Last year at Media Day the man who provided some intriguing quotes was OKC Thunder forward Darius Bazley. So the media on hand were waiting to see whether he’d have the hot take on Monday.
On Tuesday the team will begin training camp in preparation for their four preseason games that commence on October 4th and finish on the 14th.
Kicking off the media exchanges with the club was executive vice president and GM, Sam Presti who met with the media on Friday. The front office executive spoke about entering the 14th season and how all the young players will follow the typical culture the organization has built through the previous 13 seasons.
As for his young forward, Presti implied he expects a big season from the 21-year old Bazley. The third season is typically when young players show their biggest jump having gotten through the initial rookie season and experienced the sophomore year when they figure out the areas of the game they can make the biggest jump and where they still need to improve.
While Bazley will undoubtedly get ample playing time for Mark Daigneault this season it’s also important to remember at 21 he’s younger than some of the prospects who were drafted this summer.
When he stepped to the stage on Monday, not only was he full of smiles and heavy praise for his head coach Mark Daigneault, he talked about the on-court aspect of this season as well.
Darius Bazley adds muscle, anticipates a competitive training camp for OKC Thunder
Darius Bazley said he has put on weight, laughing as he appreciated the media members noticing his added muscle “I took like two weeks off after the season ended, then got straight to it. The strength coaches and I got straight to it. I’m glad you noticed, makes me feel good. I do not know the exact number I put on, I just know I was working.”
He says he is more comfortable this year, he understands what to expect, spending the offseason working on his overall game. What is one of the expectations for himself? To continue taking on a larger role on the defensive end.
This is now a two-year focus for Bazley, who spent last year trying to defend the likes of Julius Randle, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Zion Williamson, in a matter of a week.
The young forward clearly values that end of the floor, Mark Daigneault has specialized in improving each player’s defense. If Bazley takes another step, pairing him with Lu Dort could make the OKC Thunder defense a frustrating force for opposing offenses.
Bazley opines that Training camp will have “really high” competitiveness “without a doubt” while mentioning everyone is eager to get started as they have already done some pick-up runs that “have been nothing short of competitive.”
What are you most looking forward to seeing from Darius Bazley this season with the OKC Thunder?