After 17 years, the OKC Thunder won its first NBA championship last season.
OKC then brought back all of its rotation players. It also added two rookies in Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer, and second-year guard Nikola Topić is ready to make his debut after missing all of last season due to a partially torn ACL in his left knee.
OKC is poised to compete for another championship this upcoming season, but will it actually be able to defend its title? That’s the first question that’ll be answered in this Thunder mailbag, which will also discuss landing spots for former OKC star Russell Westbrook and more.
Email me with questions at jmartinez@oklahoman.com to be included in future mailbags.
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@MrEd315: Get out the crystal ball, tarot cards and Ouija board. Can and will the Thunder repeat?
OKC definitely can win a second straight championship. It’s bringing back all of its rotation players, and it’s the most complete team in basketball.
OKC has the league’s best bucket getter in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an elite second option in Jalen Williams. It has floor-spacing bigs such as Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. It has a wealth of perimeter defenders such as Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. It has a deep bench with spark plugs such as Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. And it has the versatility to adapt to any matchup.
But will OKC win a second straight championship? I’m not ready to say yes, and that’s not a knock on the Thunder.
This isn’t the mid-to-late 2010s, when you could book hotels for Oakland and Cleveland at the start of the season because you knew the NBA Finals matchup would be the Warriors and Cavaliers. No team has won multiple championships, let alone consecutive ones, so far in the 2020s.
That speaks to the parity around the league, and there’ll be plenty of contenders again this upcoming season. There’s Houston, an elite defensive team that just added a lethal scorer in Kevin Durant. There’s also Denver, a team that took OKC to seven games last season and has gotten deeper since then. And then there’s New York and Cleveland, two Eastern Conference teams with a ton of talent.
OKC’s trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen Williams is under contract through the 2030-31 season. I feel confident in saying it’ll win at least one more championship during that time.
But when it comes to next season, the safe bet is to take the field.
@Itchy-Apartment-Flea: Is there any timeline on Russell Westbrook’s return? He’s still not signed.
Westbrook declined his $3.4 million player option on June 13, making him an unrestricted free agent. But the 36-year-old guard has yet to find a new home over two months later.
Numerous reports have listed Sacramento as a potential landing spot. And as Westbrook would say, why not?
The Kings are far from a championship contender, but they’re also far from being a bottom feeder. They’ve assembled a solid trio of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. And even though they signed Dennis Schroder this offseason, they could use another point guard to help replace De’Aaron Fox’s passing ability.
Westbrook could play meaningful minutes on a somewhat-competitive team, and he could also stay close to home. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, that’s important to the Long Beach, California, native.
Unfortunately, Sacramento would need to free up a roster spot to sign Westbrook. And if the Kings can’t make that happen, it’s hard to find another landing spot for Westbrook around the league.
The nine-time All-Star had his moments with Denver last season as a high-energy backup. Still, his inconsistent shooting and questionable decision making led him to post a net rating of minus-0.6.
Maybe Sacramento will free up a roster spot to sign Westbrook. Or maybe another team will find itself in need of a point guard during the season and sign him then. For now, it’s a waiting game.
@safetycommittee: Do you think there will be more or less consistency in the starting lineup? Injuries will always play a role, but will Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace switch out as the fifth starter?
Isaiah Hartenstein started in 53 of his 57 appearances last regular season. He was a consistent frontcourt partner with Holmgren, a fellow 7-footer.
But I do expect there to be more experimentation with the starting lineup this upcoming season, especially after seeing how the playoffs unfolded.
According to Cleaning the Glass, OKC recorded a point differential of 25.8 points per 100 possessions when it started Wallace over Hartenstein during the postseason. For context, the Thunder’s usual starting five recorded a point differential of 2.7 points.
A big strength of OKC’s starting lineup that includes Wallace is its ability to space the floor. The Thunder averaged 52.1 drives per game during the playoffs, which ranked second among the 16 competing teams. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Willams put constant pressure on opposing defenses by attacking the rim, and Wallace served as yet another kickout option.
Wallace is also a dangerous player in transition, a good cutter and a strong perimeter defender. And at just 21, he should only get better.
Of course, OKC’s double-big lineup also presents some advantages. It’s easier to protect the rim and control the glass with two 7-footers. And even though Hartenstein isn’t a great floor spacer on offense, he’s an excellent passer at his position.
There were times last regular season when OKC went with its double-big lineup regardless of the matchup so it could get more experience, but I don’t think that’ll be the case moving forward. I expect the Thunder to take full advantage of its versatile lineup combinations.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.