Thunder Season Review: Horford and Gilgeous-Alexander Shut Down

Over the course of thee days at the end of March, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season unraveled.

A victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 22 would turn out to be the last time Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would suit up for OKC this season.

Two nights later, center Al Horford would feature in his final game of the season before the organization shut him down for the year as well.

What would follow would be the worst 25-game stretch in NBA history.

Without their two best players, the Thunder simply didn’t have the horses to compete in the NBA, and as a result they tumbled down the standings.

But it’s hard to blame the organization.

From a team perspective, OKC finished tied for the fourth best lottery odds, putting them in a great spot to potentially land a first-round draft pick in the top five of the 2021 Draft.

Horford was able to still help the team on the practice floor, while simultaneously clearing the way for Mark Daigneault to hand Moses Brown, Tony Bradley, Aleksej Pokusevski and Isaiah Roby plenty of minutes to continue and develop the rest of the season.

The former Florida Gator also was able to limit the wear and tear on his body as he hopes to extend his career and chase a championship over the coming years.

THUNDER SEASON REVIEW:

Trade Deadline Blitz

OKC gets the band back together

G-League Bubble life

Early Overachievers

Uncertainty hangs over the season start

Gilgeous-Alexander had already proven that he had taken a massive leap, and didn’t need to risk injury any further.

And Plantar Fasciitis can become serious if not looked after. By General Manger Sam Presti’s determination in his exit interview after the conclusion of the season, Oklahoma City was able to avoid a scenario in which Gilgeous-Alexander would need surgery on his foot, the best possible outcome for both the organization and the player.

It’s not often that a three-day stretch at the end of March can determine an NBA season, but in the case of the Oklahoma City Thunder, it did exactly that.

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