Views from OKC: Offseason improvements for the Thunder
By Tony Heim
Views from OKC is a public diary from an OKC Thunder fan. Today we take a look at areas of weaknesses for a few of Oklahoma City’s top players.
If Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder decide to bring back the exact same roster for next season – barring any major injuries – then OKC will be a better team next season. Billy Donovan won’t have three rookies in his rotation. Unlike this past season, everybody will have legitimate experience playing together.
But most importantly, there is a solid foundation for each and every player to build on. For some (see Jerami Grant) it may take only small adjustments, while others (see Alex Abrines) may need more then just this offseason to fully develop their biggest weaknesses. Then there’s the Semaj Christon’s of the world, those who can’t have their major weaknesses whittled down to just one. We just have to pray those players have Russell Westbrook’s work ethic.
Alex Abrines – Strength
Adding on muscle mass will do wonders for the Spaniard Sniper. Even on defense Abrines showed potential to at least be competent, but his tiny frame allowed even point guards to push him around. On offense adding on weight would give him more confidence to attack the rim and draw contact; the Thunder would love to have the 90% free throw shooter on the line more.
Steven Adams – Short mid-range game
It’s too much to ask for the Big Kiwi to add a mid-range game in one offseason. As of now teams just camp at the rim knowing all Adams can do is dunk or hit his patented 8-foot push shot. If he can just extend his range out to 12-feet it will do wonders for the Westbrook/Adams pick & roll.
Jerami Grant – Driving to the rim
As much as I love Grant, watching him take it to the cup makes me queasy. The 23-year old is so athletic he tries to almost exclusively dunk it on someone. When he does try and gather the ball it takes him so long that the defender is able to swipe the ball out of his hands before he can get his shot off. I love the dunks as much as anyone, but sometimes the Thunder need a guaranteed two points.
Enes Kanter – Lateral quickness
If Kanter does any offensive work this offseason I’m going to be upset. Kanter needs to exclusively work on his defense, and that starts with getting quicker on his feet. At 6’11 245 pounds nobody expects Kanter to cover guards, but he can’t get constantly turned around the way he did in the Houston series.
Victor Oladipo – Isolation moves
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The Thunder desperately need a second scoring option for Westbrook – Oladipo can be that guy. He’s developed his jump shot nicely and his athleticism makes him a tough cover, but without a go-to move it’s hard for him to create separation. Westbrook has his pull-up and even Kanter has his up-and-under. Now it’s Dipo’s turn.
Domantas Sabonis – Defensive positioning
One reason why Domas wasn’t a higher draft pick is because of his below-average wingspan. That effects players defensively the most; we saw it hurt the rookie during his tenure as the starting power forward. The best way to compensate that is perfect positioning, a craft Tim Duncan perfected in his playing days.
Russell Westbrook – Trust
Westbrook has holes in his game like everyone else, but the mental side is his biggest downfall. Specifically trust. Open players hesitated to shoot at the end of playoff games because they didn’t want to fail Russ. He has to make them feel confident in their abilities and it will only make the game easier.