Oklahoma City Thunder Last Season Performance
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a season in 2021–2022 that settled below expectations. Considering the team’s lackluster performance in the 2020–2021 campaign, prospects for the next season were quite low. Mark Daigneault’s men struggled to get through the competition because of their evident amateurism and the absence of a reliable core.
But aside from that, while the young players continued to develop, we had some rising stars like Josh Giddey, who was keen to increase his total of NBA minutes played and managed to become the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who made his way back from a severe injury and made it into the All-Star Team.
The Thunder’sdefense was solid, but their offense requires a great deal of work and will probably improve with more skill. The Thunder had a top-10 defense before the majority of their squad became injured, but they finished the season with the league’s 17th-best defense, which is not that awful considering they were the league’s youngest team.
A pronounced learning curve was in effect at the beginning of the season as they dropped to the bottom of the rankings after four straight defeats, highlighted by a 33-point setback to the Houston Rockets. Then again on the first dates of December, the Rockets struck back, increasing the franchise’s winless streak to seven. By the end of the year, in what could be considered an annihilation, Memphis crushed the Thunder and won 152–79, resulting in the largest victory gap in NBA history (73).
After a demoralizing defeat to the Chicago Bulls by 111–110 at the end of January, they had a record of 14–33. The team’s situation was certainly not ideal, and with a possible dilemma related to SGA’s absence due to pre-All-Star break play, Mark Daigneault reshuffled the deck with four straight games featuring different starting lineups. Rookies like Giddey, Mann, and Aaron Wiggins were thrust into the spotlight.
The final few weeks of the season saw a significant shift in Oklahoma City’s lineup, but positive outcomes were achieved. By the end, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, the franchise’s key players, had already played their final games of the year due to injuries. Several other important players, like Kenrich Williams, Derrick Favors, and Lu Dort, were also finished for the 2021–22 season. Despite these absences, the Thunder finished the campaign with a 4-8 record, which was outstanding given the circumstances and the first part of the season. The Thunder closed with a record of 24-58, finishing 14th in the NBA Western Conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder Off-Season Changes
When it comes to reconstructing the Thunder, nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. OKC General Manager Sam Presti has been stockpiling numerous first-round picks for the coming years, and whether that’s a large or small step, it’s all about being patient and remaining on track to contend. Top prospects are typically difficult to land for Oklahoma City, and putting all efforts into that is simply not worth the time. This leaves room for newcomers, eager and growing young players in need of a fresh start, who can help the squad rebuild.
Even for a small-timer team like the Thunder, rebuilding the roster, even if it means making only minor adjustments, can be critical for the start of the upcoming season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Key Additions
Chet Holmgren (20 years old), drafted #2 overall in 2022, has been selected to join the team as one of the team’s newcomers. Under the same terms, we have Ousmane Dieng (19 years old) from France, drafted #11, Jalen Williams (21 years old), drafted #12, and Jaylin Williams (20 years old), drafted #34.
All of these selections are clearly about young and promising talent. With good management and continued growth and maturity, all rookies should be a solid piece of OKC main core, which they will need if they want to be a championship contender again.
Oklahoma City Thunder Subtractions
In terms of subtraction, there is one controversial move worth discussing: Isaiah Roby. Roby debuted in the big leagues with few expectations, but he gradually improved and was finally moved to the Thunder. During his two seasons with the organization, you could obviously see progress and what could be a great playoff candidate, but the Thunder had to determine if they would keep Roby if he was paid $1.9 million for next season. The Thunder backed out at the last minute after previously agreeing to the terms, and were promptly snatched by The San Antonio Spurs.
When it comes toarebuilding phase, it’s critical not to waste anything. Although Isaih Roby’s numbersare hardly the Thunder’s crowning achievement, simply letting him leave and receiving nothing in return is something that could have been discussed more.
Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Analysis
Following only one season as an NBA assistant, on November 11, 2020, Mark Daigneault took over as the fourth head coach in Oklahoma City Thunder history. Daigneault held a 22-50 record during his first season as a head coach in 2020–2021, he then improved his numbers by two wins in 10 additional matches the following year to finish with a 24-58 record.
Unfortunately for coach Daigneault, he won’t have the same quick start in terms of his record as the past OKC Thunder coaches Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan. However, Mark Daigneault has demonstrated superior coaching skills that Brooks and Donovan did not.
One of his most outstanding accomplishments was guiding the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, to three straight division titles. During his time with the Blue, he also won three NBA G League Coach of the Month awards.
According to his own words, “I think coaching at any level is an educational job.” He favors nurturing talent from within. Daigneault has demonstrated the ability to grow players both year over year and month over month, which is an incredibly underestimated quality in a head coach. It’s not an easy undertaking, but Daigneault has succeeded in creating a culture where the players like being around one another.
According to several detractors and basketball fans, the club wasn’t assembled to win. They were assembled to foster development and identify potential franchise members. Now, the coach’s task is to strategize and lead the squad along a more stable path that will enable them to achieve solid results.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Prediction for the 2022-23 Season
Despite having a lot of young talent on the horizon, OKC’s chances are slim. They’re over/under sit at 23.5, which is hardly an encouraging line for the season. They will have one of the most difficult NBA schedules, if not the most difficult of all. There are 51 games in which the opposing teams all had winning records the previous season.
It’s impossible to picture a squad like Oklahoma City as champions, it’s simply not realistic. This is not the same roster that included Kevin Durant and James Harden back then. Chet Holmgren, their new recruit, appears to be able to bring some light to this team’s lackluster lineup, but an unlucky foot injury has forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Both the Northwest Division and the Western Conference Championship are exceedingly unlikely. It’s difficult to imagine OKC surpassing rivals like the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves. They are more likely to be at the bottom of the list since other teams in the division are considered to be better than them overall. Only time will tell if this group, led by Mark Daignault, can become a future threat.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Leaders
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Ranked Stats
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Summary
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Injuries
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Schedule/Results
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Standings
Oklahoma City Thunder Team Roster
Oklahoma City Thunder FAQs
When was the last chance the Oklahoma City Thunder made the playoffs?
The Oklahoma City Thunder last made the playoffs in 2020, when they lost to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference First Round with a record of 3 victories and 4 losses. They’ve been in the playoffs a total of 32 times in their 56 seasons.
Do the Oklahoma City Thunder have a chance of winning the Western Conference title?
It is a given fact that Oklahoma City’s chances of winning the conference and championship crowns are now poor. According to projections, OKC has a 2% probability of making the playoffs. In the NBA, this is the fourth-lowest percentage overall and the second-lowest in the West. In the Western Conference, the Thunder would rank second-worst, behind only the Houston Rockets. It would tie them with the Orlando Magic for the third-worst record in the NBA as a whole.
Have the Oklahoma City Thunder won an NBA championship?
The NBA championship has never been won by the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2012, when they lost the final against the Miami Heat, it was the closest they had ever been to capturing a title. If we consider the whole franchise history, they won the NBA Finals once, in 1979, when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Why Is the Oklahoma City Thunder part of the NBA?
Howard Schultz, the former owner, sold the Seattle SuperSonics for $350 million to a group of Oklahoma City businessmen led by Clay Bennett in 2006. Bennett stated in 2007 that once the lease with KeyArena ended, the team would relocate to Oklahoma City.
