Wednesday, OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti held his annual preseason press conference.
During the roughly 90-minute sit-down with members of the media, the storied league executive answered a slew of questions and dropped a boatload of notable comments and quotes relating to this upcoming campaign and his Oklahoma City squad.
While fans can watch the entire presser themselves, for those who want cliff notes and a brief synopsis before diving in, or, equally as understandable, those who simply don't wish or have the time to listen to the hour-and-a-half-long recording, we at TI have compiled a list of five key quotes that caught our attention.
Key quotes from Thunder GM Sam Presti's preseason press conference
1. "We're going to need some time with this particular group"
Coming off a historical 57-win, number one-seed season in 2023-24, it goes without saying that fans and media personalities alike are expecting this Thunder team to take a step forward during their follow-up campaign.
With their offseason acquisitions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein coupled with the fact that the majority of their core has remained largely intact, the idea is that, at least from a roster perspective, OKC has gotten even stronger than they were last year and the odds-makers certainly seem to agree with this notion.
However, expectations must be based in reality, and, to Presti, the fact of the matter is this projected leap toward a championship may not be ready on day one... or day two... or three.
Early on in the presser, the GM urged everyone to allow trial and error with this new-look Thunder team to "take its course" during the beginning stages of the season, as he noted that "the more you play together, the more you rep together, the more you learn."
Patience may be imperative for this fanbase during the early part of the coming season, though, fortunately, Presti doesn't believe that finding continuity and building chemistry "will be a big issue for us" as the year progresses.
2. "External solutions always bring with them a lot of risk"
Throughout his tenure as GM, Sam Presti has never been one to pursue blockbuster deals or mid-season shakeups via trade.
This has never been more painfully obvious than over the last five seasons, as OKC has had the capital and assets necessary to make a swing for the fences move during this span yet has not wound up pulling the trigger.
Last season was somewhat of an exception to this norm, however, as the Thunder made the decision to strike on a deadline deal that netted them Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets, a move that, on the surface seemed like a no-brainer, win-now transaction.
Now seven months removed from the exchange, it's widely known that the anomalous decision ultimately never ended up panning out, and the veteran wound up being axed from the rotation entirely during the club's playoff run and, this summer, opted to call it quits on his playing career.
During his presser, Presti seemed to further strengthen his reasoning behind why he has always shied away from making splashy moves in-season.
3. “No one is gonna put more time or thought into what he’s doing and why"
Considering the fact that Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein are both natural centers, many have grown weary about how they will mesh alongside one another.
Such fears have been quite prominent throughout the offseason, and have been so loud to the point that Holmgren himself felt the need to address the topic head-on during an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George.
Asked during the episode whether he has any problems over potentially being moved to the four rather than the five with I-Hart's arrival, the reigning rookie phenom went off on the idea that there would be any issues, saying:
"I hate this thing where people come in and they'll be, like, 'That's not my game'. Mother F*cker, your game is what the game tells you your game is. You can't go out there and say, 'That's not my game' and now you're not doing what you need to do to try and win. My game is whatever the game tells me it needs to be. The game's going to tell me what I need to work on and I'm going to go work on that sh*t."
While this alone should have been enough for Thunder fans to grow more confident in the new 7-foot tandem of him and Hartenstein, especially when he would go on to say "whether I'm out there at the four or the five, you know, I'm trying to win the basketball game," Presti's reinforcement of Holmgren's dedication to honing his craft in the name of winning should put all remaining fears to rest.
4. "I just think Jay Will is a special guy"
Since arriving on the team back in 2022, Jaylin Williams has established himself as a reliable frontcourt contributor who can defend the rim, space the floor, and, more importantly, provide energy and hustle to help galvanize the ball club.
With the addition of Hartenstein this summer, however, some speculated that the 22-year-old's role could be severely diminished in 2024-25, as he's regularly been used as the primary second-in-command big within the rotation.
Fortunately, it appears his role on the Thunder doesn't seem to be up for alterations any time soon, as Presti couldn't help but gush over the center, calling Williams "a special guy" and saying that he's an individual who's "going to help that team win a little more than they otherwise would."
He would continue on to state that he's "interested to see how this season unfolds for him," which, at least in our eyes, suggests that not only will Jaylin Williams' role stave off diminishment, but could even see something of a boost.
5. "We know, I think, enough to want to have him here for a really long time"
Alex Caruso may be playing on an expiring contract during the 2024-25 campaign, but don't expect him to be a mere short-term rental like Oklahoma City's previous trade acquisition in Hayward.
When asked about the veteran's extension eligibility following the conclusion of this coming campaign, Sam Presti acknowledged that from an on-paper standpoint, the wing "fits a lot of the characteristics and the criteria that we value" and, once negotiations can be held, he noted that they will try to do everything in their power to retain his services.
Caruso comes to the Thunder with a ton of experience and accolades in both the defensive and overall winning departments, as he's a two-time All-Defensive selection as well as an NBA Champion who is coming off a career-best campaign where he posted 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks on 46.8 percent shooting from the floor and 40.8 percent shooting from deep.
With him in tow, Oklahoma City has created one of the best defensive two-guard tandems alongside Luguentz Dort and added a better fit alongside superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander compared to the likes of Josh Giddey, who they coughed up in the late-June exchange with the Bulls.
Acknowledging that the Thunder "completely fumbled the ball" when they opted not to retain him while serving as a member of their G League affiliate team, the Oklahoma City Blue during the early parts of his professional career, expect Presti to right this wrong in a major way with a new contract ahead of next season.