The OKC Thunder were exposed in the Western Conference Finals, plain and simple. After the San Antonio Spurs came out victorious in the seven-game battle, many thought they would carry their momentum into the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks, however, had other ideas.
New York handled them in five games, but the Thunder didn't need to see much more than that to learn what they needed to do to reclaim their Western Conference title.
It was Knicks forward OG Anunoby who made all the difference. He played the role of "bully" all series long. He did everything from guarding Wemby to pounding the glass to muscling his way into the lane, and he did all of it while averaging 21.2 points on 50.0 percent three-point shooting.
Luckily for the Thunder, a similar player may be waiting for his name to be called in this year's NBA draft, and general manager Sam Presti knows it.
Thunder may be done being the nice guy
While many have linked Michigan's star Yaxel Lendeborg to OKC, it might actually be his teammate, Morez Johnson Jr., that the Thunder have the most interest in. According to sources,Sam Presti couldn't take his eyes off the imposing forward, and for good reason.
At 6'9" and 250 pounds, Johnson embodies the ideal physical big man. His 7'3.5" wingspan is actually longer than Anunoby's, and he's widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the draft.
His physicality was on display this season when he helped the Wolverines to a National Championship, during which he averaged 12.8 points on 59.1 percent shooting from the floor. The forward clearly has the potential to be the Thunder's version of Anunoby and help them overtake the Spurs.
The best part is that Johnson is already slated to go around the middle of the first round, with some mock drafts predicting him to land with OKC at pick number 12, so trading up into the top ten would likely be unnecessary.
With superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm, the backcourt seems to be a strength for the foreseeable future. The front court, on the other hand, has already proved it needs improvement, especially given how much of a recurring problem Wembanyama is projected to be. Chet Holmgren simply isn't physical enough to back the Frenchman down, and, at 7'1", he essentially serves as an undersized version of the same player prototype.
Adding Johson would provide some much-needed diversity in the playstyle department. Holmgren is a talented scorer and shot blocker, but he clearly lacks the physical prowess to wear an opposing team down. Johnson could be the bully that has been missing in Bricktown, and, if he continues to develop his offensive game, could help propel the blue and orange to another trip to the NBA Finals.
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