World Actress

January 28th, 2009. That's the last time the Thunder had a different starting lineup, not including injuries. On that date in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Desmond Mason suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Thabo Sefolosha took his place in the rotation, setting in stone a lineup that would survive for 756 days, or over two years. But today, things have finally changed.

We have traded away Jeff Green. We acquired Jeff Green back in the Supersonics days in a trade involving Ray Allen. Green has been a fixture in our rotation, and he had moments where one would think he had the same scoring ability as Kevin Durant. But, as the years went by, the gap between Jeff Green and Kevin Durant widened. Green's games became more and more statistically inefficient, and it was painfully obvious he couldn't guard most NBA power forwards. He couldn't be put on the bench, as there are few minutes to be had behind Durant, and he's too big to be a shooting guard. Thus, Green was always in a state of flux. Thunder fans appreciated him, but always wanted someone else at PF, and he was always mentioned in deals for other big men. His fate was sealed when the Thunder were unable to sign him to an extension, meaning the Thunder would likely lose him in Free Agency if they weren't willing to pony up the cash. Thus, he was traded for someone more suitable in the paint.

Nenad Krstic is also a goner. He was a no risk, high reward signing out of the Russian Superleague two years ago, and he proved to be a very serviceable center. But, to be honest, he was everyone's favourite player to hate. He wasn't a very physical center, and he didn't defend well. He scored very efficiently in bursts, but whenever he missed a couple of jumpers or got dunked on, everyone was quick to point the finger at him. Alas, for that is the nature of basketball. But in all honesty, there's a reason he started at center over Ibaka. He was always available as an offensive option when Durant and Westbrook got tied up, and the plays that were drawn for him worked remarkably well. He didn't commit stupid mistakes, and always knew where to be on the floor. His mid-range jumper was like butter, and he could always overpower those who were smaller than him. Yes, he was a below average defender, and yes, he would never go in the paint and score. But he was what he was, and he helped us to Oklahoma City's first playoff run. And that fact cannot be forgotten.