To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first. The OKC Thunder are attempting to get to the top of the mountain by the end of this rebuild. After a massive improvement to 40 wins, Thunder fans have been begging for Sam Presti to make an all-in move sooner rather than later. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights why Presti has the right idea.
The sugar rush of an unexpected postseason bid gave OKC Thunder fans a sense of finale on the rebuild, but this team is still not at contention levels.
While this upcoming season is the most anticipated in a half-decade, locking up a top-six seed prior to the regular season bell ringing would still be a massive accomplishment. We have yet to see most of this roster and its coach in a playoff series. How will they fare? How will they adjust to those bright lights? What will other teams expose? Those are all things that have to be answered, and hopefully, we get our first data points this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights why the OKC Thunder should remain patient in their rebuild.
This OKC Thunder team is undoubtedly talented enough to not only reach the NBA postseason this year but contend in a playoff series, where who knows what will happen? That said, it still is not time to push all the chips in.
The Thunder have a historic amount of assets that are not going away any time soon, in fact, you can argue the pile is only growing with some kick-the-can-down-the-road moves Presti has made, along with internal development. They can take their time hunting for the perfect player to push their chips in for, and Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights why.
In the last few weeks, we have seen Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo either whisper sweet nothings about disgruntlement or full-blown screaming their trade demands.
It shows that in this era of basketball, the next disgruntled superstar is right around the corner. It is the best soap opera on television, a run that will make Days of Our Lives envious.
You do not want to go all-in on the wrong fit, the wrong person, and especially the wrong contract. Milwaukee has done nearly everything right around Giannis Antetokounmpo, including winning a title together in the not-so-distant past.
Even so, with potentially three years left on his contract (player option in 2025-26), Antetokounmpo is hinting at leaving Milwaukee after a disappointing end to the 2022-23 season.
“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) August 25, 2023
The best example to use when preaching patients is the Minnesota Timberwolves. After one of their first tastes of success as a franchise, they immediately pushed their chips in on a failed Rudy Gobert experiment, overpaying for the big man and ruining the league’s trade market.
Now, the Timberwolves have a question mark around their future and what direction they are trending, immediately following a bright year for the franchise the season before.
In the NBA, the next star is just moments away from asking out, and you want to be ready to pounce, but not be premature. The next star could be someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo. We simple do not know what this Thunder team will need to get over the hump, it might be as simple as a high-end role player. Regardless, wait for an MVP-level player; refrain from seizing on a Gobert-level player with a shaky roster fit.