Daily Thunder.com Presti on the Westbrook criticism, when he sees the team peaking

Sam Presti did a long interview with The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City and covered a lot of ground without saying a whole lot. You know, the Presti way. But he was asked about his feelings on all the criticism surrounding Russell Westbrook during the playoffs.

You’re only human if you know it’s there. Once you get to this point in the year, there’s only a couple teams or a couple series playing and that’s part of it. One thing we really learned about Russell through that process, or one thing that was confirmed, he’s an incredibly resilient person. … I think the other thing we learned is he’s really only focused on the things that he can control. … I think he deserves a lot of respect as a second-team all-NBA player, a 22-year-old point guard in the Western Conference Finals, in being self-critical.

Presti was also asked when he sees his young roster maybe peaking. I love this answer, especially the last part.

“That’s a great question and I wish I could tell you there was a way for us to predict that. There really isn’t. One thing we know is this, the experiences that we’re accumulating over time are really helping our players in the area of recognition, recognizing the things that high-performing teams do on a consistent basis. When you have those players, I don’t necessarily think their improvement is a result of time elapsed, but it’s actually what’s been accumulated, what’s been experienced within that time.”

And the team experienced a whole heck of a lot these past two seasons. Like I said in my recap of the season, maybe the biggest acquisition this team can make over the summer is digesting everything that happened in this wonderful postseason run and understanding what needs to change. You can’t trade for experience and maturity. Like Presti said, you’ve got to make it on your own.

Via Sports Radio Interviews

162 comments

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Crow

DJ7, the most used playoff lineups (which were negative on raw and Adjusted +/-) were 1) the 5 starters and 2) Harden and the other 4 starters.

okc baby

Wilson Chandler sucks.

Daniel Plainview

W. Chandler
M. Thornton
A. Afflalo
C.D. ROberts (Not a big name, but a do-it-all on teh second unit)

kreese29

Dose anyone think we can get okur

The Beard Knows

@ Daniel Plainview
What FAs are you hoping for? In the 2011 class most interesting prospects are centers. Shane Battier was about the most interesting prospect I saw.

Caleb

@danielplanview

I honestly don't know if it would truly sway that many players to do so... Maybe if the heat went undefeated and swept every series but since they didn't I don't see people like Dwight or whoever it may be making a decision to join one of the possible four elite teams at whatever price... I like the idea and i may be wrong though... Would actually even wish I'm wrong because if there were a full proof way that would get some other big names to walk into okc and start caring about the ring more than the money I'd be pretty stoked... Just don't see it making that much of an impact on their decisions though

I think it befits us if Maimi sweeps. FA's will realize that were are one of the more likely destinations to challenge them for their title. They do not scare me.

Sammy made and Justin have made some great points about not going berserk in free agency cause of our necessary and pending resignings, but there are several FA"s out there that would complement our team well. I wonder if anyones interested in Thabo to clear up some room

dragonbug

@ Perkins Game Face
yeah both of them looked horrible tonight to be honest.

Brew

@ DJ 7
Were you messed up tonight?

Perkins Game Face

I don't hate either team in the Finals. I hate the fact that neither team is the thunder.

of course dirk gets injured the FIRST damn game against the heat, but not on us >.> sigh. i dont like it that he got hurt but shesh. a torn finger tendon might screw the mavs chances :/

K-DUB :
DJ 7 :@ K-DUB If we ever did that in a trip to the finals in the last two minutes of a game when we’re up by 10 and we know the other team is beat, i would be very disappointed.
Like I said, It’s the finals…no mercy until you get that trophy baby! If the other team don’t like it, they can stop it. Nuff said!

No Heat fans allowed

@ SoonerNacho
the day KD starts acting like bron bron im done watching basketball. Kd has a winning spirit,hes only 22 man. I prefer the level headed, goes to his mom, and thanks the lord KD over, rolling wif my homies bronster lol.

SoonerNacho

People can call whatever they see in LBJ cocky or arrogance. I see it as a winning attitude. But whatever it is KD needs more of it.

Russel Westbrook playoff tribute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnlsEevsCk

Thundar the Contrarian

justin :

Thundar the Contrarian :The citizens of Miami should root for Dallas. If Miami wins, the celebration of its thug youth might burn the city to the ground.

Have you ever been to Miami?

Heh. More times than I like. I handled a sales route in Miami for several months. Horrible, nasty place for the most part. But, I don't know if they riot over sports there. I just wanted to take a shot at Miami's high crime rate. Is that so wrong?

@ DJ 7

I understand the always hated him thing, there are players that are like that for me. Not saying people shouldn't dislike him if they did before but feeding into this team is evil narrative is irritating. He's probably the biggest douche off the court but it gets to be too much when people talk about how he isn't as great as other players before him for going to Miami.

DJ 7

@ TygaBlood

I never said i thought the Mavs were any better. I dislike both teams greately.

K-DUB

DJ 7 :@ K-DUB
If we ever did that in a trip to the finals in the last two minutes of a game when we’re up by 10 and we know the other team is beat, i would be very disappointed.

Like I said, It's the finals...no mercy until you get that trophy baby! If the other team don't like it, they can stop it. Nuff said!

TygaBlood

Let's go Heat!! I would love to see the mavs get spanked in this series...I love the fact that the thug Terry had an awful game...

@DJ7 Terry's dunk at the end of the series against us as the clock expired was classless...The Heat were just sealing the victory, which the Thunder should learn to do

I love Allen Iverson and a majority of the people i know hate him. They're just love him or hate him type of guys. Same with Kobe, i hate Kobe always have, always will. Their great players no doubt. I like Genobli but most people i know hate him.

@ DJ 7
I've always hated Lebron though, since he joined the league. I always found him to be a cocky, arrogant, concieted guy who has amazing talent but thinks because he has amazing talent it was destiny for him to get it.

Bro, KD even says it himself, "Hard work always beats talent, when talent fails to work hard."

Jordan "It wasn't god given talent, it was something i worked for every single day of my life"

@ Perkins Game Face

Lebron, is a love him or hate him type of guy. I hate him.

Sorry but I gotta go against the tide and say I'm not rooting against the heat. I'm just gonna watch this series and hope for great basketball. People need to get over this hyped up hate of Miami. The decision was really stupid and should've been handled a lot differently but he's apologized and it's over. If he stayed in Cleveland he would not have won a title. He took less to go play with friends in a better city and to win titles. Everyone says Jordan wouldn't have done that. That maybe true but if they came to Jordan and said we could get Barkley or another great player to come and play with you (besides pippen) do you think he says no that would ruin my legacy? I'd like to see dirk get a ring but it's not the end of the world if Lebron gets one. He's a great player, appreciate them while you can.

DJ 7 :@ Ozarkhick Yup agreed. To me personally, the last time we faced Miami, i think KD outplayed Lebron.

Of course im a bit of a hommer.

@ Ozarkhick

Yup agreed. To me personally, the last time we faced Miami, i think KD outplayed Lebron.

@ K-DUB

If we ever did that in a trip to the finals in the last two minutes of a game when we're up by 10 and we know the other team is beat, i would be very disappointed.

Ozarkhick

I'm mad. I think we match up better with the Heat than Dallas. Granted I've had a few so far tonight, but we built this team to beat the Lakers. That wasn't an issue.

The frontcourt beef worked good by converting Denver into a jumpshooting team and neutralizing Nene, and the frontcourt beef helped shut down the Grizz, but against Dallas? bad matchup.

I think we would stand a better chance against the heat then the Mavs. Durant is a prime candidate to defend James, and Brooks can't hide him away from that task for fear of accumulation of fouls, as Thabo will take Wade.

KD is at the point where he is ready to take this task on.

I would have gone on, but I'm in no condition. Am I that bad off, or does this make some sense?

Am I just bitter?

I shouldn't be. I was there for the home opener. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster we are where we are now.

Thomas

JJJ :I know James and Wade are great, but after seeing these two perform in crunch time, I’m just dumbfounded how a team with three very good perimeter players sucks so bad in the clutch.Also, nice to see a fast break in the last 2 min from a winning team

Yeah, it's amazing what continuing to play can do rather than trying to run the ball three times and punt to run out the clock.

DJ 7 :That Lebron/Wade alley oop with 30 seconds left should be shamefull.

Got to disagree there. Until the game is officially over you have to take what the defense gives up. No shame in getting some insurance points if the defense gives them. I guess he could have laid it it but that would have been less certain than the dunk.

DJ 7 :That Lebron/Wade alley oop with 30 seconds left should be shamefull.
That would be like in a boxing match, you know you won the bout, its the 10th round with a minute left, the other guy is weak, tired, and berly moving but you continue to lay it on him. That’ll make the next guy you face pop you a good one when the ref is separating you from a hug. I know from experience.

Shutup fool! The playing for a Title!

From the regular season they might have expected the starters with Thabo or Harden to be fine but at some point in the playoffs you could see that is was trending quite differently. There was a choice to stay the same or change and they basically choose to cut back on the starters with Thabo a tiny bit but to give that time and more to the starters with Harden even though that Harden lineup was not performing well and other Harden lineups might have been better.

JJJ

I know James and Wade are great, but after seeing these two perform in crunch time, I'm just dumbfounded how a team with three very good perimeter players sucks so bad in the clutch.

Also, nice to see a fast break in the last 2 min from a winning team

Crow :Last season the Thunder had just one lineup used more than 3 minutes per game for the season.In this playoffs they bumped it up to five such lineups but the two most used were the worst of the five and moderately negative while the next three were more successful, from moderately to very successful.

which two were those?

@ justin

Yes fam lives there. Its not as ghetto as some people make it seem. The hoods are real effed up but really not a bad place. Everyone there though do walk with a stick up their @ss no offense.

That Lebron/Wade alley oop with 30 seconds left should be shamefull.

That would be like in a boxing match, you know you won the bout, its the 10th round with a minute left, the other guy is weak, tired, and berly moving but you continue to lay it on him. That'll make the next guy you face pop you a good one when the ref is separating you from a hug. I know from experience.

Miami fans are a real class act. Dallas has been getting dunked on all quarter and Chandler finally throws in a dunk which precipitates them booing and even throwing something on the court.

Heat fans booing Dallas but Lebron and Wade just added insult to injury? Man these fans are horrible. Please fellow Oklahomans, don't become like them. Stay humble, and don't get conceited.

What i can't stand the most will be ABC and ESPN ranting about how great this Miami team is. I mean they rotate between Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby for their PG position. They pay a bunch of old big man who know one wants millions. They're going to completely forget Dallas having an off night, Dirk being the only true Superstar left on that team, their age, and coming of a series with us. I'm sorry but no way was the Bulls/Heat series nearly as physical(despite all the foul calls), or as difficult as it was for Dallas to beat us. Yeah they beat us in 5 but every game came down to litterally the final minute.

It feels like Miami is up 20 but it's only a 10 point game. Dallas has got to figure out a way to manufacture some offense in game 2. Could be a whole different story the way these guys make adjustments.

Last season the Thunder had just one lineup used more than 3 minutes per game for the season.

In this playoffs they bumped it up to five such lineups but the two most used were the worst of the five and moderately negative while the next three were more successful, from moderately to very successful.

Thomas :I’m fairly certain Jeremiah Weed is all about selling some sugary malt liquor swill solely by including “Weed” in the title. That’s so rebellious of them. I’m not drinking. I’m on “Weeeed.”

It's hilarious how lame that ad campaign and branding is. Clearly aimed at young middle class whiteys.

justin

Only 7 of 44 lineups used over 250+ minutes "across the entire league"

Coaches try so many dink spur of the moment match-up lineups (and injuries and trades also happen) that teams average just 1.5 lineups used more than 3 minutes per game for the entire season. The Thunder had 3 but I wish it was more.

I cancelled my cable today in favor of Netflix/Hulu and TV antenna for the local channels. I think I picked a good day. ESPN will be positively insufferable with their Heat homerism after this game.

The citizens of Miami should root for Dallas. If Miami wins, the celebration of its thug youth might burn the city to the ground.

Wow how is that a foul? Is that really considered a foul? Sh't i wish they called fouls like that all the time for KD. what every once in a while they call a weak one for KD but most of the time he's getting dry humped. Lebron drives to the rim berly gets touched i see a 3 point play.

Watching these finals pissing me off. We should be there! Dallas too old and slow!

I'm fairly certain Jeremiah Weed is all about selling some sugary malt liquor swill solely by including "Weed" in the title. That's so rebellious of them. I'm not drinking. I'm on "Weeeed."

I'm really pulling for Dallas now. I know alot of people got distracted with all the Rose hype but did everyone forget the Miami fiasco in the beginning of the season? Does everyone remember the whole "62 games may not be enough", or Heat fans saying "why everyone hating on the Heat, Cuz We're ganna be the champions?", hows about the parade the peaps in Miami throw when Lechoke announced his decision? Sorry my girlfriend is from Ohio, Shes from Cinncinati and her Father is a season ticket owner for the Cavs. That man has been a season ticket owner for the NBA since 96, and admits he never liked Lebron but of course cheered for him cause of the Cavs. Said it didn't surprise him that Lebron acted in such a weasel of a way.

As bad as Wades been, he just about always makes his presence known in the clutch

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» What’s going on in the basketball world Basketball 101 says:

June 2, 2011 at 4:23 am

[...] the other thing we learned is he’s really only focused on the things that he can control. … I think he deserves a lot of respect as a second-team all-NBA player, a 22-year-old point guard in t…DailyThunder.com Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Russell Westbrook | [...]

Presti on the Westbrook criticism, when he sees the team peaking

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