Diagnosing OKC Thunder's Remaining Roster Flaws

Kevin Durant's and Serge Ibaka's departures left plenty of cracks, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked splendid so far, leading the Western Conference following a hot 6-1 start.

OKC has taken care of business against inferior teams, logged an impressive win against the Los Angeles Clippers on the road and received a beating in an emotion-loaded meeting with the Golden State Warriors. That's not too shabby for a franchise that just lost a transcendent superstar, but it's important to keep expectations in check.

Russell Westbrook's early-season rampage is bound to be a spectacle for the rest of the year, and it will be difficult to deny him MVP honors if the Thunder storm into the playoffs. Still, he carries an immense load, and Oklahoma City has to grind for each victory.

OKC has already shown aggression in the trade market, moving Ersan Ilyasova to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jerami Grant just days into the season. That may not be the final transaction the front office makes in an attempt to shore up the following flaws.

Secondary Scoring Threat

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Scoring had to be one of the Thunder's biggest concerns heading into the season with Durant gone, and that remains the case. Oklahoma City's offensive rating of 97.1 currently ranks 25th in the league, according to ESPN's Hollinger stats.

Westbrook has been phenomenal, shouldering an almost inhuman load. His 42.4 percent usage rate is on pace to break the all-time record of 38.7 percent, set by Kobe Bryant in 2005-06, according to Basketball Reference. That's admirable and impressive, but it's not a sustainable model for long-term success. He needs a reliable secondary scorer next to him.

The Thunder gave out approximately $184 million worth of extensions by locking up Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams. Both players are young and worthy of such deals, but their contracts also mean OKC likely won't have the cap space to be a big player in next summer's free agency market.

Without the ability to acquire star free agents in the near future, the Thunder will have to remain patient and allow Oladipo and Adams to grow into bigger roles.

Adams has displayed a previously untapped arsenal of post moves, while Oladipo's flashes of aggressive and confident play are encouraging. Even so, the consistency isn't there yet, which means Oklahoma City's offense will have to take baby steps.

Floor Spacing

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Floor spacing has long been a concern—an issue that is compounded this year. An aggressive defensive scheme, excellent transition offense and Westbrook's heroics will win plenty of games, but OKC could struggle against competent defenses.

The Los Angeles Clippers held Oklahoma City to 85 points in their Nov. 2 meeting. The Thunder escaped with a victory, but the game exposed how much shooting they lack.

The Clippers didn't think twice about collapsing in the paint and surrendering pull-up jumpers to Westbrook while disregarding the alleged Thunder floor-spacers. Westbrook put up 30 shots, whiffed on seven three-point attempts and faced a wall in the paint on nearly every pick-and-roll. He still made 14 field goals, but it's unwise to rely on difficult looks.

OKC is currently shooting 31.8 percent from three-point range, ranking 20th in the league. The starting lineup's most reliable threat from outside is Oladipo, who is 33.9 percent from deep in his career (excluding Domantas Sabonis, who has shot 40 percent but only has seven games under his belt).

That story is bound to repeat itself. Smart defenses will slow down OKC's explosive fast breaks and force tough shots in the half court.

The Westbrook-Adams pick-and-roll duo has looked lethal, and it could be borderline unstoppable with competent spot-up shooters around it, but there's no simple answer. Alex Abrines and Anthony Morrow can space the floor, but they're defensive liabilities. The Thunder also decided to move Ilyasova, losing a true stretch 4 in favor of becoming more athletic.

Barring any major acquisition, it's likely OKC will have to adopt a similar identity to that of the Memphis Grizzlies, who have found ways to thrive even though non-shooters log big minutes.

Small Forward Dilemma

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Small forward is by far the Thunder's weakest position. Andre Roberson, last year's starter at shooting guard, moved up a spot this year due to a lack of competent candidates.

While Roberson is a solid defender, he remains a shaky shooter and shouldn't be a starter on a good team until he establishes a consistent three-point stroke. His backups—Kyle Singler, Josh Huestis and Grant—leave a lot to be desired as well.

Singler hasn't brought anything offensively despite a positive preseason, while Huestis has yet to play. Former 76er Grant has seen plenty of time already; while his athleticism allows him to fill in at both forward positions, he also lacks in the shooting department.

Once Cameron Payne returns from injury, head coach Billy Donovan could experiment with three-guard lineups, but that's no long-term solution. Exploring alternative trade options appears to be the only way to truly solve the issue. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Rudy Gay could be a target:

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The Thunder have been trying to find an athletic forward to complement their roster and pursued Grant as a short-term solution. Oklahoma City has maintained a strong interest in making a deal for Sacramento forward Rudy Gay, but the Grant deal allows the franchise to save money with the departure of Ilyasova's $8.4 million contract this season.

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If things don't get better, OKC might have to pursue Gay, who would solve a lot of short-term issues. However, the Thunder would most likely have to give up their only real trade asset in Payne. That would be a tough pill to swallow for what could turn out to be a one-year rental, as Gay is on an expiring contract.

Lack of Balance

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Most of the Thunder's aforementioned issues stem from a lack of balance. While the roster has plenty of talent, it's mostly composed of specialists who aren't elite on both ends of the court. Enes Kanter is the perfect example, as he's an excellent post player with severe deficiencies on defense.

Despite ranking fourth in pace and defensive efficiency, according to ESPN's Hollinger stats, OKC struggles to manufacture points. Most elite teams rank in the top 10 in both categories, with a few exceptions.

OKC could explore the trade market, but it only has a couple of players who would garner interest and are potentially expendable. Payne is one, but he's on a cheap rookie deal for another two years. Sabonis is showing promise, and giving him up for short-term improvement wouldn't be wise. Kanter is a candidate, but his contract isn't an easy one to move.

There are players around the league who could theoretically be attainable. The Cleveland Cavaliers' Iman Shumpert seems to be one, according to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. He wouldn't immediately solve OKC's issues, but he is a competent shooter (53.8 percent from deep on 2.2 attempts) and contributes on both ends.

If Oklahoma City wants to make a splash, inquiring about Paul Millsap's availability is an option. If the Atlanta Hawks struggle to make the playoffs, it wouldn't be inconceivable for them to cash out and trade an expiring deal (player option for 2017-18) for future assets. Millsap would give the Thunder an immense lift on both ends of the court.

Oklahoma City doesn't have many bullets in its chamber, but there are moves out there if the front office desires versatility.

All statistics are accurate as of Nov. 7.