OKC Thunder In The News: Draft Combine – Philanthropist Kanter – Westbrook Home

Apr 19, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) prior to tipoff against the Houston Rockets in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) prior to tipoff against the Houston Rockets in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /
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While the NBA playoffs near the Conference Finals the offseason for the OKC Thunder have begun the process of improvement.

Considering the OKC Thunder lost 50 percent of minutes played via player exits this past offseason reaching the playoffs should be considered a major accomplishment. That said,losing in the first round of the playoffs leaves no less of a bitter taste for the players and fans.  Exit interviews are over and players have cleaned out lockers and begun their offseason work.

Draft Combine:

Sam Presti and Billy Donovan are no doubt preparing for the upcoming draft.  Part of that preparation will include the 2017 NBA Draft Combine which began in Chicago on Tuesday.

Bleacher Report Steve Silverman outlines specific areas the prospects will undergo during the 6-day event:

"Official measurements of those players in attendance are a big part of the combine’s relevance. The NBA measures height, weight, body fat percentage, wingspan, hand length, hand width and standing reach.Athletic tests follow, and those include the bench press, vertical leap, standing vertical leap, three-quarter sprint, shuttle run and lane agility. Other game-related tests include spot-up shooting and non-stationary shooting.Scrimmages follow, and watching the best draft-eligible players in the world compete against each other is one of the most enlightening draft tools that NBA teams have to evaluate players."

OKC Thunder Assistant GM Troy Weaver:

As OKC Thunder management prepares for the draft news surfaced they could be losing one of their own staff.  Following a first round exit by the Atlanta Hawks the team underwent a shuffle opening up key upper management roles including the position of General Manager. Mark Stein hit Twitter suggesting OKC Thunder Assistant General Manager Troy Weaver may be among the candidates under consideration.

Further news on Weaver emerging as a candidate followed in the Hawks local Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"Weaver, a former assistant coach at Syracuse and director of player personnel with the Utah Jazz, has been with the Thunder since 2010."

Westbrook ‘Home’:

Russell Westbrook is in the news with his recent commercial. Thunder Nation got excited given the overtones within the commercial. Westbrook’s focus on ‘home’ seems to hint of the extension . TI’s own Tony Heim offered one of the better takes on this news.

More from Thunderous Intentions

"What’s beautiful about this commercial is that it comes during a time where Westbrook is still under contract with the Thunder. He doesn’t have to sign an extension this summer, but he also doesn’t want us to go through the same torture we experienced two seasons ago. For Russ, the relationship with OKC Thunder fans is a two-way street; he loves us just as much as we love him."

Kanter’s Philanthopic Efforts:

Finally Enes Kanter is in the news regarding his philanthropic efforts as he launches a charitable foundation in Manila, Philippines. The Phil Star Global offers details on Kanter’s charitable event scheduled to occur Wednesday, May 10.

"The 6-11 Turkish center has partnered with Fountain International School, one of the premiere and Cambridge certified institutions, in forming the “Enes Kanter Light Foundation” wherein it will focus on bringing shelter, food, education and resources to underprivileged youth.The first beneficiary of this partnership will be White Cross Orphanage wherein Kanter will give gifts and other supplies Thursday morning."

As always, visit Thunderous Intentions to stay up to date on all things OKC Thunder along with articles offering opinions and analysis from the TI writing team.