Scott Brooks does not have much experience as a head coach so he’s learning on the job just like the young players of the Thunder. Last season was his first with the Thunder and he was 22-47 (31.9%). The Thunder expect Brooks to get the Thunder close to a .500 record this season but that will be easier said than done due to the strength of the NBA’s Western Conference. It’s quite possible that Brooks will get the team to improve despite the record not improving much in 2009-2010.

The Thunder will likely play a couple of veterans at center while they bring around a young rookie slowly. 26-year old Nenad Krstic will be the starting center for the Thunder this season. He played in 46 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 24.8 minutes, 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game. Look for Krstic to put up slightly better numbers this season for the Thunder. 31-year old Etan Thomas was brought in over the off-season in a trade to provide depth at center. Thomas played in 26 games for the Wizards last season and he averaged 11.8 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. He should do a good job for the Thunder as he finally appears healthy. 20-year old B.J. Mullens was the 24th pick in the first round for the Mavericks who traded him to the Thunder. He is a huge guy at 7′0″, 275 pounds but he will be a project as he was not a starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes last season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTERS IN 2009-2010: D+

23-year old Jeff Green is a player on the rise for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played in 78 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 36.8 minutes, 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He has the potential to score more if the Thunder needs him to. Green could also play some at small forward for the Thunder if the need arises. 28-year old Nick Collison will get a lot of minutes at both power forward and center this season. He played in 71 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 25.8 minutes, 8.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. The Thunder would likely start Collison if either Kevin Durant, Jeff Green or Nenad Krstic gets injured this season. 23-year old D.J. White showed a lot of potential in his limited action for the Thunder last season. White played in 7 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 18.6 minutes, 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. 32-year old Michael Ruffin won’t likely get much playing time for the Thunder this season as his game is pretty much limited to defense and rebounding. He played in 11 games for the Trailblazers last season and he averaged 3.2 minutes, 0.5 points and 1.0 rebound per game. 20-year old rookie Serge Ibaka will not get much playing time this season as he might have a hard time making the Thunder.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE POWER FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B

21-year old Kevin Durant is a rising force in the NBA. He was dismissed early in his career for being too thin but the critics were wrong about this guy as he is a bonafide All-Star. Durant played in 74 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 39.0 minutes, 25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He will likely keep improving on those numbers especially in scoring average as the Thunder need him to be the man on offense. 33-year old Ryan Bowen will get a couple of minutes per night backing up Durant. He played in 21 games for the Hornets last season and he averaged 10.4 minutes, 2.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Bowen is a high effort guy that scrapes his knees a lot diving for loose balls. Thabo Sefolosha and Jeff Green could also get some minutes at small forward behind Durant when he needs a break.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SMALL FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: A

The Thunder would be smart to just throw 20-year old shooting guard James Harden to the wolves just like they did with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who both grew up very, very fast. Harden is a offensive shooting guard who will put points on the scoreboard. He was the #3 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft out of Arizona State by the Thunder. Starting Harden would likely allow the Thunder to use Thabo Sefolosha to also back up Kevin Durant at small forward. He is a player that leaves everything on the court and he excels on the defensive end of the floor. Sefolosha played in 66 games for the Bulls and Thunder last season in which he averaged 22.0 minutes, 5.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. 23-year old Kyle Weaver will likely be the #3 shooting guard this season for the Thunder. He played in 56 games for the Thunder last season and he averaged 20.8 minutes, 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SHOOTING GUARDS IN 2009-2010: C