excelled, averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds while shooting good percentages all around. He's not a traditional four, but he's big and strong enough to play the position on a regular basis and brings perimeter elements to his role that defenders are not accustomed to.

Russell Westbrook is also a central piece of this team's young nucleus. The point guard had a very good rookie season, averaging 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game while becoming a much better shooter as the season went on. He still needs to work on his jump shot and his playmaking, but he definitely looks like a great complement to Durant and Green. Those three players make up the core of this franchise and should only get better as they get older.

The team added another good young player to the mix this past offseason when they drafted Arizona State shooting guard James Harden with the third overall pick. Harden plays like a veteran and looks suited for a supporting role on this team. His shooting ability and team-first mentality should make him and instant fit in OKC.

The Thunder's future has looked bright ever since they drafted Durant and Green in 2007, but the future could be now for this team. I expect them to be competitive in 2009-10, most likely missing out on the playoffs, but not by much. Durant is ready to become the game's next superstar and he's got plenty of good, young players playing alongside him. This should be an interesting and exciting team to watch this season.

by: Brent Warnken

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