From postgame barking to ‘the boring stuff’: How the Thunder constructed a profitable tradition

ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN HAD carried out virtually every little thing anticipated of him throughout his delayed debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After lacking this season’s first 15 video games on account of a damaged left hand, the middle crammed up the stat sheet with 13 factors, 14 rebounds, three assists and 4 blocks in a Nov. 20 residence win over the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the kind of affect efficiency the Thunder anticipated when Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million deal in free company over the summer season.

But Hartenstein nonetheless wanted to place the ending touches on his first official outing in an Oklahoma City uniform.

“You know you gotta bark, proper?” Thunder ahead Jalen Williams stated to Hartenstein seconds after the ultimate buzzer sounded.

As is uniquely the norm with the Thunder, Hartenstein had loads of firm whereas he answered a couple of questions from the workforce’s sideline reporter Nick Gallo.

“Nick, he is out of breath,” Williams jokingly chimed in from behind Hartenstein, wanting to get to the grand finale. As the interview ended, Hartenstein grabbed the microphone with each fingers and launched what he later termed “a strong, little bark” as a ceremony of initiation.

“Roo-roo-roo! Roo-roo-roo!”

It’s a foolish custom that began halfway by way of final season, when the Thunder had been within the means of turning into the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA historical past. It started with an impromptu bark from Williams, referred to as “JDub” in Thunder parlance to keep away from being confused with Jaylin “J-Will” Williams.

The barking turned an audible expression of the group’s mixture of goofy personalities. The Thunder take their jobs extraordinarily severely. Themselves, not a lot.

“Just assimilate into the tradition, man,” Alex Caruso advised ESPN. “It’s an extended 12 months. For us to get to the place we wish to be, we bought to be one and collectively, and that is a part of it.”

The post-win interviews on the tv broadcast, which at all times are group affairs and infrequently finish with barking, show the bond of an ascending contender that has a collegial really feel and an expert method.

Oklahoma City — only some years faraway from having one of many NBA’s worst data — has remained true to its core organizational philosophies even because the Thunder emerged as an elite workforce sooner than anticipated. Coach Mark Daigneault has managed to get one of many league’s youngest groups to persistently embrace the mundane — from ability work to game-plan element — even whereas experiencing success that usually ends in inflated egos.

“I believe that is why we have been in a position to speed up our growth,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander advised ESPN. “All these little issues that go into profitable, they imply rather a lot to us due to our competitiveness and what our widespread objective is as a bunch.”

The Thunder made jumps of 16 and 17 wins over the previous two seasons, respectively, as 2022 lottery picks Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren proved themselves as star-caliber enhances to Gilgeous-Alexander. Instead of buying and selling for an additional star within the wake of final spring’s second-round playoff exit, Thunder basic supervisor Sam Presti focused top-notch position gamers who match the Thunder’s tradition and elegance of play, signing Hartenstein and buying and selling for Caruso, who turned the oldest participant on the roster (30) when he was acquired in a summer season commerce with the Chicago Bulls.

As this season nears the halfway level, Oklahoma City is on a 69-win tempo regardless of Holmgren taking part in in solely 10 video games earlier than struggling a fractured pelvis that has sidelined him since Nov. 11. The Thunder are particularly dominant on the much less glamorous finish of the ground. They are permitting a league-low 102.9 factors per 100 possessions, 3.8 fewer than another workforce, coming into Thursday’s residence in opposition to in opposition to the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, who snapped Oklahoma City’s 15-game profitable streak on Jan. 8.

The mixture of what Caruso describes as “youthful power” and “self-discipline” made a right away impression on Oklahoma City’s veteran offseason additions.

“I believe numerous younger guys focus an excessive amount of on what is going on to occur sooner or later, however I really feel like they’re actually good at ensuring we’re getting higher every day,” stated Hartenstein, 26, the third-oldest participant on the Oklahoma City roster behind Caruso and reserve ahead/heart Kenrich Williams. “If you wish to be an awesome workforce on this league, you need to give attention to the boring stuff, the main points. They do an awesome job in that.”

DAIGNEAULT COMPARES GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER’S evolution into one of many league’s greatest gamers to investing in a mutual fund. It’s not flashy, simply regular positive factors compounding day after day.

It’s an analogy that additionally applies to the Thunder’s path from a rebuilding venture to the clear-cut Western Conference favourite within the 4 and a half years since Presti promoted Daigneault from assistant to go coach as Oklahoma City was within the means of tearing down the roster round Gilgeous-Alexander.

Presti — armed with a historic stockpile of draft picks that was constructed starting with the 2019 blockbuster deal that despatched Paul George to the LA Clippers and introduced Gilgeous-Alexander (and finally Jalen Williams) to Oklahoma City — kept away from making splashy trades in an try to expedite the franchise’s return to relevance. Instead, the Thunder leaned into endurance and participant growth, enduring two seasons close to the underside of the Western Conference standings at first of Daigneault’s tenure earlier than the progress turned obvious.

“Those years once we weren’t the best, he at all times made positive that we had been taking part in the sport the proper manner and doing the stuff that will switch as soon as we turned a greater workforce,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “And that is carried over clearly with the extra expertise we get and the higher we get.”

Gilgeous-Alexander labored his manner from intriguing prospect to All-Star to arguably the NBA’s most well-rounded famous person since arriving in Oklahoma City. Luguentz Dort, the one different participant remaining from that 2019-20 roster, has remodeled from an undrafted participant with an unpleasant jumper to one of many league’s premier 3-and-D gamers, a fringe stopper who has shot 39.7% from 3-point vary during the last season and a half. The remainder of the roster has adopted swimsuit.

Rival executives and coaches broadly imagine that the Thunder are within the early levels of an prolonged window as a contender, however Oklahoma City’s roster has been constructed with out repeated swings within the higher half of the draft lottery.

Chet Holmgren, chosen second within the 2022 draft, is the lone single-digit draft choose on the roster and one in all solely 4 first-rounders within the Oklahoma City rotation. It’s a deep roster stuffed with under-the-radar developmental success tales occupying key roles, the kind of workforce that’s the results of large scouting, which continues to be how Presti views himself on the core.

Isaiah Joe, a thin, sharpshooting reserve guard whom Daigneault likes to discuss with as one of many league’s hardest gamers pound-for-pound, was a waiver-wire pickup. Aaron Wiggins, a backup ahead, was the No. 55 choose in 2021. They each earned new four-year contracts over the summer season.

This summer season’s main additions, Caruso and Hartenstein, match into the ethos of grinders made good. Like Dort, they each needed to toil within the G League to earn end-of-the-roster spots within the NBA and work their manner into turning into important position gamers. Caruso really started his professional profession with Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, earlier than leaving for a two-way take care of the Los Angeles Lakers. With a smile, Presti cited this as proof that he is made his share of expertise analysis errors.

Daigneault has attributed “an unusual maturity” of a roster that also ranks because the league’s fourth-youngest weighted by taking part in time, in response to ESPN Research, as a vital ingredient of Oklahoma City’s success.

“They wish to be part of one thing greater than themselves,” Daigneault stated. “I believe that is one of many issues that Sam’s nailed on this course of. The kinds of those who we have introduced within the door, no matter whether or not they’re nonetheless right here or they are not, by and enormous, have been dedicated professionals which might be formidable, however they’re additionally prepared to finish the workforce.

“So that is been an enormous start line. And then you definately take these folks, you place ’em in a secure setting, you educate ’em on the worth of all of the invisible issues, and also you hammer that again and again. You hammer that setting again and again. You hammer these messages again and again and then you definately double down on the folks that you’ve got and simply permit that to develop and compound.”

THE GROUP POSTGAME interviews are cute demonstrations of the Thunder’s chemistry, however they’ve additionally been fodder for criticism from a four-time NBA champion.

Golden State Warriors energy ahead Draymond Green known as the Thunder’s group interviews “a bit alarming” throughout an early-season version of his podcast.

“There’s a sure seriousness that it takes to win on this league, and there is a sure worry you need to instill in groups with the intention to win,” Green stated. “And I do not know in the event that they’re instilling that worry in groups with the entire bromance and stuff after the sport.”

Green’s feedback, whether or not severe concern or a trolling try to create controversy for a rival, went viral. But they did not elicit way more than a shrug from the Thunder, a workforce that doesn’t do drama.

“We’re simply involved about what is going on on right here and every little thing else type of takes care of itself,” Jalen Williams stated, claiming it was the primary he’d heard of Green’s feedback when requested about them a couple of days later. “I really feel prefer it’s type of bizarre to have a powerful opinion on it, however we’re simply so locked in on what we now have happening right here.”

The Thunder have a degree differential of plus-12.8 factors per recreation, which might break the document set by the 1971-72 Lakers (plus-12.3) for the very best in NBA historical past. They have misplaced consecutive video games simply as soon as this season and have but to lose three in a row. That’s a fairly convincing option to stop questions on whether or not a workforce is severe sufficient.

“We all know it is a job after which it is a enterprise, however on the finish of the day, we’re taking part in a recreation we love daily,” Dort stated. “Every time we get up, we’re doing one thing enjoyable and we wish to preserve that in every little thing. I imply, this recreation brings numerous stress and numerous stuff exterior, so each time we’re collectively, we wish to have as a lot enjoyable [as] we are able to have. That’s simply a few of the goofiness that we began doing and it helps the workforce, truthfully.”

Gilgeous-Alexander did not bark after his Dec. 26 efficiency that Daigneault described as “a masterpiece,” when he carried the Thunder to a street win over the Indiana Pacers by scoring 16 of his career-high-tying 45 factors within the last seven minutes.

But Gilgeous-Alexander’s last phrases of his on-court interview with Gallo did present a glimpse of the Thunder’s bond.

“All proper, let’s go to Charlotte!” Gilgeous-Alexander stated with real enthusiasm earlier than revealing why the following cease, and a gathering with one of many NBA’s worst groups, had been circled on the Thunder’s calendar for weeks.

“It’s Wiggs’ jersey retirement in Charlotte,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated, pointing his thumb behind him at Aaron Wiggins as Kenrich Williams playfully massaged the reserve ahead’s shoulders and Jaylin Williams jokingly smacked him within the chest. “Let’s hurry up and get there!”

A day forward of their recreation in opposition to the Hornets, the workforce’s whole touring celebration boarded a bus at their resort in Charlotte for a 90-minute drive to High Point, N.C., to go to Wiggins’ highschool alma mater, Wesleyan Christian Academy. Wiggins was honored in a pregame ceremony, and the Thunder stayed for the primary quarter to observe his youthful brother, Zacch, play earlier than getting again on the bus and making the journey again to the Charlotte resort.

The Thunder made an analogous journey — 90 minutes every manner from Dallas to Waco — to rejoice Kenrich Williams when his highschool retired his quantity the night time earlier than a December street recreation final season.

“This is my solely workforce, however I do not suppose it is like that on each workforce,” Jalen Williams stated. “It’s one thing that no person on the squad takes with no consideration.”