OKC Thunder Could Boast Formidable Defense Next Season
Oklahoma City began last season on a defensive tear.
In early November, they had reached as high as sixth in the league in defensive rating, and were forcing around 18 total turnovers per contest. Anticipatory on-ball defenders in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort were at the forefront of the disruption.
Through all of October and November, Gilgeous-Alexander accounted for nearly two steals every night on average, while Dort averaged 1.4 and Williams at 1.25 as a rookie, respectively.
This catapulted the Thunder defense to perform at a higher ability. Perimeter pressure and a solidified first line of defense was vital to maintaining a strong foundation on that side of the ball — which many times would lead to offensive production.
At the end of the season, OKC maintained their defensive rating in the top half of the league, closing out the year with a 113.2 following their 120-95 play-in loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although the style in which the Thunder’s 2022-23 campaign ended may have been tough to swallow for some, the upside that the existing players hold should give solace to those fans entering next season.
This isn’t just the eye test, either, there are key stats from last season which provide context and insight as to the direction this defense may be headed.
According to play-by-play stats, Gilgeous-Alexander accumulated the fourth most on-ball steals in the league with 52 on the year, and Williams came just six players behind him in the No. 10 spot at 45.
Alluding to offensive production stemming from defensive pressure, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged the most points off turnovers in the league with 5.5 per game, while also scoring the third most points per game in transition.
The 25-year-old guard came in the upper 30s in both categories last season, illuminating a huge jump in play-style and aggressiveness defensively and on the break.
The trend is upwards for the Thunder’s defense both overall and with Gilgeous-Alexanders improvements — also with the additions of defensive-minded rookie Cason Wallace, 7-foot-2 shot-blocker Chet Holmgren, returners in Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins, the defensive depth is apparent and will prove to be a necessity to prolong intensity throughout a full 48 minutes.
As OKC’s defensive rim presence was a weak link last season due to lack of size and a traditional paint-defending big, Holmgren will completely alter that dynamic next season as soon as he touches the floor. Jaylin Williams to back him, his reserved energy off the bench will help hold down the fort for the second unit.
For Wallace, he should expect to see valuable minutes based off his defensive ability, as he’ll be a great complimentary piece to the offensive-centric abilities of Isaiah Joe, Vasilije Micic and Ousmane Dieng in that second unit.
In any case, it seems OKC’s defense will continue to rise in effort and talent this year. It’d be hard to dispute the expectation that the Thunder will fall outside of the top ten in defensive rating once more, a feat they haven’t cracked since the 2019-20 season.
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