Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2021/22 revision of our top Oklahoma City Thunder.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, OKC failed to make the playoffs, and likely won’t this year.  This list incorporates those who played for the organization when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.  There were no new entries and, only one elevation.

As always, we present our top five:

1. Russell Westbrook

2. Gary Payton

3. Kevin Durant

4. Shawn Kemp

5. Jack Sikma

You can find the entire list here.

The only elevation is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went to #34 from #46.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Jarred Vanderbilt played his college ball at Kentucky, and did well enough to earn a spot in the 2018 NBA Draft, a second round selection by Denver.  An excellent leaper and dunker, Vanderbilt did not play much for the Nuggets, as he was assigned mostly with Rio Grande in the G-League, but a trade in 2000 would grant the Power Forward an opportunity for playing time.

Vanderbilt was on the T-Wolves roster going into the 2020-21 Season, staring 30 of his 64 Games, averaging 5.8 Rebounds per Game despite playing less than 20 Minutes per Game.  He started more Games in 2021-22, (67 of 74), again with a healthy Rebound number (8.4 RPG), and helping Minnesota make the playoffs for the first time in years.

As good as he was becoming, Vanderbilt was traded to Utah to get Rudy Gobert, ending Vanderbilt’s time with the Timberwolves.

American players who go undrafted don’t often make it to the NBA, but Naz Reid put in the work to make it where others were have given up.

Playing at LSU, Reid signed with the Timberwolves, splitting time between the parent club and Iowa of the D-League in his rookie year.  Reid stayed with Minnesota for good in his second season, finding a role off of the bench to give a rebounding and blocking percentage, while still taking enough shots to make him viable offensively.  While Reid has yet to average 20 Minutes per Game in a season, which was not aided by the addition of Rudy Gobert.  

Going into this year, Reid is averaging a shade over 10 Points per Game.

D’Angelo Russell first turned heads with the Los Angeles Lakers, but was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2018, where he was an All-Star in 2019.  The Guard was then dealt to Golden State where he was part of the package to bring Kevin Durant.  As good as Russell was, he was part of another deal shortly after, where he was deal to his current squad, Minnesota, who sent Andrew Wiggins the other way.

Russell, meshed well in Minnesota, and helped them make the playoffs and kept his PPG average strong with a near 20 metirc.  A solid scorer, Russell was not an elite player, and the tinkering Timberwolves traded him back to his original team, the Lakers, during the 2022-23 Season.  WIth the T-Wolves, Russell averaged 18.5 Points per Game over approximately three years of service.