The Thunder shocked a lot of people last year when they became the youngest one-seed ever. Unfortunately, the Thunder lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals 4-2. They responded this offseason by having the best offseason they possibly could. Adding high impact players Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, and re-signing Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Now the question becomes, how can the Thunder take that next step next season?
The Thunder have had some pretty good teams in the past. However, every team was unable to reach their goal of winning the NBA Championship. This team has all the right pieces to get the job done, but can they take the necessary leap to get the job done next year? Let’s dive into the things the Thunder need to do next season, in order to take that leap.
How Can The Thunder Take The Next Step Next Season
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren Improvements
The most important part in the Thunder taking the next step is Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Last year, they struggled a little bit in the post-season and it seemed like they weren’t quite ready yet. Because of that, it put more pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to keep the team in the game. The Thunder have everything you need to win a title. They have their star in Shai, great role players that fit in, and great depth. The only thing they are missing is they need Jalen and Chet to elevate and become that co-star and third-star to Shai.
No team in the NBA can win with just one guy, they need help. If Jalen and Chet can improve and become the 2nd and 3rd stars in the playoffs for the Thunder and you add that to what they already have, they will have a great shot at winning a title. This core on whether or not they will be successful or not will be determined by if Jalen and Chet are able to take those next steps in the playoffs. Shai is playing at the level of being ready to win a title, now can Jalen and Chet get to that level?
Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander Continues to Play Like an MVP
The next important part of the Thunder taking the next step is Shai continuing to play at an MVP level. All the teams that have won a title in the last 10+ years had a player that was at least top 10 in the league for that year. Shai needs to keep playing at that level and if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter if Jalen or Chet improve they won’t be able to win the title. Now, Shai doesn’t need to keep scoring around 30 points every year but he still needs to play at an MVP level.
To go along with that, Shai could also improve his game even more. Every year since he got to the Thunder he has improved. This includes big improvements like a scoring jump from 24 points to 30 points or a small improvement in his efficiency. Shai can still become a better playmaker as he has shown improvements in that last year. However, the big improvement is becoming a more consistent three-point shooter. If he can shoot 39% or more from three instead of being around 35%, paired with the rest of his game he will be way harder to guard and put more pressure on the defense.
More Consistent Shooting in The Playoffs
The next part for the Thunder is more consistent shooting and play from the role players in the playoffs. Having a big three at the top that complements each other well isn’t good enough to win a title. You still need help from your role players and last year the Thunder did not get help from them, especially in the shooting department. Even though the Thunder led the NBA last year in three-point percentage shooting 38.9%. In the playoffs, they shot 35.6% with a couple of games shooting under 30%.
The Thunder are going to need guys like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort to be more consistent in the playoffs. If they can shoot with more consistency in the playoffs, and if one or more can score 10+ points every game. You add that to the other three guys and the Thunder will have a great shot at winning the title. However, you need all three components to win. Having a top 10 player in the league for that year, a c0-star and possibly a third star, and having consistent play from your role players.
Integrating Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein
Finally, the final component for the Thunder to take the next step is being able to integrate Caruso and Hartenstein into the team. The Thunder made big swings in getting Caruso and Hartenstein but they still need to fit with the team. If the double big combination of Chet and Hartenstein doesn’t work, or if Dort and Caruso can’t play together because they are too small it could cause the Thunder to not reach their full potential. Alternatively, if Caruso and Hartenstein make an easy transition and fit with this team and there aren’t too many growing pains it will significantly improve the Thunder’s chances of winning a title.
The Last Word
The Thunder have done everything possible to set themselves up for success. However, if this core group of players wants to win a title for the Thunder all of these components need to happen. If one or two of them don’t it will decrease their chances of winning. Finally, if all of these components happen, the Thunder might dominantly win the title.
