As of the writing, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a record of 43 wins and 12 losses. This record puts the team on top of the league. While having the best record is already impressive, what makes it even more amazing is that the team is winning games despite missing their best player in dynamic guard Russell Westbrook.
The driving force behind this success is forward Kevin Durant who has been playing absurdly well. The 25-year old is doing it all as he averages 31.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists so far this season. He is also making shots at high percentage as reflected by his 51% field goal percentage.
In the absence of Westbrook, backup guard Reggie Jackson has proven his capability to handle point guard duties. He is a solid defender and also has the speed and finishing ability near the rim which makes him a tough cover for opposing guards. In a way, Jackson is what many thought Westbrook should be.
Since he entered the NBA to play alongside Durant, many criticized Westbrook for being too aggressive on offense. He looks for his own shot far too often which resulted for poor forced shots. While there are plenty of advantage to Westbrook's aggressiveness, Jackson has shown how the powerful and scary the team can be when it is able to take advantage of Durant's various abilities.
Watching the Thunder right now reminds me of the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks. The team that went on to win the championship relied on Dirk Nowitzki for offense. Dirk was impossible to guard on 1-on-1 back then and when he was doubled-team, he was able to make the right decisions. It is very much the dame for Durant right now who puts up points and facilitates well. The only difference is that Durant today is way much better than Dirk in 2011.
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