2017–2018 NBA Offseason Review: Oklahoma City Thunder
Heading into the 2017–2018 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had high expectations after a promising offseason. With Russell Westbrook in dire need of a strong and effective supporting cast, Thunder GM Sam Presti went all out by acquiring both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. At the time, Presti was acclaimed for the moves since he acquired the All-Star duo without really giving up much. More importantly, the move put the team in a win-now position. Not only were the Thunder seen as a formidable playoff contender but the team was projected to be a dark horse contender to dethrone the Golden State Warriors’ reign of dominance in the Western Conference.
For a team that had unlimited potential, they ultimately hit rock bottom with a disappointing 1st round exit at the hands of the Utah Jazz. But the early playoff exit was far from an upset or a surprise to NBA fans.
Throughout the season, the Thunder’s newly-formed Big 3 struggled to co-exist due to their inability to complement each other’s skill set and talent. Primarily, their issues came in the 4th quarter where it seemed like they had no clue on how to close out games.
Most notably, their crushing defeat against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden where they had a six point lead with 20 seconds to go in regulation became emblematic of their lack of competent game management.
Heading into the 2018 NBA Draft and free agency period, it was evident that Sam Presti had to make moves to improve the team while also looking to keep the core intact. Several players were about to head into the free agency market, including Paul George. In a tough conference with multiple other teams looking to improve and bolster their depth, the Thunder could not afford to have a major setback in the offseason. With major decisions looming, Presti had to do what was best to keep the team in contention during their window to contend against the top teams in the Western Conference.
Offseason Additions
- Dennis Schroder (via trade)
- Nerlens Noel (signed to a two-year, minimum deal contract)
- Hamidou Diallo (via trade)
- Abdel Nader (via trade)
- Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (via trade)
- Kevin Hervey (57th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft)
- Deonte Burton (two-way contract)
- Tyler Davis (two-way contract)
Offseason Subtractions
- Carmelo Anthony (traded to Atlanta, now with Houston)
- Corey Brewer (current free agent)
- Josh Huestis (current free agent)
- Nick Collison (retired)
- Dakari Johnson (traded to Orlando, now with Memphis)
- Daniel Hamilton (signed with Atlanta)
With notable additions and subtractions, there are a few aspects to thoroughly analyze for the Thunder’s upcoming season.
Dennis Schroder brings a new dimension to the Thunder offense
Over the past couple of seasons, the Thunder’s lack of guard depth was exposed time and time again. Primarily, this came on the offensive side of the ball where Billy Donovan just did not have many options to rotate — which forced Russell Westbrook to carry a heavy offensive load on a game-by-game basis. With bench options such as Cameron Payne and Raymond Felton, it was evident as to why the team continued to rank in the bottom half of the league in bench points from guards.
With the addition of former Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder, the Thunder hope to get a consistent offensive spark off the bench.
Schroder is coming off of a career high 19.4 PPG season with the Hawks in a campaign where he was the #1 offensive option for the first time in his career. While his field goal and 3-point percentages were slightly down, he did well in stepping up to the challenge of leading a team in dire need of improvements all around.
One aspect of his game that he improved on the most last season and will also be a major strength under Billy Donovan’s offensive sets is his scoring on isolation plays. During the 2016–2017 season, Schroder averaged 0.93 points per possession on isolation plays while shooting 44.9%. Last season as the top offensive option for the Hawks, Schroder impressed as he averaged 1.09 points per possession, which puts him in the 90.1 percentile, while shooting 48.9%.
Schroder’s creative ability to get shots off is a strength of his. As seen in this play against the Jazz, Schroder weaves into the paint and pulls up for a jumper over his defender.
With the Hawks, Schroder regularly called for high screens to free up space from his defender. On this play against the Timberwolves, a high screen allows for Schroder to head into the paint but his crafty ability to create space allows him to shoot an uncontested jumpshot.
Now with the Thunder, Schroder will have the freedom to also create his own shot on the floor. And this time around, he will have the luxury of playing alongside Steven Adams, who is one of the best in the game at setting screens to free up space on the floor for the ball handler. In pick-and-rolls with Adams, Schroder will have the ability to survey the floor and shoot high-percentage mid-range shots. Ultimately, if Schroder can carry over his success with isolation plays over to the Thunder, he will be a positive addition to the team.
The immense value of a healthy Andre Roberson
The difference between the Thunder’s defense with and without Andre Roberson is like night and day. With Roberson on the court, the Thunder are able to capitalize on limiting opponent’s space on the floor and are able to contain the top shooters. But with Roberson off the court, the team looked dazed and confused at times with missed assignments and poor communication that resulted in effortless possessions for the opponent.
While Roberson played in just 39 games last season for the Thunder, it was his absence that truly resonated what he valued to the team. Now although he is a burden offensively, his defensive responsibilities are unmatched. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and a player that can take on multiple roles on the defensive side of the game. His help side defense and pace to cut down the opponent’s space on the floor has helped his teammates immensely.
As seen in this play against the Raptors, Roberson is positioned at the top of the key in an effort to close down a lane to the basket and as the ball goes to DeRozan on the post, he immediately sprints into action by coming in for the block.
His contributions on the court were impeccable. When Roberson was on the court, opponents were held to a 99.2 offensive rating. When he was off the court, opponents were held to a 110.7 offensive rating. And in the 11 games that the Thunder lost by at least 10 points, Roberson only played in three of them… which says a lot about how they respond to his absence on the court.
Now if the season were to start today, Roberson might not be ready to return from the ruptured left patellar tendon injury that he suffered last January but he is on track to be ready by late October. If the Thunder have any hopes of challenging the Warriors and Rockets in the West this upcoming season, they will need a full, healthy season from Andre Roberson.
Can the Thunder figure out how to close games?
As alluded to before, the Thunder mighty struggled in close game affairs. Last season, the team finished 13–15 in games decided by five points or less, which is not ideal for a playoff contender. And to make matters worse, the team lost 10 games in which they held a lead of at least 10 points.
The Thunder’s issues revolved around the fact that the offense was stagnant at times due to the isolation-heavy offensive sets that were coordinated late in games. Now while isolation plays are not something to be frowned upon considering it has become the norm in today’s NBA, it should be if it is not effective — as was the case for the 2017–2018 Thunder.
The team ran isolation plays 10.5% of the time, which ranked 2nd in the NBA behind the Rockets. The Thunder were only able to average 0.82 points per possession on 37.3% shooting on isolation plays. Now compare that to the Rockets, who averaged 1.12 points per possession — which led the NBA — on 43.4% shooting.
With poor late game management and a conundrum of having three iso scorers that want the ball in their hands in clutch situations, the Thunder were ultimately unable to get rid of their inadequate habits and it cost them in the playoffs.
With Carmelo Anthony off to Houston, the team must now commit to not having to always rely on isolation possessions late in games and instead move the ball in an effort to find a high percentage shot.
With both Russell Westbrook and Paul George committed to long-term contracts, the Thunder now have another significant window to compete for a championship. The team must make the most of the opportunity because as many small-market teams have experienced, it is tough to start all over again once the franchise star players begin to decline. For the Thunder, the time is now.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com and BasketballReference.com
