Over at the team site Chris Silva has some bullet highlights from a post season interview with Sam Presti. There’s a lot of stuff in there and it’s worth the read, but here is my favorite part:
The Thunder will participate in both the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. Westbrook will play only in Orlando. Serge Ibaka and DeVon Hardin, whose rights are owned by OKC, will probably play in both leagues. Shaun Livingston, D.J. White and Kyle Weaver will also play this summer.
Awesome! Both summer leagues are the bigger, better alternative to the low budget less expensive Rocky Mountain Revue that the previous owners always ran the Sonics through. The Vegas league especially is a pretty big deal. Last summer it had 21 NBA teams participate. The Orlando had 6 teams (one of which was OKC-before they were the Thunder) and Westbrook and Green were first teamers. There will be plenty of coverage of our young guys there and our two new draft picks. You can read the rest of the article here.
It’s just one short month plus one day until the draft lottery (May 19). I think our luckiest player should go and represent us when the ping pong balls come out of the hopper. After Jeff Green’s game winner bank shot against GSW, and his missed free throw putback for the win against Sacramento, Green should be there with a truck load of OU colored rabbits feet.
That was me, sorry.
Not that newsworthy, but the 66ers fired their coach.
@Vega
:O)
Can't argue with the bulk of what was said, but there was one player who came to OKC, gave it his all, got paid very fairly, and did a lot of things right, at the right time. Much like a lot of the roster, Presti sees something in him to want him for next year, and maybe more. He's done the pressers with a smile on his face, and become popular with the fans. we are lucky to have him. Probably not the flashiest of players....but how flashing would anyone be....playing in Russia?
Nenad... go get our boy.
Another observation from the exit interviews...
Kevin says he wants to visit other players' hometowns. Such as Beloit, Wisconsin (Weaver) or Alabama (D.J. White). Ya know, KD could get to these places several different ways (airplane, etc.), but I see.......... ROAD TRIP!
Yep, can you imagine Kevin tooling around the wide open country in his, oh I don't know, Dodge Viper (or whatever, I have no idea what kind of car he has, but I'm sure it's a sweet ride). Heading up towards Wisconsin, waiting for cows to cross the road. Getting lost (inevitably) somewhere along the way and then scaring the crap out of some convenience store clerk who stares in amazment at the 9'11" bean-pole who just walked in to ask directions. "Excuse me, but which way to Beloit?"
The mind giggles at the prospect.
;)
Cool. Looks like I'm not all alone after all. With 18 spots on the roster, seems like they could reserve one for Malik, but you never know. Things go the way they go. I just really like Malik, he's a class act and a great person.
But if they don't resign him, they need to think about SOME kind of veteran experience on this team. We traded away Smith. Who's left? Watson? Please. Atkins - ok. But he ain't likely to be around much longer either. We don't want a team that's 99% embryonic development, no matter how good the DNA those embryos contain (I'm sure Presti knows this already).
I was pleasantly surprised with how much game Rose still had. He languished on the bench so long in NY that I thought he must surely not have any skills left, or they would have used him some.
The things he brings, every team needs. Whether it's him or somebody like him.
Crow and I were talking about how every team needs a "bull" on the roster. A big, beefy guy who can't be knocked or pushed off his position in the post, who is an aggressive rebounder, who sets hard core screens. I see that in DeJuan Blair of Pitt this year in the draft, and in Jon Brockman as well. Blair won't be available with our second first round pick, and Brockman will likely be a second rounder. But even those guys don't have the veteran leadership and bench cred that Rose has.
good points above, but I really don't see him coming back - you have to assume that White will be in the regular rotation, and maybe Ibaka?? you already have (at least) Collison and Kristic in the post positions. You're probably adding another big in either the draft or FA - and Rose becomes exprenable. That being said, we lack a leader. We need someone that will get in players' faces and say "Step it up!!!"
@Daniel: You're not alone. Young teams need stabilizing factors, especially stabilizing factors who have experience in every aspect of the game, which Rose certainly has. (We're talking 82 playoff games here.) And after coming from New York, he's had his minutes doubled; his production, nicely enough. tripled.
He won't make the kind of money he got on his last contract, and he knows that. And he already has a championship ring, so he doesn't have anything more to prove, except that he can still play this darn game.
Also loved reading Chris's summary of the exit interviews. I hope (as he claims) that he posts more on this next week.
I wonder if I'm the only one who.... really would like Malik back next season. I feel a little goofy stating this since, obviously, Malik's presence is not going to be a huge factor in the Thunder's future, one way or another. Nevertheless, I think he adds to the team with little downside.
We all read (at the time of the trade) that Malik was a great locker room guy and would provide some veteran experience and war stories for the younger guys. Not only has he done that, but he's made an impact on the court as well, amazingly. He can clog up the paint, block some shots, grab rebounds, and even contribute some offense with post-ups and mid-range jumpers. Ok, ok, I admit, it's nothing earth-shattering. But it does help. And that's what a bench is for -- role players who can come in and contribute with their own special set of skills.
Perhaps a part of it is that as I myself am (ahem) approaching the middle years, I like seeing an older guy on the court who can still hold his own. It's as if Malik looks around the court at the young Thunder studs and thinks "ok, you guys are younger, faster, and 10X more athletic than me, but hey, I still know a trick or two that you've never seen - watch this".
Probably the team won't resign him. And if it's to make room for a better player, so be it. But otherwise, I'd be quite happy to see Malik on the roster for another year. I think we need balance to all the youth, as dazzling as they are.
But, hey, I'm probably the only one who gives a dern about this...
I'm really looking forward to seeing Ibaka play- kid's potential is off the charts based on the stuff I've read (7'6" wingspan, highest vertical leap in last years rookie combine). Oh, the possibilities :)
No need for rabbit feet. The commish is going to give us Griffin. I guarantee it.
...and don't forget jeff green's last-second block to seal the win against the bobcats in the home finale!