Fansided

30 biggest questions for the 2018-19 NBA season

By Hunter Kuffel

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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29. Can the Thunder improve without Melo?

The Thunder put all the chips on the table when they traded Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for Paul George last summer. It paid off, and George re-signed without even giving the Lakers a meeting. However, the other big bet that Sam Presti made was less of a victory.

When the Thunder brought in Carmelo Anthony as their final summer acquisition, experts claimed that they could rise all the way to second-best in the Western Conference. What followed instead was a season with a lot of drama and just a one-game improvement over the Westbrook MVP season.

Melo’s refusal to come off the bench made it harder for Billy Donovan to play his best lineups at the right times, and overall, Olympic Melo failed to make an appearance in Oklahoma City. The question for the Thunder now is if Anthony’s departure will prove to be an addition by subtraction.

You don’t have to look hard to find reasons for optimism, although they don’t necessarily have to do with Anthony’s departure. Andre Roberson will be back healthy, which should be a boon for the Thunder defense. OKC was the fourth-best defense in the league before Roberson went down the first time, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to get back to that if healthy.

Dennis Schröder should be an upgrade over Ray Felton and a passable starter while Russell Westbrook recovers from knee surgery. Patrick Patterson should contribute more than he did last time around. Plus, newcomers Nerlens Noel and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot both arguably have some potential left on the table.

The Thunder established at the beginning of the offseason that they weren’t going away, but we’ll have to wait a while to learn what they’re really capable of.