The Oklahoma City Thunder, despite slipping on a banana peel from time to time, have looked like a world-beating team this season, and they look poised to make some noise in the franchise’s inevitable return to the postseason later this year. Their performance on Sunday night in an impressive 118-110 win over the Phoenix Suns surely gives more credence to the notion that the Thunder are not afraid of the moment and that they will be ready for whatever it may be that’s coming their way.
But beyond the Thunder’s talent up and down the roster, Jalen Williams dished on what separates this young OKC team from the pack during his postgame interview with Bally Sports Oklahoma’s Nick Gallo following their win over the Suns.
“It’s been a lot of wild swings throughout the whole season. We trust each other to kind of come out of those slumps. Just being physical and competing. When we compete, we’re a really good team. Our team is in the right spot. We all trust each other, that’s our biggest thing. Everybody is ready to be the next man up,” Williams said, via ClutchPoints Twitter.
This roster having this level of trust is certainly part of the vision Sam Presti had in mind when he engineered the Thunder rebuild back in 2020. Presti has always had a penchant for making the right moves, which is what makes him one of the best roster-builders in the NBA, and Jalen Williams’ words further prove that fact.
In a rebuild, it’s always crucial not just to draft the most talented players, but players who can grow together, play for one another, and unite for a common goal. The Thunder’s emergence this season into one of the best teams in the association shows that more often than not, the franchise has pushed the right buttons as they head deeper into the 2020s with one of the best outlooks of any franchise in all of professional sports.
Now, the Thunder will be looking forward to maintaining good habits as they head into the stretch run looking to defy the expectation of many that they do not have enough experience to genuinely contend for an NBA championship.
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