“That’s every team’s goal,” budding Thunder start Kevin Durant said of the postseason. “That’s one goal we have in mind, but we’ve got to tell each other to take it a day at a time and get better. That’s what we’re looking forward to. That’s what Scotty’s been preaching to us these last couple of years is to always take it a day at a time, each practice and never take steps back.”

Getting into the top eight in the Western Conference for a squad that won 23 games last season does appear next to impossible. Even sticking to the trite “one day at a time” approach, it appears the Thunder have too much ground to make up and too much inexperience to overcome.

Still, the franchise’s foundation is loaded with enough potential to make Presti’s contemporaries drool. Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are the most talked pieces of a roster that continues to improve.

Presti acquired Thabo Sefolosha and Nenad Krstic last season, and both immediately stepped into the rotation. Reclamation project Shaun Livingston is all upside and little risk. Second-year guys Kyle Weaver and D.J. White, plus rookie James Harden (fourth overall pick), Byron Mullens and Serge Ibaka are promising youngsters. Brooks knows what he’s getting out of vets like Nick Collison, Kevin Ollie and Etan Thomas.

“I’m looking forward to our team taking another step,” said Brooks, 22-47 as interim coach last season. “We feel that we’ve had a great summer, guys are getting better and guys will continue to get better. Our focus will be continue to improve every day.

“Every day in practice, every shoot-around, every game, every film session is to get better. That’s been my mentality since I’ve taken over and that will always be our mentality as a team. I believe in our guys.”

And they believe they’re destined to do more than just make a modest five-to-10 game improvement in the win column. Realistically, that’s all the front office can reasonably expect. Just don’t fault the players on wanting more.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach — Scott Brooks, 2nd year overall, 2nd year with Thunder (22-47). Assistants — Ron Adams, Maurice Cheeks, Rex Kalamian, Mark Bryant, Brian Keefe.

LAST SEASON, REMEMBERED: 23-59 (5th in Northwest).

THIS SEASON, PREDICTED: 34-48 (4th in Northwest).

POSSIBLE CHANGES, PREDICTED: General manager Sam Presti is always looking to upgrade the roster, but he likely will resist the temptation to make a major move. Expect small deals that either add picks or more financial flexibility down the line.

Most Disappointing Player: Robert Swift. The injury-plagued center was never able to get on track, despite given every opportunity to earn a spot in the rotation. The former lottery pick played in just 26 games, averaging only 13 minutes. He heads into free agency looking for a new team.

Free Agent Focus: Malik Rose, Desmond Mason and Robert Swift are free agents. The team likely doesn’t have any interest in Rose or Swift, though either may be used in a sign-and-trade scenario. Mason, an Oklahoma State product, could be a possibility if he’s healthy. With so much room for improvement, the team is looking for veteran depth at all positions on the affordable side.

Player News:

• G Russell Westbrook grew up in Los Angeles, so his playoff memories revolve around the Lakers. The titles from 2000-2002 still hold a special place.

“Shaq (O’Neal) and Kobe (Bryant) when they won the three-peat,” Westbrook said. “I went to a playoff game when they played Sacramento. It was exciting. It was a different level.”

• F Kevin Durant said Michael Jordan left an indelible mark 11 years ago. Jordan’s shot to beat Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals still resonates with Durant.

“I was watching that game and I was thinking to myself, ‘There’s no way he’s going to hit that shot,’” Durant said. “But after that move he made, and he made it in a tough Utah arena and they won a championship. That will always stick in my head. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to play in the playoffs and make some of my own memories.”

• F D.J. White  wishes summer league could get going already. After an abbreviated rookie season cut short by surgeries, the power forward wants to get back on the court.

“I’m ready to go right now,” White said. “I only played in seven games. I have a lot of energy. The plan is to keep working out and then play in Orlando.”

Medical Watch:

• G Desmond Mason is expected to make a full recovery. He’ll be ready for training camp if he remains with the team.

Based on draft projections, the Thunder will likely choose between UConn center Hasheen Thabeet and Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio. Memphis has the No. 2 pick. Early reports, however, say Rubio’s camp has no interest in playing for a small-market team like Memphis or OKC.

The Thunder’s front office isn’t worried about such talk just yet. The team goes into the draft dealing from a position of strength with multiple picks and plenty of cap room.

“Having the third pick for us is a lot better than having the fourth,” general manager Sam Presti said. “And when you have No. 3 you wish you had No. 2, but this is definitely a great position for us to be in.

“I think we’ll definitely get some phone calls and we’ll have some options. We also like the group of players that will be there, so I’m excited.”

More so than selecting on need or using the “best-available player” chestnut, Presti is looking for a certain type of makeup in whomever the Thunder pick.

“Does he fit the culture we’re trying to create and have established? Does he fit the way we want to play? Those are the things that we’ll be dialed into,” Presti said. “All we can do is pick the best player that we think will help us and fit our team.”

Season Highlight: Kevin Durant was easily the star of the early portion of All-Star weekend. The sensational sophomore scored 46 in the Rookie Challenge game and won the league’s first H-O-R-S-E competition. For those who doubted Durant’s star potential, this was his time to shine.

Turning Point: The 1-12 start cost P.J. Carlesimo his job and morphed into a 3-29 record that had many wondering if the Thunder would post the worst record in NBA history. Oklahoma City then followed with a 6-3 stretch and stayed relatively competitive the rest of the season.

Roster Report

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Durant. The second-year small forward turned in a spectacular season, even if few noticed, to firmly cement himself as the franchise player. Durant finished sixth in the league in scoring at more than 25 points per game. He also grabbed 6.5 boards and dished out nearly three assists a night.

Most Disappointing Player: Robert Swift. The injury-plagued center was never able to get on track, despite given every opportunity to earn a spot in the rotation. The former lottery pick played in just 26 games, averaging only 13 minutes. He heads into free agency looking for a new team.

Free Agent Focus: Malik Rose, Desmond Mason and Robert Swift are free agents. The team likely doesn’t have any interest in Rose or Swift, though either may be used in a sign-and-trade scenario. Mason, an Oklahoma State product, could be a possibility if he’s healthy. With so much room for improvement, the team is looking for veteran depth at all positions on the affordable side.

The interim title was lifted off Scott Brooks, who will go into next season as the Thunder’s full-time coach. Brooks led Oklahoma City to a 22-47 record after the 1-12 start under former coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Brooks tweaked the lineup, built the offense around the core of Kevin Durant(notes), Russell Westbrook(notes) and Jeff Green(notes), and the team responded with several impressive wins down the stretch.

“He’s focused on putting a brand of basketball on the court that is about the team first,” general manager Sam Presti said, “about playing both ends and competing and continuing to build the identity of the basketball team.”

Presti didn’t deny considering outside coaches for the job, but ultimately settled on Brooks. The players, including Durant, were also in Brooks’ corner.

“I’ve always believed that you work hard, and you do everything in your power the right way and you treat everybody with respect and things will work out,” Brooks said. “My focus from Nov. 22 was to make our players better, to get our team playing a good brand of basketball. I never thought one iota about myself.”

Brooks now has an offseason to implement his system fully. The franchise owns multiple first-round picks, plus plenty of cap space to work with. In addition to the players, Brooks also plans to improve before next season.

“One of the things that I really liked about Scott is he not only expects his players to come back better from the summer, he expects to come back better himself,” Presti said. “He has a passion for the game, a passion for this organization and we feel like he’s going to come back and get better as a coach and grow with our team.”

• It wasn’t always smooth during Year 1 in Oklahoma City, but the Thunder appear to be on the right track going forward with a talented nucleus and plenty of roster flexibility. The franchise has seven first-round picks in the next three years, including two this summer, and a ton of cap space.

Kevin Durant took a quantum leap from his Rookie of the Year campaign to establish himself as a budding All-Star. Rookie point guard Russell Westbrook took the reins and got better as the season went on. Jeff Green might have been playing out of position at power forward, but the second-year pro figures to be a solid rotation piece for years come.

A few additions/reclamation projects made during the season also show promise moving forward. Nenad Krstic(notes) returned from Europe to give the frontline another scorer. Chicago castoff Thabo Sefolosha(notes) could have Bruce Bowen(notes)-like impact for the team’s perimeter defense. One-time lottery pick Shaun Livingston(notes) looks to be working his way back to health and a prominent bench role.

The Thunder got off to a 1-12 start, fired coach P.J. Carlesimo and elevated Scott Brooks to the top job on an interim basis. The team continued to struggle before turning things around as the calendar flipped to 2009.

Brooks’ patient approach and key position changes emphasized scoring and athleticism. Durant thrived as a small forward, opening up the floor for everyone else. The Ford Center, rocking all season, became increasingly tougher on opponents. Oklahoma City won 12 of its last 18 at home.

Season Highlight: Kevin Durant was easily the star of the early portion of All-Star weekend. The sensational sophomore scored 46 in the Rookie Challenge game and won the league’s first H-O-R-S-E competition. For those who doubted Durant’s star potential, this was his time to shine.

Turning Point: The 1-12 start cost P.J. Carlesimo his job and morphed into a 3-29 record that had many wondering if the Thunder would post the worst record in NBA history. Oklahoma City then followed with a 6-3 stretch and stayed relatively competitive the rest of the season.

Here one day, gone the next. That’s how Thunder fans must have felt after hearing news that a “local” favorite, Tyson Chandler, was coming back to Oklahoma City—only to leave again after he failed his physical.

Dealt from New Orleans in exchange for Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and the draft rights to DeVon Hardin, Chandler was expected to be the Thunder’s center of the future. Instead, a severe case of turf toe scuttled the deal.

“We were pleased to add Tyson to the Thunder roster,” OKC general manager Sam Presti said. “During the course of the physical examination and outside consultations some questions arose that gave us cause for concern. We felt that this course of action was the best for our organization.”

Chandler was part of the Hornets team that spent two years in OKC after relocating because of Hurricane Katrina. Presti said that losing what seemed to be such a perfect fit won’t force OKC to shortcut the building process.

“We’re always open-minded,” he said. “At the same time we’re not going to allow this situation to affect future decisions. We have to continue to be methodical as we go through the process of growing our team and growing our organization.”

Suns 140, Thunder 118: The Thunder tried to make a game of it in the second half at Phoenix, but the resurgent Suns had too much firepower even without injured All-Star Amare Stoudemire. Leandro Barbosa stepped into the starting lineup and scored a career-high 41 points Friday night, as Phoenix hit 140 for the third consecutive game.

Kevin Durant scored 35 for the Thunder, who have dropped four straight to fall to 13-42. OKC actually had six score in double figures in the run-and-gun affair. Russell Westbrook followed Durant with 19 points. Jeff Green (10 points) had a game-high 14 rebounds.

Jason Richardson added 34 points for the Suns and Shaquille O’Neal had 22. Phoenix is the first team in 18 years to score at least 140 in three consecutive games.

Notes, Quotes

• The Thunder added to their swingman depth with Thursday’s trade for Thabo Sefolosha. Oklahoma City also received cash considerations from Chicago in exchange for a 2009 first round pick.

“We are excited to add Thabo to our team,” GM Sam Presti said. “With this trade we add another defensive-minded perimeter player that we feel has the opportunity to grow with our organization.”

Sefolosha (6-7, 215), currently in his third season, owns career averages of 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 16.6 minutes in 183 NBA games (40 starts). He has appeared in 43 games (14 starts) this season with the Bulls, averaging 4.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 17.1 minutes.

OKC owns three first-round picks in the 2009 draft. The Thunder holds the rights to its own pick, the Denver pick acquired in the Johan Petro trade and the San Antonio pick received in the Kurt Thomas deal. Chicago will get the least favorable of the Denver and San Antonio picks.

• OKC added to the frontcourt stable Thursday by acquiring forward Malik Rose and cash considerations from New York in exchange for forward Chris Wilcox.

“We are pleased to add Malik to our roster,” Sam Presti said. “He brings a wealth of experience and veteran leadership to our team.”

Rose (6-7, 255), a two-time NBA champion currently in his 13th season, owns career averages of 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 16.5 minutes in 793 NBA games. He has appeared in 18 games this season with the Knicks, averaging 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 8.9 minutes.

Quote To Note: “We feel the right decision for us was to move in another direction. We’re disappointed it did not work out.”—Thunder general manager Sam Presti on rescinding the Tyson Chandler trade for medical reasons.

Roster Report

Rotation: Starters—Point guard Russell Westbrook, Shooting guard Kyle Weaver, Small forward Kevin Durant, Power forward Jeff Green, Center Nenad Krstic. Bench—Guard Earl Watson, Guard Chucky Atkins, Center Robert Swift, Center Nick Collison, Guard Damien Wilkins, Forward Joe Smith, Guard Thabo Sefolosha.

Player Notes: —C Nenad Krstic made his second start of the season Friday at Phoenix. He scored 16 and grabbed six rebounds, replacing Nick Collison in a move that was more than just a simple matchup against Shaquille O’Neal.

“We’re just going to change it up and give him an opportunity to start,” coach Scott Brooks said of Krstic. “It’s nothing against Nick. Nick’s been playing very well for us. It just gives us a different look. They both are going to play good minutes. We want them to both play well.”

• F Chris Wilcox was ultimately traded Thursday to New York because he didn’t fit in OKC’s long-range plans. There was speculation that the Thunder had to move Wilcox after he was originally part of the failed Tyson Chandler deal.

“We certainly didn’t make any decisions based on reaction to that situation,” GM Sam Presti said. “That’s something that we’ve tried to be thorough with in our process. We have to make the intelligent decisions for our organization, take the information that we have and do what we think is in the best interest of the team. We did not alter our process.”

• C Mo Sene was waived to make room for G Thabo Sefolosha on the 15-man roster. The 6-11 three-year vet from Senegal played in just five games this season and averaged less than five minutes.

Medical Watch:

• F D.J. White (jaw surgery) had a benign tumor removed Oct. 13. The second phase of the surgery involved mending the jaw with bone graft taken from his hip. He’s begun doing light workouts.

• G Desmond Mason (knee surgery) is missing the rest of the season. He is expected to make a full recovery.