3 new things we learned about the 2019-20 OKC Thunder at media day

Another revelation at the media sessions was without exception all the players cited their intention to compete. Obviously, the fact everyone is underestimating them isn’t sitting too well. This is completely understandable from so many angles.

First of all these guys are all competitors and they don’t just come in to start the season saying – yeah we’re going to lose. They all want to win and it’s a fresh start, a new season, so why shouldn’t they want to win?

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With vets like Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari on the team, of course, they feel this way. At this point in their careers, it’s all about rings. Remember, Gallo stated the next contract he signs will have more to do with winning than dollars.

That said, it will be interesting to watch what happens over the course of the season. Especially if the club has a great start and solid production from CP3 and Gallo.

That specifically would drive up the vet’s trade value which then would bring back a better package than what the team could get if they traded them today. Ultimately this is a business and if Sam Presti is doing his job he needs to embrace trade offers to improve the long term success of the team.

The negative side of that argument is how it will affect the youngsters on the team. Imagine being Gilgeous-Alexander and you get to the deadline having survived that tough starting schedule to be in the playoff mix and CP3 and Gallo are traded. It would be a hard pill to swallow if you suddenly plummeted into deep lottery territory.

For now, the fact everyone on this team is ready to compete means fans can be excited. Regardless, the first 20 games will be a harbinger for the season. Perhaps the club ends up doing what the Clippers did last year and the youngsters get valuable playoff experience. Alternatively, if they emulate a similar path to the 2018-19 Sacramento Kings it would provide an entertaining brand of basketball with the potential of still landing a decent draft pick this year.

Viewing it from that perspective it’s a win-win situation.

To view Rylan Stiles media day takeaways on SGA and Roberson click their names. To that end, if there was a specific media day comment you would like us to do a follow-up article on or which resonated with you let us know in the comments section.