Does Thunder Have the NBA's 'Best Young Core?'
Normally, pairing an inexperienced core with an injured star doesn't make for a successful season.
That is, if the in-experienced core isn't one of the NBA's best. That's what sets the Oklahoma City Thunder apart from the rest of the league. Without its No. 2 overall pick — who was sidelined for the entire season due to a right-foot injury — the Thunder rallied behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a plethora of young, hungry talent.
But it wasn't supposed to. Perhaps that's why SBNation ranked Oklahoma City No. 1 in its ranking of top young NBA cores.
"The Thunder emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA last season, SBNation wrote. "With the former No. 2 overall pick set to debut this year, Oklahoma City has the chance to accelerate its rebuild and become an immediate factor in the Western Conference."
It's a true statement. Showing what they did last season without Holmgren is impressive on its own, so adding him in makes the Thunder that much more dangerous, especially behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
In fact, the group of guys the Thunder will revolve around could be enough to make them the best young core in the league — even above Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. That makes for a season with pretty high expectations, but there is reason behind the madness of SBNation's young core ranking.
"The Thunder are No. 1 on this list because of how well each of their pieces complements SGA’s game," the site wrote. "On the perimeter, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey are turning into ideal secondary creators, [while] Cason Wallace will bring ferocious perimeter defense and spot-up shooting."
Oklahoma City sits is in good position as far as potential goes. Listing three players that aren't Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren who have ideal roles besides their stars says something, and that isn't even all that the Thunder has.
Jaylin Williams brings intensity on the defensive end, helping the Thunder to round out its strengths, while players like Ousmane Dieng and Vasilije Micic are expected wild cards that can be plugged in wherever they're needed.
All in all, it makes for a solid core — one that very well could perform better than Wembanyama and San Antonio next season based on its previous success. And for the Thunder, which knows it has a young core, performing well is all it can ask for.
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