Draft Capital Gives Thunder Upper Hand in Rebuild Over Pistons
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Detroit has long hoped for the Pistons to return to their former glory.
Much like Oklahoma City is patiently waiting for the Thunder to return to their level of talent from a few years back.
Both teams are trying to get to the imaginary finish line which would in turn mark the end of their rebuilds. For the Thunder, year three of the rebuild it about to begin. Three years which feel like forever, but for the Pistons the process has been long, grueling and far from simple.
They’ve had their fair share of misses and setbacks, bad signings, unfortunate shortcomings, but brightness now shines through the dark road.
With the No. 1 pick in 2021 Detroit drafted Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State, who shined in his rookie season. This draft cycle the Pistons secured the No. 5 pick where they grabbed athletic guard Jaden Ivey to add to a roster bursting at the seams with young talent.
Ivey joins Killian Hayes, Kevin Knox, Saddiq Bey and a host of other young players with high upside.
The Pistons also have a nice mix of veterans in their rotation with Kemba Walker and Kelly Olynyk among others.
The Thunder have a similar roster makeup with a mix of high potential guys as well as a couple of proven NBA veterans. For the Thunder they have Mike Muscala as a veteran leader. Along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is both a leader, but a young player with more room to grow.
The Thunder also have a large swath of picks in future drafts. The Pistons on the other hand have some capital in the safe, but not nearly the same as OKC.
The Thunder and Pistons were one game apart last season, with OKC winning 24 games to Detroit’s 23.
OKC has plenty of options for the future. They have draft capital which they can cash in hoping for a blockbuster trade or keep and draft more young blooming stars.
The picks in many ways work as a fail safe if a young player doesn’t work out, they have more chances than other teams to find the next super star.
The path this season looks brighter for the Pistons, while the Thunder hold the win for the brighter future.
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