The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the last two seasons. Sam Presti decided to go on a complete rebuild after trading Chris Paul in 2020. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is being developed as the franchise cornerstone of the team, with Chet Holmgren, Josh Giddey, and Luguentz Dort also forming the nucleus of OKC.
Summer League was an intriguing and exciting sight for the Thunder fans as Holmgren and Giddey displayed excellent chemistry offensively. It is a whole different competition in the regular season and playoffs, but the upside of this core is through the ceiling. As the fan base hopes to crack a playoff spot again, these are a few bold Oklahoma City Thunder predictions for their 2022-23 campaign.
OKC Thunder 2022-23 Predictions
3. OKC will instantly regret drafting Chet Holmgren over Jabari Smith
In most mock drafts, it was expected for the Thunder to select Chet Holmgren at No. 2 because of his tremendous interior defense and lethal arsenal offensively. The front office liked his fit with the two tall and lengthy ball handlers in Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey. However, there are still significant concerns about Holmgren excelling in the Association.
The injury and foul concerns are the primary reasons why this could hinder his growth as an NBA player. On the other hand, Jabari Smith would have been a better fit with Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey because of his shoot-first mentality and incredible scoring prowess. As the NBA's style of play has been evolving, versatile and scoring wings are more valuable than a slower big who could be a liability in clutch situations.
2. Josh Giddey will be a contender for Most Improved Player
Giddey will ascend to a different level in 2022-23 after an impressive rookie campaign. He will gain confidence as a scorer in addition to his spectacular way of orchestrating pick-and-roll plays, especially with his patented floater in the lane.
Due to his maturity and efficiency, the 14.9 PPG clip last season will go up to around 17 PPG. His 43.9 FG% must be closer to 45%, but it is the 3P% in which he really must improve. A 28.5 3P% will not cut it in this generation because of the astronomical shooting numbers, so Giddey must raise that number to around 33% next season. When Giddey develops a more consistent jump shot, his future in the NBA will be set for the next decade.
1. The OKC Thunder will squeeze into a play-in spot but lose in the first play-in game
After tanking the past two seasons, the Thunder could look to tank one more time in order to get Victor Wembanyama or another top pick in 2023, but that will not happen barring any severe injuries on their core pieces. Looking at the standings, OKC could make a play for the final play-in tournament spot.
Even if the Los Angeles Lakers move back into the top 10, the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs will likely fall out. The Houston Rockets will likely be bad again. This leaves the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Thunder as the other teams fighting for a spot. OKC wouldn't be a favorite over either of those two teams to get that play-in spot, but talent is in place to make a run and could very well happen with good health and the proper development.
This Oklahoma City Thunder squad will feel the intensity escalate to a different level than in the previous two seasons. Opponents will not take them lightly with the top-tier draft picks they have selected, so they must be prepared to go against the sport's big boys. The crew led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey will not back down from anyone, and they will be an underdog threat at any juncture of the year.
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