Yeah, I think just stay the course and add some shooters, and have all these guys work on their 3pt shots this summer. It was their first year under Donovan, you can call it an overwhelming success IMO.
They certainly should hold the course, but do not forget that they brought a hobbled Warriors to the edge, not prime Warriors. It's the best bet yet, but I'm not convinced this is a sustainable way to beat the Warriors. I don't think the answer to GSW will come from OKC.
They had Morrow on the bench and didn't play him over Roberson. Even if they sign shooters it won't matter because your shooter HAVE to defend if you're facing the Warriors because they certainly won't outshoot them. Not sure if there will be any 3&D players available this off season for MLE, guess Dudley or Tucker, so the thunder can really only add one rotation player this off season. The Warriors are just ridiculously tough to play against. The shots Curry and Thompson make are stupid, half the battle against the Warriors is not getting demoralized when they go on their runs and hot streaks. Okc had it, the just weren't mentally prepared for it, coach needs to keep them in check, maybe they should hire an assistant vet coach to help out Billy.
I don't know, I don't think this team has a "next step" to take after this one. It's just too reliant on Westbrook, who is not always going to be this physically dominant or consistently healthy. And his type of play can rarely be sustained throughout the playoffs. Also, his need for the ball will probably make it hard to integrate other offensive options, which the team needs to be effective for a long playoff run.
find a suitor for kanter or trade westbrook/durant? max contract player not even 10 minutes in a wcf game 7
Well, their problem is that they don't have another way other than trades to make the team better since they have no cap space this summer, and Presti is not known to be great in trades...also, it's not like they have pieces to trade for good players, except Adams i'd say. A SG able to play defense and shoot the 3 is what they need but i don't think they'll be able to acquire a good one.
Bring back Durant and a 3nD player. They are ready as they are, enriched with experience. Roberson should practice draining 3s and perimeter shots. He's got the potential. Steven Adams should focus on how to be faster defending the 3 during switches. He's a lame perimeter defender. He needs to spend a little more time running. I can't count how many 3s Curry and Thompson drained with his face for practice.
they'll convince themselves they're so close to making the finals, stand pat this summer, and then win 41 next season.
what do yall think of trading trevor ariza for their 1st/C. Payne? They get a Vet 3+D guy who would REALLY help and we get a young PG with some value and a 1st to either pick or use to move Brewer.
Preparing for 2017 Free Agency will also play a big role for OKC this offseason. Even if the best case happens and Durant either resigns for 5 years or takes a 1 year deal with OKC they are going to have some tough decisions ahead. After next season Westbrook, Ibaka , Adams (restricted) and Roberson are all free agents. This season the Thunder had a $96M payroll which put them about $15M over the luxury tax line.With the cap jumping so much the next two seasons, Durant, Westbrook,Ibaka, Adams and Roberson will all be eligible for much larger contracts than players of their experience have in past seasons. OKC can certainly not resign Foy this offseason and Morrow next year but that only cuts $6.5M in salary. Even finding a taker for Kanter only lessens the tax by $17M, but they'd still be deep in the tax. If OKC wants to keep their team together then they will have to be willing to go very deep into the luxury tax. That's a tough call for a team in a small market like that. If OKC decides that it simply can't afford all of those guys then you may see them trade those players this year to ensure that they get something in return for them. My guess is that Durant re-ups for 1 year. That allows him to make the most money and it also allows him to know what Westbrook is going to do before committing long term in OKC.