Roundtable Sessions- OKC Thunder expectations and former players segment
Tamberlyn Richardson:
- Growth – development of youth
- PLAYING the youth
- Buy in – to new systems (especially offense)
- Specific gains over the season (measurable via stats — is there growth?)
- A big one (for me) ability to adapt. Both in terms of tweaking issues where the team is negatively trending as well as in-game situations
- Ability to find lineups and rotations that gel (specifically with the youth). Part of this is role definition.
Rylan Stiles:
I think Sam Presti, the OKC Thunder brass, and us as fans/media should only judge Billy Donovan this year. How does he handle the young stars? How does he mix winning basketball with developing basketball a delicate balance that Sam Presti is asking from him? Start him with a clean slate for the next 82 games and see where that gets you.
Noah Schulte:
How he manages SGA’s role/minutes. Even though the Thunder owns every single draft pick for the next thirty years, SGA is the future right now and his development should be the main priority for the team going forward. It’ll be of utmost importance to see how Billy Donovan handles it.
Aidan E:
Player development
Chase Beal-Sharp:
Sam Presti should base his job retention on:
- how the players respond to Billy Donovan
- his ability to adapt to a new cast of talent
- also other available coaches.
If he is not reaching the expectations of whatever direction the franchise is wanting to go in, Presti should talk to other coaches and former coaches, like Mark Jackson. If there is a candidate that is interested in the position, then consider moving on from Donovan. Overall, this season should be evaluated to see if you truly believe that Donovan is capable of getting you to where you want to be.
Matthew Hallet:
Player development. There are no expectations of playoffs this year. If Donovan can get his players to buy in and develop the youngsters, he will have had a good year.
Kevon Stewart:
Whether or not the OKC Thunder can make substantial improvements and excel past teams like the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Billy Donovan’s job retention will be dependent on how they measure up to the lower mid-tier Western Conference teams.
Donovan will have to demonstrate his ability to reform the team’s offensive and defensive gameplan. If the Thunder can finish ahead of the Pelicans, they will meet expectations. If they are able to finish with a better record than the Kings, they will have finished a little above what is expected. If they are able to obtain the 8th seed, then the OKC Thunder will have exceeded all expectations.
Tyler Barger:
The growth of the Thunder’s young core.