How the Thunder Turned a Pile of Potential Into an NBA Trophy?

The public of Oklahoma is celebrating. For the first time since the club changed its name and hometown in 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder has won the NBA championship. For them, this moment of glory feels even more special due to the journey they have undergone. Five years ago, they were merely an unambitious team that was looked down upon.

So many important figures played a role in Thunder's success on the championship podium. Starting with the megastar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Finals, veteran player Alex Caruso, who brought championship experience, to the talented coach Mark Daigneault.

However, among all of this, no one has contributed more than General Manager Sam Presti. He has held this position since 2007, when the club was still based in Seattle and known as the Supersonics. Presti has led the Thunder to the pinnacle of the world with many correct decisions made from behind the desk.

Presti made the biggest gamble in mid-2019. At that time, there were only two options for the Thunder: to rise or to be completely destroyed in the future. The Thunder completely overhauled the squad that was bolstered by the star duo of Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Both players were traded within a span of a day.

The Thunder “won big” in the George trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. They got Shai and Danilo Gallinari and a package of five first-round picks. Shai, 20 and just a season into the NBA, slowly transformed from an outcast into an icon for the team.

Presti's strategy was once questioned. He seemed obsessed with draft choices. Many transactions were made just to get the chance to pick a debutant player. In fact, potential players selected in the draft may not necessarily be successful. The risk level is very high.

We still have a lot of room to grow. That's the most pleasing thing about this win. It's a great start for us. - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -

In principle, Thunder strives to bring in as many talented players as possible. They hope that these players can be "harvested" together in the future. The goal is not to achieve success in the near term. This is in contrast to most other teams that immediately target star players.

The journey was far from easy. In the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, they were relegated to the second lowest rank in the Western Region. "That was not part of the plan, but we just tried to control what we could. The players did a great job of bringing us to where we should be," said Daigneaut.

Presti's strategy proved successful at the end of this season. Key players on the Thunder's championship squad, such as Jalen Williams (2022), Chet Holmgren (2022), and Aaron Wiggins (2021), came from draft choices. Williams and Holmgren were the top scorers in the finals after Shai.

Veteran Alex Caruso was not taken by the Thunder in the draft. However, they acquired Caruso in a trade for Josh Giddey, who was selected in the 2021 draft. Caruso brings championship experience to the league's youngest squad along with defensive versatility.

Thunder not only has talented young players with an average squad age of 25.6 years, but also exceptional depth. "Oklahoma is a real team, not an ordinary champion. Our players are young, but they always prioritize and sacrifice anything to win. Everything happens so fast," said Presti.

The seeds of Thunder's glory were actually already visible since last season. Shai and his teammates topped the Western Conference in the regular season with a record of 57 wins-25 losses. However, they were still too "innocent" in their first trip to the playoffs and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the semifinals of the conference.

The team's three mainstays, Shai, Williams, and Holmgren, are still looking for the best chemistry when playing together. Holmgren has indeed been on the team since the 2022-23 season. However, he missed the entire season due to injury. The forward only made his debut in the 2023-24 season.

The distinguishing feature of Thunder this season is maturity. Shai has evolved from an ordinary star into a megastar. This is evidenced by his first regular season MVP title in his career. Similarly, Williams has managed to average over 20 points in the regular season for the first time.

So dominant in the opponent's basket, the duo of Shai and Williams have even been dubbed the latest version of the legendary Chicago Bulls pair, Michael Jordan - Scottie Pippen. Shai and Williams managed to score a total of 377 points in the finals, surpassing the record set by Jordan - Pippen in 1993 (373 points).

The presence of Caruso at the beginning of the season has enhanced the young Thunder team. Caruso, 31 years old, is the oldest player and the only one who has previously won a championship. All these pieces have come together to create one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. The Thunder holds the status of the best team in the regular season (68-14) and at the end of the season.

Williams stated that the Thunder is special because all the players are in the same "boat." They want to win together, rather than solely pursuing individual success. For him, that is what distinguishes a young team built through a long process from an instant team with many megastars.

"That (Thunder's approach) looks like a blueprint for the NBA moving forward. When you have a group of players who enjoy playing together, are willing to do things and sacrifice for one another, and are ready to sacrifice even more, it makes you a good team," Williams stated.

Thunder proves that talent is more valuable than experience or star status. The last team to demonstrate a similar feat with a phenomenal performance was the Golden State Warriors in the 2014-15 season. Stephen Curry and his teammates also became champions in that season.

A decade later, the Warriors already have four championships. The Thunder could very well replicate the Warriors’ dynasty. The Thunder still have a lot of valuable draft picks in the next few years thanks to the investment from previous trades.

Interestingly, Shai (26), Williams (24), and Holmgren (23) will also become more mature in the upcoming season. "We still have a lot of room to grow. That is the most exciting part of this victory. This is a great beginning for us," said Shai. (AP)