Lottery Plays Vital Role in Thunder Rebuild Success
The fate of Oklahoma City’s rebuild is in the hands of ping-pong balls.
Sam Presti has made all the trades he could make to this point. The team did what they could to make their odds higher, and now it comes down to Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The stakes of the lottery couldn’t be higher for the Thunder.
With two lottery picks in the draft, the Thunder have the chance to drastically push forward in their rebuild. That is, if the fate of ping-pong balls fall according to Presti's plan.
The chances for the Thunder to have luck are high. They enter this draft class with the projected No. 4 and No. 12 picks.
However, if history shows anything, the odds don’t always fall as they should. The Thunder could end up with two picks in the top five, no picks in the top 5, and at worst take their top selection at Pick No. 8. That’s how the lottery works.
Thunder fans are in desperate need of some luck and good fortune. OKC’s rebuild to this point has been quickly progressing faster than most rebuilds.
Now, the team has the chance to draft pieces to make them contenders sooner rather than later.
Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith, amongst other elite prospects, have the chance to become immediate impact players on OKC if the lottery falls into place.
An added weapon, or two, to provide help inside for the long list of Thunder guards could prove beneficial to the team’s success.
On the flip side, if the luck runs dry Tuesday, then the Thunder will carry strong pieces, however, it's results may be similar to last season. With the youngest roster in the league, they'll be looking to run things back with a healthy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Last season, it was proven that the Thunder could win games. Now with two lottery picks preparing to be infused into the rotation, they should be headed upwards in trajectory.
With Nick Collison and the Thunder waiting for their name to be said the Thunder have the chance to begin the downward trajectory of the rebuild process.
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