The OKC Thunder trend of losing in the clutch ended versus the Philadelphia 76ers with a thrilling overtime victory. Three takeaways offer insight into how they accomplished their first statement win of the season.
Fans of the OKC Thunder have experienced exciting games this season as the team consistently competes and pushes their opponents to the edge. Unfortunately, that also meant the team wasn’t winning much as they’ve failed to close most of those clutch time contests.
On this night the Thunder delivered their most complete game of the season and was able to extend the gritty aggressive gameplay into clutch time and the overtime. It was the type of victory that falls in the ‘statement’ win category as the 76ers are projected by many pundits to be the most likely Eastern Conference champions.
Why balancing wins with tough losses is important:
In some ways losing isn’t necessarily a bad thing because the Thunder wants to capitalize on the draft picks burning a hole in Sam Presti’s pocket. Still, this season’s draft class has been described as similar to the 2013 class. Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected 15th that year while the Thunder selected Steven Adams 12th, Andre Roberson 26th, and Alex Abrines 32nd.
In fact, some have joked this was Sam Presti’s favorite draft class as eight different players either currently wear or have worn an OKC Thunder jersey. Among the five current members on the team from the class of 2013 – Adams, Roberson, Nerlens Noel (6th) Dennis Schroeder (17th), and Mike Muscala (44th). Former OKC Thunder players from the 2013 draft members are Abrines, Victor Oladipo (2nd), and Joffrey Lauvergne (55th).
CP3 pulls up to make it a 10pt game in OKC 👀💪#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/aLBhNeDBrp
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 16, 2019
My point is this class may have hidden talents outside the top projections but they may not be initially hyped coming into the draft. This is the reason it’s important for the OKC Thunder to demonstrate competitive ball in spite of not having the same talent as some of the elite clubs.
Being consistently competitive increases the trade value of the players on the roster which could translate into more draft picks or the exchange for young assets. It also gives Presti an idea of which areas the team needs to add depth or potentially which position he would prefer to target for adding a player of star quality.