The Oklahoma City Thunder ended the "first half" of the season with an impressive win over the Memphis Grizzlies. But even during that game, the Thunder was not whole. You would have to go back to the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers to find the last time Scott Brooks' preferred starting lineup was on the floor. Steven Adams broke his hand that game, which opened up time for rookie fan-favorite Mitch McGary to take the floor. But in reality, that's just the way the Thunder's season has gone. They would go on to win seven straight, piecing victories together here and there. 

There have been a plethora of soul crushing losses, and there's been a passing of the torch from one MVP candidate to another. The season has been anything but predictable, but the most feared eighth seed in history may soon be whole. 

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have each had their moments with reporters this season. From Westbrook only saying, "We executed," to Durant calling out the basketball IQ of writers. The toll the playoff stress has taken on those two is notable. Locker room stalwart and Kevin Durant favorite, Kendrick Perkins, is gone taking any and all championship experience with him. Durant and Russell are now the sole leaders of the franchise, and they've taken notice that people have seemingly forgotten their greatness. The problem is, it's getting hard to remember.

The last time Oklahoma City had this many losses, they were on their way to an eighth seed. They would eventually fall to the champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, in six gut wrenching games that showed the inevitable greatness of a young Thunder team. They played those six games with arrogance and ignorance that actually made people believe they deserved to be in that series. 

Now, they're on their way to an eighth seed again, fighting for their playoff lives where they'll most likely have to take on the best team in basketball in the first round. Do they care? No. The Thunder is just cocky enough, and still just ignorant enough, to believe they can win the championship from the eighth seed. Every player on that team and every fan in that city believe that they have the two best players in the league, both blissful ignorance and arrogance drives that team and culture. 

Here with twenty games to go, New Orleans is just within striking distance, and Phoenix is not yet out of the rearview mirror. The trade deadline changed a lot. It gave Russell Westbrook a new pick 'n roll toy. It gave the Thunder a legitimate backup point guard who wanted to be there. It gave them two shooters that OKC has never really had, but it didn't give them a healthy Kevin Durant. 

Durant has yet to play since that February 19th game against the Dallas Mavericks. He's yet to play with Enes Kanter or former Longhorn teammate D.J. Augustin. What was supposed to be a one week cleanup has turned into two. Perhaps OKC is holding on as long as they can, and praying Westbrook can steady the ship while perhaps the game’s best closer heals.

The Thunder has been the one seed, the two seed (twice), and the four seed since losing that series to the Lakers. None really gave them a result any different. In three of those four years, the Thunder lost to the eventual champions. It doesn't matter to them. They've achieved as much as any team can without winning the title, only to be derailed twice by injuries. They know that if they can just get healthy, they can win. That's the goal. Whether they make the playoffs by one game or by twenty, the goal is just to get there whole. 

The last time we saw a full strength Thunder squad lose a series? The 2012 playoffs. While that may be a copout, that's the truth. This team is arrogant for good reason and ignorant to history. Why? Because they're trying to make it.