2008–09 Oklahoma City Thunder season
The Oklahoma City Thunder played its inaugural season in the 2008–09 NBA season. It was the team's 1st season in Oklahoma City since the Seattle SuperSonics relocation was approved by league owners prior to settling a lawsuit. The team played at the Ford Center.
| 2008–09 Oklahoma City Thunder season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
|
| General manager | Sam Presti |
| Owners | Professional Basketball Club LLC |
| Arena | Ford Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 23–59 (.280) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Northwest) Conference: 13th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | |
Oklahoma City hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons, due to Hurricane Katrina's devastation along the Gulf Coast in August 2005.
Until 2021, this represents the Thunder's last losing season.
Key dates
- June 26: The 2008 NBA draft took place in New York City.
- July 1: The free agency period started.
- July 2: The Seattle SuperSonics announced their immediate relocation to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- September 3 The team announces name and colors.
- October 8 The Oklahoma City Thunder took the court for the first time in an 88–82[1] preseason loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Billings, Montana.
- October 29 The Oklahoma City Thunder played their first regular season game ever, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks.
- November 2 The Oklahoma City Thunder get their first win as an NBA franchise.
- November 22 P. J. Carlesimo is fired and replaced on an interim basis by Scott Brooks.
- November 28 The Thunder tie the franchise record for consecutive games lost at 14 with a 103–105 loss to the Timberwolves.
- November 29 Oklahoma City snaps 14-game losing streak.
- January 21 Jeff Green shoots Thunder's first buzzer beater to beat the Golden State Warriors 122–121.
- February 14 Kevin Durant wins All-Star Break H.O.R.S.E competition.
- April 15 The Thunder won over Los Angeles Clippers 126–85 to end 23-59 in their first season.
- April 15 Scott Brooks is named full-time coach of Thunder.
Offseason
- Oklahoma City rookies and other young professionals played in the first game of the Orlando summer league. Oklahoma City lost its summer league opener to the Indiana Pacers rookies by a score of 95-78. Earl Calloway scored 16 points and Andre Emmett had 15 for the Pacers, who scored the game's first eight points and never trailed.[2] Jeff Green took the first shot in Oklahoma City's history and it bounced off the rim 43 seconds after tipoff. The first basket came 2:15 into the first quarter by D.J. White, who was drafted by Detroit, traded to Seattle and played in Oklahoma City.[2]
- The Oklahoma City franchise released its season-ticket prices on Thursday, August 14. The franchise announced that there will be 3,400 seats available at $10 per game.[3]
- On average, ticket prices were about 36 per cent higher than they were for the 2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics season. The announcement also stated that the average ticket price would be US$47.51 while Seattle's average ticket price last season was $35.[3] While last year's NBA average ticket price at $48.83, Oklahoma City's rates below the league average.
- Season tickets went on sale on Monday, September 8. Chairman Clay Bennett announced that the last of the 13,000 season tickets available were sold on Friday, September 12, and the team started a waiting list for season tickets.[4]
Pre-season
- The Oklahoma City Thunder made their debut in an 88-82 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 8, 2008.
First pre-season game
October 8, 2008 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder 82, Minnesota Timberwolves 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 28–16, 22–20, 19–28 | ||
| Pts: Damien Wilkins 19 Rebs: Kevin Durant, Johan Petro 7 each Asts: Earl Watson 4 |
Pts: Rashad McCants 15 Rebs: Al Jefferson 9 Asts: Mike Miller 5 | |
- Kevin Durant took and made the first shot in Oklahoma City history.
- The Thunder had their home debut on October 14, 2008 against the Los Angeles Clippers.[5]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Russell Westbrook | PG |  United States |
UCLA |
| 1 | 24 | Serge Ibaka | PF |  Republic of the Congo Spain |
L'Hospitalet (Spain) |
| 2 | 32 | Walter Sharpe | PF | United States |
UAB |
| 2 | 46 | Trent Plaisted | PF | United States |
BYU |
| 2 | 50 | DeVon Hardin | C | United States |
California |
| 2 | 56 | Sasha Kaun | C |  Russia |
Kansas |
| D.J. White was later traded to the SuperSonics via Detroit Pistons | |||||
The 2008 NBA Draft was the final time that the Seattle SuperSonics made an NBA Draft appearance, as well as the final time that the SuperSonics appeared in official media publications. In early July, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder made their first NBA Draft appearance in 2009.[6]
Roster
| 2008–09 Oklahoma City Thunder roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
The Ford Center, which seats 19,599 for basketball, was built in 2002 and has received public funding for renovation.[7]
Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | — | 33–8 | 21–20 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x–Portland Trail Blazers | 54 | 28 | .659 | — | 34–7 | 20–21 | 11–5 | 82 |
| x–Utah Jazz | 48 | 34 | .585 | 6 | 33–8 | 15–26 | 10–6 | 82 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 24 | 58 | .293 | 30 | 11–30 | 13–28 | 3–13 | 82 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 23 | 59 | .280 | 31 | 15–26 | 8–33 | 4–12 | 82 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 65 | 17 | .793 | — |
| 2 | y-Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 11 |
| 3 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 54 | 28 | .659 | 11 |
| 4 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 11 |
| 5 | x-Houston Rockets | 53 | 29 | .646 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Dallas Mavericks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 15 |
| 7 | x-New Orleans Hornets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 16 |
| 8 | x-Utah Jazz | 48 | 34 | .585 | 17 |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | 46 | 36 | .561 | 19 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 29 | 53 | .354 | 36 |
| 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 24 | 58 | .293 | 41 |
| 12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 24 | 58 | .293 | 41 |
| 13 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 23 | 59 | .280 | 42 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Clippers | 19 | 63 | .232 | 46 |
| 15 | Sacramento Kings | 17 | 65 | .207 | 48 |
Game log
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chucky Atkins* | 18 | 0 | 16.6 | .291 | .250 | .917 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 3.9 |
| Nick Collison | 71 | 40 | 25.8 | .568 | .000 | .721 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 8.2 |
| Kevin Durant | 74 | 74 | 39.0 | .476 | .422 | .863 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 25.3 |
| Jeff Green | 78 | 78 | 36.8 | .446 | .389 | .788 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 16.5 |
| Steven Hill | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Nenad Krstić | 46 | 29 | 24.8 | .469 | .000 | .797 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 9.7 |
| Shaun Livingston | 8 | 1 | 23.8 | .538 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 7.8 |
| Desmond Mason* | 39 | 19 | 27.3 | .435 | .000 | .541 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 7.5 |
| Johan Petro* | 22 | 12 | 15.5 | .407 | .000 | .667 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 4.6 |
| Malik Rose* | 20 | 0 | 15.7 | .378 | .000 | .800 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
| Thabo Sefolosha* | 23 | 22 | 31.1 | .417 | .243 | .833 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 8.5 |
| Mouhamed Sene* | 5 | 0 | 4.6 | .714 | .000 | .778 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.4 |
| Joe Smith* | 36 | 3 | 19.2 | .454 | .500 | .704 | 4.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 6.6 |
| Robert Swift | 26 | 10 | 13.2 | .521 | .000 | .750 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 3.3 |
| Earl Watson | 68 | 18 | 26.1 | .384 | .235 | .755 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 6.6 |
| Kyle Weaver | 56 | 19 | 20.8 | .459 | .344 | .707 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 5.3 |
| Russell Westbrook | 82 | 65 | 32.5 | .398 | .271 | .815 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 15.3 |
| D. J. White | 7 | 0 | 18.6 | .520 | .000 | .769 | 4.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 8.9 |
| Chris Wilcox* | 37 | 6 | 19.4 | .485 | .000 | .598 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 8.4 |
| Damien Wilkins | 41 | 14 | 15.5 | .362 | .375 | .804 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.3 |
* Statistics with Oklahoma City.
Awards and records
Week/Month
- Russell Westbrook was named Western Conference rookie of the month in December and February.[8][9]
All-Star
- Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant played in the Rookie Challenge, where Durant was named MVP.
- Kevin Durant won the H–O–R–S–E Competition.
Season
- Russell Westbrook was selected to the All-Rookie 1st team.
Transactions
Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via trade
|
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Waived |
Trades
| July 5, 2008[10] | To Seattle SuperSonics D.J. White |
To Detroit Pistons Walter Sharpe Trent Plaisted |
| August 11, 2008[11] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Kyle Weaver |
To Charlotte Bobcats 2009 second-round pick |
| August 13, 2008[12] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Desmond Mason via MIL Joe Smith via CLE |
To Milwaukee Bucks Adrian Griffin via OKC Luke Ridnour via OKC Damon Jones via CLE |
| To Cleveland Cavaliers Mo Williams via MIL | ||
| January 7, 2009[13] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Chucky Atkins 2009 first-round pick |
To Denver Nuggets Johan Petro 2009 second-round pick |
| February 19, 2009[14] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Thabo Sefolosha |
To Chicago Bulls 2009 first-round pick |
| February 19, 2009[15] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Malik Rose |
To New York Knicks Chris Wilcox |
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2008 | Robert Swift[16] | Standard |
Additions
| Date | Player | Contract | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2008 | Steven Hill[17] | Standard | Arkansas Razorbacks |
| December 31, 2008 | Nenad Krstic[18] | Multi-Year Contract | New Jersey Nets Triumph Lyubertsy |
| March 31, 2009 | Shaun Livingston[19] | Multi-Year Contract | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2008 | Mickaël Gelabale | Free Agency | Los Angeles D-Fenders (D-League) |
| August 20, 2008 | Donyell Marshall[20] | Waived | Philadelphia 76ers |
| September 9, 2008 | Francisco Elson | Free Agency | Milwaukee Bucks |
| December 3, 2008 | Ronald Dupree[21] | Free Agency | Tulsa 66ers |
| December 30, 2008 | Steven Hill[18] | Waived | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
| February 19, 2009 | Mouhamed Sene[14] | Waived | Albuquerque Thunderbirds (D-League) |
References
- Sites, Phil (October 8, 2008). "T'Wolves Play Spoiler". Billings Gazette. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
- CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Basketball – NBA: Former SuperSonics starting over
- "CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - Basketball - NBA: NBA season-ticket prices set for Oklahoma City". Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
- "Waiting list begun for Oklahoma City season tickets". ESPN. Associated Press. September 13, 2008. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
- Oklahoma City NBA team to face hectic pace in preseason
- Pian Chan, Sharon (July 2, 2008). "Sonics, city reach settlement". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- "Ford Center / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma". Arena Digest. March 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
- Bulls' Rose, Thunder's Westbrook named Rookies of the Month Archived January 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, NBA.com, January 2, 2009.
- Nets' Lopez, Thunder's Westbrook named Rookies of the Month Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, NBA.com, March 2, 2009.
- "Westbrook, White sign rookie deals with SuperSonics". espn.com. July 5, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Bobcats trade G Weaver to Oklahoma City for pick". espn.com. August 11, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Cavaliers Acquire Williams in Three-Team Trade". nba.com. August 13, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Nuggets get another big man in Petro". espn.com. August 11, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder Acquires Thabo Sefolosha". nba.com. February 19, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Knicks swap Rose for Wilcox". espn.com. February 19, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Oklahoma City Re-Signs Swift". basketball.realgm.com. September 11, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Thunder signs 7-foot center Hill". espn.com. November 4, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Krstic gives Thunder another 7-footer". espn.com. December 31, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Livingston sign multiyear deal". espn.com. March 31, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "Veteran forward Marshall waived by Oklahoma City". espn.com. August 20, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- "66ers Acquire Forward Ronald Dupree". oursportscentral.com. December 3, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
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