Will the Oklahoma City Thunder actually be good this season?
That is the question that so many NBA fans are asking as the offseason rolls on and the Thunder seemingly make some great improvements to their roster.
They already have one of the most exciting rookies of this year’s draft with Chet Holmgren, and Josh Giddey was a Rookie of the Year contender last year.
There are other great up-and-comers on the squad too, which suggests the team could be special soon.
ESPN Sources: The Oklahoma City Thunder are hiring Chip Engelland as an assistant coach. Engelland, considered the NBA's preeminent shooting coach, spent 17 years with the Spurs where he's considered to have had an immense impact on Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, among others.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 27, 2022
And now they have yet another talented coaching pro on the payroll too.
Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Thunder are hiring Chip Engelland as an assistant coach.
Engelland worked for the San Antonio Spurs for 17 years, where he helped Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker become the stars that they are.
He is still considered one of the best shooting coaches in the league so you can only imagine what he can provide for the Thunder.
The Thunder Rolls
The Thunder have a very long way to go before they are even close to the NBA playoffs.
OKC ended last season in 14th place in the West and had a record of just 24-58.
Despite that awful number, there are some great players on the team such as Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Georgios Kalaitzakis, and more.
Yet it is obvious that the team isn’t at the level it needs to be.
The Western Conference is only getting more and more competitive, especially with guys like Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, and Jamal Murray returning in the upcoming season.
That means that Oklahoma City will need to smash through even tougher opponents and perhaps Engelland is key to that.
NEXT: The Thunder Continue To Find Hidden Gems In Their Rebuild