The Thunder have been one of the best success stories this season. They have a 11-5 record, making them 2nd in the Western Conference. They have a plethora of assets to pursue a superstar. They are one of the best positioned teams in the NBA, but this year, they just don’t seem strong enough to win it all.
Flaws
1. Paint Defense
Chet Holmgren is a great rim protector, don’t get me wrong. The problem is, his body isn’t ready to defend superstar centers in the NBA. Their 5 losses have been to the Nuggets, 76ers, Kings, Pelicans, and the Warriors. The Nuggets, 76ers, and the Pelicans all have some of the best paint players in the league with Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Zion Williamson. The Thunder might need to target a defensive center to play alongside Chet Holmgren if they want to win games against these types of teams. Of course, this is not really Chet’s fault, he has been everything that they dreamed of him to be. The front office needs to make a move for a solid rim protector that might come on the market such as Clint Capela. Or they can wait until next year in free agency and sign Nic Claxton. This depends on whether or not they want to contend this season or wait a year.
2. Lack of Experience
The oldest player in OKC starting five is Shai-Gilgeous Alexander at age 25. They will definitely need some veteran experience if they want to make a deep playoff run. This team might have a great regular season, but they might suffer a playoff defeat to a more experienced team similar to the Kings last season. The right move might be to use a first round pick on a veteran player, but I don’t think this front office has any impatience. They will probably wait out this season to see what this roster can do and make a move in the offseason.
3. Off-Court Issues
With the Josh Giddey pedo allegations, it negatively affects the team. This obviously is a distraction to the team, but Giddey also plays a large role on their team. In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Josh Giddey led the team in both rebounds per game and assists per game. They will have to count on Shai Gilgeous Alexander to make a playmaking leap with the ball in his hands even more. The rebounding should recover slightly with the addition of Chet Holmgren, but it was already not very good.. The best way to get out of this situation is to trade Giddey’s contract without giving up any more assets than they received in the KPJ trade.
4. Rebounding
This season, they have ranked dead 26th in rebounding. They clearly will have to be able to beat their opponents on the glass to win playoff games against great teams. The teams that made the Western Conference Finals last year had good rebounding with the Nuggets and Lakers led by Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. The Heat have Bam Adebayo. This league is full of dominant centers that will cash in on the rebounds. Whether or not a dominant center is the solution, they need to improve their rebounding somehow. Maybe this is by getting a Draymond Green type of player.
Potential Trade or Free Agency Targets
Clint Capela (Extra Rim Protection Alongside Chet Holmgren)
Kyle Lowry (Take on his contract for a pick & gain his veteran experience.)
Mikal Bridges (Perimeter Defense & Scoring Boost)
OG Anunoby (Big defensive boost & Perfect wing alongside SGA)
Nic Claxton (Perfect extra rim protection alongside Chet at the right cost)
Lauri Markkanen (Perfect mix of rebounding & spacing & paint offense)
Plan
The best solution is to be patient and not blow all of your assets in one superstar trade that can severely misfire. If a center like Clint Capela is one the market for around 1 FRP, they should probably make that move. But, if it’s a star like Lauri Markkanen that they have to offer 4 FRPs for, I don’t believe that they should do that just yet. But, they definitely should make a move with the salary from the Davis Bertans contract & potentially the Josh Giddey contract. The fate of their season could be determined by how the Giddey thing ends up going. Or it might not matter at all. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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