The Thunder have climbed the first mountain

Oklahoma City making the play-in is the first step in a long road back to success

All season long, the Thunder have competed every single night with the aim of making the postseason for the first time since 2020. Three years may seem like a short time but it is a long drought for fans of the Thunder. We have been blessed and a little spoiled that the team was so competitive for so long over the 2010s. Not playing basketball into the middle of April was an alien concept.

Before the start of the season, I think it would have been difficult to predict the Thunder as being a play-in team. Young teams, the Thunder have an average age of 22.8 years old, tend to struggle for consistency and fade physically during the second half of the season.

When it was announced that Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick out of Gonzaga, would miss the whole year, it seemed that the season would be a write-off. A fun year where the Thunder made some noise but ultimately landed back in the lottery waiting for Presti’s next big swing.

Last night, a loss for the Dallas Mavericks secured the Thunder’s place back in the postseason. Dallas deliberately chose to tank against the Chicago Bulls in an effort to keep their pick for the upcoming 2023 Draft. The Mavericks sent a top-ten protected pick to the Knicks in 2019 as part of the Kristaps Porzingis and Dallas were desperate to hold onto their asset.

They chose to sacrifice their season and a chance to get their current young guys real developmental minutes for a mere chance of landing a prospect in the Draft. It is scarcely believable and it was rather surreal seeing Mark Cuban grin as his team missed game-winning shot attempt after game-winning shot attempt.

Dallas’ decision to concede was huge in the Thunder’s quest for postseason basketball but it was not the deciding factor. I am concerned that over the next few days, the Thunder making to this stage will be framed as a cowardly failure for Dallas with OKC being the lucky beneficiaries. This narrative is false and disregards the Thunder’s hard work to be in this position, winning 39 games with a roster this young is hugely impressive.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise has been historic and his impact on the Thunder has been reminiscent of a young Dwayne Wade. SGA has brought intensity, leadership and readily available baskets on every single possession. You could seriously make the argument that Gilgeous-Alexander has been the best guard in the Western Conference this season.

The numbers are compelling when you look closely.

Gilgeous-Alexander - 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, EFG 53.1% with 1.6 steals and 1 block per game, 68 games played

Morant - 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists, EFG 50.4% with 1.1 steals per game, 59 games played

Doncic - 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8 assists, EFG 56% with 1.4 steals per game, 66 games played

Curry - 29.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, EFG 61.2%, 55 games played

Booker - 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, EFG 54.6% with 1 steal per game, 53 games played

Shai’s raw stat line more than matches his colleagues who currently play on better teams. Morant, Doncic, Curry and Booker all have All-Star teammates who can share the burden. Gilgeous-Alexander has a well-built roster around but he is clearly the only star player on the Thunder.

Unlike the likes of Morant and Doncic who are liabilities on defense, Gilgeous-Alexander is also an effective defensive player who provides a lot of value for the Thunder on the less glamorous end of the floor. Shai’s fast hands and quick instincts get the Thunder out in transition and into easy scoring opportunities.

The Thunder’s success is not only down to Shai, the starting lineup has been excellent over the last two months and more than deserve their plaudits. Josh Giddey’s growth as a player has gone somewhat under the radar but he has been quietly brilliant.

Entering the season, we all wondered whether Giddey could play together with Shai given his perceived lack of off-ball skill. Giddey’s improvement as a shooter and eye for the pass has made defenses guard him honestly on the perimeter which has changed how the Thunder play. There is significantly more space for cutters to run into when defenses are keyed in on Josh and that space is all he needs to get the most out of his game.

The Williamses in the front-court have been mature beyond their years and have been impressive for contrasting reasons. Jalen Williams’ steady improvement over the course of the season has been so much fun to watch and he has made a real case for Rookie of the Year. J-Dub is the rare rookie who contributes straight away in meaningful minutes while still having tantalising potential in the long-term.

Jaylin Williams has been gutsy in his minutes on the court. Williams had a baptism of fire in late December when injuries to JRE and Aleksej Pokusevski meant that J-Will was moved into Daigneault’s rotation. His first two games against Mark Williams and Joel Embiid were rough but Jaylin has found his feet in the NBA as a tempo-raising center.

He has been a wall, taking charges all year long and fortifying the Thunder’s interior with his body. His willingness to sacrifice for others and put himself on the line speaks volumes about his character and desire to win.

The Thunder’s season has been nothing short of amazing but this is just the start. The next goal is making it to the playoffs consistently and finding ways to win series. OKC have climbed the first mountain but there is a still long way to go on this road, the first championship in the franchise’s history is still waiting to come home.

We have hope and the Thunder are fearless, who knows what might happen over the next eight weeks or even the next five years? As a wise man once said, Why Not? It is up to the Thunder and our fans to make it our time to shine.