Inside The Wizards

Wizards See Themselves in Thunder

The Washington Wizards hope to replicate what the Oklahoma City Thunder have been able to do.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reaches for a loose ball between Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reaches for a loose ball between Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are going through a rebuild, and if they are going to use a blueprint in how to fix a basketball team and turn things around, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a great model to try and replicate.

The Thunder were one of the league's worst teams over the past few years, but things slowly picked up for them thanks to the DNA and culture of their team that they built.

Now, they have an identity as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

“They are a really good defensive team,” Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas said postgame. “They're really good, they are helping each other they are moving on the strings. It wasn’t easy. We fought.”

The defense and their other qualities are admirable, and the Wizards hope that they can be that in the coming years.

“We got talent, we got humble guys who are willing to win and put extra work in," Valanciunas said. "Now we just got to do it. It's not going to be built over the over the weekend. We got to invest some time, invest patience, invest dedication and we'll be fine.”

The Wizards could be seen as a team struggling to figure things out, but a plan is being implemented, and that means they are going in the right direction.

Like Valanciunas said, this is not something that can be built overnight. It will take years to build a contender that can challenge the best in the NBA, but the Wizards are doing it in such an organic way that it can be solved so long as the front office drafts the right people in the coming years.

The Wizards are back in action on Thursday as they take on the Charlotte Hornets.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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