Jalen Williams waved his arms, egging on an already zealous crowd, as the Thunder put the finishing touches on a 129-107 romp of the Clippers on Thursday night.
“That’s how I remembered it,” said Paul George, the former Thunder of two seasons. “That’s what this arena is known for, is getting loud. When you hear it and you see the intensity of this crowd, it did bring back memories of being here.”
George helped create this monster. His trade request is why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a Thunder. Why the Thunder had the No. 12 pick in the 2022 draft, which Sam Presti shrewdly used to select Jalen Williams.
The Thunder won the PG/SGA trade, but the Clippers haven’t lost it. Not yet, at least. The Thunder smacked them good Thursday night, but the Clippers are a load, as scary now as they’ve ever been in the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard era.
When Presti said in April 2022 that the Clippers “probably will win a title, maybe multiple titles in the next couple years,” some thought Presti was trolling a franchise he had already fleeced.
But Presti isn’t one to stoke NBA flames. He loathes social media so much, “trolling” probably isn’t in his vocabulary.
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Presti was earnest in his belief in the uber talented yet ever injured Clippers, even then when Leonard had just missed the entire 2021-22 season with an ACL injury and the Clippers had missed the playoffs.
It was odd timing to stake a claim on Clippers island. In hindsight, it was a savvy time to buy low.
OKC and LA are two of the top-four teams in the West, sharing a similar spot in the standings despite taking altogether different routes to get there.
That 2019 trade, long ago established as a Thunder landslide victory, might turn out to be a win-win. For all of the snark the Clippers have endured, a championship would validate their every move, exonerating them from trading Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s blossomed into a perennial MVP candidate.
“I just think both sides won,” George said after a January win against the Thunder. “I did think it was quite a lot that the Clippers were willing to give up. Their commitment to me is my commitment to them. Very appreciative to them for going out and grabbing me.”
The Thunder, of course, not only reaped the returns for George, but also for Kawhi Leonard. Because Leonard wanted to go home to Los Angeles and play with George, another L.A. native, Presti held the key that would unlock the combination.
And oh did the Clippers have to pay. Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two pick swaps all in return for George.
Here’s how both teams have fared since making the trade:
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Thunder since SGA/Paul George trade
- 2019-20: 44-28, first-round loss to Rockets
- 2020-21: 22-50, missed playoffs
- 2021-22: 24-58, missed playoffs
- 2022-23: 40-42, made play-in, missed playoffs
- 2023-24: 37-17, second in West through All-Star break
Clippers since SGA/Paul George trade
- 2019-20: 49-23, second-round loss to Nuggets
- 2020-21: 47-25, Western Conference Finals loss to Suns
- 2021-22: 42-40, made play-in, missed playoffs
- 2022-23: 44-38, first-round loss to Suns
- 2023-24: 36-17, third in West through All-Star break
Gilgeous-Alexander has played 282 games in that stretch compared to Paul’s 239. Paul has made three All-Star Games to SGA’s two. SGA is on his way to back-to-back first-team All-NBA selections. Paul was third-team All-NBA in 2020-21.
With the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 25.9 points, 5.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. With the Clippers, George has averaged 23.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
SGA has 50% field goal, 35% 3-point field goal and 86% free throw splits with the Thunder. George has 45/39/88 splits with the Clippers.
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At 25 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander is just entering his prime, five All-NBA and seven All-Star selections behind what George, at 33, has accomplished. SGA is a top-five player in the league. George is probably closer to top-20.
The Clippers got the better player then, but the Thunder has the better player now — with Williams and other picks to come.
There’s no second-guessing the trade from a Thunder perspective. By acquiring SGA and all that came with him, the Thunder is set up for sustained success at the highest levels.
“We knew Shai was going to be really, really good, but he’s special,” George said in January “And so I guess in a way, Oklahoma (City) won that trade with picks and a future MVP.”
But the Clippers can still salvage this thing. Without George, maybe there’s no Leonard. And without Leonard and George, the Clippers aren’t championship contenders now.
The Clippers have a legitimate shot at winning their first ever NBA title. If that happens, even if the Clippers make the Finals, they too will have won the trade.
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Thunder vs. Wizards
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Friday at Paycom Center (KSBI)
First appeared on www.oklahoman.com