Oklahoma City Thunder 2024 NBA offseason preview: The future looks brilliant, but the improvements are obvious

2023-24 season: 57-25

Highlight: Chet Holmgren immediately being this good, providing the Thunder with a legitimate big three this early in their process.

How it ended

With no sad faces in the front office. This year was an outstanding achievement for a roster this young, and the Thunder got invaluable playoff experience before heading into next season with heightened expectations and a presumably improved roster. We’ll get to that.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved last season wasn’t just a brief spike but instead his new normal. His 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2 steals on 53.5% shooting from the field paints an accurate picture of a 25-year-old superstar who is in the process of becoming one of the most devastating two-way forces in the league.

Gilgeous-Alexander took the reins of being the primary playmaker this season, with the ball going through mostly his hands and without the offense stagnating or developing into a heliocentric concept. That’s in large part due to the assistance of head coach Mark Daigneault, whose emphasis on ball movement and play design allows the Thunder to have a player capable of putting up monster numbers without costing teammates touches or opportunities.

Part of their success is also due to Jalen Williams, who seemingly seems content whether he scores 12 or 25 points on a nightly basis. The all-around wing is capable of playing multiple positions, defending at a high level and has no problem playing off the attention given to Gilgeous-Alexander or Holmgren.

The Thunder find themselves in that sweet spot before the roster becomes otherworldly expensive, headed by the rookie contracts of Holmgren and Williams, both of whom have two more years left on their deals before future extensions will kick in.

Due to that salary structure, the Thunder will need to strike this summer by adding talent that fit the big three, so they can make a real attempt to win the title next season.

Biggest offseason need

While the Thunder had the best 3-point efficiency in the league, they ranked just 16th in attempts. They need a high-volume 3-point shooter who can launch 8-10 per game while…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-05-19 17:06:37

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