NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Oklahoma City Thunder proved last season how good of a team they could be. They finished the season 40-42 and made the Play-In Game but were ousted by the Minnesota Timberwolves after beating ther New Orleans Pelicans. Having a superstar to lean on has helped but the team won’t achieve great success without leadership.
Shai Gilgerous-Alexander has done all he can do. On the floor, he leads with his actions. But what the Thunder need is someone to lead from within. They need a vocal leader. Not saying SGA is not capable but where is that veteran presence for a team with no one real rotation player older than 28 on the roster?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have put the pieces together now it’s time to figure out how to get over that hump. Even the other younger teams such as the Sacramento Kings have a veteran or essence in Harrison Barnes. The Denver Nuggets won last season with veteran help from Jeff Green. The Lakers are led by veterans, and so are the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder must counter with their own.
SGA is on a tear but until the Oklahoma City Thunder can find some consistency from others, they will continue to be near the bottom 8. The Thunder have the assets to add a veteran player. With Josh Giddy manning the point, where the Thunder lack that experience is on the perimeter.
Luguentz Dort is a solid player but he’s too streaky. Adding a playing like a DeMar DeRozan will have them in contention. While DeRozan is not a force on the defensive side of the ball anymore, the Thunder can mask that with their youth and athleticism. However, they do need another reliable scorer who can take some of the pressure off SGA.
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Chet Hologram needs to find his groove. While technically, in his rookie season, he’s getting adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NBA. Jalen Williams is growing into an offensive force but lacks in the rebounding department. The bench is another area of concern.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are not the Warriors which means they are not filled with reliable shooters which will explain why they rank 24th in FG percentage. The league is built on the 3-point shot now but look at a player like DeRozan, he knows his strengths and weaknesses and only takes what’s given to him at the right moment. Leadership is key and that’s something that’s missing from a young and exciting squad.
If all goes well, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have their own dynasty on their hands but as with the Lakers, Spurs, and Warriors did, their GMs realized that youth was not going to get it done. They added vets and then made their run.
