Brandon Rahbar: George Hill talks very highly of the OKC community, organization, Sam Presti and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Hill chuckles and says Shai is “a bit better” than he was when he was his age.
Sam Presti Rumors
Why was this the right time to go all-in on the future rather than running things back with virtually the same roster? Presti: At times in any of our lives, we can tend to make decisions based on what we prefer as opposed to what’s best. We couldn’t afford to do that given the system we operate in and our goal for sustainable high performance. When you step back and take a clear-eyed, rational view of the season we had last year, and all of the randomness that occurred in our favor, the loss of future value we would be relinquishing for a small probability of replicating those performances, it was clear that the most objective path was to prioritize the future. That’s without factoring in how a healthy Warriors, Blazers, or Pelicans team affects the competitive landscape around us. It wasn’t an easy decision, but serving the long-term interests of the organization was necessary after what has been a decade plus run of high performance.
Brandon Rahbar: Sam Presti thinks that SGA taking a step up defensively will catapult him to another level. The two things I wanted from Shai this coming season: 1. To be the undisputed #1 guy. 2. To improve his defense. Presti specifically mentioned these two things. SGA SZN is on.
Brandon Rahbar: Presti says he wishes he could take credit for knowing Lu Dort would be starting. Says he got thrown into the mix because of injuries and he didn’t fail. “Next thing you know, he’s Lu Dort.”
Brandon Rahbar: Sam Presti: “I had dinner with Baze a couple times in the bubble, and I just love his mentality.”
Brandon Rahbar: Sam Presti on small market OKC vs the rest of the NBA: “We’re happy to be David to Goliath.”
