Oklahoma City Thunder: Why OKC could be a big Western Conference dark horse

With a second year together, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder are poised to be a dark horse in the Western Conference

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s quick exit from the 2018 playoffs was anything but what expectations were set at going into the regular season. At the same time, with several long-term commitments being made from pivotal players, as well as another Training Camp soon-to-be under their belts, the Thunder are poised to be legitimate Western Conference and NBA threats in the 2018-19 season.

Last season did not go as planned for the Thunder. Despite trading for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to play alongside Russell Westbrook, the Thunder were bounced out in the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz. The aftermath of their early exit has not gone as planned though (in a good way).

From the moment that the Thunder acquired George, many were of the mindset that the forward was destined to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018. And that thinking continued up through mid-June. But then, George had a change of heart, committing to the Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal on the opening night of Free Agency.

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An ensuing move (or one that will soon come to fruition) also noteworthy on the Thunder’s behalf is them being determined to move on from Carmelo Anthony.

When you look at head coach Billy Donovan’s starting five, it’s one of the best units in the NBA. Despite the never-ending criticism surrounding his game, Westbrook is a top-three point guard and is a force to be reckoned with. George is one of the best forwards in the association, and he competes on both ends. Center Steven Adams is a top-10 center who is a defensive backbone and does all the dirty work inside.

Shooting guard Andre Roberson will be returning from a season-ending knee injury which will significantly help the Thunder’s perimeter defense, and forward Jerami Grant will come back on a three-year deal – retaining athleticism and perimeter defense in their rotation. Alex Abrines gives the Thunder an outside shooting threat while Raymond Felton gives them a scoring threat off the bench. The Thunder also went out and nabbed athletic and defensive-savvy center Nerlens Noel who will likely come off the bench alongside Patrick Patterson to relieve the team’s frontline.

The Thunder were considered an NBA Finals threat before they went out and acquired Anthony hours before Training Camp began last season. General manager Sam Presti decided to pull the trigger on a trade for Anthony to create a big three that the Thunder could call their own to potentially challenge the Golden State Warriors and the best of the West; it didn’t work out well. Anthony has always been a player who needs the ball in his hands to be productive.

He’s, without a doubt, one of the best scorers of the 21st century and is a potential Hall of Famer, but when you already have two premier scorers in place, it doesn’t make sense to add a ball-dominant player who doesn’t excel on the defensive end like Anthony.

At the end of the day, Anthony was never a great fit in OKC. He struggled to adapt to being the third scoring option and, at times, wasn’t even on the floor in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s first round series matchup with the Jazz. The Thunder decided to take advantage of a star player wanting out of his current situation, and chose to roll the dice. Now, they get to see what they can be and would’ve been before acquiring Anthony — with the exclusion of Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, who were both sent to the New York Knicks for Anthony.

Westbrook has the “me vs the world” mentality which has its plus and minuses. On one hand, Westbrook has been the most productive player in the league the last two years averaging a double-double in back-to-back seasons. He’s also the most electric, high motored, and aggressive offensive playmaker in the game. Simultaneously, he’s been the leader of a Thunder team who has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back years, and Westbrook can also hold onto the ball too long in crucial possessions towards the end of games. But Westbrook now has a star player by his side in George who is committed to staying with the Thunder, as well as a roster that complements their talents nicely.

The Warriors added DeMarcus Cousins, and if he gets healthy, their starting five will be formidable with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green in place; they’re the clear-cut favorites to repeat as NBA champions. The Los Angeles Lakers added the best player of the 21st century in LeBron James, as well as some proven veterans in Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. The Houston Rockets just took the Warriors to seven games in the Western Conference Finals, albeit they lost forwards Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute to free agency. The Jazz just beat the Thunder in the first round.

The Portland Trail Blazers won 49 games last season, and the New Orleans Pelicans swept them in the first round. The Minnesota Timberwolves have an evolving, young core, and the Denver Nuggets won 46 games with Paul Millsap sidelined for the majority of the season. In summation: The Thunder will have an overwhelming amount of competition in the West this season.

Must Read: Miami Heat: 5 reasons to take a chance on Carmelo Anthony

The Thunder are being overlooked based on the amount of movement that has taken place out West. No one is going to say that the Thunder are better than the Warriors, but a core has presented itself in OKC, and it’s there to stay. They’re a team to keep close tabs on because when they’re firing on all cylinders, they can be an extremely dangerous foe.

The Thunder have a lot to play for, and based on the talent they have at their disposal, they cannot be slept on; they’re a dark horse out West.