NBA 2018-19: 3 Things that we have learned from the Oklahoma City Thunder's season so far

#2 The bench is stronger than ever

Nerlens Noel has been a great addition to the Thunder's bench

Since Kevin Durant left in 2016, the Thunder have struggled badly without Russell Westbrook on the court. Whenever Westbrook sat on the bench, the OKC offense effectively came to a standstill, and the 2017 MVP would often return to the court with his team down by a large margin.

General Manager, Sam Presti was aware that the franchise needed to strengthen their reserve unit and Presti set about doing this during the 2018 offseason. Ultimately, the Thunder managed to add both Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel, two players who are in their prime and had been regular starters until they landed in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder's second unit has also been boosted by a number of surprise performances by young players such as Hamidou Diallo, and it looks as though the Thunder finally have a bench that will not hinder their ability to compete against the NBA's best teams.