Takeaways on the OKC Thunder from Orlando Summer League
By David Ramil
Photo courtesy of David Ramil, Thunderous Intentions
Attention to Detail Is a Way of Life
Sam Presti, as one would expect, is a pretty busy man.
Like a lot of the executives in Orlando, Presti alternates between watching the product on the court to staying constantly in contact through the phone that seems surgically attached to him. But there’s a kinetic air about him – he seems to be in perpetual motion – as he focuses on multiple aspects of the team simultaneously.
The good news is that he doesn’t have to see everything going on with his team because the Thunder had the largest contingent of any franchise during the week-long tournament.
There was full cadre of coaches, assistants, PR staff – everywhere throughout the Amway Center there was someone sporting the distinctive team logo. When I managed to speak to Presti during a break between games, he told me “we practically brought the whole front office” to Orlando (he rushed off to his usual courtside seat seconds later).
Critics have chided the team’s need for control; human nature guarantees that something will invariably fall through the cracks. But you can’t really fault Presti and the Thunder for their dedication.
The team stands at a critical point and a title seems more like a need than a goal. The impending free agency of Kevin Durant (and Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka just a year later) surely weighs heavily on everyone involved. OKC’s efforts to secure both a championship and a commitment from Durant could hinge on small detail and that’s a risk Presti isn’t willing to take.
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