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OKC Thunder: Top storylines to follow for the 2021-22 season

By Rylan Stiles

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 10, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 10, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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The OKC Thunder are heading into the 2021-22 NBA season without a ton of expectations. Most outlets have the Thunder pegged as the worst team in the National Basketball Association. While that might be a harsh moniker, wins will be hard to come by. So what storylines should you follow along with during the 2021-22 campaign?

The Oklahoma City Thunder win total will not be competitive, though the play on the floor likely will be. So in a season in which the OKC Thunder are not actively vying for a championship, why should fans still pay attention? In Bricktown, we are used to winning, spoiled by future Hall of Famers cycling through the organization and lifting the Thunder to some incredible highs. How do you watch a team designed to focus on player development more so than games won?

Top storylines to follow for the OKC Thunder during the 2021-22 NBA season

The Oklahoma City Thunder season is underway tonight with a matchup against the Utah Jazz. This will start an 82-game campaign, while tickets are as cheap as the first year in Bricktown, and expectations are low this is still an incredibly important season for the history of the Thunder franchise.

There is at least a blueprint, an idea, a style of play the Thunder hope to achieve. There are players that the Thunder want to build around, while we can quibble back and forth with a few names, two are certain in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Who can join that group?

That new style of play, a small-ball look with most lineups having five playmakers in the lineup at a time, how can the OKC Thunder find an edge specifically on the defensive end of the floor?

How many players on this 17-man roster for the Oklahoma City Thunder actually have a long-term future in Bricktown? Who are long-term role players, who are legitimate blue-chip building blocks, and who are sweeteners in eventual trades?

We will attempt at answering these questions throughout the 2021-22 NBA season, with daily coverage of the OKC Thunder getting ramped up and better than ever so always check back!

OKC Thunder build position-less roster. dark. Next

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