What Must the Oklahoma City Thunder Do to Become Championship Contenders?

Head coach Scott Brooks was so close to leading the Thunder to the 2014 NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter next season with an upgraded roster, but do they have what it takes to win a championship? If you would ask me, the answer is YES. But adjustments have to be made in order for them to flourish next season. Their offense lacked three-point shooting, rebounding, and turnovers were an issue as well. We all know Russell Westbrook is one of the elite point guards in today's generation, but he could get sloppy with the ball sometimes. Turnover issues would now arise, leading to more opportunities for the opposing team to score. Westbrook must practice his ball-handling, so that sloppy plays and passes could be prevented.  Last season, the Thunder also lacked shooting from beyond the arc. This means that most of the players on the roster didn't thrive outside the three-point line. Exclude Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook from the list. They were one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the league last year. But aside from them, who did the Thunder have? Nobody. Surprisingly, General Manager Sam Presti made clever moves this offseason by letting go of defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha drafting Mitch McGary from Michigan University, and signing efficient shooters such as Sebastian Telfair and Anthony Morrow. The Anthony Morrow signing makes perfect sense because his skills as a combo guard complements the Thunder's offense perfectly. This offseason, they really needed a guard who can shoot efficiently. Well, now they have one in Morrow. According to NBA.com, Morrow converted 45.1% of his three-pointers last year when he was still part of the New Orleans Pelicans. He's also a 42.8% shooter in his 6-year NBA career. Now that they have him, expect their offense to more fast paced with lots of three-point shooting and fast breaks. If you look at their current roster, they definitely look like serious championship contenders. All they have to do is improve their defense, involve other players in executing the offense and most importantly, avoid injuries as much as possible. If they could do these within a year's time, then expect them to be one of the favorites to win the 2015 NBA championship.


Source of photo: Google