Although the OKC Thunder are expected to continue their tanking strategy next season there is still plenty to be excited about. Recalling the Thunder university years the team will no doubt struggle to collect ‘W”s but with so many young talents on the roster, Thunder Nation can expect plenty of highlights.
Aleksej Pokusevski was worth the price of admission all on his own last season with passes that often had fans wondering “how did he do that? OKC Thunder head coach, Mark Daigneault was also a revelation in his first season at the helm.
In fact, the team performed so well by the All-Star break, it was necessary to shut down some of the more skilled and mature players on the roster. After all, no one said tanking was easy. Especially for a team whose identity is intrinsically tied to defense. Sam Presti has been so successful at developing the winning culture in OKC it took a full season to wrap its head around needing to lose.
To help in the tanking effort this season the VP altered the roster with copious youthful additions. Many of those were picked up in the draft and others are returning from last season.
Vegas projects OKC Thunder star SGA or Williamson to win 2022 MIP
Cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be back looking to continue his ascent up the NBA elite ladder. Plantar fasciitis sidelined him the majority of the second half with the cornerstone playing in only five games after the All-Star break.
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He suffered what hopefully will only be a one-year All-Star snub, but playing on a tanking team will make that campaign difficult again this season. What stood out specifically in 2020-21 was how effectively the Canadian shot the ball.
For most young players taking the big step upward as the primary playmaker and scoring option can be a tough transition. Yet, SGA easily slid into the role. Despite taking more shot attempts at all areas of the court his shooting efficiency also got better.
Overall he shot 50.8 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from the perimeter, and 80.8 percent from the charity stripe. The shot attempts in those areas jumped from 14.5 field goal attempts, 3.6 perimeter attempts, and 5.1 free throws in 2019-20 to 16.1, 4.9, and 6.5 respectively this season.
While the OKC Thunder didn’t get much love from the league in terms of nationally televised programs it didn’t dissuade those in the know from setting high benchmarks particularly for Gilgeous-Alexander.
In fact, Vegas oddsmakers are banking on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to collect some hardware in 2022. SGA and Zion Williamson were cited as the two players most likely to win Most Improved Player. The Thunder and Pelicans star was pegged with 7 to 1 odds of winning. The next closest player is Michael Porter Jr. with 15 to 2 odds followed by Kevin Porter Jr. with 9 to 1 odds.
While Thunder fans know the best thing that can happen is for the club to finish with the worst record and improve their draft position next year. SGA can add further excitement to the mix with a strong season and a run at Most Improved Player.