The Oklahoma City Thunder have several advantages that could allow them to exploit teams during the 2024-25 season, with reasons provided throughout this article. The Thunder are poised to be contenders in the 2024-25 season.
Advantages the Thunder Could Use For the Upcoming Season
Creating Turnovers
Last season, OKC led the league in forced turnovers per game at 15.7. And finished as a top-five defense and improved in the offseason with their additions.
Alex Caruso’s elite perimeter defense next to Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander creates arguably the best set of perimeter defense in the league.
Then, add Isaiah Hartenstein in the front-court with Chet Holmgren and now the Thunder will have elite rim protection and an interior presence at all times.
With their defensive personnel and all of their defensive talent, the Thunder should generate the most turnovers and finish the season as the top defensive team.
Five-Out Offense
During their rebuild, OKC has made it an emphasis to draft high IQ players who can — dribble, pass, and shoot.
With the Thunder’s philosophy and identity on having versatility at every position — they’re able to exploit teams due to the amount of mismatches they’re able to create, along with their balanced scoring attack, unselfish offense, and creative offensive system.
The Thunder being fortunate in drafting a 7’1 unicorn in Chet Holmgren and having him at the five in a five-out offense changed their trajectory and really allows the Thunder to exploit teams due to the amount of mismatches Holmgren created for OKC.
Last season, the Thunder had nine players who shot 37% or better from deep. This season, they have nine players who can shoot nearly 40 percent or potentially better from deep.
What this does for the Thunder is it completely opens up the offense and helps the team — score in a variety of ways. Which makes defenses pick their poison with Oklahoma City.
Collapse the paint and the Thunder will drive and kick it out to open players on the perimeter. If defenses stay out on the perimeter and not cheat off on drives, then this allows OKC’s top two scorers, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, who are two of the best at generating rim pressure.
With the Thunder offense being in constant movement and how they play in an unselfish manner. Their five-out offense should exploit many NBA teams.
Controlling and Pushing the Pace
Last season, the Thunder were 4th in pace at 99.09. With the Thunder still being one of the younger and energetic teams in the league — along with their team identity and personnel, this is absolutely an area the Thunder can exploit.
The Thunder will certainly benefit from pushing the pace more — which creating turnovers, having a balanced roster with players who can play in the half-court and up-tempo, as well as having one of the deepest rosters in the league — will all be key factors in the Thunder controlling and pushing the pace.
As a team that ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating a season ago, the efficiency which this Thunder team operates — both offensively and defensively makes this team a prime candidate to have the best pace in the league this upcoming season.
The Thunder can expect to exploit their strengths in the 2024-25 season by leveraging their offensive versatility in just about every position with Gilgeous-Alexander as the focal point, utilizing the amount of rim pressure this team creates — which will help in their drive and kick offense — which will help in their shooting with their floor spacing, and capitalizing on their defensive flexibility and versatility due to their identity and personnel.
Oklahoma City has a promising season ahead after a great offseason. With the amount of talent the Thunder have, fans should be excited as they’re destined for a great season.
Main Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
