2024 NBA Playoffs Should Be A Learning Experience For The OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder crashed out of the playoffs with a 117-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Recreation 6 of the Western Convention Semifinals on Saturday. It was a disappointing finish to an in any other case marvelous season, one which cemented the Thunder as authentic championship contenders.

Thunder normal supervisor Sam Presti got here beneath fireplace in the course of the sequence for not taking a extra aggressive method on the February commerce deadline to shore up his crew’s weaknesses. The Thunder acquired veteran swingman Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans and a pair of second-round picks, however they did not faucet into their deep cache of future first-rounders.

That appeared to have been intentional. Heading into the season, Presti informed reporters that the Thunder wanted to “end our breakfast earlier than we begin appearing like we’re on the cusp of one thing.”

“I believe that is a part of the headwinds you face as a younger crew,” he added. “I would not wish to ‘money in’ to turn out to be common or above-average. I do not assume that is actually what anybody’s anticipating. When individuals say ‘go all-in,’ I do not assume they’re saying ‘go all-in to have one season that is barely higher than your final season.’ I believe when the crew’s acting at a particularly excessive degree, you then know, ‘Wait, one thing may assist us.’ And you’ve got higher info.”

This yr’s playoffs gave the Thunder that info.

Apart from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who appeared within the playoffs as a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers and the next yr throughout his first season with the Thunder, none of OKC’s different key rotation gamers had any significant playoff expertise. This postseason was a proving grounds for all of them, and it ought to assist form how the Thunder construct their roster shifting ahead.

First, the excellent news. Gilgeous-Alexander, who completed second in MVP voting this season behind Denver Nuggets middle Nikola Jokic, confirmed no drop-off by any means between the common season and the playoffs. He averaged 30.2 factors on 49.6% capturing, 7.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals in 39.9 minutes per sport, and he scored not less than 24 factors in every of his 10 postseason video games.

Whereas Gilgeous-Alexander is not a very potent or high-volume three-point shooter, his herky-jerky fashion and three-level scoring means made him simply as unstoppable within the playoffs as he was all through the common season. The Thunder ought to have full confidence in his means to proceed anchoring them shifting ahead after seeing how he fared on this playoff run.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren had been much less constant than Gilgeous-Alexander, however that is to be anticipated with younger gamers of their first postseason. Each ought to study from their expertise in opposition to the Mavericks and use it as gasoline all offseason to proceed shoring up the weak spots of their respective video games.

Whereas Williams struggled along with his effectivity in opposition to Dallas, he lit up the Zion Williamson-less New Orleans Pelicans with a well-rounded 21.3 factors on 52.9% capturing, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per sport within the first spherical. Holmgren averaged solely 15.8 factors on 51.4% capturing and 6.2 rebounds in opposition to the Mavericks, however he chipped in 2.5 blocks per sport all through OKC’s playoff run.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Williams give the Thunder a younger, high-upside Large Three to construct round shifting ahead. However the playoffs additionally uncovered what turned more and more obvious all through the common season: Josh Giddey may not be the fourth member of that long-term core.

Giddey struggled in Recreation 1 in opposition to the Pelicans, ending with solely two factors on 1-of-6 capturing, three rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes, however he bounced again with 16.0 factors, 5.7 rebounds and three.3 assists per sport over the subsequent three video games in that sequence. He wasn’t as lucky in opposition to the Mavericks, who took benefit of his iffy three-point capturing and routinely dared him to beat them from deep.

Over the primary 4 video games of the Mavericks sequence, Giddey averaged solely 6.0 factors, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in solely 13.3 minutes per sport. Forward of Recreation 5, head coach Mark Daigneault opted to maneuver sharpshooter Isaiah Joe into the beginning lineup forward of Giddey, who mustered 11 factors, three rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes off the bench. Nevertheless, he had solely two factors on 1-of-3 capturing, 4 rebounds and one help in 11 minutes within the closeout Recreation 6 loss on Saturday.

Except Giddey drastically improves as a three-point shooter in brief order, he is a considerably wonky match subsequent to Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren. He thrives with the ball in his hand, however the Thunder would profit from somebody who’s extra able to creating photographs off the dribble. The Mavericks uncovered their lack of a pull-up menace, as each Joe and Lu Dort are principally catch-and-shoot gamers.

Rebounding was an apparent Achilles heel for the Thunder, who ranked twenty seventh in rebounds per sport in the course of the common season, though it did not crush them in opposition to Dallas till Recreation 6. The Mavericks outrebounded the Thunder 47-31 whereas staging their livid second-half comeback, however they completed with solely 28 extra rebounds than the Thunder throughout their six-game sequence.

Nonetheless, Dallas’ measurement and size disrupted OKC’s rhythm on offense. The Thunder may benefit from including extra heft both to pair with Holmgren within the frontcourt or as a change-of-pace choice every time he sits. Jonas Valanciunas is likely to be an fascinating free-agent goal in that regard, although he is not a lot of a three-point shooter.

The Thunder may create greater than $35 million of salary-cap house this offseason, in response to Keith Smith of Spotrac, they usually’re teeming with future draft capital to dangle in trades. They’ve a possibility to pursue main roster upgrades this offseason; they only must determine on their largest priorities to handle.

They might make a run at a shooter in free company comparable to Malik Monk, Gary Trent Jr. or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or they might pursue one on the commerce market like Anfernee Simons of the Portland Path Blazers or Luke Kennard of the Memphis Grizzlies (if the Grizzlies decide up his crew choice). Valanciunas, Isaiah Hartenstein and Daniel Theis may make sense as free-agent targets to fortify their frontcourt, to various extends.

Both manner, few (if any) groups have as a lot optionality because the Thunder each this offseason and shifting ahead. They now want to make use of what they realized about their roster all through this playoff run to make adjustments and higher put together themselves for subsequent yr’s postseason.

Except in any other case famous, all stats by way of NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleansing the Glass or Basketball Reference. All wage info by way of Spotrac and salary-cap info by way of RealGM. All odds by way of FanDuel Sportsbook.