Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the pressure of being the hunted as defending champions, while contending teams built their rosters specifically to dethrone them.
Now, the Thunder’s last memory on the court is a bitter one, with a second consecutive trip to the Finals on the line. After enduring a brutal Game 7 loss on its home court, Oklahoma City is back to being the hunters, but with the experience of facing the entire league’s pressure to be the curse while learning how to hunt them down.
In Adam Silver’s “parity era,” the last nine NBA titles have been won by different teams. Starting tonight, the Thunder begin their quest as the hunters, not the hunted.
Here are two key factors that must go right in Oklahoma City for them to bring home their second title in the last three seasons.
Oklahoma City Thunder Hunting For Another Championship
Evolution
In this iteration of Thunder basketball, which began after the bubble, they’ve improved every year. They increased their win total each season until last year. Now, teams have made changes and have improved their rosters across the league.
The San Antonio Spurs, who dethroned the Thunder last season, have made marginal improvements while gaining experience, and they’re set for internal improvement because of their young core.
Of course, the New York Knicks are in the same position as the Thunder were a year ago, which will be a storyline in how they handle being the hunted.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a roster shake-up with an all-in move, trading for LaMelo Ball to address a clear deficiency and raise their potential ceiling.
The Philadelphia 76ers added two stars in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, boasting arguably the league’s best starting five.
The Miami Heat made the biggest splash of the offseason, trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo to pair with Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt, and Erik Spoelstra’s mind makes them one of the most intriguing teams this upcoming season.
The Thunder are ready to become more offense-oriented in their next phase of evolution.
Injuries
Injuries can’t be foreseen, and the Thunder understand this better than anyone. They were among the most injured teams last year and ultimately derailing their chances to repeat, with Jalen Williams missing most of the season and the playoffs, as well as Ajay Mitchell missing the rest of the WCF after Game 2.
With these roster shifts, the margin for error is narrower, making player durability and health more vital for the Thunder.
What will the process and response be as the Thunder shift their philosophy and identity to evolve into a consensus half-court offense and stay atop the contending teams moving forward?
Main Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
