Watch out Western Conference: The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially arrived
By Kyle Delaney
Picture this: It's the 2020-2021 NBA season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder just missed the playoffs for the first time in five years. The year before, they lost to the Houston Rockets in the 2020 playoffs. Before that, during the 2019 playoffs, Damian Lillard waved bye-bye to Paul George and quite literally dismantled an entire OKC Thunder era. In fact, they finished that 2020-21 season with a 22-50 record. While this may have felt like a new all-time low for Thunder fans, it was actually the beginning of something greater. But, Sam Presti already knew that.
In May of 2021, Presti, fresh into the offseason, told the Daily Thunder's Brandon Rahbar about the Thunder's intended direction going forward. As it turns out, Presti wasn't lying at all. In fact, his predictions were eerily accurate.
Per @BrandonRahbar on Twitter/X:
Sam Presti says the plan for the Thunder won’t happen overnight.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) May 20, 2021
“We have a clear direction in plan to reach the goals we have. And our goals are high.
When we do get back to the postseason, we want it to be an arrival and not an appearance.”
The Thunder have arrived, just as Sam Presti predicted
Today, you can't talk about the playoffs without talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a four-year hiatus, the Thunder return to the playoffs as the number one seed, a position they haven't clinched in the west since the 2012-13 season. Now, NBA fans and (even some players) are sold on this young, exciting Thunder team.
They're officially the youngest team in NBA history to finish a regular season with 57 wins. They have legitimate MVP, MIP, and ROY candidates in Shai Gilgeous, Jaylen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. Their head coach Mark Daigneault was just named, 'Coach of the Year' by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Needless to say, the team has a very bright future.
In just four years, the Thunder have transformed from one of the worst teams in the Western Conference to a top-five team in net, offensive, and defensive ratings. There's no sign that this is a one-off season for the Thunder, either. Since 2020, they've improved season after season. Plus, with a boatload of draft picks, cap space, and developmental pieces to play with, OKC is set to contend for years to come. It's official. This is no mere appearance. This is the arrival.
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