OKC Thunder New Year’s resolutions: Top-five goals

Healthy roster:

Injuries have plagued the Thunder for several years and have arguably cost them multiple championships. From Russell Westbrook’s torn meniscus to Kevin Durant’s broken foot, and most recently, Andre Roberson’s torn patellar tendon, ill-timed injuries can be blamed for some of the Thunder’s downward spirals.

This year, however, things are beginning to look up (knock on wood). Other than a scare to Hamidou Diallo earlier this year, and Russell Westbrook suffering minor setbacks, OKC is in good shape. The key will be to retain this current good luck and enter the playoffs fully loaded.

To accomplish this, OKC has to do its work early. That means winning games and earning a playoff lock as early as possible. Even if the Thunder are still fighting for home court, it would be nice to give players cautionary days off when needed, without the fear of losing a playoff spot altogether. This was a problem last year, as the Thunder nearly bounced from playoff contention at the last minute.

In the meantime, we need to see more improvements from Andre Roberson and create a situation where he can ease back into games, without fear of losing his spot. Additionally, coasting to the end of the season would allow the starters arrive at the playoffs as rested as possible, which also contributes to staying healthy.