Before the start of last year’s NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Many people, including myself, believed the Thunder would be a team that could challenge the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. 2017-18 brought a disappointing regular season and a first-round exit in the playoffs. Many suspected that the team would lose Paul George to free agency in the offseason, and Melo would be traded away.
However, OKC was able to retain Paul George, traded away Melo (which consider a success), and added solid role players in Dennis Schröder and Nerlens Noel. The table is set again for the Thunder to make a run in the Western Conference this season.
What Went Wong Last Season 
Obviously, the Thunder didn’t meet expectations last season. The core of Melo, PG, and Russ never seemed to mesh. They were an extremely streaky team who, at times, would look like a championship contender. At other times they’d look like a lottery team.
One of their main sources of trouble was in the coaching category. Billy Donovan never was able to get his team to try to run an offense. Instead, it was the three stars trying to play hero ball and call an iso on most plays that led to many of their losses.
The team also struggled with having a weak bench. After the starters left the court, teams generally would be able to take advantage of a lineup headed by Raymond Felton. Only two bench players who played in more than 31 games had a positive plus-minus, those players being Alex Abrines and Josh Huestis.
What Needs To Go Right This Season
Hopes for this season are once again high, but if the team doesn’t fix mistakes from the previous year, another tragic season is imminent. They’ve taken steps to improve their bench play already, adding Nerlens Noel and Dennis Schroder, who’ve both proven to be guys who can create a few sparks once they see action.
As for the team chemistry, finding that should be no problem. To put things plainly, Carmelo Anthony was one of the main reasons the teams core seemed separated. Most people were set in on the fact Paul George was going to sign with the Lakers, and the fact that he decided to stay in OKC instead of return to his hometown speaks volumes to his relationship with his teammates.
In the coaching category, it’ll be interesting to see how Billy Donovan responds to the disappointing season last year. Donovan let Westbrook and George play iso-based basketball last year, but with their current supporting cast, I believe the best option would be to run more systematic basketball.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are no doubt one of the most skilled teams in the league, led by Russell Westbrook and Paul George. They also have a great supporting cast including enforcing center Steven Adams, All-Defense team member Andre Roberson, and newly acquired point guard Dennis Schroder.
The ceiling is extremely high for Oklahoma City, possibly even as high as giving the Warriors a run for their money in the West. However, the floor is equally as low for the team. Only time will tell where this team is going this season, but don’t be surprised if you see them knocking on the door of the NBA finals.