Draft Express shares their opinion of White's D-League game. Apparently, they were quite impressed. NBA.COM discusses rebuilding young and use the OKC Thunder as an example. Go Thunder!!!

DraftExpress: D-League Showcase: Day Two
Second-year Oklahoma City Thunder allocation player D.J. White was one of the more impressive players we've seen in our two days here, and also one of the more intriguing from an NBA standpoint, showing us precisely why he was a first round pick. Clearly the strongest player in the game, White used his well-built body and solid athleticism to just out-pursue and out-muscle the opposition on the glass and in the post. He finished the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8-13 shooting in 41 minutes of action.

White serves a great purpose here at this Showcase from our perspective, as he provides a clear barometer for what an NBA player actually looks like, and is an excellent measuring stick for which to evaluate other big men D-League prospects off of.

Offensively, White looked deadly from the 15-20 foot range, hitting quite a few shots on the game, including at least one contested fade-away. He also showed prowess in the post with a nice drop-step, as well as finishing with an explosive dunk on a pick-and-roll. Despite not being the quickest or most explosive athlete around, he covers long strides with his moves, and is capable of elevating around the rim and converting thanks to his terrific length when given time to gather himself.

Defensively, White is extremely vocal, makes all the rotations, and definitely still brings the defensive intensity he showed as a senior at Indiana. He's a bit lacking in terms of lateral quickness, which can lead to him getting beat in the post and on the perimeter by quicker foes, but he uses his length and strong base very well to be an effective overall defender.

White has already played rotation minutes in stretches with the Thunder the past two seasons, and might've been more of a regular there if not for various injuries he's suffered since being drafted. He's getting some good experience in this stint in the D-League, and definitely has the potential to break into the Thunder rotation as the season goes on, where he surely will be called back to the NBA at some point.

NBA.com: Patience with youth paying off in OKC, Sacramento
So the whole idea about building primarily through youth is a total crapshoot, right? Try telling that to the Thunder. It's working out pretty well for Oklahoma City, thank you. And even though nothing's guaranteed, especially with regard to young players, whose future would you rather have: Oklahoma City's or, let's say, the Celtics?

There are two teams in the NBA falling in love with youth and more than willing to cope with any development issues. They have more barely-tapped talent than anyone, and would meet for the championship right now in a 23-and-under league. One team is obvious. The other might surprise you.

Here's an examination of some of the young involving selected 23-and-under players who haven't reached their primes with the Thunder and ... the Kings?

Kevin Durant, OKC, 21. Can he possibly win MVP this season? Or at least the scoring title? The answer to both is probably no, but just by being in the conversation for those two categories demonstrates just how fortunate the Thunder are to have the best young player in basketball. He just finished a streak of seven straight games of 30 points or more and is emerging as the rare player who will destroy anyone one-on-one. What's especially pleasing to coach Scott Brooks is how Durant buys into the concept of defense, often an irritant to big-time scorers. He's turning into a complete player, scary considering he's just getting started.

Russell Westbrook, OKC, 21. He has a tougher job than Durant merely because of the position he plays. Point guard is a big challenge for any young player, and while Westbrook doesn't have it down yet, he has all the tools to become a special player. He went for 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists against Derrick Rose, last year's top rookie. He's real.

Jeff Green, OKC, 23. He's due for a breakout year, either now or next. He averaged 13.8 points in November and 14.5 in December, and while his shooting comes and goes, he rides a solid shotgun position next to Durant. Already, Green is one of the more improved players in basketball.

James Harden, OKC, 20. Lots of NBA people like his game. The tools and the feel are there; it's just a matter of Harden developing some consistency and pushing for minutes. That may not happens in this, his rookie season. Still, he's a big part of the rotation already.

Eric Maynor, OKC, 22. A gift from the Jazz, who had to give him away for luxury tax reasons. He's not quite on Westbrook's level, especially physically, but gives the Thunder a nice young backup who can change the tempo of the game.

Not necessarily the year 2010 | OKG Scene.com
[The Oklahoma Gazette has a sense of humor. Here is one of their predictions for next year.] June 24: Oklahoma City Thunder pick Kentucky Derby winner Lookin’ At Lucky in the NBA draft, citing the need for additional speed and power on the inside.

Thunder notebook: Board work | NewsOK.com
The Thunder leads the league in rebounds by its starting guard combo. Thabo Sefolosha (5.5) and Russell Westbrook (5.1) are averaging a combined 10.6 rebounds a game. Philadelphia (10.1) ranks second with Andre Iguodala (6.8) and Lou Williams (3.3). The Lakers are a distant third (8.1) with Kobe Bryant (5.6) and Derek Fisher (2.5).

Oklahoma City ranks seventh in the league in rebounding (42.9), outrebounding opponents 1.7 a game. "It kind of blows me away that we’re seventh," said coach Scott Brooks. "We’ve given up a lot of offensive rebounds. That’s one of our weaknesses that we have to focus on and prevent from happening."