Regardless of what happens with the 2019-20 season, there is no denying that the Oklahoma City Thunder significantly overachieved this year.
Projected to win just 31.5 games, the Thunder were all but guaranteed a postseason spot, holding on to the No. 5 seed in the West with 18 games left to play before the season was suspended.
It’s quite possible that we’ve seen the last game of the 2019-20 season despite the fact that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is still holding out hope that the league might be able to start back up around mid-June.
Should that be the case, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report took a look ahead at the 2020-21 season and the storylines facing each team as they prepare for next year.
Despite their success, it seems not much has changed in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder instead kept their thin-but-talented core together for a playoff run, but will they reinvest in Gallinari (who turns 32 in August) this summer? Will they look to trade away veterans such as Chris Paul, Steven Adams and Dennis Schroder to rebuild around talented young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Or will Oklahoma City try to expand upon its success this season?
It’s the same set of questions that the Thunder have been grappling with since July 2019 when they traded away Paul George and Russell Westbrook for Gallinari, Gilgeous-Alexander, Paul, and a slew of draft picks.
However, Dan Favale, also of Bleacher Report, points out that due to the Thunder’s success this season, they have the “freedom to pick from every imaginable rebuilding scenario”, which should leave Oklahoma City fans feeling optimistic about next year, no matter how this one turns out.