The success of the Oklahoma City Thunder over the last decade has been largely due to their smart decisions in the draft.Much of the credit has to go to general manager Sam Presti.Whether it's been a number one pick or beyond, he's usually got it right for the franchise.Even his gambles have worked out, as was the case with Steven Adams who wasn't regarded as a top prospect.He spent a single year at Pittsburgh and averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

Bad reactions

It was a bit of a risk to take him at number 12 in the 2013 draft but Presti and front office were prepared to do it.

But that decision didn't initially go down well with their best player, Kevin Durant.

That's according to Adams himself who detailed in his new book, Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight, that KD had a negative reaction to the team drafting him.

"I found out later that the moment I was drafted someone tweeted "WELP STEVEN ADAMS TO OKC' and Kevin Durant apparently replied 'smh'," Adams said.

"He deleted the tweet and replaced it with 'Welcome Steven Adams'."

But on that same day, Durant was asked if it was true that he was upset about OKC drafting Adams but he strongly denied it on Twitter.

There certainly would have been more fans in Oklahoma City questioning the choice as they were contending for championships at that time and could've targeted a player to help them immediately.

They were coming off a second-round playoff exit and had made the NBA Finals in 2012.

The 25-year-old was solid but unspectacular in his first three years with the team as he was posting 6.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game.

Improvement

However, he was showing steady progress with each season and he's now become a vital piece for the Thunder.

The center put up career highs last year with 13.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg and has developed into a reliable presence on both ends of the floor.

Adams mans the paint effectively for Billy Donovan's men and his importance was underlined when he was signed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension in 2016-17.

It's a good thing that Durant chose to delete his tweet as it shows that it's never good to make instant judgments after the draft.

New York Knicks fans learned that in 2015 when they rued the team's decision to select Kristaps Porzingis.

Adams may not be that talented but he plays a crucial role for OKC and he's turned into a trustworthy big man.

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