3 Lessons for the OKC Thunder six game home stand

The Oklahoma City Thunder are building a special core, which was displayed during the Home Stand. 

The OKC Thunder are among the most fun, young, and exciting teams in the NBA. That is a wide-regarded fact among the League. At NBA All-Star Weekend, no matter who I talked to, from fellow media members to team personnel, the second they found out I covered the Thunder, they made a point to discuss how lethal this core can be.

A core that is just scratching the surface, both in age and in what we have seen. This rebuild’s highest pick, the lone top-five pick, has not stepped on the floor yet in Chet Holmgren. Jalen Williams has flashed all-star potential, Josh Giddey has tremendous upside, and they still have a mountain of draft picks at their disposal.

Not to mention break-out candidates such as Ousmane Dieng, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jaylin Williams, and Tre Mann. Who knows how many, if any, of those players pan out, but they at least have a shot at offering high-upside as rotational or better players, which is exciting!

At the helm of all this is one of the best front office members in the sport, Sam Presti, and a coach that many, including myself, thinks is in line to be regarded as one of the best bench bosses in the association, Mark Daigneault.

No matter how this season, between the play-in or the NBA Lottery, the Thunder have the assets and deep enough 2023 NBA Draft class to add at least one more talented prospect to this core. Between internal development and possible moves this team can make this offseason and beyond, the sky is the limit.

The fact that the OKC Thunder are competing this season, including that home win over the Warriors, has to encourage Thunder fans moving forward with Chet Holmgren waiting in the wings.