As the OKC Thunder hit the second half of the 2020-21 schedule it’s time to reflect on how this young team and performed.
The squad has definitely provided one of the feel-good stories of the season. With four-fifths of the Clutch Time Killer lineup exiting in the offseason the expectations were for OKC to be the ‘easy win’ in the West.
Instead, this resiliency era squad has overachieved already collecting 15 victories in 36 games and shocked a few elite opponents along the way. The team has earned a reputation as being one of the most difficult opponents and is a squad no one takes for granted anymore.
Part of the excitement around this young iteration of the Thunder is they are winning with youngsters who are still in the development stage. There have been ample surprises within the rotation both from the starters as well as the reserves. New additions were given an opportunity to fill a niche and claim a spot in the future rotation.
Grading OKC Thunder players at the half
While the Thunder are showing promise this team is clearly still a work in progress with visions of competing in the near future. The area the team is excelling is on the defensive side of the floor while they often struggle offensively. That’s not a complete surprise given the players’ youth and many in an increased role for the first time since joining the NBA.
On the positive side, the team has consistently demonstrated discipline which is evidenced by not fouling opponents (fourth-ranked) which translates into opponents not getting to the line (second-fewest free throw attempts).
It’s also recognized via their defensive effort witnessed by holding opponents to 34.7 percent from the perimeter (fourth-best) while also stopping teams in transition recognized by opponents scoring the second-fewest points on the fast break.
While there is ample work to be done and growth to witness Intentions reflects back on the first half offering a grade for each member of the roster that played a minimum of 10 games and averaged a minimum of 10 minutes per game.