Author Topic: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?  (Read 13076 times)

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How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« on: May 14, 2013, 09:08:33 AM »

Offline rondohondo

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The Jeff Green for Perk deal looks like a complete steal for Boston at this point . Because of adding Perk's salary , they were then unable to resign Harden , so had to trade him .

If they Kept Green for Perk's salary , they would have at least had a 3rd option on offense to go with Durant and Westbrook  .

They then could have traded Harden for a big man like Al Jefferson or Cousins or someone .

They could have even packaged green and Harden for Dwight Howard , or another legit big man .

He really screwed OKC's chances at winnig a title IMO . He may even chase Durant out of town if he can't put together a championship team in the next few years .

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2013, 09:09:15 AM »

Offline wdleehi

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When Westbrook got injured.



The trade improved the team. 

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2013, 09:20:47 AM »

Offline Jeff

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building and running a team are two different skillsets

maybe he was just better at building from scratch than he was at keeping the momentum going as those guys matured

he's still got some bullets to fire though - that Harden trade was a lot more about the pick he got than the player (Martin) he got initially

he is probably preparing to load up via the draft (cheap labor) to add around Durant/Westbrook and he can't do that effectively picking at the end of the first round
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Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2013, 09:27:01 AM »

Offline ManUp

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They would have had to eventially pay Green as well as Harden. Who knows if they progress the way they did without the change of culture that Perkins brought. The only thing that I think Presti messed up with was not pursuing Howard. They could've packaged Harden & Ibaka for Howard, no way Orlando says no to that.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2013, 09:42:36 AM »

Offline bobbyv

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He could have gotten a lot more for Harden, and Perk just isn't helping them there. Great at drafting, terrible at trading and keeping assets. They absolutely should have kept Harden, amnestied Perk.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2013, 09:44:01 AM »

Offline pearljammer10

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Presti is probably the best GM in the league. He built the Supersonics of what 4 or 5 years ago into NBA finals contenders. How can you say a team that went to the finals last year got screwed up because of the Jeff Green trade? It put them over the top.

And they would be back in the finals again this year if Westbrook hadnt gotten injured.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2013, 09:46:04 AM »

Offline Fafnir

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They were going to lose Green anyways in FA, so getting a big man who you did want to pay was a win for him.

I can't even blame him for the Perkins contract, he couldn't have known or planned for how the new CBA would impact how salary limited he'd be. Remember they could have amnestied Perkins to eliminate that constraint, its not Perkins salary that matters. Its Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka that made them decline to pay Harden.

He chose Ibaka over Harden and then chose to trade Harden during the offseason instead of rolling the dice forward to try and win this year. Those are the two things that jump out to me.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2013, 09:55:16 AM »

Offline wiley

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Harden was a complete no-show in the finals against Miami.

That probably led to the lopsided trade with Houston...so probably it was the wrong
time to trade Harden given his terrible finals.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2013, 09:58:08 AM »

Offline Fafnir

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Harden was a complete no-show in the finals against Miami.

That probably led to the lopsided trade with Houston...so probably it was the wrong
time to trade Harden given his terrible finals.
I don't think the Finals cost Harden any of his value. Not after he'd destroyed the Spurs.

Remember he had a bad shooting Finals while being guarded by LeBron and having to guard him on the other end for long stretches. (which was an awful thing of Brooks to ask of him)

I actually think his playmaking and other areas of his game were really good in the Finals. Just couldn't make shots, even when he was getting to the rim or taking good ones.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2013, 10:12:26 AM »

Offline indeedproceed

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They were going to lose Green anyways in FA, so getting a big man who you did want to pay was a win for him.

I can't even blame him for the Perkins contract, he couldn't have known or planned for how the new CBA would impact how salary limited he'd be. Remember they could have amnestied Perkins to eliminate that constraint, its not Perkins salary that matters. Its Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka that made them decline to pay Harden.

He chose Ibaka over Harden and then chose to trade Harden during the offseason instead of rolling the dice forward to try and win this year. Those are the two things that jump out to me.

Imagine if he'd offered Ibaka for Larry Sanders or Andre Drummond.

That Ibaka contract was Presti's mistake. Perkins he could've amnestied, but Ibaka's 12.4 next year and going forward fundamentally eliminated the ability to keep Harden long-term and field a team.

Now if the perception of Ibaka changes from a player you build around to a piece that's nice to have but very expensive (to borrow from Bill Simmons, 'a luxury'), they're going to just end up riding out his deal.

But he's only 24, so he's still got room to grow. Maybe Presti's gamble will pan out.

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Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2013, 10:13:19 AM »

Offline fandrew

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Personally, I felt that the error with OKC's team was that they should have trade westbrook for a high tier pass first point guard, and kept Harden. That is how I felt last year.

When CP3 was being shopped for a new home two summers ago, I had thought for sure that OKC would be interested in a deal.

And then last summer I had thought that they would find a point guard who did not shoot more than your teams leading scorer. But they shipped Harden over Westbrook.

I am not a Westbrook fan. I think that he is Gilbert Arenas but with an amazingly talented teammate.
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Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2013, 10:15:03 AM »

Offline Fafnir

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But he's only 24, so he's still got room to grow. Maybe Presti's gamble will pan out.
Far too early to think Ibaka can't fulfill his potential.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2013, 10:22:20 AM »

Offline RyNye

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Trading Harden was an absolutely TERRIBLE move from every possible perspective. The only argument for trading him was financial - but they still could have kept him this season and dealt with it in the off-season.

That trade was an absolute steal by the Rockets, and a major blunder by Presti that potentially closed this team's window (depending on how Ibaka develops).

That said, Presti still gets enormous credit for building a team that won the West and went to the FInals last year. He needs to make up for the Harden blunder somehow, though.

Honestly, the biggest problem with OKC is Scott Brooks. He is just flat out not a good coach, and Westbrook's absence has really highlighted how one-dimensional his game planning and play-calling are.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2013, 10:25:48 AM »

Offline SHAQATTACK

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Don't see alot terrible. Hindsight is 20-20 ......you can what if all day......which is pointless

With Harden gone,  Martin is not capable of filling his shoes and West brook injured , OKC isn't going to win it all. 

I don't like Westbrook but , I'm convinced they can't or won't win without him.

Perk, seems useless out there , and lost.

OKC at the moment can't carry the the Heats water bucket.

Re: How bad did Sam Presti mess up OKC?
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2013, 10:41:27 AM »

Offline Who

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Honestly, the biggest problem with OKC is Scott Brooks. He is just flat out not a good coach, and Westbrook's absence has really highlighted how one-dimensional his game planning and play-calling are.

I don't know why Kevin Martin is still coming off the bench with Westbrook out and playing against a Memphis team that is fairly limited offensively on the wing with Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince. The team needs more offense. Put your second best offensive player in the starting lineup already.

Makes no sense to me.

I think Nick Collison should be playing a lot more also. A really good high post passer. With the PG gone and with offensive options limited, a reliable high post passing big man is valuable. It's not like he is a dodgy defender and it is not like Perkins is setting the world on fire with his performances. I don't get it. Why play N.Collison only 18mpg? Give him closer to 30mpg.