Sam Presti sees OKC Thunder in a special situation: “Historic team”

Sam Prestigeneral manager of Oklahoma City Thunderbuilt a team that almost everyone envies within the NBA. The franchise has assembled an impressive young core and, as a result, is already seeing significant achievements on the court. The squad had the second best campaign in the league, with an average of just 23 years. However, the executive understands that he cannot settle for what he created.

“We are in a unique situation, first of all. We cannot ignore the fact that we are the youngest team in history to win a playoff series and be the leader of the Western Conference. So, we discovered that we have a historic team in this sense. However, we know that this is no guarantee of anything. The next season starts all over again.”warned Presti.

Sam Presti: “The least surprising thing to me about the postseason was that we weren't a good rebounding team. It was also not surprising to me that we were a very, very good defensive team… What was surprising to me… was that we dropped off significantly offensively.” pic.twitter.com/LxpIQiDLTb

—Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) May 28, 2024

But the season ended disappointingly. The team, despite being in control of the court, ended up being eliminated for the Dallas Mavericks. Presti understands that fans criticize decisions and look for blame, but emphasizes that he will not act in the heat of the moment. “It is important to note that we lost 58 games two seasons ago and now we have won 57 games. But to do so, we do not sacrifice our future and waste assets. So let's not do anything crazy or speed things up. We plan to act as quickly as we can and, at the same time, take the pause and calm we need,” reflected.

“I like to think we are always aggressive. However, people often confuse action with aggressiveness. There are possibilities that we explore, for example, and no one knows about them. We make important decisions. But everyone should understand that it's not always about knowing what we need to improve. The point is, at the end of the day, understanding what you have. I know what they say, but I like this recruitment. I think it's very good. We know there are always great prospects in the class. And, more than that, they are never chosen in a perfect order of success.”he added, about what he plans to do during the offseason.

Sam Presti on scouting: “I love watching players. I love watching the development of players. I love watching players achieve their goals. I'm fascinated by basketball in general but also just by these guys who are so good at it.”

What an amazing answer

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(Q asked by @jxlorenzi) pic.twitter.com/YhJEK1h5DY

—Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) May 28, 2024