The Thunder are being mocked third within the Western Convention standings this season after successful 57 video games final season. Nonetheless, basic supervisor Sam Presti doesn’t suppose the staff is just entitled to the surface perspective on them; he is aware of they must show it, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.
“The distinction is that exterior expectations are issues that some individuals suppose ought to occur,” Presti stated, “and prospects are issues that we really feel might occur, however we’ve got plenty of respect for the way arduous it’s for these issues to happen. We don’t suppose we’re entitled to start out on third base.”
After including Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to their core, Presti is aware of they’ll must kind out some wrinkles early within the season.
“We’re going to wish a while with this explicit group, particularly as a result of we’re not making an attempt to wedge these guys in or have assumptions about how they’re going to suit with sure gamers,” Presti stated. “We sort of have to permit that to take its course, and consequently I believe our continuity is not going to be nice early, however should you have a look at continuity within the NBA, continuity typically exhibits up, or lack thereof, early within the yr.”
Lorenzi writes that that might seem like Caruso taking part in alongside Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort, or that might imply beginning Hartenstein subsequent to Holmgren.
We now have extra from the Thunder:
- On the finish of final season, Presti stated he may must re-evaluate how he operates with in-season trades. When requested once more on Wednesday by Each day Thunder’s Brandon Rahbar (Twitter hyperlink), Presti stated he thinks it’s arduous to get a participant up to the mark shortly in the midst of the season. He re-iterated that continuity is vital and that the Thunder’s new gamers are going to take time to slot in. Presti didn’t rule out in-season trades, however he did categorical the should be affected person with inside improvement and train warning when including new gamers. “Everybody tends to, when there’s a staff that’s in regression or plateau interval or no matter you wish to name it, the default is [to] hit the commerce builder, as a result of to actually have a really nuanced dialog concerning the different issues, the inner issues, I believe that will get a little bit arduous for individuals, as a result of there’s much more grey space there and possibly a little bit extra experience on that, to be talking that language, somewhat than hit the builder and flip individuals out and in, However each time you do this, you’re including danger to your present staff.” Presti stated.
- If Kenrich Williams‘ harm lingers into the common season, the Thunder could must depend on rookie Dillon Jones ahead of anticipated, Rylan Stiles of SI writes. Jones, a 6’5″ small ahead, confirmed scoring and defensive prowess collegiately at Weber State. The twenty sixth total decide averaged 20.8 factors, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a pair of.0 steals in faculty.
- In a mailbag, Lorenzi discusses a number of challenges the Thunder could face. For starters, the staff might have to enhance its three-point quantity after rating sixteenth in makes an attempt however first in effectivity final season. Moreover, Oklahoma Metropolis might want to depend on Hartenstein to assist defeat groups that pack the paint like Dallas did final yr.
