After two seasons where they were clearly in tanking mode, Oklahoma City was competitive last season in a quite unique way as they did not have a traditional Center who could protect the paint, and they also lacked perimeter shooting, which is normally a blueprint for success in today’s NBA.
They managed to compensate for these issues by being extremely aggressive on both ends of the floor. The Thunder led the NBA in drives to the basket and were ranked #3 in generating shots at the rim, while on the defensive end they compensated for their lack of size that prevented them from being a good rebounding team by forcing a lot of turnovers that led to transition points. Can this formula work at a higher level this season?
2023/24 OUTLOOK:
The team’s biggest news for this season is the fact that Chet Holmgren is now ready to play after losing his rookie season due to injury. Holmgren is a great fit for the team’s style as he is versatile, can handle the ball and help defensively with his great instincts, while also having great size. However, he shouldn’t be able to help much with the team’s perimeter shooting woes and his lack of strength might limit him against strong sized big men.
Expectations for the team are certainly bigger this season than they were in recent times. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was #5 in the MVP award voting last season and he is indeed one of the best players in the league. OKC hopes that the development of their young core of players will be enough for them to improve. This might not just be wishful thinking as we are talking about the youngest lineup in the league by some margin. They might indeed breakthrough if Jalen Williams keeps playing at the level he showed during the second half of the past season and if Chet Holmgren is able to have a big enough immediate impact in the league that allows him to win the ROY award this season.
