The idea that Oklahoma City Thunder won its first NBA championship seemed an impossible dream when the franchise entered the NBA Draft of 2022. The Thunder left a 24-58 season that followed a 22-60 season. They were armed with the no. 2 Choose the Draft as a consolation prize for such a terrible season, and had an additional lottery selection in NO. 12 Thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers who lost the duration of the playoffs, which was supposed to be their window for the championship dispute.
The championship teams are not built in just one night, and that is still true for the Thunder in the precipice of winning the NBA finals of 2025. Thunder needed the clippers in the Paul George agreement, helping to develop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP of the League, find hidden gems like Lu Dort (not recruited in 2019) Baja and Isaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaia
However, if you want to point out a reason why the Thunder are prepared to win the NBA championship and possible a couple more in the next five years, everything goes back to what happened in the 2022 draft. OKC not only found a superstar, they found twoAnd the rest will soon be history.
The Thunder were at the mercy of Orlando’s magic with the first selection in 2022. Most of the media projected that Orlando took Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr. at number 1 in general. Only a power outlet predicted correctly that they would take Paolo Banco, and that we were in Sb Nation.
This was the moment of the first sliding door for OKC’s potential dynasty. If Holmgren goes number 1, the Thunder do not have a RIM ACE protector or a section five. If Smith goes number 1, would the Thunder have banking tasks on Holmgren?
The Thunder was not satisfied just by having two lottery selections. When the New York Knicks arrived at the clock at number 11, OKC designed an exchange that sent three first round selections protected to New York for the selection. Your choice? The French wing of Severa has been stuck until the end of the Bank of Thunder, since then, without cracking 40 games played in a season since it was recruited.
OKC returned to the clock again at number 12. He took a perfect storm for this choice of clippers to land in the lottery instead of the end of the first round. Kawhi Leonard had to miss the full season recovering from a torn acl. Paul George had to hire Covid during the game tournament, which took him out of the alignment. The Thunder launched the dice in the middle -aged wing that had triggered draft boards after an outstanding performance in The Combine: Jalen Williams of Santa Clara.
Not everyone was pumped in this regard. This is how I described the choice at that time:
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara
Qualification: B-
Williams was a three -year -old university player in Santa Clara, who was the largest winner of the Draft combination for his ridiculous measured and impressive performance in scrimmages. Williams is a 6’6 wing with an absurd wingspan of 7’2 that fired 40 percent from a three-point range and was also described in the 90th percentile of the handling of the pick-And-raw ball. The blow in Williams is his lack of quick elite. While hearing publish excellent vertical jump numbers, he is someone who has to use cunning dribble movements to get to where Hey on the floor. Williams’ advanced numbers were worse than he would like for a three -year -old lottery team at a medium -sized conference, which shows the impact of that lack of athletics in our opinion. Even so, the Thunder needs wings and needs to shoot, and Williams marks both boxes. This is before what everyone expected to be. Williams can contribute now while number 11 chooses Ousmane
Obviously, I was extremely wrong about Williams, who has reached a selection to+. He is still wild that OKC put himself in front of him, thought that they may only do so in the event that the Knicks agreement failed in the last second, and always preferred J-Dub. We will never know.
The Thunder found another taxpayer with the general selection No. 34 at the beginning of the second round in the Arkansas cargo master, Jaylin Williams. Since then, it has been a solid piece of a deep bank for them since it has seen the spot duty during this playoffs race.
Obtaining Holmgren and (Jalen) Williams in the same draft is simply an incredible master blow of Sam Presti. Presti had already recruited Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden at another time for Thunder, and could have been done with OKCS 2022 Hul. Holmgren and Williams are simply the ideal co-star for Gilgeous-Alexander, and it is possible that the three can be the 10 best players at some point in the near future.
Is the 2022 Thunder Draft class the best of all? Here is the competition as we see for the teams that found multiple high level collaborators in the same Draft class.
Chicago Bulls 1987: Scottie Pips (No. 5) and Horace Grant (No. 10)
This feels like the parallel closest to the Thunder 2022 draft. In 1987, the Bulls designed a legendary trade with the Seattle Supersonics to move on to selection No. 5 and select PIPS Scottie Central Arkansas. The Bulls took Clemson with him. 10 Choose a few minutes later. Suddenly, the Bulls had two ideal co-star around Michael Jordan, and the couple set up to three consecutive championships of 1991-1993, and then three more than 1996-1998 even after Grant continued.
Dallas Mavericks 2018: Luka Doncic (No. 3) and Jalen Brunson (No. 33)
The Doncic For Draw Young Swap will become one of the most infamous offers of the Draft Day in the history of the League. It is incredible that the Mavericks found another NBA player in that same draft with Brunson in the second round. Somehow, Dallas has Nonder Star on the list seven years later. At least Cooper Flagg will make MAV fans feel better.
Golden State Warriors 2012: Harrison Barnes (No. 7), Festus Ezeli (No. 30), Drayond Green (No. 35)
It is fun to remember that the Warriors only collapsed one year on their way to a dynasty of mid -2010, and that was for the choice of Harrison Barnes. Barnes was a solid player for the Warriors and a key part of his first 2015 championship team. The true jewel was, of course, Drayond Green, found in the second round, who did not sow David Lee to begin the dynasty. Ezeli was a good taxpayer on the front court for a little there too.
Seattle Supersonics 2008: Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka
Sam Presti’s first draft helped the Thunder arrive at the NBA finals in 2012. Westbrook became an icon and an MVP in OKC, while the shooting and protection of the edge of Ibaka were far ahead of their time.
Cleveland Cavaliers 1986: Brad Daugiy (No. 1), Ron Harper (No. 8), Mark Price (No. 25)
What transport was for cavs. Dailyy’s career was ruined by wounds for the age of 20, but it was still five times all-Star. Harper was a monster scorer before a torn acl forced him to reinvent himself. Price, who was acquired in an exchange of Draft Day with the Mavericks, was one of the most regular players in his time as a deadly shooter. Too bad Cleveland was at the same conference as Michael Jordan peak, or we could remember this class draft differently.
Milwaukee Bucks 1969: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 1), Bob Dandridge (No. 45)
The Bucks won a coin with the Phoenix Suns for the first selection in 1969, and delivered them to Abdul-Jabbar, who is in Sausage the third best player in the history of the League. Milwaukee found another member of the Hall of Fame later at the Draft with Dandridge, who scored more than 15,000 running points and helped the team win the 1971 championship. This could really be the best Draft class in history.
What do you think is the best kind of NBA draft equipment? Let us know in the comments.