When resident All-Star Paul George scuttled offseason bliss in asking for a trade to the Clippers, Thunder general manager Sam Presti wasted no time pivoting towards a rebuild. Make no mistake; the request (more like a demand, really) was a shock to the senses, and not just because it came a mere year after the National Basketball Association’s second-leading scorer dramatically re-upped with the franchise. Nonetheless, he knew what he had to do, and proceeded to milk the prospective recipient for all that his departing asset was worth. The record haul of two starter-level players and a bevy of draft picks set him up for a future filled with hard work, but fueled by optimism.
The trade of erstwhile foundation Russell Westbrook soon followed as a matter of course. And even as the Rockets claimed the former league Most Valuable Player, not a few quarters believed the Thunder came out neutral in a worst-case scenario. True, Chris Paul was getting ahead in age and prone to injury, making his contract a $124.1-million albatross through 2022. On the other hand, there can be no undervaluing the importance of the deal as addition by subtraction. With two-fifths of the 2019–20 campaign now history, an ample body of work validates the argument that marked inefficiency at the point guard position has been replaced by foundational stability.
Admittedly, Paul has seen better days, and it would be foolhardy to continue viewing him as a transcendent star able to shepherd the Thunder deep into the playoffs. (He couldn’t do the same at his peak with the lob-city Clippers alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and under the tutelage of Doc Rivers, but that’s another discussion for another day). Still, he has been the best version of his 34-year-old self — which is to say a stabilizing presence on the court, and a much-needed mentor with tons of experience to impart off it. To the rebooting blue and yellow, his presence has been a decided boon.
Fans looking at league standings following yesterday’s action will find the Thunder at 20 and 16, down one game in the Loss column courtesy of the Sixers. The outcome wasn’t really a surprise given the disparity in talent between the protagonists. That said, they hung tough until the end. And, if nothing else, their gritty performance on the road against highly regarded opposition reflects their mindset under Paul’s guidance. They’re supposed to win no more than 35 games all told; instead, they’re already close to three-fifths of the number, seventh in conference standings, and exceeding all — yes, even their own — expectations.
Anything can happen between now and the middle of April, so the Thunder may yet fall prey to the law of averages. Nonetheless, they’re battling in ways they have no business doing — all because Paul refuses to yield, and because Presti understands that the upside is always better with players who want to stick around as opposed to stars who don’t.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
