The Evolution of The Oklahoma City Thunder
It seems like the Oklahoma City Thunder come under scrutiny every single year. With world-class talent, Russell Westbrook, leading the show fans expect a lot more from this team. But is Westbrook’s “selfish” play style the reason for a lack of success. Or is it Billy Donovan? Or maybe Sam Presti?
It wasn’t always so shaky for the Thunder. Before being rebranded as the “Oklahoma City Thunder” in 2008, the Seattle Supersonics had a very rich history with players like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Ray Allen all revving up this franchise.
But we don’t need to look that far to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s kick it back to 2007, the final year of the Seattle Supersonics tenure.
The Beginning of The End
In the organization’s final year as the Seattle Supersonics, the organization made a few crucial moves to secure their future. The puzzle started with hiring GM Sam Presti, a move that would go on to pay major dividends.
Presti proceeded to trade away their talented core Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. In return, the Thunder acquired Delonte West and the no. 5 overall pick, Jeff Green. There was perhaps no move more crucial than the drafting of their face of the franchise. You may have heard of him, his name is Kevin Durant.
With a young tandem of Durant and Green, the Supersonics had a dismal final year in Seattle which had them going 20–62. With a lack of funds to build a new stadium in Seattle, the franchise rebranded to the Oklahoma City Thunder the very next year.
Building and Destroying A “Dynasty”
Despite the Supersonics struggles, Durant had a tremendous rookie campaign in 2007 winning the ROY award. In 2008 the Thunder hoped to take another step forward their first year in Oklahoma City. Sam Presti bolstered this roster with the additions of Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Unfortunately for OKC, Ibaka spent a year in Europe to further develop his game.
Despite positive expectations, the Thunder got off to an atrocious 1–12 start in 2008, leading to the firing of head coach P.J. Carlesimo. The Thunder proceeded to promote assistant coach Scott Brookes to lead this team. OKC ended the season on an uneven 23–59 record, but Brooks brought a better look to this young and inexperienced squad.
The pieces were starting to come together in 2009. Along with the emergence of Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, Presti used the no. 3 overall pick on James Harden. The Thunder were in sync that year, with Brooks at the helm, the Thunder went 50–32 making the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. Despite the awesome season, they suffered a 1st round exit against the LA Lakers.
The loss was disappointing, but it was much-needed experience for this young team. The next year the Thunder were even better posting a 55–27 season making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champions Dallas Mavericks. Still, a young core of Durant, Westbrook, Green, Ibaka, and Harden had fans excited.
While Green was a very talented player, the Thunder believed they needed a tough, physical presence inside to take another step forward. Presti got that when he traded away Green, big man Nenad Krstić, and a 1st round pick for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.
Sufficeth to say, it worked. A talented Thunder team scooped up the no. 2 seed in the Western Conference driving all the way to the NBA Finals. A disappointing 4–1 series to the Miami Heat and a determined LeBron James was the only thing keeping the Thunder from a ring. The core of Westbrook, Durant, Harden, and Ibaka was set to be the next dynasty in the NBA.
Yeaaah, not so much. After that failed championship run, the OKC Thunder infamously traded away future superstar James Harden and a few role players to the Houston Rockets for Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, and a trio of picks. The Thunder banked on the upside of Westbrook and Ibaka over Harden.
A New Image
While losing Harden was big, the Thunder hoped to offset the difference with Kevin Martin. Martin was a professional scorer with a deadly jump shot. Martin filled the 6 man role while Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka became the new “Big 3” of the Thunder.
The formula worked for a minute, with the Thunder going an eye-popping 60–22 during the 2012–2013 season. But when Westbrook suffered a devastating meniscus tear in the playoffs the Thunder were overmatched by a physical Grizzlies squad falling 4–1 in disappointing fashion.
“You Da Real MVP”
It was those same knee issues that lingered on into 2013 leading to an injury-riddled campaign for Westbrook. Westbrook was held to 46 games and limited in many others, but the star guard’s absence led way to new beginnings. Serge Ibaka enjoyed his best offensive season with a career-high 15.1 PPG. 2011 1st round pick Reggie Jackson was coming into his own with 13.1 PPG and 4.1 APG, showing up big in spot starts for Westbrook.
There was perhaps no bigger beneficiary than Kevin Durant, who got the chance to show us how good he really was. Kevin Durant carried the Thunder putting up 32.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 5.5 APG on 50.3 FG%. A commendable MVP season for the superstar forward. Durant stole the hearts of NBA fans across the country giving credit to his mother during his MVP speech, ending with the famous line, “you da real MVP.”
The Coming Out Party
It seemed like Westbrook and Durant wanted to take turns being injured. After an injury-ravaged season tanked Westbrook the year before, a Jones fracture to Durant’s right foot derailed his 2014–2015 season. Durant was limited to 27 games as Westbrook attempted to keep OKC’s playoff hopes alive.
2014 opened some new doors for the Thunder. 2013 1st round pick Steven Adams was starting to gain some traction starting a majority of games, flashing promise. The Thunder traded for 2012 no. 4 overall pick Dion Waiters and big man Enes Kanter. The one negative was OKC could not afford to extend Reggie Jackson, they were forced to trade him to Detroit.
Russell Westbrook went on to have a tremendous season with averages of 28.1 PPG, 8.6 APG, and 7.3 RPG. Like Durant, Westbrook showed us how good he really can be. He dropped 11 triple doubles with huge stat lines while Durant was injured. Despite his heroic efforts, the Thunder ended up 45–37, barely missing the playoffs.
Almost Made It
If the 2013 and 2014 taught us anything it’s that the Thunder had two bonafide superstars on their roster. Despite the injuries to their best players, OKC decided Scott Brooks was not the man for the job. The Thunder hired Florida head coach Billy Donovan to run this team.
This 2015 Oklahoma City team was one of the most talented and underrated teams in the NBA. The Warriors historic 73 win campaign overshadowed the Thunder, but this squad was deadly in its own right.
So deadly that the Thunder held a 3–2 series lead on those same Warriors. Ultimately 4th quarter meltdowns allowed Golden State to win the series and head to the NBA Finals. Perhaps losing in such fashion led to Kevin Durant’s stunning decision to join the Golden State Warriors, creating the greatest team ever.
The Walking Triple Double
The Thunder attempted to pick up the pieces after Durant’s blindsiding decision. It started with trading away Serge Ibaka for up-and-coming guard Victor Oladipo. While Ibaka was an elite defensive presence, his offensive skillset never developed into anything greater than that of a role player.
With Westbrook and Oladipo looking like the best backcourt in the NBA, this Thunder team hoped to dominate once again. But Oladipo was never able to seize the opportunity he was given. Oladipo struggled as the 2nd option on this Oklahoma City void of weapons.
Steven Adams took another step forward, supplanting himself as one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA. Enes Kanter averaged 14.3 PPG off the bench. 2013 1st round pick Andre Roberson made his way into the starting lineup while developing into one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Roberson was an elite defender, but he was also a lane clogging, spacing shrinking guard. The Thunder became a top 10 defensive team while putting the entire offensive load on Westbrook’s plate. Westbrook answered with ridiculous averages of 31.6 PPG, 10.4 APG, and 10.7 RPG. Westbrook tallied a record-breaking 42 triple-doubles.
Westbrook easily won MVP award while carrying the Thunder to the 6th seed in the Western Conference. But a 1st round exit to the Houston Rockets told us one thing, Westbrook needed help.
Talent Isn’t Everything
And so he got some. After the Oladipo experiment failed, Sam Presti went on to trade away Oladipo and Damantas Sabonis for star forward Paul George. Presti then went on to trade away overpaid Enes Kanter, Doug McDormett, and a 2nd round pick for one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history in Carmelo Anthony. A Big 3 of Westbrook, George, and Anthony had Thunder fans gleaming at the prospectus of the NBA Finals.
Despite the lofty expectations, the Thunder flamed out quickly. Carmelo Anthony never adjusted. Andre Roberson got hurt. This bench was not very deep. The Thunder ended 48–34, only one game better than the year before. After a 1st round exit to the Utah Jazz, Presti knew the formula wasn’t working.
The Dynamic Duo
Coming into the 2018 offseason, the Atlanta Hawks were clearly in rebuild mode. After drafting college phenom Trae Young they were looking to unload disgruntled, but talented guard Dennis Shroder. Presti unloaded Anthony and his bloated $27.9 million to the Hawks for Shroder.
There was much made about Paul George’s lack of desire to play alongside Westbrook. But after re-signing George to a 4-year $137 million deal those questions have been put to rest. George was a tremendous fit next to Westbrook running off pin downs, catch-and-shoot, in transition. The duo will continue to flourish as their chemistry continues to expand.
Did The Thunder Get It Right?
With James Harden now trending as one of the best players in the NBA, the questions pile up on if OKC made the right move trading away Harden. Well, let’s look at the facts. James Harden was not content with the 4-year $55 million he was offered. Fact. James Harden was the 3rd best player on the OKC Thunder. Fact. Oklahoma City is in a small market. Fact.
People forget about the last one quite often. Despite their immense success in the last 10 years, Oklahoma City remains one of the least desirable free agent destinations in the NBA. But more important than that, the Thunder franchise does not have the money to pay the hefty luxury tax.
Harden is a dynamic player. He’s also a ball dominant player. Playing next to uber ball dominant players Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook it’s easy to see why Harden was never able to break out as a “true star.” In Harden’s first season in Houston, he dropped a pristine 25.1 PPG and 5.8 APG. A huge leap from the 16.8 PPG and 3.7 APG from the year before.
It’s a nice thought, Westbrook, Durant, and Harden on one team. But the reality is, there’s only one basketball. As the Warriors have shown, you need versatile players with adaptable skillsets to make it work. James Harden is a tremendous player, but if he was never traded away he wouldn’t have ever developed the way he has.
The Impact of Sam Presti
We talk about Danny Ainge as the best GM in the league so often, and rightfully so, but Sam Presti is up there in that elite class. Not to take anything away from Ainge, but Presti works a very undesirable location, basically impossible to pull free agents.
Presti is forced to sign middling free agents like Anthony Morrow, Norris Cole, and other minimal impact players. But even with such a daunting task, Presti makes the best of it, finding gems like Raymond Felton, Nerlens Noel, players who he signs for cheap and has a solid impact for this team.
The NBA Draft is Presti’s bread and butter. Sam Presti has hit on so many draft picks during his tenure in OKC. It seems his draft picks and trades are the only things keeping this roster afloat. Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Jackson, Adams, Roberson, the list goes on with first class talent that Presti has hand-picked from the NBA Draft.
In 2018, Presti is left without a 1st round pick but he swoops up SG Hamidou Diallo. The athletic freak has a jaw-dropping 44.5” vertical. After a strong start to his Freshman year, a loss of confidence saw Diallo’s draft stock plummet from lottery pick to 45th overall where Presti was waiting with open arms.
Without a 1st round pick, Presti still finds a player who could be elite in just a few years. It’s quite difficult to build a roster with no free agency help. Sam Presti is one of the best drafters in the NBA, and he will continue to do that as time goes on.
Is Billy Donovan The Answer?
Billy Donovan comes under fire quite often. He has honestly done a very good job coaching the Thunder. With a lack of talent, Donovan has put together effective lineups that give the Thunder their best chance of winning. Donovan has transformed the Thunder in a defensive minded team. People will continue to doubt him based on his postseason success, but Donovan’s impact is imprinted all over the team.
So What Now?
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost the scoring ability of Carmelo Anthony, but they got much better. Russell Westbrook is a ball dominant player, but he is not selfish. He has the passion and energy to get every point, every assist, every rebound. Some call it stat padding, I call it greatness.
After a 0–4 start to the season, the Thunder went 12–3, firmly planted as the no. 5 seed in a tough Western Conference. While Westbrook and George highlight this team, it’s their no. 1 rated defense that has allowed them to dominate. A crazy metric considering NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team Andre Roberson has yet to return from injury.
The big difference in this year’s team is bringing Dennis Schroder off the bench. The key being, “off the bench.” In years past, we’ve seen this team able to hold two ball dominant scoring options while the 3rd faltered. Now with Shroder coming off the bench, the Thunder keep their scoring afloat when Westbrook hits the bench.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are back to their dominating ways. The jury is still out for some people on if Westbrook can win, and understandably so. But this year is different. This team is top notch. No matter what you do, don’t overlook the Thunder, they’re back.
