Why Continuity Is So Important For OKC Thunder

During the beginning of the rebuild, it seemed like Oklahoma City’s roster was a revolving door. Due to injuries, trades, and many other factors, the Thunder debuted so many different lineups. With a team full of young and unproven players, it made sense to spread out the playing time and give everyone run, too.

Even with the many variations of lineups and players, Oklahoma City’s culture and identity was established.

And now, just a few years later, Oklahoma City has had one of the most consistent rosters in the NBA for three straight years. There have been a few big additions and a handful of subtractions, but ultimately, this group has grown up together and figured out how to complement each other’s strengths. Suddenly, continuity has become an incredibly important ingredient to this team’s success.

During Sam Presti’s preseason press conference earlier this week, he spoke about that continuity and why it has turned into a priority.

“I see way more upside than I see negatives,” Presti said. “A couple reasons for that. Basketball is a game that is played instinctively, and when it's at its best it's played improvisationally, as I said earlier.

In order to play improvisationally, the other people playing with you have to be able to anticipate what it is you're about to do or react effectively to those choices…

“Continuity allows for people to play better together and anticipate things. That's tactically. I think a team dynamic also benefits from continuity as well because over 17 years here, we have had a couple interesting personalities over the course of time, and those of us that have been with those people can pretty much tell you when that's going to happen and when they're going to come out of it and how that's going to work through continuity.”

Oklahoma City clearly prioritized continuity this offseason by extending its core group of players, as Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all received huge paydays. They did the same thing a season ago with the team’s role players, too, by inking Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. This summer, outside of the core three, management elected to bring back Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams.

As Oklahoma City continues to evolve, one of the biggest keys will be handling lulls and stretches where things aren't going smoothly. And contunuity is the most important aspect to breaking out of slumps as a team. Knowing what each player needs to find a way to get back on track is huge.

Presti pointed to the Golden State Warriors as a great example of this, as a team that has gotten out of multiple lulls over the last few years. The Warriors have been the staple of consistency in the NBA over the last decade, and it's no accident that Oklahoma City continues to draw comparisons to their early days. They kept their core in tact and maintained continuity.

“For us, one of those things (to grow) will be if we hit a lull during the year, the ability to play through that, get the car back on the tracks, the train back on the tracks, through nothing more than persistence, like being able to understand where the issues are, plow through that.," Presti said.

“I really think the Warriors are an incredible example of this. They're one of the most successful franchises in the last 10 years probably. But they play through lulls at different times, and they're remarkable. I have so much respect for them. They find a way to get themselves through tough patches and out to optimal levels. That will be a passage for us when we get to that, when we have to work through those things.”

Oklahoma City will endure new hardships, there's no doubt about it. But having continuity and consistency across the board will certainly help battle the many highs and lows of the NBA.