Sam Presti will be giving his Thunder State of the Union address sometime today. Actually, Jim Traber pretending to be Sam Hinkie gave it yesterday on WWLS Sports Animal and for some parts it’s consistent with some things I think.
Would I blow it up in OKC right now with Sam Hinkie the OU and Stanford grad who set the pieces in place for the current Philadelphia 76’ers with his ‘process’?Not quite just yet. But I’d think about it as a possible escape from the reality of the Thunder’s decline and current situation as having the league’s third highest payroll and not being a viable contender with all that payroll attached.
To me …that’s kind of like paying Stormy Daniels a $130,000 to not have sex with her. It makes no sense to me. None. But of course–this is Oklahoma and it’s a place loyal to the Trump Doctrine lock, stock, and barrel no matter how goofy it sounds.
But first I’d see how the next two months play out. I’d see if Sam Presti can structure a staggered buyout of Carmelo Anthony. I’d see if Presti gift wrapped Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis for nothing more than a seven month rental of Paul George. I’d see if in all this monetary chaos which is of Presti’s doing despite the pleas of prolonged sustainability… if he Presti can sign Jerami Grant as an unrestricted free agent this July.
I’d see how these three things play out.
But as of on the second day of May … I’d sit and wait before I go firing Billy Donovan and/or Sam Presti.
But more than anything if I’m Clay Bennett and I know I have Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams under contract together for at least three more years…I’d think if there’s a GM and a coach out there who could get Russell Westbrook to morph his game as to a style of play which gives the Thunder a chance of being relevant again after the Kevin Durant era in Oklahoma City.
Without Durant to a certain extent Sam Presti and Billy Donovan have both been exposed–as in they can’t get Russell Westbrook to conform to a style of play which gives the team a chance to become more than just a one man show. More than Allen Iverson on steroids.
You’ll hear the Oklahoma City sports media writers like Barry Tramel or Royce Young cover up for the Thunder company line and that’s to be expected since both derive off the record access to Sam Presti, but at the end of the day there’s just going to be the cold hard stark reality that the model in Oklahoma City will not produce much more than we saw this season as presently organized.
And while Carmelo Anthony’s premature mid-life crisis is like throwing gas on the fire which is the Thunder currently…Carmelo Anthony isn’t the primary Thunder issue.
Sam Presti’s leadership of the franchise in the post Durant Era is front and center the issue.
Here are some things Carmelo didn’t do:
He didn’t trade Reggie Jackson for Kyle Singler and DJ Augustin.
He didn’t trade away a first round draft pick for Dion Waiters and then not resign Waiters.
He didn’t fire Scott Brooks and then replace him with a college coach who was struggling with John Calipari in the SEC let alone the complex issues of superstars and agents in the NBA.
He didn’t use first round draft picks to secure the rights to Mitch McGary, Josh Huestis, and Cameron Payne.
He didn’t trade away Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis for a one season rental.
But most of all…what Carmelo didn’t do was be the guy who was the one GM in the league stupid enough to pull the trigger on a player who couldn’t come to terms with Phil Jackson let alone Billy Donovan.
Carmelo Anthony the now villain in Oklahoma City didn’t do any of these things.
Sam Presti did and he has two months to get Paul George signed, find a away to ease Carmelo out of town, and resign Jerami Grant. The truth is right there for what it is regardless of what the Usual Suspects list of Brian Davis and Nick Gallo say–or what Barry Tramel or Royce Young write.
But you know what…I’m not going to fret it because with my own two ears I heard Royce Young on Monday say there’s a 75% chance Paul George resigns with the Thunder.
Two months.
We’ll see.