Oklahoma City Thunder Team Review

 

2022-23 Finish: 50-32

 

Season Highlight:

The Thunder�s season was highlighted by the bringing in of a new GM after having a slow start to the year, where things just didn�t seem to be working for them. Long time GM and NSL/NLL Hall of Famer, Wizkid, stepped aside from his ailing team while becoming increasingly busy in life and the teams performance never looked back. I cannot find the exact win loss ratio at the time, but they were in the bottom half of the table looking like a lottery team but after the arrival of James, the team exploded onto the scene buoyed by the healthiest line up in the NSL, along with obvious improved strategies to make them work, and they went on to a 50 win season.

50 is a massive result from where they were, and it can�t be expressed enough how much their team health was also a highlight. 4 of the starters went 82 from 82 on games played and started, and only Huerter missed a single week, 4 games, allowing Keegan Murray to play 4 starting games on the year.

 

Season Lowlight:

As much of a highlight as it was to see the team succeed under new management, the lowlight for the Thunder had to be the departure of Wizkid as a GM and NSL Legend. Wiz was one of the old crew from 20 years ago, with small absences in between, but he was the mainstay staple and wizard of the extractor for years, and a good GM to boot. His departure definitely sent some shockwaves through the league and he will forever be etched into folklore here�and is always welcome back to helm of a team if he wishes.

 

Best Trade:

Thunder send: Kristaps Porzingis, Shake Milton, Oshae Brisset and 2023 1^st round pick

Thunder receive: Pick 5 2022 (Keegan Murray) and Lakers 2025 1^st Round Pick

 

I�ll tell you right now, this one is aging badly already�but it�s their best trade still in my opinion. KP at the time was looking shaky in Dallas in the NBA and Pick 5 for KP, what was looking like a middling 2023 1^st at the time, and an extra 1^st for role players in Shake and Brissett, was probably on shaky ground then but could have turned out alright. Of course�they�re since moved off Murray, the pick they sent turned into pick 8 and they�re still 2 years away from seeing the other 1st materialize.

 

Worst Trade:

Thunder send: Payton Pritchard and Santi Aldama
Thunder receive: James Bouknight

This one has really not aged well and was probably just as shaky at the time of dealing anyhow. Bouknight had already had off court issues and a poor rookie year while Aldama was looking set to enter the rotation with Pritchard having shown he was a solid reserve. Fast forward to now, Bouknight looked even worse in year 2, Pritchard just signed an extension and Aldama is on that upward climb.

 

Other Notable Trades:

Thunder send: Isaac Okoro, TyTy Washington and Ryan Rollins

Thunder receive: Grant Williams, Terrence Ross and Pick 60 2023

 

The only reason this deal isn�t in the �worst trade� spot instead is because it still has some to play out. Okoro for Williams is robbery, but for some reason TyTy and Rollins were also in there for a few weeks of Ross. Williams now is a Sign and Trade guy, which might just be better than him having stuck around, so depends what you�re getting for him. But, Okoro�

 

 

Free Agency:

The Thunder are pretty locked in up the top. Their kids are all locked away on deals and most of their important guys are too. Except for one big glaring one�DeAndre Jordan. He�s a UFA, but luckily resigned in the NBA which makes him a pretty easy bring back here. You�d hope his buddy would be telling him to drop those points like they�re hot, since he has no one else to worry about. Grant Williams is Sign and Trade, but as an RFA, so won�t cost a dime to bring back and send away, and Reggie Bullock is the only other guy left and he�s not worth worrying about. That said, they�re short of players so will have to be actively signing someone!

Grant Williams � RFA, free return, but S&T in the NBA which means he�s out the door here.

DeAndre Jordan � UFA, must bring back. The man is worth a 1^st round pick here still. Drop those points.

Reggie Bullock � UFA, last minute NBA waiving. Has a waived and signed bonus, but probably not worth worrying about returning.

 

 

Star:

Anthony Edwards

The star of this team last year could actually be debatable given just how rock solid their squad was and how consistently healthy they were. Edwards however is the face of the franchise and was the top scorer night in and night out getting it done along the way. Nearly 20 points per game in an engine that favoured the big men (as evidenced by DeAndre monstering 10/16 and 2 blocks a night) and he�s only just coming to the close of his rookie deal at the end of this year. He�s the man, in OKC.

 

Flop:

James Bouknight

You hate to pile it on, but this man in his 2^nd year did absolutely nothing last year. Sure, he didn�t get court time to do much either, but you want to see something from your kids that you target with solid rotational role players via trade. He got 1 point per game, and watched as the guys he got traded for elevated their games.

 

 

Draft Grades:

Pick 50 � Jalen Slawson

Pick 60 � Justyn Mutts

Grade: C

The Thunder had no picks to speak of on the day, with only pick 50 and 60 to their name, so you don�t expect much. They get a pass mark. It�s hard to go much more or less when you�re not present at the draft. You could argue to go less, since if they had have attended they could have gone for the falling guys who had shown something in summer league or signed contracts already rather than Slawson who is going to be on a 2way deal and Mutts who was undrafted and did nothing in the offseason.

 

The Future:

The Thunder are a team for the future, for sure. They�re loaded with young guys who can contribute now and will in the future also. They gave up a massive packet to bring in Trae Young who is at least going to be a stud star for them, but it�s left them with a handful for depth issues going into the year, especially now that Okongwu and Jordan can only be on the court 1 at a time. Put that with Grant Williams needing to be sent out, and they don�t have a PF on the roster�and holes everywhere. So it�s going to take a lot of activity and work in the coming weeks to round this one out. If they do, they have an elite backcourt and a super strong C spot. It just needs�well�work.

C: DeAndre Jordan / Onyeka Okongwu / Kevon Looney
PF: Grant Williams / Reggie Bullock
SF: Kevin Huerter / Quentin Grimes
SG: Anthony Edwards / James Bouknight
PG: Trae Young / Tyus Jones