A favorite pastime of OKC Thunder fans is dreaming about the future. Imagining which of the current youngsters on the roster will still be here in five years and the steps they’ll take as they develop is part and parcel of that process.
There are plenty of youngsters to pick from too given the Thunder has the youngest team in the association and is committed to developing that talent.
Unfortunately, that also means in the current season there will be plenty of heartbreaking losses. That’s something the fan base can accept given the draft capital Sam Presti has amassed. It’s hard to get too upset about tanking when one solid draft could immediately propel the Thunder back into contention.
Presti might not be able to replicate the good fortune of drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in three successive drafts but he’ll sure try. Considering there were many who scoffed at his first selection of Josh Giddey with the sixth pick this past summer it’s safe to say he hasn’t lost his touch.
Giddey has already made the critics dial back their negativity with him earning Rookie of the Month honors for the West.
OKC Thunder starting backcourt make B/R top under 25 NBA duos
In fact, sites are looking deeper at the young talent in the NBA with Dan Favale of Bleacher Report picking the best duos under 25. Not surprisingly the OKC Thunder make the top 10 list. The bigger question was which two players Favale would tap on the Thunder.
Certainly, there are a couple of cases that could be made and we can quibble over the placement of where OKC landed. What can’t be denied is two OKC players belonged in the mix of the top 10.
To that end, Favale placed the OKC Thunder duo in ninth and specifically tapped the backcourt of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. His top 10 duos were as follows:
- Trae Young and John Collins – Hawks
- Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro – Heat
- Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. – Grizzlies
- LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges – Hornets
- Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – Cavaliers
- Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams III – Celtics (notably Jaylen Brown is 40 days too old to make the cut)
- Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox – Kings
- Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby – Raptors
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey – OKC Thunder
- Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt – Wolves
Regarding SGA and Giddey, Favale offered the following:
"Sticking Oklahoma City’s twosome above that from Minnesota was tough. Gilgeous-Alexander still deserves the nod over Edwards. Does Giddey trounce Vanderbilt?Better yet: Does Giddey usurp Lu Dort? Or Darius Bazley? Immediately, Dort might make more sense. But Giddey’s passing, finishing and in-between touch give him a higher upside. The Thunder aren’t climbing higher than No. 9, for now, either way."
While lists like these are made to be dissected and debated there are some valid questions that arise. Certainly, Favale leaving specific players off the list based on injuries makes sense. Zion Williamson as well as the Magic group, plus Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr are the most obvious exclusions.
Personally, I’d rank the OKC Thunder, Raptors, and Hornets higher than Favale did. The duos I’m scratching my head over are the Kings and Celtics. Fox has been a huge disappointment this season and Williams although a great center hasn’t proven himself capable of staying healthy for long periods or able to play much more than 20 minutes a game.
I’m also not sure of Herro’s sticking power or whether this is another bubble-type spell that will wane as the season progresses.
If we’re talking strictly potential than the three crews I noted should be in the top five. The Thunder backcourt are each capable of playmaking and making their teammates better. SGA has superior scoring abilities while Giddey is on par with the best playmakers in the league already with triple-double potential
The Hornets duo is similar in that Ball is an exciting playmaker who is growing his offensive skillset seemingly on a nightly basis and Bridges is turning into a primary or secondary scoring option with defensive ability.
The Raptors duo has by far the most two-way upside with either Barnes or Anunoby capable of impacting the game via making a key stop, taking over scoring and in the case of Barnes, his playmaking hasn’t fully been unlocked yet.
Ultimately, the OKC Thunder has several youngsters under 25 who represent the future of the franchise and a bright future.