2017–18 NBA Season Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder
Last season, Russell Westbrook put up historic numbers that will be remembered for a long time. However, they didn’t lead to much team success. Westbrook was the only viable scoring option on his team, and his stat-padding certainly hurt at times. Russell Westbrook is a player with many flaws, but he was able to carry OKC to the playoffs. It looked like he was going to have to do it again, but then everything changed on the night of June 30th…
Offseason Moves
Re-signed: Andre Roberson, Nick Collison
Added: Terrence Ferguson (Draft) Paul George (Trade), Patrick Patterson (Free Agency), Raymond Felton (Free Agency)
Lost: Victor Oladipo (Trade), Domantas Sabonis (Trade), Taj Gibson (Free Agency)
General Manager Sam Presti absolutely knocked this offseason out of the park. Obviously, the trade for George was a masterpiece- there is no realistic outcome where that doesn't end up being a great trade. If rumors are true and he signs with the Lakers next summer, the Thunder will have still gotten off of Victor Oladipo’s contract that is paying him way too much money. If George has a change of heart and opts to sign a long-term extension with Oklahoma City, they will have gotten an All-Star for almost nothing. Re-signing Roberson for three years and $30M was okay, but it seems unlikely that his market value was truly that high. Patterson was one of the best signings of the summer because of the way he fits in perfectly with their roster, as well as the surprisingly low price tag.
The Key to Their Success
In order to achieve substantial team success, Russell Westbrook must learn to be at least somewhat unselfish. His assist numbers don’t tell the story- Westbrook has been a ball-hog for his entire career, even with Kevin Durant by his side. He takes horrendous shots every game, and was clearly hunting for triple-doubles last year. If the coaching staff can keep his shot selection in check and get him to get his teammates involved more often, this team can do great things.
Player to Watch
When Steven Adams had his coming out party in the playoffs two years ago, most expected him to follow it up with a breakout 2016–17 season. But unfortunately, he was a major disappointment. He didn’t play poorly, but didn’t really make any improvements. But, if he can do so a year later, the Thunder can be a scary team in the West.
Best and Worst Case Scenarios
Best case: The tandem of Westbrook and George coexist perfectly, role players such as Adams and Roberson step up, and the Thunder have an excellent regular season, enough to convince George to sign an extension to stay in OKC.
Worst case: Westbrook can’t share the ball like he needs to, and none of the pieces learn to fit together. The Thunder sneak into the playoffs, just to be ousted quickly in round one- all of this, of course, convincing George to depart.
Predicting Their Fate
Westbrook will show some moderation when it comes to shot selection and selfishness, but the Thunder’s lack of shooting comes back to bite them, making them a lower seed in the playoffs, and likely giving them a round one exit.
