Despite these poor odds, Presti made his best moves this offseason, which then led to Westbrook officially signing the deal.
According to Carmelo Anthony, he and previous Indiana Pacers star player Paul George both almost went to the Cleveland Cavaliers to establish a powerhouse that could have dominated even the Warriors. Luckily for Presti, the Pacers put themselves at a disadvantage by trading George to the Thunder in his contract year for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
Presti also swooped in and effectively stole Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks, only losing Enes Kanter. Melo is still probably one of best scorers in the League. These two blockbuster deals convinced Westbrook that the Thunder would be a serious competitor for at least this year.
Presti now has serious work to do: Retaining both George and Melo will not be an easy task. The bulk of the pressure, however, falls on head coach Billy Donovan and George, Melo and Westbrook’s supporting cast to perform.
Paul George stated that he would be willing to stay depending on the team’s performance. In an interview with ESPN, Melo said, “I feel born again, feel rebirth, a different type of energy within myself, around the guys, around the organization, around the city.”
As the reigning MVP, Westbrook will be as motivated as ever to exact his revenge on Kevin Durant, so Presti’s odds of retaining the two stars are high.
The newfound energy of Melo combined with the already competitive spirits of George and Westbrook bolsters the Thunder’s strength. Steven Adams has consistently been honing his craft and has improved significantly in the past two years.
OKC is not the only team that gained firepower this past offseason. In the East, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers bolstered their roster with the addition of future hall-of-famer Dwyane Wade; all-round excellent athlete Isaiah Thomas; former MVP Derrick Rose; and lockdown defender Jae Crowder.
With LeBron itching to win his fourth title, the Cavaliers go into the 2017-2018 season stronger than last year. The Cavs did, however, lose one of their greatest assets, Kyrie Irving, to the Boston Celtics, who also acquired Gordon Hayward.
Out West, the Houston Rockets with Chris Paul and James Harden look to be a dangerous combo. Popovich’s Spurs, led by Kawhi Leonard, are never to be counted out. The Golden State Warriors added to their reserves, building on a lineup with few weaknesses.
Despite all the improvements from all the teams in the West, many analysts rank OKC above all, but the Warriors’ biggest strength is the Thunder’s greatest concern: team chemistry.
The Warriors’ chemistry, no matter how much you hate or love them, is evident on the court. They clearly have so much fun playing together.
On the other hand, the Thunder have three ball-dominant players: Westbrook boasted one of the highest usage rates in NBA history, and the other two, Melo and George, were the clear stars on their old teams. But at the same time, if all three can agree to share the ball, the Thunder will seriously threaten to dethrone the Warriors.
Instead of having mediocre spot-up shooters, Westbrook will have Melo and George taking those shots, and unlike before, most will land. George will have some relieved pressure, and Melo, with his self-declared new sense of motivation, could add an entire new flavor to his game.
One thing is for sure, the NBA will be far more intriguing than last season. With current contenders catching up to the Warriors and emerging teams like the Bucks, 76ers and Lakers, the 2017-2018 season will be one for the books.
