There’s no one way to build or establish an NBA franchise.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has once again eclipsed the 50-win mark for the ninth time in their 17th season as a franchise. Which is tied with the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets for the most during the span.
The Thunder are on the verge of breaking their franchise record for the most wins (60) in a season. This year’s team is on pace to win 67 games, which would shatter the win total from the previous Thunder teams.
The Thunder Have the Best Culture in the NBA
Mark Daigneault Instilling His Identity
When Mark Daigneault was hired as the Thunder’s coach in 2020, he was not only the youngest coach (35) but many believed he would only serve as the development coach throughout the rebuilding period.
The way Sam Presti praised Daigneault during his introductory press conference stood out to me.
Here’s what Presti had to say about Daigneault:
“One of the greatest skills I think he possesses is his relatability to the modern NBA player, but also the modern NBA organization,” Sam Presti
Right away, Daigneault showed he was the perfect fit to lead this iteration of the Thunder.
During his early tenure, Daigneault has taken inexperienced, undersized, and less talented teams and made those teams competitive.
Daigneault has set the standard by having a defensive-first mentality and has built defenses that rank in the top 10 of the league in defense for most of his tenure.
Now in his fifth season as the Thunder’s head coach, Daigneault has established himself as one of the best coaches in the league.
His team has improved every year. He’s won Coach of the Year. He’s led the youngest team in NBA history to earn the No.1 seed and win a playoff series during the 2023-24 season. He’s already surpassed last year’s win total (57) with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
Players Respect For Mark Daigneault
The players’ love and respect for Daigneault speak volumes and represent the togetherness of this team, not just on the court but also off the court.
His ability to relate to his players, along with his willingness to think outside the box and try unconventional tactics, perfectly meshed with Presti’s mindset and vision for this organization, making him the right fit now and in the future.
Here’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in 2022-23 during his exit interview on Daigneault laying and instilling his foundation on this team:
“I didn’t learn nothing. I knew what type of coach he was his first year here. He has a core belief system, and I 100% agree with it. I think it’s the right way to go about the game.
“I think him instilling those things in us when we were a 15-win team to when we were a 22-win team until now has made it easier for us to grow because it’s instilled in us habits that we carry forward, and I think he’s done a great job of that.
“I think he doesn’t waver; his temperament, his attention to detail, his approach to every day doesn’t change. … whether we win or lose. I think he’s one heck of a coach. He’s on his way.”
Daigneault’s willingness to challenge his players out of their comfort zones by experimenting with many areas of their games made it easier for them to grow by removing their shackles and not putting them in a box.
This is resulting in players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and now Isaiah Hartenstein making big strides in their games.
It’s very rare to see teams as young as the Thunder be this successful, and that’s a direct result of the job Daigneault and Presti have done building this culture in Oklahoma City.
Sam Presti Blueprint For Building A Roster
Through strategic trades, accumulating draft picks, identifying the right talent, and having the financial intelligence, Presti has laid the blueprint for rebuilding a roster properly.
The trade that will be forever rooted in NBA history is the Paul George trade. Presti leveraged Paul George’s desire to join Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles into a massive return.
The Thunder received Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two pick swaps. SGA, a promising young prospect, has ascended into the likely MVP and established himself as a superstar.
Williams, one of the picks involved in the trade, has become an All-Star, making the trade an all-time deal for Sam Presti.
We haven’t even mentioned the Thunder drafting their highest draft pick during this rebuild in Chet Holmgren with the No.2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Plus, drafting other young, talented players in Wallace, and Jaylin Williams. While finding hidden gems in Lu Dort, Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Ajay Mitchell. OKC utilized its flexibility and assets by adding players who perfectly complement the identity of the Thunder, such as Alex Caruso and Hartenstein.
Another key factor is how Presti has accumulated 29 draft picks between now and the 2030-31 season, which allows the Thunder to go in any direction they want.
With the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in full effect until the 2029-30 season, and given how unpredictable the NBA is, the Thunder have positioned themselves to navigate and potentially dominate it for the next handful of years.
As the Thunder reporters have stated countless times, Presti is undoubtedly one of the most innovative, forward-thinking general managers the game has ever seen. This has resulted in numerous teams copying their philosophy of rebuilding a team.
History Of The OKC Thunder
Here’s the history of the Thunder and the incredible job Presti has done in running this franchise since this team was established in 2008-09.
• 2008-09: 23-59 (Missed playoffs)
• 2009-10: 50-32 (Lost in first round to Los Angeles Lakers)
• 2010-11: 55-27 (Lost in the Western finals to Dallas)
• 2011-12: 47-19 (Lost in the NBA Finals to Miami)
• 2012-13: 60-22 (Lost in the Western semifinals to Memphis)
• 2013-14: 59-23 (Lost in the Western finals to San Antonio)
• 2015-16: 55-27 (Lost in the Western finals to Golden State)
• 2016-17: 47-35 (Lost in the first round to Houston)
• 2017-18: 48-34 (Lost in the first round to Utah)
• 2018-19: 49-33 (Lost in the first round to Portland)
• 2019-20: 44-28 (Lost in the first round to Houston)
• 2020-21: 22-50 (Missed the playoffs)
• 2021-22: 24-58 (Missed the playoffs)
• 2022-23: 40-42 (Lost in the play-in to Minnesota)
• 2023-24: 57-25 (Lost in the Western semifinals to Dallas)
• 2024-25: 58-12 (Current No. 1 seed in West)
With such a young and deep roster, this is one of the most connected teams we’ve seen in quite some time.
Holmgren breaks down their connectedness as a team, which reveals itself during their infamous postgame interviews:
“This is really special. We don’t do it to send any sort of message or any of that. It’s more so just us genuinely being there for one another. The same person is not always doing the interview every night, so it kind of just shows that we are all together. We aren’t trying to send any type of message by doing this. It’s just what we do.”
Dominating the way they are, it should be rightfully asked whether this OKC team is the best in franchise history.
Main Image: NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
