The CBA has created an unstoppable monster in OKC

[Mephariel]

We have to start talking about Presti as the greatest NBA executive of all time. What he's managed to do in the NBA's smallest market is just crazy. The dude has managed to assemble 2 separate dynastic cores in under 20 years (the first core was prematurely broken up by cheap ownership). He has developed 4 different MVPs. He drafts All-Stars and impact players in his sleep. Imagine if he was the GM of a big market team.

I've never seen anyone understand the game as well as he does. Pop came the closest, but his entire run was based on having Duncan (his ability to extend the Spurs' title window over two decades was remarkable though).

I actually think Pop's credit is not Duncan, but Manu and Parker. The way his system worked for those guys to me is what makes him legendary. I am not convinced Parker or Manu having the type of impact they had under a different system or a different coach.

[Triple M]

OKC is great and they deserve their sucess because they have been well run for years. Maybe this is the universe balancing after not getting much out of drafting KD, Russ and Harden.

But as great as OKC is Indy did take them to 7. In the parity era the hot team at the right time can take out anyone as seen by multple defending champs the last few years

[Ryoga Hibiki]

When a Process like rebuild works, that's how it looks

[rand]

We have to start talking about Presti as the greatest NBA executive of all time. What he's managed to do in the NBA's smallest market is just crazy. The dude has managed to assemble 2 separate dynastic cores in under 20 years (the first core was prematurely broken up by cheap ownership). He has developed 4 different MVPs. He drafts All-Stars and impact players in his sleep. Imagine if he was the GM of a big market team.

I've never seen anyone understand the game as well as he does. Pop came the closest, but his entire run was based on having Duncan (his ability to extend the Spurs' title window over two decades was remarkable though).

I actually think Pop's credit is not Duncan, but Manu and Parker. The way his system works for those guys to me is what makes him legendary. I am not convinced Parker or Manu having the type of impact they had under a different system or a different coach.

Agree on Parker but not Manu. Aside from watching him in the NBA, his international career alone is enough to convince me he would have been a massive impact player for any team.

[BruttoNostra]

If by CBA the OP means "Clippers Basketball Aspirations" - then yes, it's what created this Thunder team.
And yes, as early as the next offseason they'll have to start dealing with overblown salary sheet, as both Chet and J-Dubb start they max extension, so even if Thunder dominate again this season, it will not continue for long.

[Johnny Firpo]

OP, the likely reason why they won't win something like five out of the next six, is exactly the new CBA. Yes, they have advantage and will likely win 2 out of the next 3, but then it becomes extremely difficult for them to keep the big 3. If we'd have the old CBA, they'd still likely be the best, in fact, if we'd have the new CBA, they would have been more likely to build a superteam instead of doing this young project organically. Because they had/have more than enough to trade even for a Giannis.

[Exp0sed]

I can do nothing but laugh at the people who keep talking about how the new CBA, second apron rules etc are making the NBA better.

I’m not sure many seem to fathom how unstoppable it makes OKC because other ‘contenders’ are so limited in what they can do to add talent.

Barring injuries, i don’t see how this team isn’t a dominant Warriors like force. The sort of thing everyone cried about.

Don’t get me wrong they’d be amazing without the new CBA changes but I think other teams would be better placed to build deeper teams to compete.

This new CBA sucks. I just don’t see how we won’t continually run into this sort of scenario with one dominant team and a bunch of average so called contenders.

it's not the CBA, it's Presti

CBA applies to everybody but only one guy cracked the code, Kudos to him, he's the person most resposinsible for OKC's first chip (which was likely one a few chips to come till the end of the decade)

[sisibilio]

This summer they likely lose Hartenstein and Dort, and going forward they'd eventually have to choose between Jalen Williams and Chet.

[sisibilio]

We have to start talking about Presti as the greatest NBA executive of all time. What he's managed to do in the NBA's smallest market is just crazy. The dude has managed to assemble 2 separate dynastic cores in under 20 years (the first core was prematurely broken up by cheap ownership). He has developed 4 different MVPs. He drafts All-Stars and impact players in his sleep. Imagine if he was the GM of a big market team.

I've never seen anyone understand the game as well as he does. Pop came the closest, but his entire run was based on having Duncan (his ability to extend the Spurs' title window over two decades was remarkable though).

I actually think Pop's credit is not Duncan, but Manu and Parker. The way his system works for those guys to me is what makes him legendary. I am not convinced Parker or Manu having the type of impact they had under a different system or a different coach.

Parker was more of a system player but Manu would
ha e been great anywhere.

[Un4given]

if anything, CBA is the the reason OKCs monster is going to lose some heads next season not the reason it has become a monster in a first place.

Under previous CBA, most big market teams would easily pay tax and just plain resign Hartestein and Dort, I'm afraid there's no reallistic way how OKC can keep those two coming into next season. And while Dort has become expendable imho, losing IHart could be huge unleass they dins a way to cut their wages elsewhere which would probably mean at least Caruso is getting traded.

The fact that they still can remain deep has nothing with CBA, it's all about Presti being able to find gems in draft which they can develop.

How is CBA a factor in a fact that they have Mitchell tied up for next three season for 3M per year or Wallace + Joe + Wiggins under control for at least three more season for less then 30M combined? Even if You exclude SGA, Dort and Caruso, those four are a guard rotation better then lots of teams have.

[MoneyTalks41890]

The CBA is a puzzle to be solved and Presti is better at this than his peers.

[og15]

The CBA has nothing to do with creating OKC, that was some things working out much better than expected (SGA becoming a superstar and MVP candidate) and then good drafting and team building.

Then CBA will cause them to have to lose some guys, but they have also acquired enough pick swaps, etc to be able to hopefully (for them) replace those guys are they go.

That's the whole logic of the CBA, you can build a great team, but you will have to disperse the expensive complimentary talent around after some time.

[John Murdoch]

Yea presti was fielding deep teams even in the Harden era

[Andri]

The CBA is a puzzle to be solved and Presti is better at this than his peers.

He is the best in the business, and he will likely have a top10 pick and a couple of first rounders more again to work his magic and compensate for the loss of players.

[MoneyTalks41890]

The CBA has nothing to do with creating OKC, that was some things working out much better than expected (SGA becoming a superstar and MVP candidate) and then good drafting and team building.

Then CBA will cause them to have to lose some guys, but they have also acquired enough pick swaps, etc to be able to hopefully (for them) replace those guys are they go.

That's the whole logic of the CBA, you can build a great team, but you will have to disperse the expensive complimentary talent around after some time.

Listen to Presti talk about this sometime. The team is built and contracts are structured to weather the 2nd apron by swapping out cheap talent. Started with acquiring distant draft picks. Then getting the core players on rookie deals. Giving the players below market extensions with options. It’s all about it the CBA, we just haven’t seen the hard part yet. But Presti built it so there’s a three year run before that even becomes a question.

[shrink]

The CBA has nothing to do with creating OKC, that was some things working out much better than expected (SGA becoming a superstar and MVP candidate) and then good drafting and team building.

Then CBA will cause them to have to lose some guys, but they have also acquired enough pick swaps, etc to be able to hopefully (for them) replace those guys are they go.

That's the whole logic of the CBA, you can build a great team, but you will have to disperse the expensive complimentary talent around after some time.

Listen to Presti talk about this sometime. The team is built and contracts are structured to weather the 2nd apron by swapping out cheap talent. Started with acquiring distant draft picks. Then getting the core players on rookie deals. Giving the players below market extensions with options. It’s all about it the CBA, we just haven’t seen the hard part yet. But Presti built it so there’s a three year run before that even becomes a question.

I think og has it right.

Through good drafting and trades, Sam Presti now has two players that will deserve max deals, and a third deserving the super-max. Rookie scale existed long before the second apron, and there is nothing that was done under this CBA that wouldn’t have been done under previous CBAs.

The OP did the typical, “Here’s something I see, now let me choose something I don’t like (new CBA) to blame it on!”

[JHFVF07]

OKC was created by competent people if we're being honest the CBA might pretty well break what could be a ten year dinasty. OKC will have a lot of trouble to pay everyone past this year.

[Jadoogar]

I can do nothing but laugh at the people who keep talking about how the new CBA, second apron rules etc are making the NBA better.

I’m not sure many seem to fathom how unstoppable it makes OKC because other ‘contenders’ are so limited in what they can do to add talent.

Barring injuries, i don’t see how this team isn’t a dominant Warriors like force. The sort of thing everyone cried about.

Don’t get me wrong they’d be amazing without the new CBA changes but I think other teams would be better placed to build deeper teams to compete.

This new CBA sucks. I just don’t see how we won’t continually run into this sort of scenario with one dominant team and a bunch of average so called contenders.

I think you are way off on this OKC still a small market and this is the last year before all the supermaxes kick in.

They won't be able keep everyone however they are still under the apron this year.

They still have picks and that has nothing to do with the CBA .Drafting and developing has nothing to do with it either.

yea people are too quick with this dynasty talk. Remember when Boston was going to be the next unstoppable dynasty? Things change very quickly in the NBA. It's going to be very hard for them to keep that team together. Someone is going to steal guys like Cason Wallace or Isaiah Joe.

[MoneyTalks41890]

The CBA has nothing to do with creating OKC, that was some things working out much better than expected (SGA becoming a superstar and MVP candidate) and then good drafting and team building.

Then CBA will cause them to have to lose some guys, but they have also acquired enough pick swaps, etc to be able to hopefully (for them) replace those guys are they go.

That's the whole logic of the CBA, you can build a great team, but you will have to disperse the expensive complimentary talent around after some time.

Listen to Presti talk about this sometime. The team is built and contracts are structured to weather the 2nd apron by swapping out cheap talent. Started with acquiring distant draft picks. Then getting the core players on rookie deals. Giving the players below market extensions with options. It’s all about it the CBA, we just haven’t seen the hard part yet. But Presti built it so there’s a three year run before that even becomes a question.

I think og has it right.

Through good drafting and trades, Sam Presti now has two players that will deserve max deals, and a third deserving the super-max. Rookie scale existed long before the second apron, and there is nothing that was done under this CBA that wouldn’t have been done under previous CBAs.

The OP did the typical, “Here’s something I see, now let me choose something I don’t like (new CBA) to blame it on!”

Yeah that’s fair I guess I don’t agree with the OP that OKC team is a specific product of this deal but also whether it’s just his disposition or because of the future CBA effects, the Thunder resisted a lot of pressure to trade for a veteran the last few years. And the future effects of this CBA made that less tenable. But that’s true for any punitive CBA and again reflects Presti kind of already being predisposed to drafting and internal development.

[itrsteve]

Celtics fans still crying. The team chipped and the owner immediately cashed out. Blame Wyc and his pops.

I'm not crying, everybody knew in advance that signings were made to win now, it worked once and that's what counts.

CBA did the Celtics a favor to force the hand to move off from aging talent, compounded by a gap year of Tatum being out. It'll be okay.

I just wish the CBA would have some sort of provision to discount the cap hit from players you drafted and extended. They allow you to pay a player more than any other team, then penalize you for doing so and it effectively works against itself by making top heavy rosters with big financial penalties.

We see it now with Brown & Tatum which is what it is and unfortunately OKC will be penalized by drafting, developing and rewarding Williams and Chet as well. Hopefully they'll rethink it next time around.