OKC Thunder ability to match their own historical benchmark will define future

Kevin Durant selected after Greg Oden

With this dominance, it’s noteworthy that not one of the three was selected as the top draft pick in their class. Presti and his OKC Thunder team diligently did their homework and the VP clearly had his preference in each scenario.

Durant was the closest to the top pick, coming off the board second while Westbrook was picked fourth and Harden third.

Every franchise would forfeit years of tanking to get their hands on one such talent from the draft so that factor alone will resonate within the OKC fanbase for eternity.

There is no denying the bespeckled magician Presti was at his best in this period. And while he made the absolute right pick in each situation, the basketball Gods and luck also played a role.

The most infamous is Durant’s draft class which witnessed the Blazers select Greg Oden first overall. Oden was felled by continuous injuries including microfracture surgery to his right knee forcing him to red-shirt what should’ve been his rookie campaign. A never-ending run of injuries resulted in the big man’s career being cut dramatically short. In three years with Portland and a brief stint with the Heat, Oden played 105 games plus nine playoff contests or a cumulative 114 contests.

Durant returned to action this weekend, 522 days since his last appearance in a competitive game. His only other long-term absence occurred in 2014-15 when he suffered a right foot Jone’s fracture that took longer than typical to resolve. It’s noteworthy, aside from the inaugural year in OKC that was the only other year the Thunder missed the playoffs.

This season Durant will surpass 1,000 games as he’s played 849 regular season and 139 playoff contests for a cumulative 988 matches. The contrast of Durant versus Oden is palpable. In hindsight, the Blazers rue the day they ignored picking Durant and the fanbase undoubtedly will dream of what Durant and Lillard could have been.