Rebuilding Thunder have solid anchor in Gilgeous-Alexander

Updated Apr. 11, 2022 4:31 p.m. ET

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder general manager Sam Presti said this season would be about sifting through young talent to see where it fits into future plans.

It was a different approach for a franchise that was among the league's best the previous decade. But with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul all long gone, the Thunder have acknowledged that they are in full rebuilding mode.

There were rough moments this season, including

The woeful record gives the Thunder a chance to pull in a high draft pick this year — a familar refrain for the franchise. Oklahoma City has an astounding stockpile of 19 potential first-round picks and 17 potential second-round picks through the 2028 draft.

At least the players they already have are resilient. Eight times this season, the Thunder rallied from deficits of at least 15 points to win. They

“I think it’s a group that has maintained a ton of optimism,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “Obviously, we’re not finishing at the top of the standings, but I’ve never really sensed from this team dips in our optimism or our commitment, and that’s a credit to the people that we have on the team. They’re guys that hang in there.”

Through the challenges, the Thunder appear to have found some answers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stepped forward in his fourth year and had the look of a franchise player. For the season, the guard averaged 24.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He averaged 30.4 points on 54% shooting in 13 games after the All-Star break before getting shut down for the season with a sore right ankle. He scored at least 30 points in 10 of his last 13 games.

Rookie Josh Giddey met expectations and then some. The 19-year-old Australian averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times this season. He

Another rookie, Tre Mann, averaged 10.4 points per game and

With all the injuries, the Thunder limped to the finish line. Oklahoma City had just six players see action in the finale.

“I gained a lot of respect for all of those guys, and I hope they enjoyed the opportunity to play in the NBA,” Daigneault said.

DARIUS BAZLEY

The ultra-athletic forward fell out of the starting lineup at one point, but eventually regained his spot and had a solid season. He averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game before breaking a bone in his right knee.

POKU'S SECOND HALF

Second-year forward Aleksej Pokusevski got off to a slow start before coming on strong late in the season. The 7-footer from Serbia averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in March. He got his first career triple-double on April 3, when he

HOARDING NUMBERS

Jaylen Hoard, who played for the Thunder's G-League affiliate this season, stood out during a 10-day deal at the end of the season. The 6-8 forward from France averaged 17.2 points and 13.7 rebounds in six games after signing. He

LOCAL SHARPSHOOTER

Former Oklahoma State guard Lindy Waters stepped into the rotation after the rash of injuries and performed admirably. He played 25 games, mostly as a reserve, and shot 36% on nearly six 3-point attempts per game. In his best outing,

ROBINSON-EARL

Second-round pick Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had his moments, too. The center from Villanova started 36 of his 49 games. He averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He missed 24 games with a broken foot.

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