Stiles Points: Enjoy OKC Thunder Second Era, it Is Not Promised

The Oklahoma City Thunder are once again the standard of the NBA. Reaching this level of success again was never promised.

History is not always due to repeat itself. Most often in the NBA, it does not. Of the 30 franchises, most have only been lucky enough to have one successful era rarely as good as the peak the Thunder have already reached since 2008. 

Some teams have waited longer, suffered more and have never seen this much talent grace their halls in decades upon decades. After the Thunder closed the chapter on the Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden era it was never promised that they would reach that level again.

The odds were heavily stacked against it, the past feeling like a crushing weight on the shoulders of the team's first rebuild since relocating from Seattle. Could it ever be that good again? 

Under the leadership of Sam Presti, the Thunder have again crafting the best collective of young talent in the sport with an MVP being flanked by a couple of All-Star caliber players and the most depth - and coach - Oklahoma City has ever enjoyed. 

The parallels are jaw-dropping, so much so even the players are asked about them, but this core has a shot to outperform its predecessors with the knowledge of the teams' past helping them grow in the future. 

This team feels built to last and has the assets to plug future holes, replenish losses and continue to improve this roster. 

The organization was so new, and for many around Bricktown, it was their first exposure to the NBA, that it was easy to take the first era for granted. The microwave success led to a 'this is just what life in the league is!' feeling. In reality, it is exceptionally rare to be this good, let alone twice, especially in a small market. So you have to enjoy the ride.

Stiles Points

• Chet Holmgren attended a local YMCA on Saturday to give tips to youth girls in celebration of National Women's History Month. Holmgren recently opened up a community basketball court in Spencer, OK. At the YMCA the OKC Thunder big man revealed even the children made Abe Lincoln jokes, a jab Holmgren is "learning" to like. 
• Against Memphis the Thunder should be able to experiment. While losing an hour of sleep and moving tip-time up an hour might make for a sluggish evening, Oklahoma City should be able to overwhelm the Grizzlies. In a setting like this, getting NBA reps for a player like Ousmane Dieng could be extremely valuable.
• Jalen Williams mentioned that he watches Aaron Wiggins's college highlights to improve his game. While Wiggins does not believe his teammate, Williams was adamant he does, going as far as to say he watches everyone's film as you can learn something from everyone. 
• In the Western Conference standings race, while the Thunder draw the lowly Grizzlies the Timberwolves take on the Lakers tonight in Los Angeles which could prove pivotal in claiming the top spot in the conference. 

Song of the Day: Get Back by The Beatles. 

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