Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 goals for Paul George in 2018-19

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 23: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz in Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Play great defense

George was one of the NBA’s best defenders last year. He was second in the league in steals with 2.0 per game. He was able to effectively guard players that were in front of him while making it difficult for the opposing team to get into the flow of their offense by getting in the passing lanes.

This year, the Thunder will need more of the same, especially early in the season since Andre Roberson won’t be back to 100 percent until December. When Roberson comes back into the lineup and is fully healthy, they will have one of the best defensive wing lineups in the league.

Westbrook was also one of the top players in steals last season. He was fifth with 1.8 steals per game.

Winning games on the defensive end will help the Thunder, especially in games where they do not have the offensive firepower to match their opponent.

Teams in their own conference are good examples. The lineups of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant for the Golden State Warriors and Chris Paul, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony for the Houston Rockets will be tough matchups to guard for teams around the league.

With the Thunder’s lineup of Russell Westbrook, Andre Roberson and Paul George, the Thunder will be able to guard those lineups effectively when it counts most in the playoffs.

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