2009–10 Oklahoma City Thunder season
The 2009–10 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 2nd season of the franchise's existence in Oklahoma City as a member of the National Basketball Association.
With NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, second-year point guard Russell Westbrook, and forward Jeff Green leading the way, the Thunder made the playoffs as the youngest team in the NBA with the 28th highest total salary in the league. The team became the youngest NBA playoff team based on average age weighted by minutes played. The Thunder were then eliminated by the eventual NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the First Round. The 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2007-08 Denver Nuggets are tied at 50-32 for having the best 8th seed record in NBA history.
From a business perspective, the team began to show positive financial performance after years of losses in Seattle and a transition-cost laden 2008–09 season. In December 2009, Forbes magazine estimated the team's operating profit at $12.7 million, and estimated the overall franchise value at $310 million, good for 20th in the NBA.
Key dates
- June 25, 2009: The 2009 NBA draft took place in New York City.
- July 8, 2009: The free agency period started.
- October 28, 2009: The Thunder play their first regular-season game, and achieve their first regular-season victory, in a 102-89 home win over the Sacramento Kings.
- January 2, 2010 Kevin Durant scored more than 30 points in his seventh consecutive game, breaking the franchise record set by Spencer Haywood in January 1972.
- January 20, 2010: The Thunder surpass their win total from 2008–09 with their 24th season victory, a 94-92 win at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- February 24, 2010: Kevin Durant's 21 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs ends his streak of 29 consecutive games with 25 or more points.
- March 2, 2010: The Thunder surpass the 500,000 season home attendance figure in a 113-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Ford Center.
- March 12, 2010: Durant had his 36th game with 30 or more points this season, breaking the franchise record set by Spencer Haywood in the 1972–73 season. Durant ended the regular season with 41 games of 30 points or more.
- April 3, 2010: The Thunder clinch a playoff spot for the first time in city franchise history with a 121-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
- April 14, 2010: Durant becomes the youngest scoring leader at the age of 21, taking the distinction from Max Zaslofsky. The Thunder also end the season on a positive note, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 114-105 - their 27th season home sellout, bringing total home attendance to 738,149.
- April 22, 2010: The Thunder win their first-ever Oklahoma City franchise playoff game with a 101-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Ford Center.
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 1 | 3 | James Harden | SG | United States | Arizona State |
| 1 | 24 | Byron Mullens from Dallas | C | United States | Ohio State |
| 1 | 25 | Rodrigue Beaubois to Dallas | PG | France | Cholet |
| 2 | 54 | Robert Vaden from Charlotte | SG | United States | UAB |
Roster
Salaries
Source: HoopsHypeGame log
Preseason
Regular season
Standings
Division
Conference
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Playoffs
Game log
Player statistics
Season
1Stats with the Thunder.Playoffs
2010 [NBA Western Conference First Round">2010 NBA Playoffs">2010 [NBA Western Conference First Round] vs. L.A. Lakers">2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season">L.A. Lakers
| Team | Games Played | Minutes Played | Field Goals | 3–Point Field Goals | Free Throws | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Points |
| Thunder | 6 | 288 | 184 | 33 | 162 | 260 | 97 | 39 | 37 | 563 |
| Lakers | 6 | 288 | 216 | 45 | 96 | 260 | 125 | 37 | 37 | 573 |
Awards/Honors
Weekly
- Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for December 28–January 3.
- Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for January 25–31.
- Russell Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for February 1–7.
- Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for March 29–April 4.
Monthly
- Scott Brooks was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for February 2010.
- Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Month for April 2010.
All-Star
- Kevin Durant was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career, representing the Western Conference.
- Rookie James Harden was named to the Rookie Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge.
- Second-year player Russell Westbrook was named to the Sopohomore Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge.
- Kevin Durant defended his title as H-O-R-S-E competition champion.
- Russell Westbrook was selected to replace the injured Derrick Rose in the 2010 Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
Season
- Scott Brooks was named NBA Coach of the Year.
- Kevin Durant won the NBA scoring title.
- James Harden was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
- Thabo Sefolosha was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
- Kevin Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team.