A Bright Future for the Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder is undoubtedly one of the best teams in the NBA right now and in the adjacent future. They have two elite players in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who are still about to reach their athletic prime. They are surrounded by solid role players that allows them to be at their best and there are young talented players that will provide continuous support to their main core. All the tools to be successful are there and the team’s front office has been excellent in taking advantage of every bit of it. While the curtain is closing on some of the NBA teams, it is only just beginning for the Thunder.

Superstar Duo

Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who are playing amazing basketball these past couple seasons. They have carried the team to its current status as one of the best teams in the league. They once reached the cusp of a championship and are hungry for the ultimately achievement in the NBA.

Their youth gives them the ability to improve some more and their hunger gives them the motivation to do so. Given the fact that they are almost impossible to cover right now, the image of them improving is a scary thought for fans of other teams.

Solid Roster

Consistency is usually a problem with young teams. However, by surrounding the team with some heady veterans and consistent role-players, the Thunder has been able to become one of the most consistent club in the league.

Talented Youth

Another important factor that will ensure future success for the team in the future is its abundance of young talent. The front office has done a marvelous job of finding players with potentials and allowing them to develop. While other rebuilding teams have a hard time giving their young players playing time, the Thunder has been able to become one of the best teams while allotting plenty of valuable minutes for their youngsters to develop.

This method of talent development not only creates building pieces but also increase the trade assets of the team.

Why Investors Are Attracted to St Lucia

In recent years, investment in foreign countries has moved from something only aspired to by the very wealthy individual or commercial enterprise, to something that has become accessible to an entirely new demographic of mid-weight business people, retirees and expats. St Lucia, in The Caribbean, is one such destination benefitting from an influx of foreign investment, and – with encouraging growth figures and confidence high – numbers are on the increase.

Whether investors make the move for retirement, a relaxed family lifestyle, or specifically to invest in business and property in St Lucia, the local infrastructure and environment of the island make the process particularly appealing.

Stability and Security

With a stable political climate (based on the British system) and what’s rated by the World Bank as the best ‘pro-business’ environment in The Caribbean, St Lucia provides a secure, proactive and nurturing place for foreign interests to conduct business. As an important player in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the island’s financial system makes compliance easy and it encourages the freedom of profit repatriation – a vital factor for multi-national or bi-coastal foreign investors.

Modern, Efficient Communications

While to a certain extent the entire Caribbean runs on its own ‘island time’, St Lucia’s highly efficient telecommunications system means that it’s still very much connected to the rest of the world. High-speed Internet coverage, state-of-the-art satellite systems, and excellent mobile phone access allow virtual business to be done from the beach as easily as it can be done from a boardroom in London.

Growth Property Market

Investment in property in St Lucia for either commercial or residential purposes has historically shown capital growth, despite the recent global recession – up to 10% in 2014. Over 40% of the population is centred around the capital, Castries, which offers a wealth of opportunities for investment property in St Lucia, and other high-profile tourism centres like Soufriere, Gros-Islet and Vieux Fort also provide possibilities for development of ‘value added tourism’ investments, in the form of retail outlets, eco lodges, cruise ports and event venues.

Education and Quality of Life

St Lucia rates highly on the Global Human Development Index, with metrics including one of the highest life expectancies in The Caribbean and an over 90% literacy rate. The country has a high-quality education system, with an extensive network of privately owned and government funded pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, public and academic libraries, and the well-respected University of West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Faculty.

Healthcare

The healthcare system is primarily privately funded but residents have access to free treatment at over 30 dedicated public Health Centres located all over the island. The presence of a number of international medical insurance companies means affordable healthcare is accessible for all residents. There is one private and three public hospitals, which are staffed by highly qualified, English speaking medical practitioners from a variety of disciplines.

Ease of Conducting Business

The World Bank has rated St Lucia 52 out of 183 countries in terms of its ease of doing business. For those looking to set up a new business, purchase land or commercial property in St Lucia, enter into trade agreements and investment treaties, apply for citizenship, residency, licenses and permits, and register for VAT, the processes can be navigated relatively simply. There is also plenty of governmental support and documentation aimed at helping foreign investors.

With a solid history of protecting and encouraging the development of international investments, St Lucia lives up to its status as the ‘number one place in the English-speaking Caribbean to do business’. (World Bank, 2014)

Something to Improve On for the Indiana Pacers

With more than month and around 20 games into the NBA season, there is enough of a sample size required to judge teams according to their strengths and weaknesses. While logic dictates to look at the bad teams to see where they can improve, I prefer to scrutinize the top performing teams to figure out their weakness. Let’s face it, it is more interesting to talk about winning teams.

This time around, we are talking about the Indiana Pacers. As of writing, the Pacers have the best record in the league with their 7 wins and only 2 losses. They are playing the best defense in the league right now. They are also dominating games as backed by them having the highest point differential per game. They are no doubt the best team right now.

So what can the current best team in the NBA improve on?

Ball Movement

Watching all their games this season and checking on the team stats, it is easy to see that the team still lacks ball movement. A data that supports this claim is their 19th rank in assists per game. It’s not that they are playing isolation or are selfish. Their offensive sets are pretty good in getting the ball to the one it was designed for. However, they lack the propensity to make the extra pass that could lead to an easier and better shot attempt.

They are too methodical for their own good that when opposing teams put the effort to deny their sets, they often end up with bad shot attempts. They lack the creativity to come up with quality shots from broken set plays.

This could be a problem when they face the best teams in the playoffs who are focused on disrupting their offense. As good as Paul George has been in hitting shots, the team can’t put the burden of the entire offense on him.