Quiet Thunder

     They have the best record in the league. They have won 10 straight. They have two superstars and were in the NBA Finals last season. So, why is no one talking about the Thunder?
     Amid all the Laker turmoil and Knicks hoopla, OKC has been lost in the fold. They got all the attention for about a week after trading James Harden and struggling to start the season, but then the media backed off them. But with a guy like Kevin Durant, how are the Thunder escaping the public eye? Maybe that's just what they want.
     The first reason is that they have not had many nationally televised games. Oklahoma City is a small market, but these guys are the defending West champs, with a perennial MVP candidate to go along with a big fan base. Of course Miami, New York, Boston, San Antonio, and the two L.A. teams lead in national appearances. But wouldn't the Thunder be a logical addition to that list? You'd think. But Denver and Dallas have been the beneficiaries over the Thunder in terms of national exposure. Of course that will change Thursday once OKC kicks off a week of three national games, including the Christmas Day entree versus Miami.
     It's not that the Thunder are boring either, they have just haven't played a signature game yet that has been worthy of headlines. OKC leads the NBA in scoring at over 105 PPG, but it's their defense that has improved from last year, giving up only 96 PPG. They lead in point differential at +9.3, so there's been no need yet for Durant's last minute heroics.
     The star power isn't drawing as many eyes this year though. We all know about Durant and Russell Westbrook by now and their scoring averages are down, although KD is playing the best ball of his career. Also without James Harden, Serge Ibaka blocks are really the only other plays of interest that come from OKC. Kevin Martin has done a solid job as sixth man, but he is a run-of-the-mill scorer and doesn't have the highlight-reel creativity of Harden.
     So that's why we have come to an oxymoron, Quiet Thunder. In the end, no one is concerned about the Thunder except for the opposing coaches that must game plan for the two-headed monster that is OKC. This team is as elite as any and everybody knows it. And I promise they will be anything but quiet come playoff time.