The Olympics are in the rearview mirror and NBA teams are beginning to prepare for training camps. Our attention shifts to an OKC unit on the brink of becoming a Western Conference juggernaut with their combination of star-level youth and puzzle-completing role players. In these previews, we will take a look at each team’s key acquisitions, fantasy stars, and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
The Thunder traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso in a one-for-one swap before signing Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million.
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect pair of role players to add to OKC’s budding core.
Caruso has been named to All-Defensive Teams the past two seasons and is widely regarded as one of if not the best perimeter defender in the NBA.
In 71 outings with the Bulls a year ago, Caruso averaged a career-high 10.1 ppg shooting 40.8% on close to five threes per night.
Hartenstein meanwhile averaged 7.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 2.5 apg playing a touch over 25 minutes a night for the Knicks.
The 26-year-old was an advanced stats darling finishing third in the league in defensive box plus-minus thanks in large part to his strong rebounding presence and ability as a disruptor.
The Thunder also drafted Nikola Topić out of Serbia with the 12th pick after his stock was impacted by a litany of knee issues.
Early in the process, Topić was regarded as one of the draft’s top prospects and finished the season averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.5 apg on 59.9 TS% in 23 outings.
Fantasy Stars
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is fresh off a year in which he averaged 30.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 6.2 apg on 63.6 TS% en route to a top two MVP finish.
Jalen Williams meanwhile averaged 19.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 4.5 apg on 62.1 TS% to finish fourth in Most Improved Player voting.
Chet Holmgren, in his rookie year, put up 16.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 2.3 bpg on 63.2 TS% playing all 82 games.
Projected Finish
The Thunder enter the year as the favourites to finish atop the West.
Their season finished in somewhat disappointing fashion at the hands of Dallas in the second round but, with their young core another year older and the additions of Caruso and Hartenstein, they enter the season with the best roster in the conference.
Gilgeous-Alexander will again for the MVP, Williams and Holmgren will look to push for maiden All-Star nods, and the likes of Caruso and Lu Dort should find themselves in All-Defense discussions.
