To this day, many are puzzles why Scott Brooks got the pink slip. Brooks was fired by the OKC thunder for failing the playoffs, stating that his firing was not a reflection of what he brought to the OKC franchise.
Brooks performance was astonishing as soon as he inherited the head coaching job of the Thunder, turning the team's dismal 23-59 record during the 2008-2009 season in to a 50-32 record the following year (2009-2010). Brooks won the NBA Coach of the Year award for that miraculous turn though his team fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
His greatest achievement was of course leading the franchise to the 2011-2012 NBA Finals though the team lost 4-1 to the Miami Heat.
With that list, one has to wonder why Brooks got the boot when in fact injuries to Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant played a vital role to the team's chances of advancing.
Now word has it that Durant was not necessarily happy with Brooks firing and general manager admitted that they did not discuss the move with the Thunder players. If that were the case, could it push Durant to leave the team once he hits free-agency?
This is not to say that Durant would be joining Brooks on the next team the former NBA coach of the year will likely hook up with. Brooks is not expected to remain jobless for long with a lot of NBA teams right now in search of a head coach.
The answer to that may very well fall into the hands of the next OKC head coach. At the moment, rumors swirling around point to Billy Donovan as a hot contender. If that were true, it will be Donovan's task to keep the team together, most importantly ensure that Durant and Russell Westbrook remain with the team.
The Thunder have yet to announce Brook's replacement but all that should be done with soon. And that person will have his hands full, not just to improve on Brook's achievements but to make sure that the star players don't end up leaving the ballclub.
