Lessons Sam Presti can learn from counterparts in Thunder rebuild

As OKC Thunder General Manager Sam Presti begins his first rebuild in franchise history there are palpable lessons to pull from his opponents.

The OKC Thunder will enter the post-Westbrook phase and begin the arduous process of rebuilding. Aside from the first year in Oklahoma City it’s also foreign territory. That in itself is a statement of how successful the Thunder franchise was through their first 11 seasons. Let’s face it, as Thunder fans, we’ve been a bit spoiled.

A quick glance at the successes and failures of Thunder opponents punctuates precisely how effective this franchise has been. The question which needs to be posed as the team looks to begin the next phase in OKC is whether reaching the playoffs is enough.

The rebuilding phase must retain the best of this era of culture and identity. But, the emphasis this time has to be on translating the climb into reaching the top step of the ladder.

While there were lessons learned internally over these 11 seasons, Sam Presti should also glean whatever he can from his counterparts.

To that end, a review of the 29 opponents in the Association offers tangible insights.