Sam Presti is fortunate he’s in Oklahoma City. He could be held accountable for his screwups if he have been in control of a bigger market franchise with a longer-tenured and demanding fanbase. But, earlier than we deal with these, Presti has confirmed to be probably the greatest judges of expertise and character. He has crushed most of his first-round picks and at present holds a historic treasure trove of draft capital. The Thunder personal 38 picks by means of 2029, together with 19 in each the primary and second rounds — together with the worth acquired from the Clippers in probably the greatest trades in NBA historical past pulled off by utilizing leverage to maneuver Paul George. They even have probably the greatest younger cores within the NBA, that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. They even have a assortment of low-ceiling, high-floor guys in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Aaron Wiggins, Darius Bazely, Tre Mann, and the beloved bum, Aleksej Pokuševski. As Thunder followers are identified for saying, Presti zigs the place others zag.
This preseason, Giddey has emerged within the absences of SGA and Holmgren as a go-to choice on offense, with an improved shot, because of new capturing coach Chip Engelland and his aggressive chagrin intact. So far this preseason, Giddey has shot 50 p.c from deep on three makes an attempt per sport. Not a dangerous metric so as to add to a participant who poses a triple-double menace on any given night time. The Thunder are at present 4-1 within the preseason, a signal that Presti has constructed a core too good to tank with out their normal supervisor purposefully sitting their gamers as a substitute of attempting to win video games.
But should you lament Presti’s professionals, you need to additionally admit his flaws, one thing fragile Thunder followers have bother doing. Perhaps it’s as a result of Thunder followers are the youngest fanbase within the NBA, contemplating the franchise has solely been round since 2008. They have but to know true dropping, and their naivety blinds them to the fleeces Presti has been susceptible to giving up in trades. Like when Presti traded Rubio and the twenty fifth and twenty eighth picks within the 2020 draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves in change for the seventeenth total choose, the place he selected the inept and athletically impotent Pokuševski, lacking out on the picks that might turn into Immanuel Quickley (twenty fifth) and Jaden McDaniels (twenty eighth), two gamers higher than Poku. Or when he broke up the overachieving 2020 playoff crew and bought again underwhelming packages for nearly each single participant, together with buying and selling future HOF guard Chris Paul for a goofy return of gamers who’ve since all left OKC for minimal return and a 2022 draft choose (thirtieth) in addition they traded away. At this level, after Paul dragged an overachieving bunch of position gamers to the playoffs, Presti basically obtained nothing in return.
So, let’s speak in regards to the gamers they’ve. Just what number of superstars are on that roster? SGA seems to be the true deal and will turn into a family title this season, that is, if he doesn’t fall sufferer to a different Presti tank. Dort figures to be a wonderful two-way starter, whereas Giddey and Holmgren are each nice unknowns with unimaginable upside however main deficiencies as effectively: Shooting for Giddey; energy, and well being for Holmgren.
NBA observers have been hoping this upcoming season would finish the perverse tank Presti has been forcing on Thunder followers since they dropped a first-round sequence to the Rockets in 2020. Alas, Presti has been egregious in his pursuit of Lottery luck. He’s purposely rested his finest gamers to chase the loss, ruining the gorgeous sport of basketball and disgusting these of us who tune in to see the most effective play the most effective. That’s to not say the accidents should not actual. It simply means the required relaxation for stated accidents stays mysteriously open-ended. Through all of it, Thunder followers are comparatively silent on the tank job. Instead, they preach persistence and apologize in opposition to Presti’s slander, flagellating themselves as a substitute of holding their chief accountable for doing every thing he can to lose within the brief time period.
G/O Media might get a fee
Up to $3000 off
Samsung TVs & Projectors
Elevate your private home theater
With Prime Day coming to an finish, you will have been upset to not rating some large deal on a new TV. If this is the case, we’ve great, great information. Samsung is launching an Early Black Friday sale with practically its total lineup of TVs and projectors seeing some degree of low cost.
Thunder information hardly ever will get seen outdoors of their small market pipeline, however these paying consideration have seen him strip his crew of outlier depth over the previous couple of days. This week, he has traded away younger guys with potential, all with some semblance of potential, for what accounts for a bag of scraps. It all began in July when he inexplicably waived ahead Isaiah Roby, whom the Spurs swiftly picked up. Strange to let a 24-year-old child who averaged 10 and 5 and shot 50 p.c from the sector go for nothing when there was a crew on the market . A flop by Presti and the fanbase for not asking aloud, “what the fuck is going on?”
Since he was traded to OKC in 2021, Thunder followers have been hopeful former No. 3 choose Derrick Favors would finally be “flipped” for additional capital. Yet, he has remained on the roster regardless of taking part in the fewest video games final yr since his sophomore season. Late yesterday, underneath the duvet of night time and malaise, Presti lastly traded Favors. Not for draft capital. He had to surrender a second-round choose, however for a bunch of bums on the finish of the Houston Rockets bench.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the primary to report the Thunder traded Mo Harkless, Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon, and the 2025 second-round choose from Atlanta to the Rockets for David Nwaba, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss. Harkless had simply been acquired two days earlier than in one other under-whelming commerce which netted the Thunder one other yawn-inducing second-round choose whereas sending off Vít Krejčí within the deal. Now, Krejčí has been nothing particular. He’s been oft-injured, lately getting back from an ACL harm, however at 6-foot-8, he’s proven flashes on the offensive finish and at 22 years previous. He’s the kind of participant you stash and develop, not commerce for an expiring veteran and a second-round choose you’ll most likely find yourself utilizing on a participant precisely like Krejčí.
That Presti traded off veteran Favors, who was projected to see a rise in minutes after the Holmgren harm, alerts he is all in on one other gross tank job. Buried within the commerce was the tip of the Theo Maledon experiment, one in all Presti’s uncommon latest misses within the draft however a child with potential. The identical might be stated for Ty Jerome, who was a part of the nationwide championship-winning Virginia squad and has proven sufficient as a professional to warrant an funding as a bench piece. Strangely, the Thunder are keen to do away with the few helpful our bodies they must get back-washed veterans and second-round picks. Especially when they’re projected to have extra incoming picks than allowable gamers on the roster. Why not maintain onto these younger youngsters and kick the can down the street in a season or two? Or play them in these video games you are attempting to lose and see what they bought?
Presti’s most ardent apologists will carry water by celebrating the GM going underneath the cap. For what? What good does cap house do to a crew like Oklahoma City, a bottom-tier vacation spot for any free agent? They additionally obtained two commerce exceptions, one of many extra overrated belongings within the NBA, particularly for a crew seemingly not trying so as to add gamers. What do these trades do for the crew however guarantee dropping? This begs the most important query, how for much longer can the younger core deal with not solely dropping however Presti sitting them to lose? This is why SGA answering this query was the most important spotlight and takeaway from the crew’s media day. Now that the Thunder are making strikes to decide themselves out of aggressive basketball, the one factor related in OKC is how way more dropping SGA, which the remainder of this proficient younger core can deal with. And for how lengthy?
Discussion about this post