Oklahoma City Thunder: Homework for the 2011 Offseason
Led by a core of players in their very early 20s, the Thunder had a fantastic season, consisting of 55 regular-season wins and a spot in the Western Conference finals.
Their season is even more impressive when you consider just how young they are and how much experience they lack when compared to the other teams that they were better than.
While it’s true that their upside is a major positive, it is only so if the Thunder capitalize on it by continuing to improve and get better.
Therefore, I have compiled this slideshow, detailing what each Thunder player needs to work on during this offseason. I have limited the list to the players who are young enough to improve, and who appear to be big parts of the future plan of the Thunder.
Daequan Cook
1 of 9
After getting very, very little playing time throughout the first part of last season, Cook finally got to see the floor when Thabo Sefolosha was injured.
Cook is a great team guy, a great shooter and a guy who hustles on defense. However, he is still somewhat of a defensive liability, which is what he most needs to work on.
His defense was all right, but not good enough to warrant him more playing time. As a pure shooter, Cook must be able to play good defense to offset the fact that he is one-dimensional on the offensive end.
Cook is a restricted free agent, but it appears that the Thunder will want to re-sign him, especially if he becomes a better defender.
Eric Maynor
2 of 9
Much like Cook, Maynor is a tough guy to criticize. He’s a good point guard in that he can run an offense, make shots, and distribute the ball well. He’s also a great team guy and very young with time to improve.
Maynor, even more like Cook, has been exposed as somewhat as a defensive liability, especially when trying to guard J.J. Barea in the Dallas series.
Even more so, Maynor must improve his individual ability to score, especially if James Harden moves to the starting lineup. In that case, Maynor would be the most versatile offensive threat that the Thunder would have coming off the bench.
If the rotation does undergo some changes, Maynor must be ready.
Thabo Sefolosha
3 of 9
Sefolosha has built up a reputation as a solid perimeter defender, something that every championship contender needs.
While that has been enough to ensure him spots in starting lineups past, the continued improvement of James Harden has put Sefolosha’s starting role in jeopardy.
Sefolosha must work on his offensive game if he wants to be sure of his starting role. It is possible that the Thunder will want to keep Harden coming off the bench to the bolster that second unit offensively, but the lack of any scoring punch from the starting SG spot will worry them.
Whether it’s developing a better outside shot, becoming more of a slasher at the rim or cutting more to the basket, Sefolosha must find a way to become more involved in the team’s offense.
Even if Sefolosha loses his starting spot, he must still improve offensively, because the Thunder will need offensive help on the second team.
Kendrick Perkins
4 of 9
Many Thunder fans were disappointed in Perkins this season (despite the fact that the Thunder finished the regular season 18-5 and made it to the Western Conference finals).
Perkins seemed at times to just get in the way on the offensive end, and his defense did not seem to be as good as what it had been advertised to be.
What we all must remember is that Perkins was not healthy. He was at maybe 70 percent and I’d argue that by the time the Dallas series came around he was closer to 50 percent.
Perkins must work on getting healthier this offseason, pure and simple. His defense will improve and he will become less of an offensive liability if he gets healthy. Period.
Serge Ibaka
5 of 9
Ibaka might just be the rawest player of them all. He’s just 21 years old, comes from a Third World country, and has so much natural athleticism it’s just ridiculous.
The biggest thing Ibaka needs is individual practice on the basic fundamentals of the game. He needs to refine his offensive game by developing a better back-to-the-basket post game, and he must become a more disciplined defender, relying less on his jumping ability to just block shots.
Ibaka can be the low-post scoring threat that commenters on this website have said repeatedly the Thunder need. He also can be a lock-down post defender, but we must be patient.
The Thunder coaching staff should appoint Nick Collison to be a special mentor to Ibaka. Collison’s experience combined with Ibaka’s natural ability could make one of the best low-post players in the game.
James Harden
6 of 9
Harden had a breakout season this past year, especially after the Thunder traded Jeff Green. Harden settled nicely into his role as the third offensive option, so well that his performance led many to question whether or not he might be the No. 2 option (I discuss this here).
Despite his continued improvement, Harden was still somewhat inconsistent at times against better competition. Against both Memphis and Dallas, there were games when the young shooting guard was less than what he needed to be.
Harden must learn to be aggressive and stay active in the offense, even when he’s not having his best night. As a guy who can score and facilitate, he has a multitude of options he can accomplish this.
Russell Westbrook
7 of 9
Westbrook was one of the most criticized players of the entire 2011 postseason. So much so in fact, that many people actually thought the Thunder should trade their second-team All-NBA and All-Star point guard for a more experienced point guard (see this).
The truth is that, while Westbrook did at times play poorly, he also played very well at other times. He was inconsistent, which is the mark of a young point guard—especially one who has played the position for such a short time.
Westbrook needs to take time to study offense, whether it’s watching tape of both himself and other, better point guards (especially Jason Kidd and Steve Nash) or just working on his chemistry and offensive timing with his teammates.
Westbrook must improve by learning how to better run an offense. He is already a great player, and this improvement would push him into being an irreplaceable player.
Kevin Durant
8 of 9
He’s the two-time scoring champ, a two-time All-NBA first-teamer and a two-time All-Star. He’s already one of the greatest players on the planet and is continuing to improve.
There are some things KD needs to work on. There is no such thing as a complete player, and one thing that makes Durant stand out is his work ethic and hunger to be a better player.
First, Durant must work on becoming a better all-around player. He became a better rebounder as the season and postseason went on and has the ability to average eight or nine boards per game. He must also up his assists and lower his turnovers. He is so tall that he has a habit of putting the ball in places where it can be swiped away. His defense must continue to improve as well.
Also, Durant must get better at getting to the basket. He seems to rely too much on his jump shot from time to time, and, while he does have a silky smooth shot, he must have something to fall back on offensively. Durant’s focus on gaining weight should help him in this area.
Scott Brooks
9 of 9
Even coaches can improve. Brooks has been great for the Thunder, although he was questioned somewhat unfairly toward the end of the season.
One area Brooks must improve in is his flexibility as a coach. He must be willing to change things up when it is necessary for the Thunder to win. He must do a better job of taking advantage of favorable matchups.
He must also come up with better offensive plays and strategies. The offense became stagnant against better teams in the playoffs. Many times, the Thunder role players just stood around watching Durant or Westbrook try and create something out of nothing.
He and his staff must get the offense to flow more efficiently and not rely so much on their young stars.
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