It's no secret that the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise has positioned itself in such a way that every other team in sports would die to replicate.
What's been hidden in the shadows, however, is the way general manager Sam Presti, head coach Mark Daigneault, and the rest of the staff go about setting this team up for success.
In a recent media presser, Daigneault finally revealed what the rest of the NBA has only been guessing at when it comes to this aspect of their game:
"First of all, we get great guys. Not every player is the same, and Sam [Presti] and his group do a great job at identifying people that naturally align with the things we emphasize," Daigneault said*. "The other thing is, the things that we emphasize, it's not only system stuff, but we want the fundamentals. Some of the bigger-picture things we emphasize, like competitive mentality and professionalism - the idea is for those things to be win-win. Theoretically, those things should help us be successful as a team, but it should also help every single player individually build their career."*
Daigneault went on to discuss how they emphasize presenting information in this mutually beneficial way to players, which leads to easy buy-in and team cohesion.
He explained how Oklahoma City as an organization has been committing to this process for a while, which makes sense considering how this Thunder superteam has built its roster from the ground up over the span of multiple years.
OKC Thunder have won by going against the grain
In a day where ego, flash, and tools are king, the Thunder have chosen a different route.
They have forgone chasing the most talented of players and, instead, have elected to go with players "who align with the team's outlook on basketball." It's no wonder this team never has off-court issues, locker-room drama, or on-court antics.
Aaron Wiggins backed up Daigneault's statements in his own media session, as he talked about how Sam Presti drafts "people first and players second."
It's a strategy that goes against modern-day analytics and metrics, and returns to a time when talent was measured by more than just the numbers a player could put up in a showcase or tryout.
With these words coming from a role player, it's no wonder the Thunder front office was recently tabbed as the best in the sport.
A people-first philosophy seems like a lost art in professional sports. We've seen franchises in all major leagues attempt to collect as many star players as possible to build unbeatable superteams.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have committed their small-market budget to drafting and development, all while picking up small pieces along the way.
Last year, these underrated efforts culminated in the franchise's first NBA Championship, and at 25-2 as of Friday, they are poised and ready to repeat.
They won't be taking anybody by surprise anymore, however, and numerous threats in the West will get their crack at the champs when all is said and done.