Important Summer for OKC Thunder

I wanted a Thunder/Heat rematch.  I guess that will have to wait.  Oklahoma City had all of their failings exposed against the Spurs and also showed the athleticism and talent that makes them a perennial title contender.  Despite a valiant effort, OKC was overwhelmed by the Spurs depth, precision and experience.

It is another tough lesson for a young team, though one rich with experience beyond their years.  Michael, Shaq, LeBron, and Dirk all fell short several times before putting it all together.  With each devastating loss, lessons were learned, motivation was built and determination grew.  That is exactly what the Thunder are going through right now.

The trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka is as strong of a core as there is in the NBA, but the Spurs are a much better, deeper team.  That's not to say that the Thunder weren't capable of winning the series.  If a healthy Ibaka started the series, perhaps they wouldn't have fallen in a two game hole.  If Westbrook was more efficient in overtime, they could have forced a game seven.

It's all speculation now, but what we do know is the Spurs are coached in a system.  It is a system that Greg Popovich developed after winning championships.  They used to play inside out letting the offense run through Tim Duncan.  The fast moving, European style of open basketball they play now was something Popovich developed to mesh aging stars, veteran shooters and young talent.  If one player goes down (like Tony Parker in game 6) the system can work without them.  That is a real contrast to how the Thunder play basketball.

There will be fair questions about Scott Brooks' job security.  If he remains the head coach he will need to develop a new philosophy on offense.  If Popovich can change, so can Brooks.  If he doesn't, next season will probably be his last.

Here are the keys to the Thunder's off-season:

Develop an identity on offense beyond individual talent.

The talk of Brooks' job security has been buzzing since the first round of the playoffs.  At times the Thunder looked absolutely brilliant on offense, but there are also times (usually critical possessions) that the offense gets bogged down.  So many late game situations resulted in turnovers, foolish decisions or the inability to even get the ball in Durant's hands.

Brooks' first priority should be to help Durant get the ball in better position.  One of Durant's biggest opportunities for improvement is his strength.  He cannot out-muscle anyone while trying to establish position.  When he needs the ball at winning time he usually can't get it within 15 feet of the three point line (if at all).

Brooks and Durant should study how Ray Allen and Reggie Miller worked to get the ball.  They never stood around.  They came off multiple screens and used constant movement to free themselves up for shots.  Durant doesn't need to overhaul his identity, but he should have several options on how his teammates get him open.  Catching the ball on the three point line or closer would leave defenders to guess whether Durant will shoot or drive.  At that point he is unstoppable.

Aside with getting Durant open, Brooks needs to help save Westbrook from himself.  I absolutely love Westbrooks' game.  His athleticism is unmatched and he can do things on the court no one else can.  But, his decision making is not consistent and part of that can be attributed to the fact that the offense has no structure.  It's basically go make a play offense which is exactly what Westbrook tries to do.  Few do it better than he can, but he needs some structure to help the entire team get on the same page.  The Thunder shot with one or zero passes on 60 percent of their possessions in the playoffs.  That's staggering.  No matter how great a scorer Westbrook is, part of a point guard's duties is to get his teammates shots.

Aside from helping the stars improve, a new offense would also help lighten the load.  Durant and Westbrook (especially) aren't complaining about the scoring burden placed upon them, but they will be more successful if they don't have to be a two man show every night.  That was an element James Harden brought that the Thunder have been unable to replace.

Improve the bench.

Both teams in the Finals go ten deep.  Game 6 in OKC only five players scored for the Thunder.  That's not acceptable.  It's also not surprising.  When Brooks made Reggie Jackson a starter, the Thunder bench was devoid of a scoring threat.

A year of development will do wonders, but they need better options than Derek Fisher and Caron Butler for shooting off the bench.  Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng, and Spencer Hawes, would all be on my radar if I were Sam Presti.  He isn't typically aggressive in the free agent market, and there are the issues of Kendrick Perkins salary increase and Jackson's upcoming payday, but the next two seasons are critical for the Thunder to add pieces to the Big 3.  Perimeter defense and outside shooting is where Presti should start.

Develop players.

Every player on the Thunder roster has room for improvement.  There is a group of young Thunder players primed to make an impact.  The sooner the better.  OKC is already counting on Steven Adams and Jackson to play a major role in their success, it would be equally important for Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones or Andre Roberson to emerge as consistent contributors.

The team leaders need to develop as well.  Durant should add strength.  Westbrook and Jackson should devour film and improve their decision making.  Collison needs to improve his 15 foot jump shot.  Great teams are ones that have individuals that improve over the summer.  With no major injuries to rehab and a bad taste in their mouth, the Thunder should have their most productive summer since 2011.


Adjust the starting lineup.

Perkins is too slow and uncoordinated to remain the starting center.  He provides toughness and some defensive prowess, and I've even heard he sets fantastic screens.  Regardless, the time has come to replace him and it appears Adams will fit nicely.

The question on what to do with Perkins will be one of the biggest dilemmas the organization has to deal with.  He is due to make $9.4 million next season and he is worth about $2 million.  Expiring contracts like Perkins' can be an asset for rebuilding teams.  Presti will have to find a team looking to shed payroll with a decent player the Thunder could take in return.  If not, his cap hit to value ratio will have OKC in a financial bind.

They are also in need of a new shooting guard now that Thabo Sefolosha is a free agent.  Sefolosha has been a regular starter since the team moved to OKC six seasons ago.  By the end of Spurs series he was completely out of the rotation.  They could re-sign him depending on his market value, but an upgrade at starter will be imperative.  I think Jackson provides too much value as a sixth man to start next season.  A better shooting version of Sefolosha would be a perfect fit.



Hold a grudge. 

The Thunder should be sick of losing.  They are too good not to.  They have lost two out of three Western Conference Finals series in the last four seasons.  That has to drive them to improve.  After the 2013 NBA Finals the Spurs had their hearts ripped out.  They have been fueled by revenge and no one was going to stop their pursuit of the Heat.  That is the same approach the Thunder should take this summer.  They should be heart broken and looking to make the rest of the league pay for it.