The Oklahoma City Thunder have been around for over a decade now. They have consistently been one of the best teams in the NBA. They have made the playoffs for over the last 10 years. What is there to say about them? Well, a lot, actually. For starters, they have a very interesting and unique approach when it comes to their roster composition. They are known for being a team that drafts players who are established at their position, are under 25, and who have played in the NBA before. In other words, they draft players who are “best active players who have ever played for them” and who have good potential but have yet to fulfill their potential. This is a strategy that has served the Thunder well. Their biggest draft success
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an NBA team that have been playing for a few years now. In that time they have built a reputation for being one of the best teams in the league, and are widely regarded as one of the favorites for the upcoming season. For those unfamiliar with the Thunder, they play in the Western Conference, and have a lot of similarities to the Miami Heat. Both teams have a lot of talent, and both are coached by teams that are proven to be excellent at creating the perfect roster. This article will show you how the Thunder have done this, and provide you with strategies that you can use to help you create a roster of your own. The first thing to do is think about what type of team you want to
With the NBA’s 2017-18 season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what the Oklahoma City Thunder roster will look like starting next season. With the Thunder’s current roster set to expire this summer, there is a lot of time to work on the team. One of the first things to do is to come up with a list of the best active players that have ever played for the Thunder.. Read more about oklahoma city thunder all-time players and let us know what you think.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has a long history in Seattle before becoming an NBA club. The SuperSonics had several outstanding players on its roster, including Gary Payton and Ray Allen, and even won a championship in 1979. When the club relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, many predicted that the organization would need a few years to establish itself as a contender.
OKC reached the NBA Finals in 2012 after just four years after the relocation. Since then, we’ve watched OKC go all the way to the Conference Finals and compete for postseason berths. With being stated, the team has accumulated a lot of quality in recent years but has yet to reach the NBA Finals.
With the team’s tenth anniversary approaching, we take a look back at all of the talent it has generated over the years. Could this superteam go 82-0 if you put all of the team’s skill into the organization throughout the years? Let’s take a closer look.
Lineup to Start
Chris Paul (guard) (2019-2020)
Paul accomplished something that astonished the whole country in only one season. Russell Westbrook and Paul George had been traded away by the Thunder at the time. Paul was traded to match Westbrook’s salary in the Westbrook trade. The Thunder were not anticipated to contend in the Western Conference.
Instead, Paul had a 17.6-point, 5.0-rebound, 6.7-assist, and 1.6-steal per-game average. More significantly, the Thunder were the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and had a seven-game series with the Houston Rockets. Even though the Thunder were lost, Paul’s performance and leadership were instrumental in OKC accomplishing the impossible.
Russell Westbrook, guard (2008-2019)
The Thunder became one of the greatest teams in the NBA because to the combination of Westbrook and Durant. Westbrook was one of the franchise’s most athletic guards in its history. When Westbrook earned the MVP award in 2017, he became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961 to average a triple-double in a season.
Being mentioned in the same breath as the “Big O” is Hall of Fame material. Westbrook will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, particularly considering that his MVP season was the team’s first without Kevin Durant.
James Harden is a point guard for the Houston Rockets (2009-2012)
(Image courtesy of Bleacher Report)
During his time in Houston, Harden developed into an MVP candidate, but many people forget that he was the team’s primary sixth man from 2009 to 2011. Harden may start, but during the Spurs’ dynasty era, he played a similar role to Manu Ginobili. Harden’s greatest season was in 2011-2012, when he averaged 16.8 points per game.
Harden developed into a star who once averaged 36.1 points per game and led the NBA in scoring for three years in a row. Maybe Harden would have remained if the Thunder had treated him like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Paul George takes a step forward (2017-2019)
George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his first season. Those are good statistics, but he had his finest year in his second season. George was a perennial MVP candidate as well as an All-Defensive selection.
George averaged 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals in 2018-2019. George received a first-round pick overhaul from the Clippers when the Thunder traded him to L.A. because of those statistics. George would fit in nicely in this lineup since he can do a little bit of everything on the floor.
Kevin Durant (forward) (2007-2016)
Durant made the transition to OKC simpler since he was the franchise’s face at the moment. When the club reached the Finals in 2012, Durant was the team’s top player. In 2014, he was named MVP. In the 2016 Conference Finals, Durant led the Thunder to a 3-1 lead before the Golden State Warriors came back to win the series.
Durant will go down in history as one of the greatest players to ever play for the Seattle/OKC club. Despite the fact that OKC did not return to the Finals during his tenure, the club reached the Conference Finals three times.
Bench
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a member of the Gilgeous-Alexander family (2019-Present)
Despite a third year marred by injuries, many think Gilgeous-Alexander has the potential to be a max-contract player in this league. He averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 35 games. He averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in his second season.
Because it was his first year in a real role, but also his first without Chris Paul, his assist total increased. Gilgeous-ceiling Alexander’s is comparable to Paul George’s. We witnessed what George accomplished in his two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Adding a sixth guy to the mix would have made this OKC squad even more difficult to defeat.
Sabonis, Domantas (2016-2017)
Sabonis was acquired in a trade with Serge Ibaka in 2016 after being partnered with Victor Oladipo to bring Paul George to OKC. Sabonis averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in his one season with the team. While they are low rookie statistics, Sabonis is a 25-year-old center who is one of the best in the game overall. Sabonis might have repeated his All-Star statistics if he had remained in OKC, which has a history of player development.
Sabonis averaged 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists last season. Sabonis may not have averaged more than twenty points per game with this starting lineup, but his passing would have made this an unstoppable unit.
Grant, Jerami (2016-2018)
Grant was acquired by the Thunder in a trade in 2016 and spent three seasons with the club. Grant began his career as a bench player, but he ultimately developed into a player that averaged 13.6 points per game in 2018. Grant was ultimately purchased by the Denver Nuggets before joining the Detroit Pistons on a three-year contract in 2020.
We witnessed Grant’s real potential this past year. After averaging 22.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, Grant was a contender for Most Improved Player of the Year. Despite the Pistons’ lack of success, Grant’s performance demonstrated that he was a unique talent.
Victor Oladipo is a basketball player who plays for the Indiana Pacers (2016-2017)
Oladipo was moved in a transaction focused around Serge Ibaka after four years with the Magic. Oladipo averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in his one season with the Pacers. After that season, he was traded to the Pacers alongside Domantas Sabonis in exchange for Paul George. Oladipo developed into an All-NBA and All-Defensive player during his time with the Pacers.
Oladipo has struggled with injuries in recent years, but when fit, he was one of the league’s greatest defenders. We’ve seen what guys like Jrue Holiday and PJ Tucker did in the NBA Finals for Milwaukee. For this OKC squad, Oladipo would have given all of that and more.
Carmelo Anthony is a basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles (2017-2018)
Anthony was dealt to the Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round selection during the 2017 summer. Anthony failed to reach the 20.0 point per game threshold in his one and only season in OKC, after 14 seasons of averaging more than that.
Despite this, Anthony averaged 16.2 points per game. While this isn’t a terrible figure, it pales in comparison to previous years of major scoring. With 28.7 points per game in 2013, Anthony topped the league. In his heyday, the 10-time All-Star was one of the greatest overall scorers. Anthony may have had more success in his peak in OKC with all of this talent than he had in his whole career with the New York Knicks.
Dennis Schroder is a professional photographer (2018-2020)
When a previous Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is at the end of your bench, you know you’ve got a deep squad. Schroder had a two-year career, averaging 15.5 points in his first year and a near-career-high 18.9 points in his second. Schroder finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting in his second season, and his numbers helped OKC earn a first-round selection from the Lakers in 2020.
In 2018-2019, Schroder shared the field with Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul. For a squad that didn’t get a lot of media notice, the team went a long way. We watched how nicely those three got along. With a team of All-Stars, it would be even better.
Serge Ibaka is a Nigerian footballer who plays for the (2009-2016)
Ibaka developed into the lovable guy in the center. Ibaka, sometimes called as “Serge Iblocka,” was well-liked for his effort and defensive prowess. In 2012 and 2013, he led the league in blocks, and from 2012 to 2014, he was named to the All-Defensive First Team three times.
He played briefly for the Orlando Magic after his great stint in OKC, and then was acquired by the Toronto Raptors, where he helped the club win their first NBA title in 2019. It was his second appearance in the NBA Finals, the previous being in 2012 in Oklahoma City.
Ball Numbers gets credit for an idea.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, is the NBA team that’s been the talk of the league after its record-setting season in 2016. In the 2015-16 season, the Thunder went an astonishing 62-20, winning the Northwest Division and the Western Conference regular season title by 17 games over second place Utah. The team set the all-time record winning streak by a team in the NBA, going 37 games before dropping a game.. Read more about all-time thunder players and let us know what you think.
Related Tags:
oklahoma city thunder all-time playerssupersonics all-time playersbest thunder players of all-timeformer okc thunder playersall-time thunder playersoklahoma city thunder roster 2020,People also search for,Privacy settings,How Search works,Russell Westbrook,Kevin Durant,James Harden,Nick Collison,Serge Ibaka,Kendrick Perkins,See more,Jeff Green,Joe Smith,Earl Watson,Damien Wilkins,Kyle Weaver,Nenad Krstić,oklahoma city thunder all-time players,supersonics all-time players,best thunder players of all-time,former okc thunder players,all-time thunder players,oklahoma city thunder roster 2020,all-time thunder players 2k21,2014 thunder roster
