What the Thunder need most is...

Originally Published: Feb 1, 2011 5:16 PM CDT

Let me see if I can help put some minds at ease. The Thunder are NOT winning the NBA Title this year...NOT as they are currently constructed...NOT if they make a trade...NOT if they add a big man or a shooter. ITS NOT HAPPENING.

And the reason isnt because they arent good enough. The reason is because there is a system in the NBA. The Thunder have to follow protocol. If you understand this, it may help relieve some angst.

You see, every NBA champion has had to knock on the door before entering. The Bulls, the Lakers, the Celtics, the Pistons, the Spurs. All of them had to get to the brink, get knocked down once or twice and then they were allowed to enter the Halls of Champions. Some have been to the brink time and time again and never been granted entrance (Mavs, Jazz, Cavs with Lebron).

Thunder fans, and some local media, could probably use a dose of reality. This team is on a rocketship. What this franchise has achieved in the last year-and-a-half is remarkable and unparalleled in its speed. WHAT THE THUNDER NEED MOST NOW IS NOT A TRADE...ITS TIME. It needs to mature and grow and stew. Their time will come when theyll get their shot. Dont get impatient. This is a year for getting one or two steps closer, not for hoising a trophy.