| 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 | |||
| |||
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.
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.
October 8, 2008 |
|
| Oklahoma City Thunder 82, Minnesota Timberwolves 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 28–16, 22–20, 19–28 | ||
| Pts: Damien Wilkins19 Rebs: Kevin Durant, Johan Petro 7 each Asts: Earl Watson4 |
Pts: Rashad McCants15 Rebs: Al Jefferson9 Asts: Mike Miller5 | |
Rimrock Auto Arena, Billings |
| 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 relocatedtoOklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder made their first NBA Draft appearance in 2009.[5]
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Roster |
|
|
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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
| Players Added Via draft Via trade
|
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Waived |
| July 5, 2008[9] | ToSeattle SuperSonics D.J. White |
ToDetroit Pistons Walter Sharpe Trent Plaisted |
| August 11, 2008[10] | ToOklahoma City Thunder Kyle Weaver |
ToCharlotte Bobcats 2009 second-round pick |
| August 13, 2008[11] | ToOklahoma City Thunder Desmond Mason via MIL Joe Smith via CLE |
ToMilwaukee Bucks Adrian Griffin via OKC Luke Ridnour via OKC Damon Jones via CLE |
| ToCleveland Cavaliers Mo Williams via MIL | ||
| January 7, 2009[12] | ToOklahoma City Thunder Chucky Atkins 2009 first-round pick |
ToDenver Nuggets Johan Petro 2009 second-round pick |
| February 19, 2009[13] | ToOklahoma City Thunder Thabo Sefolosha |
ToChicago Bulls 2009 first-round pick |
| February 19, 2009[14] | ToOklahoma City Thunder Malik Rose |
ToNew York Knicks Chris Wilcox |
| Date | Player | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2008 | Robert Swift[15] | Standard |
| Date | Player | Contract | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2008 | Steven Hill[16] | Standard | Arkansas Razorbacks |
| December 31, 2008 | Nenad Krstic[17] | Multi-Year Contract | New Jersey Nets Triumph Lyubertsy |
| March 31, 2009 | Shaun Livingston[18] | Multi-Year Contract | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2008 | Mickaël Gelabale | Free Agency | Los Angeles D-Fenders (D-League) |
| August 20, 2008 | Donyell Marshall[19] | Waived | Philadelphia 76ers |
| September 9, 2008 | Francisco Elson | Free Agency | Milwaukee Bucks |
| December 3, 2008 | Ronald Dupree[20] | Free Agency | Tulsa 66ers |
| December 30, 2008 | Steven Hill[17] | Waived | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
| February 19, 2009 | Mouhamed Sene[13] | Waived | Albuquerque Thunderbirds (D-League) |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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Bold indicates NBA Finals victory | |
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2008–09 NBA season by team
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