When the summer blockbuster deal between the Thunder and Clippers went down last summer, most assumed that Danilo Gallinari was not long for OKC. The prevailing school of thought was that Gallo, as a supremely gifted scorer on a one-year deal, would be gone by the trade deadline, bringing back whatever assets Sam Presti could receive in the trade. With the first stretch of the season featuring a brutal start, this only intensified the belief that he would be a short timer in OKC, but Destiny had something else in mind for the Thunder. Slowly, game by game, this patchwork group of players learned to not only play together, but thrive.