OKC Thunder: Opponent lessons to help structure next era of the franchise

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the OKC Thunder in action . (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the OKC Thunder in action . (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors talks to head coach Nick Nurse. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Atlantic Division:

Two teams in this division rank among the best in the association over this period and much like the Thunder have a solid foundation and culture in place (Celtics, Raptors). In the East, this division is the most successful with every team having won at least one title.

In the current era, only one team in this division (Knicks) has yet to find their footing and identity but with new management in place, the hope is they’ll turn things around quickly. Regardless of the Knicks timeline, the Atlantic is the powerhouse division of the Eastern Conference.

Boston Celtics: 74 seasons – 17 titles

Of the 15 teams in the East, the Celtics hold the best record in the conference since the OKC Thunder joined the association.  Boston has made 11 of 12 playoffs missing only the 2013-14 season.

During this period the Celtics made four trips to Eastern Conference Finals, three to the semis, three exits in the first round, and had one NBA Finals appearance.

Boston is the most successful franchise in the NBA with 17 titles in 21 trips to the NBA Finals over 74 seasons. What pushes them ahead of the Lakers in the West is they have always been the “Boston” Celtics never being in another city.

While some might dispute the Lakers are equally successful I take a different stance on the matter. Thunder Nation while cognizant of Gary Payton’s prowess doesn’t point to him as the franchise-best nor lay claim to the Seattle SuperSonics 1979 title as belonging to them — it doesn’t. Just like the Lakers don’t display George Mikan’s jersey who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five titles.

Brooklyn Nets: 54 seasons (8 in Brooklyn) – 2 titles as “New Jersey” Nets

This franchise began as the New Jersey Americans, switching over to the New York Nets for the next 10 seasons. For 35 seasons they were the New Jersey Nets before moving to Brooklyn where they’ve been the last eight seasons as the Brooklyn Nets. The franchise has five trips to the NBA Finals on record with two titles.

Kudos to Sean Marks for what he’s accomplished at the helm in Brooklyn. The fact the Nets only missed five consecutive seasons despite being gutted of draft picks is incredible. They reached the postseason five times in the past 12 years losing in the first round in all but one when they reached the semi-finals.

Being in a large market certainly helps the Nets but in truth, that only came into play this past year when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with them.

New York Knicks: 74 seasons – 2 titles

The team from the Mecca is steeped in history and plays in what may as well be labeled the NBA shrine – – Madison Square Garden. No fanbase in the association is as loud or appreciative of talent and good basketball. Unlike the Lakers, Celtics, and 76ers who are the other long-standing franchises, the Knicks don’t have the bevy of hardware (two titles) or short-lived playoff absences. They made eight trips to the NBA Finals winning twice but suffered long absences of consecutive years.

Unfortunately, the Knicks fanbase has dealt with being mired in mediocrity for years due to ownership. It reminds me of when Harold Ballard owned the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs. Ballard knew corporate sponsorship and annual full houses at Maple Leaf Gardens would continue even if the team was the worst in the NHL plus they had no competition at the time like the NBA or another NHL team.

In the case of the Knicks – if the Nets continue to succeed and improve or worse for Knicks fans win a title(s) it could be the elixir needed to shift the club into a new mindset.  For now, the Knicks are among the worst in the NBA over the last 12 seasons having missed the last seven playoffs registering a single semi-final berth and two first-round ousts in the period.

Philadelphia 76ers: 71 seasons – 3 titles (2 by Philly, 1 by Syracuse)

One of the longer serving franchises of the NBA with 71 years of existence – 57 as the 76ers. The longest playoff absence for the 76ers from postseason play was seven years occurring in the 1990s. The next longest was the five-year “Process” run.

Like the Knicks, they boast only two titles (not including the title won by the Syracuse Nationals) and played in nine Finals. The difference between the 76ers and Knicks, however, is Philly is quicker in their turn around when rebuilding.

They’ve made three straight trips to the playoffs following five years off and have split the 12 years with six appearances which are also split by first-round exits and reaching the semis.

Toronto Raptors: 25 seasons – 1 title

The Celtics have the best record in the past dozen years in the East but no team has been as hot as the Raptors in the last seven seasons. In that timeframe, the Raptors lost in twice in the first round, reached the semi-finals three times, the conference finals once, and won the championship in 2019.

They have just under a 50 percent appearance record in the playoffs with 12 trips overall. But, as per above have established a culture and system which has them poised to continue as one of the East’s top clubs.

Sam Presti, Masai Ujiri, and Bob Myers are often cited as the best trio of young executives in the league alongside longer serving masters like RC Buford (Spurs), Pat Riley (Heat), and Danny Ainge (Celtics). Not surprisingly those clubs are all among the best performers over the last decade along with the Cavaliers although Cleveland’s presence as noted above can be tied directly to LeBron James rather than the front office.