NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
It has to be hard work being a GM of any team in any sport. You’re the money man, the problem solver, the negotiator, simply put, you’re in control. You have your GMs that fail season after season with terrible trades, bad signings, and outrageously stupid draft picks. But then you get the ones with that golden touch. You know the kind, the ones where every decision they make is right on the money. That’s how it was for Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder for a stretch.
Presti has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2007 when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics, meaning, you guessed it, he drafted Kevin Durant. But it didn’t end there. He’s also responsible for the drafting of Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden over the course of his career. Take a second to let that lineup sink in.
Westbrook, the triple-double king. Durant, arguably the best scorer in the NBA. Harden, who had one of the best single-player runs for at least 4 years. Ibaka, one of the best defensive big men in the game, and Green, a do-it-all PF. There are a few hidden gems in there with Steve Adams as well but looking at that core of players just mentioned, you would see why the Thunder were always in title talks.
It’s safe to say that Durant was going to be a star. He tore the college scene up while at Texas and Harden did the same for Arizona State but the others were a bit of a reach. Westbrook played second fiddle to Kevin Love while at UCLA, Ibaka skipped, and Green was not that treasure coming out of Georgetown. But together they would become something special. Too bad we didn’t get a chance to see it until it was too late.
It’s 2022 and none of these players are with the Thunder. three were no championships but Presti did manage to draft 3 league MVPs. All 5 players are still in the NBA which makes this observation even more frightening. Could they have been the best team ever? We can go back and talk about the prime Boston Celtics, the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, the dynasty of the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs, the Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers, to even the Stephen Curry-led Warriors. All are great teams, but that Thunder team could have been the greatest.
There was nothing this unit was lacking. A great PG, two of the best slashing and perimeter scorers the NBA has ever seen, and two defensive-minded players in the post. The bench play was not shabby either which was led by a young Harden. But it just wasn’t meant to be.
Free agency, marketing, and egos are just a bit different than they were when this team was assembled. But look at the other dynasty’s. If Sam Presti would have played his cards right and waited it out the same way the Warriors did with their core, the Thunder would have won at least 3-4 championships by now. They were young and still getting to know each other’s game when they were together. There were flaws in each but if they had the time to jell as one, there’s no telling how far this unit would have gone.
