3 Players Who Still Have to Step Up for the OKC Thunder

Optimism surrounding the Oklahoma City Thunder is dwindling.

The team has cooled down considerably following a hot 6-1 start to the season, as it sits sixth in the Western Conference with an 8-6 record. The Thunder have signature victories against two conference rivals—the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets—but most wins have been (too) hard-fought.

OKC has been outscored by 0.2 points per 100 possessions so far, ranking 14th in net rating, according to NBA.com. That's not particularly encouraging for a team in pursuit of a playoff berth.

Russell Westbrook has been phenomenal, nearly averaging a triple-double (31.6 PPG, 10.4 APG, 9.7 RPG), but his heroics aren't always sufficient. Even a transcendent superstar needs help, and several players have to step up for the Thunder to establish consistency.

Victor Oladipo

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Victor Oladipo started this season with lofty expectations. After three years of seasoning with the Orlando Magic, the 24-year-old combo guard now fills a crucial role as Westbrook's sidekick.

Consistency is what separates stars and great players, and that's where Oladipo still lacks. He's had some terrific performances, especially lately—he's averaging 23 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in OKC's last three games. If he maintains this form and receives more opportunities to run the offense, he could alleviate some of the bench woes. 

But there are games in which Oladipo fades, defers to others and is simply too passive. It's something head coach Billy Donovan noticed and addressed during the preseason.

"When he gets into that point where he's maybe thinking too much, or uncomfortable, or unsure and he gets passive, he's not nearly the same player," Donovan said, according to NewsOK.com's Erik Horne. "His No. 1 asset in my opinion is his motor, his energy, his passion and his fire."

The Thunder have been abysmal with Westbrook on the bench, scoring a ridiculous 13.7 fewer points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. OKC had a similar issue last season with both Kevin Durant and Westbrook resting, until Donovan decided to stagger his stars' minutes. The same approach should eventually be adopted with the current starting backcourt.

However, Oladipo's numbers haven't looked promising with Westbrook off the court either:

Oladipo has seen an obvious and significant uptick in usage rate as the primary ball-handler without Westbrook, but he hasn't done particularly well with the extra touches. His true shooting percentage and points per possession also drop significantly, as defenses generally pour more resources his way.

His assist percentage is significantly higher without Westbrook, but Oladipo hasn't fully utilized his playmaking abilities while averaging a career-low 2.4 assists per game. He has to bolster that figure by staying aggressive and looking for teammates more than his own shot.

Oladipo has experience running the point as a sixth man in Orlando, so pulling him out of games earlier and allowing him to facilitate for others is something that should be considered. The statistics suggest he can morph into a playmaker without Westbrook, but he turns into a glorified floor-spacer when the two play together.

Steven Adams

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The Thunder were smart to lock up Steven Adams with a four-year, $100 million extension three weeks ago, hoping he can develop into something beyond a defensive ace. He is only 23 and has plenty of potential, so it's time to start putting it all together.

Beyond being a cerebral, athletic defender, Adams has shown flashes of stellar post play and a soft touch around the rim. However, just like Oladipo, Adams lacks consistency; He has cracked double digits in points seven times so far, attempting six or fewer shots in six contests.

He has to be more assertive, yet it's crucial to be patient.

If Adams is to develop into a major offensive threat, he has to remodel his style and adjust to a completely new role. During his first three seasons, OKC relied upon him to only set screens for superstars and play defense. The luxury of setting a killer screen, diving into an open lane and slamming down a lob is a thing of the past.

Now defenses collapse around Adams-Westbrook pick-and-rolls, denying the easy points.

"Steven got so many dunks because teams were trying to take Kevin away," Donovan said, according to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. "Now, they're building a wall."

Adams has the highest net rating on the team (10 games or more), although that's largely due to sharing the court with Westbrook (the duo leads Oklahoma City with 413 minutes played together, according to NBA.com). Still, featuring Adams more in the offense should be beneficial.

More touches in the post and around the elbows would allow him to utilize his creativity, which can lead to highlight plays such as this:

Adams' potential as a passer is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his game, something The Ringer's Danny Chau touched on going into the season:

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Utilizing Adams as a hub from the elbow will allow the Thunder to get creative in their team offense. Adams, Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter, Andre Roberson, and Joffrey Lauvergne are all above average off the ball, landing in the 60th percentile or higher in scoring efficiency on cuts last season.

Then, there is, of course, Russell Westbrook, who spent only 1.9 percent of his possessions involved in cutting plays, but has brandished his off-ball chops in opportune moments. With the coaching staff’s trust in Adams, it’s fair to expect more backdoor plays along the baseline from Westbrook, who has already established a good rapport with Adams.

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Adams can whip creative bounce passes on backdoor cuts, but he doesn't do it enough. Part of it is certainly due to the Thunder's scheme, which leans heavily on pick-and-rolls. But he is also not used to looking for the ball in those spots.

Learning to fully develop and utilize Adam's talents will be key, and the amount of short-term progress he can make could determine how far the Thunder go in the Western Conference this season.

Enes Kanter

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Enes Kanter figured to be one of the biggest beneficiaries with Serge Ibaka and Durant gone. Instead, rookie Domantas Sabonis has occupied the starting spot, and Kanter's 18.1 minutes per game is his lowest mark since 2012-13.

Kanter's biggest weakness has always been lackluster defense, and that remains the case. OKC's fifth-ranked defense gives up a whopping 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with the big man on the bench, according to NBA.com.

The drastic stats are based on a small sample size, but they're consistent with both historical context and the eye test. OKC surrendered 6.1 more points per 100 possessions with Kanter on the court last year, according to NBA.com, and he's made minimal progress since. Even though he is strong enough to hold his ground in the post, he constantly bites on fakes and makes little effort to recover to his man. He has slow feet, so switching him onto guards is a recipe for disaster. 

Nagging on Kanter's defense is getting old, as it's highly dubious whether he'll ever be even close to a plus stopper. But his inconsistency on offense is far more worrying.

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Kanter hit double-digit scoring in 18 of the Thunder's last 20 regular-season games during 2015-16, including a 33-point, 20-rebound performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. His defensive woes were easier to stomach amid stellar offensive play, but that has been painfully absent so far.

He's now scoring just 0.64 points per possession on his post-ups, a large drop from last season's 0.89 mark, according to NBA.com. He was a dynamic pick-and-pop threat last season, connecting on 51.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot field goals, but his conversion rate is down to 40 percent on those plays, according to NBA.com.

The Thunder already considered trade options for Kanter last summer in an attempt to free up space for other free agents, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. If he doesn't start contributing soon, the front office could explore the market once again, especially to address wing depth.

All statistics are accurate as of Nov. 21.