OKC Thunder one year later – how ‘the shot’ shifted the franchise
By Rylan Stiles
A year later, that shot did change the OKC Thunder, for the better
Damian Lillard’s shot fell through the bottom of the net past midnight, so a year ago today, on April 24th, the OKC Thunder would never be the same.
Having already lost two members of the original big three, the city had to say goodbye to one more. This goodbye would be the hardest. After everything that Russell Westbrook did for the city, state, and organization, it was clear the ride was over.
When the dust settled on Damian Lillard “waving the OKC Thunder into a rebuild.” Sam Presti had a mountain of draft picks so big it makes Danny Ainge jealous, a future star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a veteran leader and future hall of fame point guard in Chris Paul.
The GM moved a contract that many thought couldn’t be moved, and not only got back a great year of production from CP3 but even more draft assets.
More from Thunder News
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Not to mention the fact that the “throw in” to the Paul George trade is Danilo Gallinari. The sharpshooter that is averaging nearly 20 points on 40 percent from deep, and is the reason the OKC Thunder were battling for home-court advantage in the postseason prior to the season being suspended.
Despite the media hoopla and the memes, the Damian Lillard shot only benefited the OKC Thunder.
It allowed them to be freed from mediocrity, pulling off trades that set them up for one of the brightest futures in the NBA and still competing right now.
Sure, the Trail Blazers got a lackluster run to the Western Conference Finals, but they currently sit as the ninth seed with a 29-37 record. They lack direction or even a pathway to being truly competitive.
One year removed, this no longer feels like a sad story for Thunder fans. It was a necessary heartbreak for the team to ultimately reach their goal of competing for championships.
The OKC Thunder do not need to tank to cash in on picks. dark. Next
Where were you when Dame hit that shot?