It’s been a circuitous journey back to hope, set in motion by Kevin Durant’s 2016 departure. There was a year when Russell Westbrook won his MVP, but this did not promise postseason success. Then came a surprise appearance by Paul George, which was short-lived and quickly forgotten. Chris Paul came in to replace Westbrook and made a memorable pit stop, but soon he too wanted greener pastures. Left behind this superstar revolving door are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2021 Rotopic’s Josh Guiddy, and a comically long list of future draft assets.
But in June, the Thunder, who won 24 last season and 22 the year before, became the new pillar of Chet Holmgren’s franchise. By July, Oklahoma City, the No. 2 overall pick by Gonzaga, was back on the “must see” lists of die-hard fans in the league his pass. Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer LeagueUnfortunately, Holmgren, 20, suffered a catastrophe in August. I suffered a dizzying leg injury While defending LeBron James during a pro-am game in Seattle.
Holmgren’s injury forced him to redshirt his rookie season, with critics convinced: His stocky 7-foot, 195-pound frame I can’t stand the rigors of the NBA. More soon, his absence destabilizes Oklahoma City’s extended rebuilding effort, just as things are starting to come together.
The following season was supposed to be a carefree and fun experiment for Thunder, with Gilgeous-Alexander serving as a lead option, Guiddy pushing the tempo, and Holmgren wowing viewers with his shot-blocking and shot-making skills. . Thunder president Sam Presti drafted a wave of rookies and bolstered his supporting cast by giving Le Dort (5 years, $82.5 million) and Kenrich Williams (4 years, $27.2 million) new contracts. Growing pains awaited, especially for the skinny Holmgren, but Oklahoma City looked poised to overtake the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets in the lower tier of the Western Conference. . This promised to be a step forward in terms of competitiveness and aesthetics.
Still, shared development remained a top priority for a roster that was the youngest in the NBA last season. Complemented the Holmgren’s length made him a natural lob his target when Giddy set up Holmgren with pick-and-rolls and transitions, and his spacing ability created his lane driving to his Australian teammate. I was. Until Holmgren returns, the 19-year-old Guiddy will have to carry more of the scoring burden and use his jumper more often on the unstable outside.
Holmgren and Guiddy still have plenty of time to bond on the court, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Gilgeous-Alexander, who is in his fourth season with Oklahoma City, can do the same. The 24-year-old Canadian guard is arguably the most underrated player in the NBA, averaging 24.5 points, 5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game last season, but did relatively well.
Gilgeous-Alexander has just begun a five-year, $173 million contract extension, but trade rumors are never ending given his high profile in a small market. Dejounte Murray When Donovan Mitchell Both fit a similar bill and both traded in pick-and-prospect-laden packages this summer. As it happens, Gilgeous-Alexander was on the other side of this recurring phenomenon as the centerpiece of the return of Oklahoma City’s 2019 blockbuster George.
Set to enter this season without Holmgren or major free agency additions, the Thunder’s best path forward is to race toward the bottom again. Oklahoma City only has one 2023 first-round pick in pursuit of potential franchise players like Victor Wenbanyama and Scoot Henderson. The combination of Holmgren (7-6 wingspan) and Wenbanyama (8-foot wingspan at 7-4) is a surprising proposition and a good frontcourt tandem for him in ‘Space Jam 3’. To maximize their chances of making that happen, Oklahoma City needs to prepare for another deliberate end-of-season loss.
It’s hard to consistently sell patience to a player like Gilgeous-Alexander. Especially after shutting him down early in each of the last two seasons in pursuit of a draft position. That clever strategy has clearly benefited Oklahoma City’s long-term prospects, but compared to peers who enjoy postseason showcases and All-Star accolades, Gilgeous his Alexander is at a disadvantage. is placed in Franchises can play that card many times before they have to deliver the long-promised payoff.
San Antonio seems to have concluded that Murray is not a franchise-changing talent and is better off pursuing a complete rebuild without him. I’ll have to look into the calculations. On the flip side, Murray, still only 25, sounded excited about the prospect of shotgunning Trae Young for the Atlanta Hawks, even as Gilgeous-Alexander got fed up with his summer break starting in March. , can not be blamed.
Holmgren can fill this gap. The Spurs didn’t have an up-and-coming star alongside Murray, and they definitely didn’t have a franchise big man with Defensive Player of the Year making his summer league debut. garnered praise from DurantSimilarly, Utah’s decision to transfer Mitchell was partly due to the lack of a promising young sidekick in its roster.
If everyone in Oklahoma City stays focused on their vision, Holmgren’s lost season could finally be remembered as a nasty workaround on a consistent winning streak. After missing his first two years in Philadelphia, he has grown into an MVP contender. And when a young big man gets a serious injury early in his career, there are a lot of grim options to consider.
‘Can’t wait to hoop again’ Holmgren tweeted on sundayexpressing sentiments certainly shared by the Thunder and their fans, who haven’t seen the team win a playoff series since Durant joined the Golden State Warriors. Given the rapid change in , the wait will be painful.
