OKC's 2022 draftees dominated the Jazz, showcasing elite talent and proving a masterclass in team building. Holmgren and Jalen Williams led the charge.
The reigning champion and possible budding dynasty Oklahoma City Thunder have had numerous franchise altering moments throughout this historically successful second era run.
The Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plus draft picks trade being the biggest, of course. Other turning points include the hiring of Mark Daigneault, the signing of undrafted free agent Lu Dort, the Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso trade and the Cason Wallace draft selection. But the second most significant transaction in climbing to the top of the NBA mountain was the entirety of OKC's 2022 NBA Draft class.
Just three and a half years ago, the Thunder drafted Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams and, hilariously, Jaylin Williams all on the same night. At the time, the foursome was considered a coup by Thunder General Manager Sam Presti. But nobody knew at the time that OKC walked away with arguably the two best players in the entire draft. Nor did anyone realize it had the potential to one day be considered one of the all-time greatest draft classes the sport has seen from one team.
The Thunder's 131-101 smackdown of the Jazz on Sunday night was a good reminder of the strength and importance of OKC's 2022 draftees. Holmgren kept up his All-Star trajectory with 25 points on 12-15 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in only 23 minutes. Dieng scored 14 points and cashed in on 4 of 5 attempts from deep. The Jalen Williams from Santa Clara continued to round back into his All-NBA form with 25 points, 8 assists and 2 steals. And Jaylin Williams from Arkansas had one of his trademark all around box score nights as a starter with 5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.
The draft class has already produced one All-NBA/All-Star/All-Defensive player courtesy of OKC's #12 overall pick. The team's #2 overall pick is the current betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and is already penciled in by many NBA talking heads as a 2026 All-Star. The Thunder's #34 overall pick is a fan favorite, a locker room leader, led the league in charges taken as a rookie and led OKC in triple doubles during their championship season. And while the #11 overall pick may not have lived up to his draft status yet, he was viewed as a raw, high upside prospect who is still incredibly young and has shown flashes as a real NBA rotation player. To say nothing of the fact that he's the only player from the entire 2022 draft class who has won two pro championships and a Finals MVP.