The Thunder aren’t getting much out of the centers this year. 27-year old Kendrick Perkins has played in 24 games (all starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 27.0 minutes, 4.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game. The Thunder are only looking for defense and rebounding out of Perkins. 34-year old Nazr Mohammed has played in 23 games (0 starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 12.1 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. He is Perkins’ caddy. 23-year old Cole Aldrich has been buried on the depth chart this year for the Thunder. He has played in 9 games (0 starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 5.0 minutes, 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. The Thunder should give Aldrich a little more P.T. to see what he can and can’t do at the NBA level. The Thunder need these guys to step up a little bit.

22-year old power forward Serge Ibaka better step up soon or he’s going to start losing more P.T. to 31-year old Nick Collison. Ibaka has played in 20 games (all starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 26.0 minutes, 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He is shooting 50.4% from the floor, but most of his shots are coming off putbacks and dunks. Nick Collison has been red hot shooting the ball so far this year as he is shooting 68.7% (46 of 67) from the floor! Collison has played in 20 games (0 starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 19.8 minutes, 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Collison has been pushing Ibaka for P.T.

22-year old power forward Serge Ibaka is seeing his P.T. dwindle a little bit this year as Nick Collison is pushing him for minutes so far this year. Ibaka has played in 10 games (all starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 24.5 minutes, 7.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game. The Thunder need to quit messing with Ibaka and give him 30+ minutes per night because they need his defense and rebounding, period!

The Thunder will be without 24-year old point guard Eric Maynor for the rest of the 2011-12 season due to a torn ACL. Maynor played in 9 games for the Thunder this year and he averaged 15.2 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He has now played in 146 games in his first three years with the Thunder and he is averaging 15.4 minutes, 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. It will be up to 21-year old rookie Reggie Jackson to replace Maynor as Russell Westbrook’s caddy. Jackson has played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Thunder so far this year and he is averaging 9.3 minutes, 4.5 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

I know that it’s early, but the Thunder need more out of 23-year old point guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has played in 7 games (all starts) so far this year for the Thunder and he is averaging 33.1 minutes, 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. But, Westbrook is only shooting 39% from the floor so far this year and that just isn’t good enough. The Thunder need Westbrook to start taking better shots so that he can help make defenses pay for double teaming Kevin Durant so much.