NBA Heat check: Oklahoma City Thunder's roster problems

The Oklahoma City Thunder (21-11) sit in the third seed in the jam-packed Western Conference. Right above them sit the similarly fascinating (albeit for different reasons) Nuggets and the ascendant Warriors.

This is not a fluke. LeBron sits in Los Angeles and James Harden and the Rockets have started cooking opposing teams again. But the Thunder have reached where they have by a similar method over the past two years: prioritizing their needs.

In 2016, the Thunder fell to the Warriors after losing a 3-1 lead in the Western Finals. Kevin Durant decided that's all he wanted of normal competitive ball play, and set out to the Bay Area in what became the most hated and controversial decision of all time.

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The background of this roster

Russell Westbrook

For the 2016-17 NBA season, the Thunder revolved around Westbrook as he started his own assault on the record books. He won them 47 games that season while also winning the MVP award.

That season was so Westbrook centric that the Thunder had Oladipo used almost as a catch-and-shoot player. OKC was eliminated in the first round by the Rockets in five games. Critics mentioned how this hero ball strategy was stunting Adams' growth while Oladipo's talent was being wasted off the ball. Westbrook that season had the highest usage rate in history, beating out 2006 Kobe for the biggest ball hog title. Watching Westbrook that season was amazing to watch.

In the 2017-18 offseason, Thunder GM Sam Presti traded Oladipo and Sabonis for Paul George and Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and Chicago's 2018 second round pick for Carmelo Anthony. That same preseason Westbrook signed his supermax contract and committed his future to the Thunder, while Paul George was viewed largely as a one-year rental.

George was never fully comfortable in his fit, and Melo looked like a shadow of the player he'd been. OKC lost Roberson to injury midway through the season and sputtered through the last two months only to lose to the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs in six games.

This offseason the Thunder traded Melo and a 2022 protected first round pick to the Hawks for Dennis Schroder as the primary gain for Oklahoma City.

The defense

Oklahoma City Thunder v Sacramento Kings

This roster is constructed of long, rangy athletes that have two things: freakish athleticism and long wingspans. At each of their positions, the Thunder have gone for two things: physicality and youth. Westbrook (a force of nature himself) has Schroder as a backup: Schroder is 25 yo, can score off the dribble and has livewire speed in getting to the rim.

Steven Adams has 24 y-o Nerlens Noel as his backup, and even rookie Diallo has shown expert defensive instincts and good physicality.

The defense has been by far the best thing about this season's Thunder, even though their best defender - and starting shooting guard - Andre Roberson has been sidelined with injury since last season.

Late in games, the Thunder go with a gigantic Paul George, Jerami Grant and Steven Adams lineup, stifling opponents in the paint and blocking passing lanes. All three are big and physically imposing, but they also corral defensive rebounds at a high rate and give up less turnover points than the Sixers and Warriors.

The Thunder own a defensive rating of 102, good for second in the league with only Oladipo's Pacers better than them.

The offense

Oklahoma City Thunder v Sacramento Kings

Here's where the Paul George show begins. Westbrook has apparently taken a back seat after struggling with injuries and establishing rhythm, and has started becoming a pass-first guard rather than shouldering the burden himself.

But George has been a revelation. This season, his first long term season in Oklahoma, he's posting career highs in the following: points (24.3), rebounds (7.3), assists (4.3), 3 point attempts (8.9), steals (2.2) and blocks (0.8). Oh, and he's 38.8% from behind he arc.

For all his heroics and Adams' underrated double-double (16 ppg and 10 rpg averages) nights, Oklahoma's offense withers away behind the arc. Westbrook is shooting a truly ghastly 24.3% from 3 point land, well below his already low career average of 30%.

Roberson, the teams best defender, is also a nonshooter. Incorporating him will make the team more lopsided. Steven Adams has shooting woes, experienced best while re-watching last season's playoffs against the Jazz: Gobert feasted on both Adams and Westbrook because neither are significant threats outside the paint. The Thunder's entire pick'n'roll play collapsed against the soon-to-be DPOY of the year. Abrines is their best shooter, but he's also the team's worst defender.

The Thunder rank 16 in 3 point attempts and 29 in 3 point makes in the league. That's out of 32 teams. They'd be dead in the water if they didn't have an elite defense that can score off steals and turnovers and Paul George going off for 40 when he has to.

Either way, the Thunder are about Westbrook, and for all his faults there's one thing he does really well: drag multiple defenders into the paint and score above them. With such a freak of nature on their side, OKC should pack their roster with 3 and D players and let them hoist from behind the arc without inhibition a la the Rockets. Instead, they have the defense and barely any shooting. This team is meant to win now, but there's only so much a lopsided roster can handle.