NBA Playoffs 2012: Why Oklahoma City Thunder Are the Next San Antonio Spurs

Built from the ground up.

In a day and age in which dynasties are sought after via free agency, there is a sense of additional pride when a team is built via years of prospect evaluation and calculated risk. A sense of confidence that your work has exceeded that of those who benefit from monetary attempts over true leaps of faith.

A prime example of this would be the dynasty who has taken home four of the past 13 NBA titles. A franchise who has played the draft odds and found themselves heavily rewarded via second-round gambles, draft lottery treats and complementary acquisitions.

A franchise that has gone from David Robinson to Tim Duncan to Manu Ginobili to Tony Parker. A team that has kept one coach, Gregg Popovich, through every ups and downs. An organization that defines excellence.

The San Antonio Spurs.

The praise could last throughout the entirety of this article. Their five NBA titles under Popovich warrant such treatment. With that being said, so does the young franchise that is currently attempting to unseat the Spurs from the top of the food chain.

The Oklahoma City Thunder got rid of their stars, trusted their scouts and patiently put together a roster led by three lottery picks—two of whom were overlooked by many teams and scouts due to their questionable collegiate resumes.

Through thick and thin, the Thunder emerged as one of the most promising young franchises in the entire NBA.

Led by scoring machine Kevin Durant, the Thunder exhibited all the characteristics of an offensive powerhouse. Under head coach Scott Brooks, however, the Thunder have taken a page out of the Spurs' legendary book.

They adapted to the times and put the complementary pieces where they needed to be. They put defense over everything.

The Thunder selected Serge Ibaka with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. They followed this up by performing key trades and signings to acquire the likes of Derek Fisher and Kendrick Perkins. The result has been consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals.

And so the dynasty begins.

The Thunder have pieced together a draft-made Big Three, much like the San Antonio Spurs have done since the very beginning of the Popovich era. The Thunder have preached defense over everything, much like the Spurs of Popovich fame. And they've taken down the favorites, much like the Spurs of Popovich fame.

Isn't that right, Shaq and Kobe?

With the future bright and the learning process painful yet beneficial, the Thunder are in prime position to become the next NBA dynasty. Ibaka and Perkins offer the Thunder an elite interior defense, while Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook provide the necessary scoring.

Alongside this group, the Thunder have found their Bruce Bowen in Thabo Sefolosha. They've also found their motivation: a postseason loss.

The San Antonio Spurs found the same motivation in the 2002 Western Conference semifinals when they lost 4-1 to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers—the same team that San Antonio beat in 2003 en route to their first title of the decade.

The San Antonio Spurs may not be ready to pass the torch in 2012, but watch this series closely. The maturation of the Thunder is occurring at a rapid pace and this potentially lopsided series may be the kickstart they need.

Scott Brooks and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the next dynasty. The next San Antonio Spurs.