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Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 NBA season

By Simon Smith

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 27: Carmelo Anthony #7 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 27, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 27: Carmelo Anthony #7 and Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 27, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Bench production not up to scratch

The lead-up to the 2017-18 season saw significant changes in the bench makeup of the Thunder.

Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, two key contributors the season prior, were sacrificed as part of the Carmelo Anthony deal, while Domantas Sabonis, who impressed in his debut season and started in 66 of his 81 appearances, was sent packing as part of the deal to acquire George’s services.

Taking their place were a pair of veteran free agents in Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton, in addition to rookie swingman Terrence Ferguson. While the incumbent members of the bench unit were solid performers, this area for the Thunder was certainly a negative for the majority of the season.

After signing a three-year, $15 million deal in the offseason, Patterson never truly recovered from the arthroscopic knee surgery he undertook before the season. Despite playing all 82 regular season games, Patterson averaged just 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in only 15.5 minutes per game, all numbers representing career lows. In addition to his knee issues, the significant presence of George and Anthony in the frontcourt clearly hampered Patterson’s productivity over the course of the season.

For his part, Felton also appeared in all 82 games, but his impact was minimal. Playing 16.6 minutes per game, Felton averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 assists, but shot at just a 40.6 percent clip from the field. At just 6’1″ and clearly not a defensive savant, Felton’s contributions were far from impactful.

Overall, the Thunder ranked 29th in bench scoring at 26.4 points per game, 25th in field goal percentage at 43.5 percent, 29th in minutes at 16.0 per game, and dead last in field goal attempts at 22.0 per game.

Granted, the Thunder placed a heavy reliance on their starting unit, as evidenced by the opportunities granted their bench rotation throughout the course of the season. However with a lengthy offseason ahead of them, shoring up this aspect of their play certainly needs rank high on their priority list.

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