2. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are having a really, really nice season. Russell Westbrook is up to his usual antics and Paul George is looking like the guy NBA fans have grown to know and love.
The Thunder are currently sitting in 3rd place in the Western Conference and are definitely planning on making some noise in the 2019 playoffs. There’s no question in my mind that an NBA team can win a title with Russell Westbrook and Paul George as their two best players, but do they need more depth to survive a long playoff run?
Dennis Schroder, who was once thought of as a quality starting point guard, has proven to be a valuable asset off the bench. He’s currently fourth in the league in bench scoring and is doing a phenomenal job of backing up former MVP Russell Westbrook. Who else do the Thunder have on the bench, though? Who can score in the frontcourt when Steven Adams and Jerami Grant are out?
Patrick Patterson and Nerlens Noel are the two primary backup bigs at the moment, but I have to assume the Thunder want to get deeper at that position before the playoffs start.
The Thunder are currently leading the league in defensive rating, so taking on a player that is known as a defensive liability shouldn’t be a huge problem. Maybe their system would even help Jabari Parker find his defensive rhythm?
Even if Parker’s defense doesn’t improve, his offense is really good. He could definitely help anchor the Thunder’s second unit and cement himself as a valuable player come playoff time.