How the Thunder Were Built
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2012 Western Conference Champions. It
is their first NBA Finals appearance in OKC, after moving to Oklahoma
City from Seattle in 2008.
The way the Thunder got to the Finals is extremely impressive - they are the first team since 1998 other than the Mavs, Lakers, and Spurs to represent the West in the Finals. Even more impressive, is that the Thunder beat all three of those teams to get here.
While in Seattle and than after the move, the Thunder began building this year's team. It all began in 2007 when the Sonics hired Spurs executive Sam Presti as their new General Manager. Presti, than-30, was the youngest GM in the league.
Presti did not have a very difficult beginning to his tenure. In fact, it was simple. In 2007, the Sonics had the second pick in the draft. Ohio State center Greg Oden was considered the consensus #1 pick and Kevin Durant was considered the second. So the Sonics would gladly take whomever the Blazers did not. Of course, Portland drafted Greg Oden and the Sonics wound up "settling" for the University of Texas small forward.
Presti would go on to build the Thunder the way he learned how in San Antonio - through the draft. Of the 15 players on the Thunder roster 14 of them were first round draft picks, either by the Thunder or by another team, later to be acquired. Also, 12 of the current Thunder players were acquired through the draft - either direct draft picks, or acquired via trade using either draft picks or players drafted by the Thunder.
In 2007, after taking Durant second, the Sonics also acquired a second top five pick from Boston. They traded Ray Allen for the 5th pick, which they would use to take Georgetown star Jeff Green. Imagine Allen and Durant together though? They wanted to build their franchise around these two young stars. While Green never developed into a star, looking back, there really is no one else who stands out that they should have definitely taken instead. Green was a good role player alongside Durant and some other guys whom they would later draft. We will get back to Green in a minute...
In 2008, the Thunder succeeded in drafting a young guard to pair with Durant. They chose UCLA guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was picked between OJ Mayo and Kevin Love. Still Seattle at this time, the franchise had a second first round pick, which they used to take Serge Ibaka 24th overall.
In 2009, once again picking near the top, the Thunder, picking for the first time as the Thunder, took James Harden fourth overall, a guard from Arizona State. They took Harden over Tyreke Evans, Johnny Flynn, Ricky Rubio, and Stephen Curry. Clearly, Harden has been the best player of that list but at the time, some questioned the pick suggesting Rubio or Evans would have been a better fit.
In December of 2009, the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor from the Jazz. Maynor was the 20th overall pick by the Jazz in the 2009 draft.
At the 2009 trade deadline, the Thunder acquired Thabo Sefolosha for a first round pick that belonged to Denver. Sefolosha himself was a first round pick for the Bulls in 2006.
2010 might have been the Thunder's only draft miss. They traded up to take Cole Aldrich 12th overall. A 6'11 center from Kansas, Aldrich has not panned out how OKC had wanted.
In 2010, the Heat traded Daequan Cook to the Thunder, a move Miami had to make to free up cap space. Cook was a first round pick in 2006 to the 76ers. Also, the Thunder signed guard Royal Ivey for his experience and veteran leadership.
At the 2011 trade deadline, the Celtics made a shocking trade, trading center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder for Jeff Green (Nate Robinson to OKC and Nenad Krstic to Boston also was part of deal). Boston wanted Green for his youth and athletic ability to defend the wing (Lebron) and felt Perkins was expendable. The Thunder also acquired Nazr Mohammed from Charlotte in February for Morris Peterson and DJ White.
Another role player, Nick Collison, was a first round pick for the Sonics in 2003, drafted 12th overall.
Before the 2011-12 season, the Thunder acquired Lazar Hayward from the Wolves. Hayward was a 2010 first round pick. OKC's 2011 draft pick was Reggie Jackson, a guard from Boston College, selected 24th overall.
Derrick Fisher was signed by the Thunder as a free agent after he was waived by Houston, following the Lakers trading him at this year's trade deadline.
The Thunder, as we mentioned, are literally built around the draft. Only Royal Ivey, Derrick Fisher, and Nazr Mohammed are not related to the franchise's draft decisions directly. Everyone else was acquired in the draft or via trades for draft picks or OKC-drafted players.
Also, Royal Ivey is the ONLY player of the 15 on the Thunder roster that was NOT a first round pick. Pretty amazing.
So whether it is lottery picks, or even top five picks. Trades involving draft picks or players this team drafted, the draft has been the building tool for this franchise, a franchise playing in the NBA Finals.
So take note. While spending millions on the best available players, that is not always the answer. Draft and develop your players. Draft depth. Be creative with free agents and trades. Be like the Thunder.
The way the Thunder got to the Finals is extremely impressive - they are the first team since 1998 other than the Mavs, Lakers, and Spurs to represent the West in the Finals. Even more impressive, is that the Thunder beat all three of those teams to get here.
While in Seattle and than after the move, the Thunder began building this year's team. It all began in 2007 when the Sonics hired Spurs executive Sam Presti as their new General Manager. Presti, than-30, was the youngest GM in the league.
Presti did not have a very difficult beginning to his tenure. In fact, it was simple. In 2007, the Sonics had the second pick in the draft. Ohio State center Greg Oden was considered the consensus #1 pick and Kevin Durant was considered the second. So the Sonics would gladly take whomever the Blazers did not. Of course, Portland drafted Greg Oden and the Sonics wound up "settling" for the University of Texas small forward.
Presti would go on to build the Thunder the way he learned how in San Antonio - through the draft. Of the 15 players on the Thunder roster 14 of them were first round draft picks, either by the Thunder or by another team, later to be acquired. Also, 12 of the current Thunder players were acquired through the draft - either direct draft picks, or acquired via trade using either draft picks or players drafted by the Thunder.
In 2007, after taking Durant second, the Sonics also acquired a second top five pick from Boston. They traded Ray Allen for the 5th pick, which they would use to take Georgetown star Jeff Green. Imagine Allen and Durant together though? They wanted to build their franchise around these two young stars. While Green never developed into a star, looking back, there really is no one else who stands out that they should have definitely taken instead. Green was a good role player alongside Durant and some other guys whom they would later draft. We will get back to Green in a minute...
In 2008, the Thunder succeeded in drafting a young guard to pair with Durant. They chose UCLA guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was picked between OJ Mayo and Kevin Love. Still Seattle at this time, the franchise had a second first round pick, which they used to take Serge Ibaka 24th overall.
In 2009, once again picking near the top, the Thunder, picking for the first time as the Thunder, took James Harden fourth overall, a guard from Arizona State. They took Harden over Tyreke Evans, Johnny Flynn, Ricky Rubio, and Stephen Curry. Clearly, Harden has been the best player of that list but at the time, some questioned the pick suggesting Rubio or Evans would have been a better fit.
In December of 2009, the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor from the Jazz. Maynor was the 20th overall pick by the Jazz in the 2009 draft.
At the 2009 trade deadline, the Thunder acquired Thabo Sefolosha for a first round pick that belonged to Denver. Sefolosha himself was a first round pick for the Bulls in 2006.
2010 might have been the Thunder's only draft miss. They traded up to take Cole Aldrich 12th overall. A 6'11 center from Kansas, Aldrich has not panned out how OKC had wanted.
In 2010, the Heat traded Daequan Cook to the Thunder, a move Miami had to make to free up cap space. Cook was a first round pick in 2006 to the 76ers. Also, the Thunder signed guard Royal Ivey for his experience and veteran leadership.
At the 2011 trade deadline, the Celtics made a shocking trade, trading center Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder for Jeff Green (Nate Robinson to OKC and Nenad Krstic to Boston also was part of deal). Boston wanted Green for his youth and athletic ability to defend the wing (Lebron) and felt Perkins was expendable. The Thunder also acquired Nazr Mohammed from Charlotte in February for Morris Peterson and DJ White.
Another role player, Nick Collison, was a first round pick for the Sonics in 2003, drafted 12th overall.
Before the 2011-12 season, the Thunder acquired Lazar Hayward from the Wolves. Hayward was a 2010 first round pick. OKC's 2011 draft pick was Reggie Jackson, a guard from Boston College, selected 24th overall.
Derrick Fisher was signed by the Thunder as a free agent after he was waived by Houston, following the Lakers trading him at this year's trade deadline.
The Thunder, as we mentioned, are literally built around the draft. Only Royal Ivey, Derrick Fisher, and Nazr Mohammed are not related to the franchise's draft decisions directly. Everyone else was acquired in the draft or via trades for draft picks or OKC-drafted players.
Also, Royal Ivey is the ONLY player of the 15 on the Thunder roster that was NOT a first round pick. Pretty amazing.
So whether it is lottery picks, or even top five picks. Trades involving draft picks or players this team drafted, the draft has been the building tool for this franchise, a franchise playing in the NBA Finals.
So take note. While spending millions on the best available players, that is not always the answer. Draft and develop your players. Draft depth. Be creative with free agents and trades. Be like the Thunder.
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