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Oklahoma City Thunder Commit To Vision With Recent Moves

By Maxwell Ogden

Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) pose for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) pose for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have made a number of bold decisions in recent days. It all speaks to the vision: build an elite defense around Russell Westbrook.

Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) pose for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) pose for portraits during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t allowing mistakes of yesteryear to rear their ugly head once again. One could argue that the Thunder have overcompensated, but the actions taken have spoken to a desire to build something grand.

Over the course of roughly 24 hours, the Thunder have gone all-in on building a defensive-minded contender around point guard Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder made waves on Monday, October 31 by committing $184 million to starting center Steven Adams and starting shooting guard Victor Oladipo. The two contract extensions were handed to two of the better defensive players at their position.

According to NBA rumors guru Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Thunder have completed the two-day fiasco by sending Ersan Ilyasova to the Philadelphia 76ers.

In return, the Thunder acquired a player whom they’ve coveted for months: Jerami Grant.

That completes what’s been a wild few days of roster movement in Oklahoma City.

Acquiring Grant seems a bit redundant given the presence of fellow forward Andre Roberson. Roberson, like Grant, is a defensive-minded forward with a limited offensive game and an uncanny ability to defend multiple positions.

What Grant and Roberson enable Oklahoma City to do, however, is to go small and still defend at an elite level.