The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the All-Star break at 44-10, tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA. However, the Thunder didn’t end on a high note. They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-116, arguably their worst performance of the year. This loss ended the team’s impressive seven-game winning streak.
The Thunder will return on February 21st, taking on the Utah Jazz. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will be having fun during the All-Star game, the Thunder should take this time to evaluate some things. There are still improvements this team can make before the playoffs. With just 28 games left and a commanding eight-game lead over the second seed in the West, the Thunder should use these last 28 games to work on some of their weaknesses to prepare for the playoffs.
How The Thunder Should Approach All-Star Break
Getting Healthy Is The Number One Priority
The Thunder have dealt with an abundance of injuries this year. Chet Holmgren missed 41 games, Isaiah Hartenstein was out for the first 15 games, Alex Caruso has been in and out of the lineup, and Cason Wallace has missed the last seven contests with a shoulder injury. It seems like this team has a new injury every week.
The team’s main focus should be resting their guys. Last year, this team was very healthy and didn’t have to deal with as many injuries. The Thunder must be healthy if they want to win an NBA championship.
Figuring Out The Hartenstein And Holmgren Fit
Oklahoma City made a big splash in free agency by signing Hartenstein. Thunder fans couldn’t wait to see the pairing of him and Holmgren. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, their pairing had to wait. Ultimately, they finally made their debut earlier in February. They’ve only played together three times, with the Thunder going 2-1. The duo has looked great in just a small sample size; however, questions still need to be answered about how this duo will coexist.
One of those is whether they will start together. They both started in the three games they played together, but that could have been because their other starter, Wallace, missed those games. Will they stay together once they are fully healthy, as Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Luguentz Dort, Holmgren, and Hartenstein are the Thunder’s best five players? How do the rotations look if they start together or if Hartenstein comes off the bench? Will one of them always be on the court at all times? Finally, how do they look together on the defensive and offensive sides of the ball? These are all questions the Thunder must evaluate over the All-Star break and keep experimenting for the remainder of the season.
Where Does The Offense Come From Other Than Shai?
Gilgeous-Alexander has been incredible all year and got the most first-place MVP votes in ESPN’s latest straw poll. However, with how great he’s been this year, the Thunder have struggled when he’s off the court. They have a 121.5 offensive rating when the guard is on the court, which is the first in the NBA amongst teams. However, they post a 105.2 rating when he is off, ranking as the worst in the NBA.
They must figure out where else their offense will come from. Whatever the case, they must improve that difference when Gilgeous-Alexander is off the court, or it could hurt them in the playoffs. In addition, they must get better at finding better ways of scoring whenever the three-ball isn’t falling. The Thunder’s two biggest losses this season have been their worst shooting performances of the year. In the playoffs, shooting is going to be hit or miss, and they must have other ways of scoring, or they might get knocked out again like they did last year.
The Last Word On The Thunder’s Approach For The All-Star Break
Oklahoma City recently played five games in seven days, going 4-1 during that stretch. This All-Star break for the Thunder couldn’t have come at a better time. However, while Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams enjoy participating in the festivities, the Thunder must take this time off to evaluate things and rest. In addition, they should use the remaining games to experiment with different lineups and rotations. That way, they are prepared for anything they may face in the playoffs.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The post How The Thunder Should Approach NBA All-Star Break appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.