The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking for a head coach to replace Scott Brooks, who was fired after seven seasons with the franchise. He was heavily criticized for a number of things over the years, but these are the four real reasons why he failed in OKC:
4) He couldn't control Russell Westbrook
It remains to be seen if anyone can control Westbrook, but it was clear at the end of this season that Brooks couldn't get through to him anymore. Oklahoma City needs to walk the fine line of needing their point guard to be a prolific scorer while still being a point guard. Brooks lost track of where that line was, and Westbrook wouldn't listen to him.
3) Iso-heavy offense
Oklahoma City would rely almost exclusively on pick-and-rolls and isolation plays for Westbrook and Durant, and the predictability made them extremely easy to guard - especially in the playoffs. The Thunder were terrible late in games when they needed to get a good shot because Brooks couldn't draw up a play to get anyone open.
Durant and Westbrook often bailed him out by making incredible shots, but OKC needs someone who can do better on the sidelines.
2) Untimely injuries
Right when the Thunder were peaking under Brooks, Westbrook tore his meniscus in the 2013 postseason, while Ibaka missed almost all of the 2014 postseason with a leg injury. In a Western Conference full of great teams, OKC needed to be at full strength to have a legitimate chance to make the Finals again.
1) Lack of overall talent on the roster
This falls entirely on the front office, but Brooks wasn't always given the talent he needed to succeed in the Western Conference. Durant and Westbrook are two of the best players in the game and Serge Ibaka is a borderline All-Star, but they rarely had another player who could consistently produce.
Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins were offensive liabilities, and James Harden was the only player they had who could bring a spark off the bench - and it's not a coincidence that the one year they made the Finals was Harden's best year in OKC. Brooks could've managed minutes differently, but he was given championship expectations without a championship roster.
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