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OKC Thunder: Examining 5 potential lineups Billy Donovan could utilize

By Filippo Scalco

Head Coach Billy Donovan, Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Head Coach Billy Donovan, Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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Paul George, Jerami Grant, OKC Thunder (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Lineup 2: Bench Lineup

Projected Offensive Rating: 116.1

Projected Defensive Rating: 111.0

Projected Net Rating: +5.1

Projected 3-Point Percent: 35.42 percent

The Thunder bench has had a negative point differential in each of the last two years. After finishing 20th in Net Rating in 2017, the second unit slightly improved last season, led the addition of Raymond Felton as the backup point guard.

This season could be a different story, as the front office worked to shore up the roster and made interesting additions, such as Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel.

The Thunder haven’t had a player like Dennis leading their second unit for a while and the German sprite is exactly what they needed: a player that could create for himself and generate shots for others.

In this bench unit Paul George will be the main actor, with Schroder and Grant ready to bring energy and scoring depth especially at the rim. Alex Abrines primary task would be to provide outside shooting  while Nerlens Noel will be extremely useful as a rim protector and as a roller.

There are numerous reasons to believe the Thunder bench will take a big leap this season given the upgrades on the roster. Based on the Goldstein tool this lineup projected ratings predict to be a positive +5.1 Net Rating.

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