NBA: Re-seeding the Western Conference after the Free Agency

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

Last season: 48-34, 4th

Notable ins: Nerlens Noel, Dennis Schroder

Notable outs: Carmelo Anthony

The Oklahoma City Thunder were a disappointment last season, falling well short of pre-season expectations. After swinging for the fences and trading for Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, many thought they were one of the few teams that could challenge the Warriors.

As it turned out, Anthony was terrible, George was too passive in big games, and Russell Westbrook just kept on playing like he still “had no help.” With no big changes to the roster heading into next season, it’s hard to see much changing.

Trading away Anthony may prove to be addition by subtraction. He shot a career-low 40.4 percent from the field, and averaged nearly twice as many turnovers (2.5) as assists (1.3). Getting Dennis Schroder in the trade makes for a strange fit, as he is a non-shooter who needs the ball in his hands, but any return for Anthony is better than nothing.

The return of Andre Roberson could also help, as he played just 39 games last season. An All-Defensive caliber player, he was sorely missed as the Thunder leaked points in the second half of the season.

While the rest of the roster is largely the same, the biggest issue is still Westbrook. The Thunder can only win so many games with his ball-dominant style of play, and unless he evolves they will struggle to see any meaningful improvement.

Who knows; maybe Westbrook steps back, George steps up, Steven Adams continues to develop and everyone else plays their role. Based on what we’ve seen to this point, that seems unlikely.