With final night time’s fireworks present between Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, NBA fanbases, together with Oklahoma City’s, are all buzzing.
Of course, after touchdown the second total choice within the 2022 NBA Draft, how might they not? The prospect of touchdown the lengthier, extra perimeter-based model of Chet Holmgren, who seems to be like doubtlessly essentially the most prolific draft prospect of all time, is attractive.
But there’s a reasonably clear purpose OKC probably received’t be strolling away with the highest prize(s) with out some insane luck: inner growth.
I do know, I do know — a story as outdated as time: draft good basketball gamers, win basketball video games.
NBA basic managers can solely place themselves to land the cream of the crop for therefore lengthy. Eventually, that cream goes on to win a blistering 55-games in a Western Conference Finals run.
And the Thunder are nearing their finish level within the NBA Draft lottery.
They’ll probably be a mainstay for another season, however the group is solely turning into to proceed shedding, even positioning themselves to take action close to the tip of the season.
Even with out second total choice Chet Holmgren, there’s a slew of Thunder gamers set to take a leap that, truthfully, will simply make OKC a greater basketball group.
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Tre Mann. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Josh Giddey. Aleksej Pokusevski. Okay, tremendous, I attempted to sneak Pokusevksi in, however the level nonetheless stands.
Mann regarded like one of the best participant on the court docket on Monday night time. Giddey was heating up in 12 months one, and was already making an influence. Connecting items in Robinson-Earl, Aaron Wiggins and Pokusevski will frequently get higher because the season progresses.
As basic supervisor Sam Presti acknowledged in his opening presser, the Thunder went from simply looking from NBA-level guys, to chopping them. This 12 months, they’ll roll out extra first spherical choices than they’ve had in three seasons.
To finish the season final 12 months, Oklahoma City rolled out lineups consisting of Mann, Wiggins and a swath of latest signees. Not solely will the 2021 draftees be much more aggressive this season, there’s now gifted 22’ rookies set to make an prompt influence in Jalen Williams and Ousmane Dieng.
Make no mistake, the Thunder aren’t gunning for something that features basketball extending after the common season. But there are too many groups with far much less expertise to really contend for the draft lottery title this season (barring a Clipper meltdown.)
And, in fact, it isn’t a nasty factor OKC’s gamers can be getting higher. But to ensure that Presti to land the expertise he desires, some severe levers are going to should be pulled.
Oklahoma City will probably end someplace within the fifth, sixth, seventh vary. And that can be simply discover for a draft class teeming with versatile expertise.
The Thunder had been already simply 4th within the reverse standings final season, and arguably added as a lot expertise as anybody.
But don’t count on to see the Thunder card flip final on lottery night time with out some unimaginable luck.
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