Top 10 Thunder/Sonics

Image Courtesy of Bing

In putting together this list of OKC Thunder/Seattle Sonics, I was struck by just how many outstanding players have played on this team. More than any other franchise I've done so far, I feel the need to give a shout out to guys who didn't make the list. I wanted to get Slick Watts on this list because, not only was he a really good player, he's got one of the coolest names in NBA history. Xavier McDaniel, the Xman, was also an outstanding player with a cool name. Detlef Schrempt also falls into the same category. I believe in players 1-25, this team has as much depth as any I've done so far. Anyway, here are the guys that did make the list.

10: Spencer Hayward Spencer was one of the first guys to come in under the NBA's old hardship rule. Hayward was tremendously athletic. In his five seasons in Seattle, Spencer averaged 24.9 points per game and 12.1 rebounds. In the 1971-72 season Hayward maxed out at 29.2 ppg. He played in four all star games while with the Sonics. Coming at number ten, Spencer Heyward, and one of the Sonics first stars.

9: Gus Williams Gus was one of a number of stars that played for the Sonics, but what set him apart was his playoff performance. In the 1979 NBA Finals, Gus helped the Sonics win their only championship by scoring 28.6ppg in the finals. For all playoffs that year, Williams averaged 26.7ppg. His playoff high water mark occurred in the 1982-82 playoffs when Gus averaged 32.5 ppg. In his six regular seasons in Seattle Gus averaged 23.2 ppg and was in the top ten in steals every season. Gus drives by some tough competition to make number nine on this list.

8: Dale Ellis Here's a guy who could seriously shoot the 3 ball. In seven seasons in Seattle, Dale shot 41.8% from beyond the arc. His scoring average was 20.8 ppg, but in his prime in the late 80's, we was good for about 25 ppg. Dale didn't have a lot of rebounds of assists in his game, but hey, you wanted this guy to shoot. Amazingly Dale might not be the best shooter on this list.

7: Ray Allen This guy might have been even better than Ellis. Allen was one of the best pure shooters in the NBA for years, but he was at his peak in Seattle. Ray averaged 24.6 ppg in his 5 seasons with the Sonics. Ray was like a later version of dale Ellis. Allen and his jump shot will probably find their way into the hall of fame in a few years.

6: Jack Sikma Want a tough, hard nosed center who could hit a mid-range jumper? Sikma was your man. Sikma was also a member of the 1979 championship team. During his nine seasons with the Sonics, Jack averaged16.8 ppg and 10.8 rebounds. He also averaged 3.3 assists. 1.1 steals and 1 block per game. Jack was very consistent throughout his career. Jack also had four seasons in the top ten in defensive rating. For a big guy, Jack was an excellent free throw shooter, hitting 83.6% of his free throws. Jack Sikma comes in at number six.

5: Shawn Kemp Before he came the poster guy for fathering children out of wedlock, Shawn was a tremendous NBA player. Kemp used his athleticism on both offense and defense. In eight seasons with the Sonics, Kemp averaged 16.2 ppg and pulled down 9.6 rebounds. He was an explosive inside scorer, hitting 52.1% of his shots. He was among the top ten in defensive rating five times and seven times was in the top ten in offensive rebounds. He was quite a player, it's a shame is name as become somewhat of a punchline.

4: Fred Brown As his nickname, 'Downtown”, would indicate, Freddie was a shooting guard with range. Freddie hit an amazing 44.3% of his three pointers in the 1979-80 season. For his career he hit 37.3% from behind the arc. Brown spent all 13 years of his NBA career in Seattle. He averaged 14.6 ppg and 3.3 assists, but those averaged were higher during his prime. Freddie also was part of the Sonics only championship team. Freddie comes in at number four.

3: Gary Payton “The Glove”, as his nickname would indicate, was an outstanding defender. He was in the top ten in steals eight times. Payton was a shutdown defender who had serious offensive skills. Gary averaged 18.4 ppg and 7.4 assists in his eight seasons with the Sonics. Payton also grabbed 4.2 rebounds. A perennial member of the NBA's all defensive team and all star, Payton is is probably the most memorable member of the Seattle Sonics.

2: Russell Westbrook Westbrook plays with more outward passion than any other player in the NBA. That's a two edged sword. His numbers jump out at you. In the 2016-17 averaged a triple double, scoring 31.6 ppg 10.4 assists and 10.7 rebounds. The ball always seems to be in his hands, which shows off his talents, but restricts the talents of those around him. Westbrook led the NBA in scoring in 2014-15 season, as well as the 2016-17 season. Russell's shooting percentage currently sits at 43.4%. Westbrook is a pure shooter but he is a scorer. As Westbrook's career continues it will be interesting to see how his game evolves.

1: Kevin Durant KD played one season in Seattle and eight in OKC. He averaged 27.4 ppg during those nine seasons. Four times he led the NBA in scoring. Twice he's averaged over 30 ppg. He can shoot long range, mid range, inside, and take it to the hoop. He's the best all around offensive player in the NBA. He also averaged 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He also is no slouch on defense. Kevin averaged one block per game. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Durant is the best player in franchise history.

That's my top ten list of Thunder/Sonics players. What do you think?

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