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FiveThirtyEight had both teams firmly in the playoff picture in preseason:"better team" when nobody predicted them to be in the playoff picture
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-nba-picks/
CBS projected that OKC would win around 45 games and Houston would win 43:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/20...rriors-top-73/
But who gives a about preseason predictions anymore in January? What matters is what's actually happening on the court every night, not what the experts assumed would happen on paper.
The reality on the court is that after Westbrook and Steven Adams, OKC's roster is a dumpster fire. Draft bust Victor Oladipo and Andre Roberson - a terrible offensive player and even worse free throw shooter - are second and third in minutes per game on that roster respectivelyIn fairness, Roberson is a great defender, but it's the same issue the Clippers have with Mbah a Moute. Defense alone just isn't enough to make up for basically playing 4-on-5 on the other end of the court.
In contrast, Houston has a bunch of contributors like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley. These are all guys who have made names for themselves before this season, so it's not like Frauden is turning scrubs into stars this year.
It's blindingly obvious from both stats and the eye test that Frauden has a better supporting cast than Westbrook, regardless of what people expected before the season.
