How The OKC Thunder Created An NBA CHAMPIONSHIP Contender Again
The Oklahoma City Thunder have quite a short history if you do not count the time this team was known as Seattle Super Sonics they moved to OKC in 2008 a year after Sam pry took over the GM position and the team drafted one of the best scorers ever Kevin Durant since
Then the Thunder had been a very solid team and one of the fan favorites with many young players growing into Superstars while in OKC it all started with prey taking over the GM job in 2007 as a 30-year-old the team’s owner Clay Bennett was all in on pesty who in the
Next 15 years was The Mastermind behind many excellent draft picks was able to bring in Superstar talent in a small market like Oklahoma City and gathers so many firstr draft picks that the Thunder have a bright future ahead of them after reaching the NBA finals in 2012 with
Kevin Durant Russell Westbrook and James Harden the Thunder were a contender in the seasons to follow but all three superstars who won the MVP award in 2010s were gone Harden was traded to the rockets in 2012 and Durant signed with the Warriors in 2016 with KD gone
Westbrook became the main man on the team he took OKC to the playoffs by himself in 2017 winning the MVP award along the way in the off season the Thunder traded Victor Oladipo and Damonte sabanis to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Paul George and then LED
Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks the new Big Three did not click as expected and Melo left OKC after only one one season in 2019 Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets for Allstar Chris Paul two protected first round picks and two first round pick swaps Days Later presy sent George to
The Los Angeles Clippers and got shy gilis Alexander Danilo ginari five first round draft picks and the rights to swap two other first round picks in return gildas Alexander was coming off his rookie season with the Clippers averaging 10.8 points per game and even though his talent was unquestionable not many could have
Predicted at that point that he would become one of the best scorers in the league that year the Thunder selected Brandon Clark 21st overall but traded him to Memphis pry did a great job signing lwz Dort who went undrafted to a two-way contract at that moment the team looked completely different and even
Though Chris Paul was still in his prime it wasn’t expected of him to stay long in a rebuilding situation the point guard played in OKC only one season and then presy traded him and abdale nater to the Phoenix Suns for Kelly UB Jr Ricky Rubio Ty Jerome Jaylen Le in the
2022 protected first round pick who turned into pyton Watson going into the 2020 21 season the Thunder had many talented players on the roster but lacked identity which was common for teams that were going through a rebuilding process in the 2020 NBA draft the Thunder selected Emanuel quickly 25th
Overall but trading him to the Knicks what they got on that draft was Alexa puku sevi a 7ot Siberian who was drafted 17th overall by the Timberwolves at that point it was a reality that the Thunder would definitely need to start all over but pry Was Not Afraid of the new
Challenge he did not want to rush and took the time to rebuild another respectful team shy Gil’s Alexander got the ball in his hands and proved that he has the talent to lead the team the Thunder finished the 2020 21 season second to last in the conference with 22
Wins in 2021 the Thunder drafted Josh giddy with the six pick who was immediately inserted into the starting lineup the 19-year-old Australian brought versatility to the Thunder team and was named to the all rookie second team Trey man a point guard from Florida was selected 18th overall with a pick
Received in the Paul George trade in the second round the Thunder selected Aaron WI against with the 55th pick a shooting guard from Maryland who managed to get a spot on the roster it was obvious the team was heading in the right direction Gil’s Alexander averaged 24.5 points per
Game but played in only 56 games in the season again the Thunder finished 14th in the western conference with 24 wins and had a total of 26 different players on the roster That season things started to get much better in the 2022 off season the Thunder had the second
Overall pick selecting shed hom grin he was seen as a Elite Talent but unfortunately hom grin suffered a season-ending injury in the off season and missed the entire 2022 23 season home grin was not the only first round pick for the Thunder that year they Lon
Usman dang a Frenchman who came from New Zealand and was drafted by the Knick’s 11th overall the Thunder had the 12th pick from the Paul George trade and used it to select Jaylen Williams the shooting guard from Santa clar was not among the top prospects but quickly
Became one of the key role players on the team Jaylen Williams from Arkansas was selected 34th overall going into the season the Thunder picked up Isaiah Joe who was waved by the Sixers that year gilis Alexander became an Allstar and finished as the fourth best scorer in the league averaging 31.4 points per
Game giddy was all around the floor averaging 16.6 points 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game Jaylen Williams played a great rolling the Thunder starting lineup leading the team with 51.2 percentage shooting from the field and Dort was an elite Defender often looking down the best scorers in the
League going into the season prent did not make significant changes to the roster he added two European stars who can make an impact on the team lvan shooter Davis Burton came from Dallas and has been in the league for eight years now the Thunder also signed one of
The best European point guards vasilia meich the Serbian was drafted by the Sixers and in 2014 and is a two-time Euroleague Champion two-time leading score in 2021 Euroleague MVP with the experience from last year and the rise of gilges Alexander to an elite score the Thunder looked like a legit
Championship Contender currently Shai is the third best scorer in the league and an unquestionable Allstar chadol Grant fully recovered from the injury and is having a fantastic season on both ends of the floor being one of the best Shooters in his position in in the league everyone was talking about Victor
Wiim banama being the top rookie but hom grin is now the front runner for the Rookie of the Year award the Thunder have the highest shooting percentage from the free throw line in three-points territory and are ranked second in field goal percentage they are fourth in the
League in points per game and eighth in steals per game their offensive ranking is fifth in the league and are ranked six in defensive ranking OKC looks very good so far this season and knowing how many Trad assets pry has it would be no wonder if he pulls another one from the
Sleeve and makes the Thunder The Front Runners in the championship race the Thunder currently have 15 firstr draft picks and the best possible assets to trade for players who would be the right additions to the team we will not go into possible trade scenarios but with all that trading capital and the
Potential of this team OKC again is a desired Destiny for any NBA player who wants to win
We have seen this story before. Sam Presti has worked his magic for the second time in building a championship contending team. The only question is — are they for real?
