Oklahoma Sooners could really learn from successful operation being run right down the street
If you live in Oklahoma, and especially in the Oklahoma City Metro area, you are likely a Sooners fan, or you're a fan of that team up in Stillwater. But most likely, you're a Sooners fan. And, you're probably also an OKC Thunder fan. The Thunder are the best team in the NBA after finishing […]
If you live in Oklahoma, and especially in the Oklahoma City Metro area, you are likely a Sooners fan, or you're a fan of that team up in Stillwater. But most likely, you're a Sooners fan. And, you're probably also an OKC Thunder fan.
The Thunder are the best team in the NBA after finishing their season having won 68 of 82 games, two wins away from having the third-best regular season record ever. And let the stats show that they had a historically elite defense, and that's also showing up in the postseason. They have the NBA's MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, too.
The Thunder are currently up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, two wins away from the NBA Finals. Of course, the state of Oklahoma knows the last time they were there, the 2012 season. That same year, the Sooners finished 10-3 and won the Big 12 Championship. So, it's safe to say that the two sometimes feed off of one another.
And, maybe that carries over to this upcoming season for the Sooners. In fact, Brent Venables should be paying attention to the Thunder and what they have done — they just might learn something. Or, maybe this is just me finding a reason to write about the Thunder. Both could be true.
The Thunder feed off of their home crowd, especially in the postseason. It's often said that they have the best homecourt advantage in the NBA, and it often replicates a college atmosphere, which makes sense. They also use their defense to win on offense, by creating chaos and turnovers and turning those into fastbreak points.
Mark Daigneault, the OKC Thunder head coach, has created a culture and environment that makes it easy for his team to succeed. The chemistry is as good as it gets, and they all play that way on the court. They are deep, very deep, play to their strengths and play with depth.
And, they are young, the youngest team in the NBA. The Thunder are built around SGA, but have used being a small market to their advantage. Every player they have is homegrown and developed, not bought in free agency.
Obviously, it's two different sports, one in college and one in professional, but I can't help but feel like the Sooners could actually learn from the amazing season the Thunder are having.
No. 1 player at his position in the 2027 class and the son of a future NFL HOFer is strongly considering the Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners would love to have him.
