Suvarna Garge (Editor)

2009–10 Oklahoma City Thunder season

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Head coach
  
Scott Brooks

Arena
  
Ford Center

General manager
  
Sam Presti

Record
  
50–32 (.610)

Owner(s)
  
Professional Basketball Club LLC Clay Bennett (Chairman)

Place
  
Division: 4th (Northwest) Conference: 8th (Western)

The 2009–10 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 2nd season of the franchise's existence in Oklahoma City as a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contents

With NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, second-year point guard Russell Westbrook, and forward Jeff Green leading the way, the Thunder made the playoffs as the youngest team in the NBA with the 28th highest total salary in the league. The team became the youngest NBA playoff team (23.19, using data going back to 1952) based on average age weighted by minutes played. The Thunder were then eliminated by the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

From a business perspective, the team began to show positive financial performance after years of losses in Seattle and a transition-cost laden 2008–09 season. In December 2009, Forbes magazine estimated the team's operating profit at $12.7 million, and estimated the overall franchise value at $310 million, good for 20th in the NBA.

Key dates

  • June 25, 2009: The 2009 NBA draft took place in New York City.
  • July 8, 2009: The free agency period started.
  • October 28, 2009: The Thunder play their first regular-season game, and achieve their first regular-season victory, in a 102-89 home win over the Sacramento Kings.
  • January 2, 2010 Kevin Durant scored more than 30 points in his seventh consecutive game, breaking the franchise record set by Spencer Haywood in January 1972.
  • January 20, 2010: The Thunder surpass their win total from 2008–09 with their 24th season victory, a 94-92 win at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
  • February 24, 2010: Kevin Durant's 21 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs ends his streak of 29 consecutive games with 25 or more points.
  • March 2, 2010: The Thunder surpass the 500,000 season home attendance figure in a 113-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Ford Center.
  • March 12, 2010: Durant had his 36th game with 30 or more points this season, breaking the franchise record set by Spencer Haywood in the 1972–73 season. Durant ended the regular season with 41 games of 30 points or more.
  • April 3, 2010: The Thunder clinch a playoff spot for the first time in city franchise history with a 121-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
  • April 14, 2010: Durant becomes the youngest scoring leader at the age of 21, taking the distinctinon from Max Zaslofsky (1947–48 BAA scoring leader at the age of 22). The Thunder also end the season on a positive note, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 114-105 – their 27th season home sellout, bringing total home attendance to 738,149 (an average of 18,003 per game, 12th in the NBA).
  • April 22, 2010: The Thunder win their first-ever Oklahoma City franchise playoff game with a 101-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Ford Center.

    • Depth Chart

    As of end of season:

    Salaries

    Source: HoopsHype

    Season

    1Stats with the Thunder.

    Weekly

  • Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for December 28–January 3.
  • Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for January 25–31.
  • Russell Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for February 1–7.
  • Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for March 29–April 4.

    • Monthly

  • Scott Brooks was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for February 2010.
  • Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Month for April 2010.

    • All-Star

  • Kevin Durant was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career, representing the Western Conference.
  • Rookie James Harden was named to the Rookie Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge.
  • Second-year player Russell Westbrook was named to the Sopohomore Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge.
  • Kevin Durant defended his title as H-O-R-S-E competition champion.
  • Russell Westbrook was selected to replace the injured Derrick Rose in the 2010 Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

    • Season

  • Scott Brooks was named NBA Coach of the Year.
  • Kevin Durant won the NBA scoring title.
  • James Harden was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
  • Thabo Sefolosha was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
  • Kevin Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team.

    • References

    2009–10 Oklahoma City Thunder season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA