The Oklahoma City Thunder has not been very good in recent years, but they have a chance to change that. They are currently 6-14 and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having an injury and will be out for weeks due to surgery from this past Thursday according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This gives them time to fully embrace tanking by rebuilding their team with young talent before next season begins
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a rough start to the season, but it’s been looking up recently. The team has been able to fully embrace the tank due to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury. Read more in detail here: oklahoma city basketball.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in their second year of rebuilding, as seen by their 17–35 record in the Western Conference, which is tied for second worst in the league. The club of general manager Sam Presti has three first-round choices in the NBA draft in June. The Thunder have an opportunity to optimize their lottery possibilities with standout point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined until at least until the All-Star break due to a damaged ankle.
Before hurting his right ankle in a defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 28, SGA averaged 22.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 34.6 minutes per game. Given how badly Oklahoma City had performed without the 23-year-old, it looked like a great chance to earn some extra ping pong balls.
The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t particularly successful.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t win often even when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available. SGA was 14–29 with the Thunder before his most recent injury, and 0–5 without him.
Plantar fasciitis forced the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft to miss the last 29 games last season. The Thunder had already shut down veteran Al Horford at that point, and they finished 3–26 without him. When Gilgeous-Alexander was on the court, OKC was a competitive 16–19, but a dreadful 6–31 when he wasn’t.
According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, SGA’s current injury provided both possibilities for other young players. It did, however, provide the Thunder an opportunity to rack up some defeats in their pursuit of a bottom-three NBA finish. Teams in those spots have a 14% probability of receiving the first overall selection. OKC’s lottery chances are at 12.5 percent, which is the fourth-worst mark.
That, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s newest mock draft, is the gap between Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren and Memphis center Jalen.
The Thunder locker room, on the other hand, may have missed the memo.
Without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are no longer winless.
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Shai Gilgeous-ankle Alexander’s injury had the greatest immediate effect on offense. Josh Giddey, a rookie, has taken over as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s primary ballhandler.
Early in January, the Australian teenager made history by becoming the NBA’s youngest player to ever record a triple-double. Giddey is a 6-foot-8 hybrid guard with good playmaking ability, averaging 6.1 assists per game as a secondary handler this season, which leads the club.
Earlier in the season, the Thunder were terrible without SGA, losing all five games he missed due to a prior ankle injury, two games in concussion procedures, and one night off for rest. One of those games was a stunning defeat to Memphis on December 2nd. The Thunder were defeated by the Grizzlies 152–79, the most lopsided defeat in NBA history.
However, following Gilgeous-latest Alexander’s ankle injury, the Thunder won their first three games, including road victories in Dallas and Portland. On the second night of a back-to-back, the streak came to an end with a 10-point loss at Sacramento on Feb. 5.
In those four games, Giddey averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 35.7 minutes per night while shooting 60.5 percent (26-of-43) from the field. The rookie continued to struggle with the long ball, going 3-for-16 (18.8%) in that time.
OKC is now two games ahead of Houston after a 3–1 run. In the fight for a bottom-three berth, the Thunder are five points ahead of Detroit and six points ahead of Orlando.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is crucial to the rebuilding of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like a potential All-Star, but his injured ankle provides the Oklahoma City Thunder a chance to chase lottery balls. | Getty Images/Jacob Kupferman
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019 as a key element in the transaction that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. During his first season in Oklahoma City, he played off the ball, but when Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns, he moved to the point.
In 2021, OKC selected Giddey with the sixth overall selection, and the team now has eight players in their first or second seasons. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl started at center until he broke his foot, with Tre Mann, another rookie, playing in the rotation.
The Thunder hold the first overall choice in the NBA Draft in 2022. From the Carmelo Anthony salary dump in July 2018, they owe the Atlanta Hawks a first-round pick. However, the selection is protected by a lottery. OKC also owns the Clippers’ and Suns’ first-round selections (top-12 protected; in other words, it’ll go to the Thunder).
They hold Detroit’s first-round pick, but it is protected in the top 16. For many years, the selection is safeguarded. If the Pistons finish in the top 18 next year and in 2024, they will retain it. In 2025, top 13 will be protected, top 11 will be protected in 2026, and top nine will be protected in 2027.
It’s part of Presti’s colossal collection of draft picks. Through 2028, OKC has 21 options.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on contract through 2026–27 after signing a max extension in August. For a successful rebuild, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the draft assets and young players in place. This is something Presti has done previously. After all, from 2007 to 2009, this team drafted Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in consecutive drafts.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics. Spotrac provided contract details.
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