OKC Thunder Offense: CBS Sports Ranks Oklahoma City No. 15

Despite a surprising finish to last season and Oklahoma City adding new faces on offense this offseason, CBS Sports didn't mince words regarding the Thunder's potential.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will certainly be one of the league's top "new-look" offenses after adding back Chet Holmgren to the fold this offseason. 

Between the rookie's length and athleticism at his height, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's continued rise to the top of the skill ladder and even Josh Giddey's impending breakout, it's no wonder Oklahoma City fans are looking up at their squad, especially after a surprise finish last season. 

Safe to say, expectations are high and hopes even higher for this season's young Thunder squad a day out from NBA tipoff, but not everyone agrees with the hype surrounding Oklahoma City, especially on offense. 

In its recent league-wide analysis, CBS Sports ranked the Thunder's offense No. 15 out of 30 — right in the middle — with a long list improvements to make. 

This offense dies whenever Gilgeous-Alexander sits," the site wrote. "Shooting is a weakness as well unless Chet Holmgren outperforms expectations, and the Thunder are not only conservative when it comes to minutes and injury-management, but have so many young players that they need to actively try to develop that they wind up devoting more minutes to bad players than most teams trying to win." 

Harsh words. It's no secret that Gilgeous-Alexander was — and still very much is — Oklahoma City's top offensive performer. He's one of the best in the world, as this summer proved, and is looking to once again put the league on notice right from the jump, but without him, the Thunder are far from "dead." 

Between Giddey, Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, who already proved himself ready to dominate the court, Oklahoma City has options. Holmgren's expected impact on both ends of the floor isn't something to glance over, either. 

Plus, the "nightmareish" speed and youth hasn't gone away since a season ago, which CBS Sports did admit to.

"The Thunder were the NBA's third-fastest team last season, and its youth and collective basketball IQ made them a nightmare to defend in the open floor," the site wrote. "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can beat anyone off the dribble and get to the rim ... [and] as a result, no team took more shots in the restricted area than Oklahoma City." 

Suddenly, the offense has positives beyond Gilgeous-Alexander. Yes, the concern regarding having too many mouths to feed is legitimate. In fact, the Thunder might face some tough decisions in the near future as its young stars continue to thrive, but for now, they're working for one goal: winning. 

With a renewed core centered around Gilgeous-Alexander and set to add Holmgren, the Thunder are in good hands, and that's not mentioning the other contributors it saw last season, especially during its chase of the playoffs. 

A spot in the postseason once again this season is far from out of the question. No hard and fast conclusions can be drawn just yet regarding Oklahoma City's ceiling, but there are two things that can't be disputed regarding the young team:

It has offensive options. But more importantly, it has winning aspirations.

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