Oklahoma City Thunder ‘took a step’ this season, despite playoff exit.……
The OKC Thunder went from lottery team to playoff contender in four years, and they’ve found a way to build on their recent success in the foreseeable future.
Not long ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder were rebuilding. Following a seven-game series loss to Houston in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder became a lottery team while assembling their roster with the numerous draft picks acquired in trades, particularly the one that brought them Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Paul George.
Fast-forward Four years later, they are back in postseason contention and have the ability to win an NBA championship. Following a six-game series loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the West Semis, Gilgeous-Alexander looked on the team’s improvement over the previous several years.
OKC’s Progression Since 2020
The Thunder were on fire to start the 2024 playoffs. They easily defeated New Orleans in a four-game sweep and continued their winning streak with a Game 1 victory over Dallas. However, they were unable to keep it after four of their final five games, bringing their season to an end.
They almost won Game 6 when they led 116-115 late in the game thanks to a Chet Holmgren slam assisted by Gilgeous-Alexander. Then, Dallas forward PJ Washington drew a shooting foul against Gilgeous-Alexander from the three-point line and converted two of three free throws to help the Mavericks defeat the Thunder.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his greatest season yet, finishing second in MVP voting to Nikola Jokić of Denver. Throughout the regular season, he averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and two steals on a career-high 53.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from three. He maintained similar figures in the playoffs, averaging 30.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 49.6 percent shooting overall and 43.2 percent from three.
He wasn’t the only one who helped the team achieve, applauding youngsters Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace for their significant contributions despite their lack of experience. Holmgren finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, demonstrating his remarkable skill set with 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks on 53% shooting from the field and 37% from beyond the arc during the regular season.
Wallace, the 10th pick in the 2023 Draft, had plenty of action as a reliable shooter in the Thunder offence. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 49.1 percent shooting while appearing in every game this season.
Just two seasons ago, the Thunder ended 24-58. It was their second consecutive year of winning fewer than 25 games. They then improved to 40-42 in 2023, almost making the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament before losing to Minnesota. In his fourth season, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made his playoff debut after leading the team to a 57-25 record and the Western Conference title. He coached Oklahoma City to a first-round sweep of New Orleans, the franchise’s first series win since defeating San Antonio in six games to reach to the West Finals in 2016.
Leave a Reply