Prediction: Thunder Will Win a Championship in the Next Five Years, Part II
Look, a lot of people don’t realize just how good the Thunder are going to be in the next year or two, let alone over the course of a five-year span. Some will just have to see it to believe it.
Think about the last season.
Oklahoma City just finished 40-42 in the Western Conference despite their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, missing 14 games. In addition, Kenrich Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski — key rotation players — played in just 87 games combined.
The Thunder were also relying on two rookies in the starting lineup for a large chunk of the season: Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams. On top of that, it wasn’t all that uncommon to see players on two-way contracts take the floor.
To make matters worse, through the first 30 games or so, the Thunder were rolling out starting lineups with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Pokusevski, and occasionally Mike Muscala, at the center position.
By any measure, the Thunder were certainly operating with way less than a full deck, and more moving parts relative to other teams, in 2022-23. And they still managed to win 40 games.
The Thunder’s journey through 2023-24 and beyond should look quite different, too, and should lead to an even better on-court product and more wins.
First off, the sheer quantity of talent added to the roster this offseason, from top to bottom, should make quick work of anyone struggling to put in the effort and make an impact for the Thunder on a nightly basis; that should reduce any minutes going to the No. 13, 14 or 15 best player on the roster or anyone on two-way contracts. Guys will really have to earn their minutes and that’s going to make Oklahoma City a better basketball team, meaning less Lindy Waters and more Isaiah Joe, for example.
Also, Oklahoma City probably won’t be rolling out dodgy, undersized centers in their starting lineups anymore. Now, they are armed with a healthy Chet Holmgren, a true seven-footer who has the skills to raise the floor and ceiling on both offense and defense. And Jaylin Williams, the backup center, has some two-way juice to his game, too. He showed that last year after leading the league in charges drawn and shooting above 40 percent from 3-point territory.
Lest not forget the main ingredients, either.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who just turned 25, is fresh off of earning a selection to First-Team All-NBA after averaging over 30 points per game on 62.6% true-shooting, and is the driving force behind this team. And by all accounts, he’s committed to the Thunder’s long-term plans.
Both Giddey and Jalen Williams were the clear “2A” and “2B” for the Thunder down the stretch. While both players got off to a slow start last season, they started to find their grooves as the season progressed — especially Williams. As Giddey continues to refine his shot and grow into his own as a scorer and playmaker, and Williams continues to transition his well-rounded game to the NBA, Oklahoma City is only going to get better.
Big picture, all of Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Holmgren and Jalen Williams are just pieces of a larger puzzle. On their own, those four players represent a corp that any rebuilding NBA team would be happy to have.
But there’s more.
Both Pokusevski and Dieng are less known quantities at this stage in their careers but have a lot of promise nonetheless. Dieng is entering year two after putting together a promising performance in Summer League action and Pokusevski is currently healing a broken arm this summer after making significant strides early last season before another fracture forced him to miss two and a half months.
Other talents returning from last season that round out the roster nicely are Joe and Kenrich Williams. Both players give Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault two potent weapons to insert into the game.
Want instant offense or need to overcome a large deficit? Insert Joe. Need an infusion of energy, defense and effort? Insert Williams.
There’s also two key newcomers: Cason Wallace and Vasilije Micic.
Wallace, drafted with the No. 10 overall pick, turns 20 in November and looks skilled enough to contribute right away as an off-ball, connecting guard. Don’t be surprised if the 6-foot-4 guard, who has often been compared to Jrue Holiday, leaps Joe in the rotation from day one.
Micic is kind of a weird signing given that he’ll be a 29-year-old rookie. A former star of the EuroLeague, he’s expected to bring a blend of 3-point shooting and experience as a ball-handler and playmaker to the roster. Will the Serbian guard’s game transition to the NBA, and what Thunder General Manager Sam Presti plans to do with him remain to be seen.
Overall, the Thunder are getting better fast. Not only will the front office trim any fat over the course of time, improving the quality and depth of the roster, year over year, they are cultivating a culture of continuity, work ethic, and competitiveness in Oklahoma City. It’s only a matter of time before the Thunder find the right mix of players — whether that be via draft, trade, in-house development — that will put it all together and not only take over the Western Conference a la the Kevin Durant era, but bring home a Larry O’Brien trophy.
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