Issuing Kobe challenges for key OKC Thunder players

Andre Roberson: Make First-Team All-Defense

One can argue Roberson was worthy of making the first-team last season. Unfortunately, the Thunder’s elite wing defender was listed as a forward. This meant having to compete with Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard, whose name recognition alone could have elevated these two on the first-team. With the addition of Paul George, Roberson will now slide back to the shooting guard position. This means he should be eligible as a guard and have far less competition.

Roberson is starting to get the attention he deserves as a go-to stopper. NBA.com’s Lang Whitaker ranked Roberson as the second-best on-ball defender in the league, trailing just Leonard. At just 26, Roberson is entering his prime as an elite defender.

Must Read: Dwyane Wade was made for 2017-18 OKC Thunder

Yes, the most noteworthy issue is Dre’s free-throw shooting is atrocious. But, his defense on James Harden during the playoffs last year kept the OKC Thunder in games. Therefore, Roberson is more than capable of making first-team all-defense. It seems like this is a reasonable goal which the Thunder staff should expect from Roberson.