Oklahoma City has preached about rebuilding the right way for three years now. Sam Presti has been decisive on hires, draft picks, and contracts, making sure everyone understands his long-term vision of the team and where the group is headed.
Last season was a massive step in the right direction, and the Thunder took it with patience. Even with a taste of success, the organization didn't try and make any splash trades at the deadline or add any pieces to go all in for a playoff berth. Oklahoma City didn't rush Chet Holmgren back to the court, sticking to the plan and allowing him a full year of recovery.
The biggest key is the Thunder has continued to let its core group of players grow without putting unreasonable expectations on team success or individual success. If Oklahoma City had gone after a star at any point last season, it would've raised the expectations to win-now mode for the youngest team in the NBA. Right now, the Thunder don't want to rely on the win column to judge team progression. The team wants to let the players' improvement dictate the team's progression and check boxes off along the way.
In head coach Mark Daigneault's question and answer on Sunday, he echoed the same sentiment that Oklahoma City has maintained all along.
"[More attention is] a natural thing, with the exposure the NBA has," Daigneault said of all the new eyes on his young team. "And our players deserve it – they’ve worked hard to put themselves in this position. Now our challenge is to continue to take a long view on a young team. We have a lot of runway with this team, and the worst thing we could do is skip steps in the short term, in pursuit of short-term results, if it’s going to harm our long-term prospects. We believe, if we keep an eye on the future, we’ll start to check the boxes along the way."
Oklahoma City has a legitimate No. 1 option in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who turned into an MVP candidate a season ago. The team has seen significant progression in Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams who look like perfect complimentary stars for the young core. Now, it's about Holmgren, the team's only top-3 pick throughout the rebuild.
The Thunder's defense was already impressive a season ago, but with a player like Holmgren, the sky is the limit. If he provides help and efficiency on the offensive end, too, it's a home run pick for Presti. All the pieces are in place, and the Thunder need to remain patient, trusting scouting and development.
"That’s a Sam [Presti] question," Daigneault said when asked about pressing the all-in button and gunning for a championship. "But we’re very excited about our existing young core. And last year was the first example of the power of continuity. Not only for us, but you look at Denver, who won a championship. Obviously, they’ve made roster changes over the years, but they’ve also got a lot of cumulative years together.
"That’s very important to us. That doesn’t mean we’ll never pursue external things. You’ve got to keep your eye on that, and Sam does. But we also value this group and the continuity they’re building together."
Oklahoma City is inching closer and closer to the top of the West, but the mindset has stayed the same. And that's a good thing for Thunder fans.
More must-reads: