Oklahoma City Thunder: Complete 2017 offseason grades
Overall
The NBA offseason is normally fast-paced and this year was no different. There was plenty of player movement with multiple teams improving, while some others took steps back. There is no denying that the Thunder were one of those teams to improve this offseason.
Oklahoma City suffered a big blow last offseason when Kevin Durant left as a free agent. That is not easy to overcome, but they have done a wonderful job restocking the roster and putting together another contending team.
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Pairing Russell Westbrook with Paul George was a move no one saw coming, but it’s a solid fit. Having those two puts the Thunder in the upper echelon of a loaded Western Conference. George was the biggest addition this offseason, and every move after that helped fill out the roster and upgrade the second unit.
Patrick Patterson should fit seamlessly into the starting lineup as a stretch-4. With George in the fold, Billy Donovan now has a lot of flexibility with his lineup. He can start Roberson to take the defensive pressure off his two superstars, or stagger his minutes with George so he has a good wing defender on both groups.
This year’s Thunder team is much deeper than others in recent years. They did very well this offseason to improve the team despite not having much money to spend. Sam Presti and the Thunder management should be very happy with how things turned out this offseason.
With the current roster, the Thunder have an excellent chance of earning home-court advantage in the first round or two of the playoffs.
Next: 2017 NBA Free Agency Tracker: Complete Grades For Every Deal
Final Grade: A