What to Expect from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024-25 Season?
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the teams that have made some impressive splash in the offseason despite not signing any star players into their roster. After a promising campaign in the 2023-24 season, it does seem that the expectations are high for OKC as they now seek to come up with a massive push that will bring them into the spotlight and the big stage of the NBA Finals. So what should fans expect from the team?
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What Came After the Rebuild
Much has been said about the Thunder long before they became contenders last season. OKC went on to come up with some fantastic trades down the stretch that allowed them to capitalize on a rebuild that would later take them to a whole new level in the game. OKC centralized its efforts on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren – building around their three main stars and showing the world that they have what it takes to contend on the big stage.
From being the black eye of the league to being the best in the West, OKC’s arrival has been somewhat kind of prophetic for Thunder GM Sam Presti’s perspective, and he did a great job of putting up the best in the game that many fans have been looking for. As the Thunder gears up for the massive campaign next season, it does seem that the stakes are high, and the offseason moves they made recently make a lot of sense at this point. After all, the Thunder GM wanted an arrival for the team, not just an appearance. The Thunder are making a strong headway towards that goal after a run in the Semis, and it seems that they will be back for more - with a bigger goal in mind now more than ever.
The Josh Giddey Trade
Many fans and critics have clamored the Thunder to trade Josh Giddey in the February trade deadline last season. Presti waited for the season to run its course and figure out what OKC really needs, and he did that perfectly when he traded the Thunder guard to acquire Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls in a straight swap, which made it look like the Thunder have won the trade by a mile. For starters, Giddey has been quite a liability for the Thunder after putting up lowly games and was even challenged to shoot – which has been his quite weakness, and it cannot be denied that with Caruso, OKC brings in a 3&D winger who can also make massive decisions and handle the ball while shooting the three before defending in transition.
For those who are not convinced, Caruso averaged a promising 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals while also shooting 46.8% from the field, including 40.8% from three – which makes him a massive upgrade over Giddey in the coming season.
Signing Isaiah Hartenstein
It cannot be denied that OKC’s rebounding proved to be a pivotal factor in their short playoff run that ended in the West Semis at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. OKC only had Chet Holmgren as its true center presence in the game, which made it risky to run him through the entirety of the game. Presti once more addressed that with a massive signing in Isaiah Hartenstein to a a three-year, $87 million deal. For those who are wondering, the Thunder were dead in the water when it came to cleaning the glass, ranked 27th in rebounds per game and 28th in rebound percentage.
The former New York Knicks big brings a massive boost to the team considering that he averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks – all while shooting 64% from the field, including 33.3% from three, which makes him a perfect fit for Oklahoma City’s system. Just imagine him running the floor alongside Holmgren, who has been quite a defensive stalwart in his own right and a phenom on the offensive side.
Re-signing Joe and Wiggins
OKC does not only focus on its main stars, but also on the rest of the squad’s structure as a whole, and it cannot be denied that both Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are crucial pieces in the team’s playoff campaigns in the years to come. Wiggins was slated to come up with a $2 million player option, but instead, OKC offered him a long-term deal for five years, worth $47 million. As a promising role player off the bench, Wiggins averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in the previous season while shooting 56.2% from the field and 49.2% from three. On the other hand, OKC’s sharpshooter, Joe, was signed a four-year, $48 million deal after he averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 45.8% shooting from the field, including 41.6% from three.
Focusing on the New Big Three
OKC has been notorious for building big threes in the game so far, as was first seen in the Kevin Durant era where he played alongside Russell Westbrook and James Harden. That trend continued when Westbrook played alongside Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. However, never have the Thunder utilized a big three that had a center in it. So far, the trio of SGA, Jdub, and Chet proved to be a promising union of young stars in the game, and they are definitely expected to grow together as a massive set of players who can finally lead the Thunder to the promised land now more than ever. This is a new era of Thunder basketball that essentially delivers quite a promising touch of nostalgia that actually has a chance to come up with a title run that many fans have been waiting for in almost a decade.
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Can the Thunder Finally Get Back to the NBA Finals?
OKC has been a successful franchise since entering the scene in 2008. The team has reached the Western Conference Finals four times ever since, and they’ve had a total of six 50-win seasons over the years, which says a lot about how the team has been quite a promising watch at this point. The Thunder have enjoyed its peak in 2012, where they reached the NBA Finals. Now that they have a new look and a promising squad at the ready, it may be the time for them to finally get back to the top of the big stage now more than ever. It is time for the Thunder to strike, and fans will be eager to look out for the next chapter in OKC’s journey.
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