duncan228
09-14-2008, 01:37 AM
This had so much Spurs stuff in it that I put it here. Please move if it belongs in NBA Central. :)
OKC Thunder: The man with a plan (http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-the-man-with-a-plan/article/3297703/?mp=0)
By Mike Baldwin
The man charged with building an NBA winner in Oklahoma City, the whiz-kid behind the chic designer glasses, has grand designs.
Someday those designs could be called the Thunder Way, this franchise's model for the right way to among other things play, coach, teach, scout and be part of the community.
There probably won't be any public pronouncements on those ways. That's not how Sam Presti operates. The Thunder's 31-year-old general manager prefers life as the man behind the curtain. But it may be possible to learn something about those designs by getting to know the designer.
Oklahoma City NBA fans know Presti as a former San Antonio Spurs front office assistant overseeing an extreme team makeover using high draft picks and some shrewd salary-dumping trades. Here's what you might not know:
He's an accomplished drummer whose CDs benefitted a children's hospital. He once took six charging fouls in one Division III basketball game. His college professor calls him the hardest-working student he's had in 38 years as an educator.
Once you consider all that and the story about how he talked the Spurs into drafting Tony Parker you might see that the only "chic thing about Sam Presti are those trendy eye glasses.
The Emerson experience
Emerson College law professor Mike Brown had the reputation of giving more C's and D's than other instructors at the Boston private school. If students needed extra guidance, Brown said his door was open four mornings a week. One student took him up on the offer.
Sam Presti showed up early. All four days. Every week. For two months. Presti signed up for more of Brown's classes. They developed a friendship that lasted beyond college. Now retired, Brown said Presti was the hardest-working student he had in his 38-year career.
When former Concord-Carlisle (Mass.) High School basketball coach John McNamara was asked Presti's best traits, McNamara said: "He probably was the hardest working kid I ever saw come through here. He was an unselfish player. And he always put the team first.
Those who know Presti best agree he's a 24/7/365 Energizer bunny. He's constantly asking questions. He's constantly collecting data. He's constantly searching for new ways to evaluate that data.
Hank Smith, longtime coach at Emerson, told his wife the day the Spurs hired Presti that Emerson's first Rhodes Scholar candidate would be a GM by age 35. Presti beat that prediction by five years.
Smith had come to expect boldness from Presti. After all, in one game at Emerson, Presti took six charging fouls. As a team captain, Presti required every teammate to sign a contract that stipulated a player could be booted off the team if they didn't play hard.
"He was the same in practice as he was in games, he said of Presti, who graduated from Emerson in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in communications, politics and law. "That's what separates him from other players I've ever coached. He had such a tremendous work ethic and a sense of team. There's nothing he's not prepared for. He's a perfectionist. He'll work until it's right.
Presti's work ethic applies to every aspect of his life. He's an accomplished drummer but the sticks aren't even a hobby these days due to a hectic schedule. Those drum skills, though, helped Presti organize a group of musicians to produce CDs that benefited the Extra Ordinary Needs Fund at Children's Hospital in Boston.
"He just wanted to do something for those children, Smith said. "College kids don't have much money. In Division III there are no scholarships. The kids pay for everything. That's the kind of person Sam Presti is. He has a tremendous basketball mind but he's more than that.
The Spurs model
Presti's NBA journey grew from the help he gave an Emerson teammate, who was fighting through an emotional knee injury. Presti's kindness and support were returned when the player's father introduced Presti to R.C. Buford at a basketball camp in Aspen, Colo.
The pair hit it off and Buford, the San Antonio Spurs general manager offered Presti a $250-a-month internship.
"He's really bright, Buford said. "He has a great feel not only for basketball but for people. He's very diligent. He's very thorough whether it's decision making or processing.
Presti's breakthrough moment occurred with the Spurs in the spring of 2001. The Spurs were evaluating a young guard from France. Tony Parker performed miserably in a private workout in Chicago against 34-year-old veteran Lance Blanks.
Convinced Parker was special, Presti compiled a 10-minute Parker highlight video to refute every concern the organization had. The rest is history: The Spurs drafted Parker with the 28th pick and have won three NBA titles with him at point guard.
Presti deflects praise. To Presti, the NBA is a player's game. Players are on ESPN highlight reels. Players win games. His job is to stay in the background and acquire players that fit the Thunder way.
He's sometimes labeled a salary cap wizard but you'll rarely hear him rattle off statistics. Instead, he uses terms such as vision, creating an environment, establishing a culture, becoming part of the community.
"I very much support his approach to building this organization on the basketball operations side, said team chairman Clay Bennett. "But I'm most impressed with the man as an individual his personal character, his loyalty, his sincerity in his relationships, his aspirations to always learn. His desire to always find ways to do things better is inspiring.
It was hard for Presti not to get attention for his work with the Spurs. He eventually caught the eye of not just Bennett, but of Danny Ferry, who was then with San Antonio.
Danny Ferry once said we should listen to everything Sam said because was smarter than either one of us, Buford said.
Ferry thought so much of Presti after five years together in San Antonio Ferry tried to bring Presti with him when he was named the Cavaliers general manager in 2005. The Spurs thought so much of Presti they promoted him to assistant general manager.
"Sam is organized, prepared, smart and works extremely hard, Ferry said. "He's big on character. He has a great feel for the draft and players. And he's a quality person. He believes strongly in principles.
Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo saw those same characteristics the five seasons they worked together with the Spurs. Carlesimo was an assistant coach. Presti worked his way up the ranks, from intern to special assistant, then assistant director of scouting, director of player personnel and finally assistant general manager.
"You feel real good when you're a coach in this league when you have a general manager you know is going to work 24/7 and will do whatever he can, Carlesimo said. "The two things you notice right away about Sam Presti are his intelligence and work ethic.
The Thunder's time
Hiring Carlesimo was Presti's first big decision.
Presti and Carlesimo agree on a lot of things. One thing they'll never agree on is Major League Baseball. Presti is a Red Sox fan. Carlesimo is a Yankees fan.
Their relationship began when Carlesimo was hired in 2002 as a Spurs assistant following a tumultuous end as Golden State's head coach. Five years later, Presti felt the former Seton Hall coach was a good fit because he could develop young players, the first stage in Presti's long-term plan.
This wasn't a rash decision. Presti knew he was going to tear down the roster. He liked Carlesimo's college background and his affinity for defense.
"One of the main reasons I was excited about this job was Sam Presti, Carlesimo said. "You knew it was a building situation. You knew it would be a challenge. You knew there would be some tough days in the beginning. But knowing Sam would be here, I knew he wanted to build a team the right way.
"Then I got a chance to meet Clay. Sam and Clay, those two guys are on the same page. They feel the same way about so many things it makes for a good situation. They're committed to doing it the right way, even if it takes a little longer. They want to build something that's going to last.
Said Ferry: "When you're in a situation where you start over it doesn't happen overnight. You just can't snap your fingers. But Sam has the discipline to work hard. He isn't afraid to think outside the box. He'll do what he feels is necessary to put that team in position to succeed.
General managers are graded on trades they make or don't make, free agents they sign or failed to sign and coaches they hire or fire.
"Sam is not afraid to pull the trigger, Carlesimo said. "There are some GMs in this league who are not going to make a move until they know whether it's popular or unpopular. If he believes something is the right thing to do he's going to do it. He's made a few already. He's really good.
Presti's vision is a methodical, long-term plan, acquiring players that fit the Thunder Way.
It will take time. The Thunder was 20-62 last season. But Ferry said sellout crowds will enhance Presti's off-season moves drafting rookie Russell Westbrook, and trading for veterans Desmond Mason and Joe Smith.
"One thing that is really positive about the organization is all that energy with those tickets (sold last week), Ferry said. "It will help put that organization in the best position to succeed. Players look at that and will feel the energy. It will help that team this year.
"Sometimes things work out better right away. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes you have to be lucky. They got lucky with Kevin Durant. Sam will now build around Durant. He is organized, smart and focused. He's trying to build it the right way.
The Thunder Way.
OKC Thunder: The man with a plan (http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-the-man-with-a-plan/article/3297703/?mp=0)
By Mike Baldwin
The man charged with building an NBA winner in Oklahoma City, the whiz-kid behind the chic designer glasses, has grand designs.
Someday those designs could be called the Thunder Way, this franchise's model for the right way to among other things play, coach, teach, scout and be part of the community.
There probably won't be any public pronouncements on those ways. That's not how Sam Presti operates. The Thunder's 31-year-old general manager prefers life as the man behind the curtain. But it may be possible to learn something about those designs by getting to know the designer.
Oklahoma City NBA fans know Presti as a former San Antonio Spurs front office assistant overseeing an extreme team makeover using high draft picks and some shrewd salary-dumping trades. Here's what you might not know:
He's an accomplished drummer whose CDs benefitted a children's hospital. He once took six charging fouls in one Division III basketball game. His college professor calls him the hardest-working student he's had in 38 years as an educator.
Once you consider all that and the story about how he talked the Spurs into drafting Tony Parker you might see that the only "chic thing about Sam Presti are those trendy eye glasses.
The Emerson experience
Emerson College law professor Mike Brown had the reputation of giving more C's and D's than other instructors at the Boston private school. If students needed extra guidance, Brown said his door was open four mornings a week. One student took him up on the offer.
Sam Presti showed up early. All four days. Every week. For two months. Presti signed up for more of Brown's classes. They developed a friendship that lasted beyond college. Now retired, Brown said Presti was the hardest-working student he had in his 38-year career.
When former Concord-Carlisle (Mass.) High School basketball coach John McNamara was asked Presti's best traits, McNamara said: "He probably was the hardest working kid I ever saw come through here. He was an unselfish player. And he always put the team first.
Those who know Presti best agree he's a 24/7/365 Energizer bunny. He's constantly asking questions. He's constantly collecting data. He's constantly searching for new ways to evaluate that data.
Hank Smith, longtime coach at Emerson, told his wife the day the Spurs hired Presti that Emerson's first Rhodes Scholar candidate would be a GM by age 35. Presti beat that prediction by five years.
Smith had come to expect boldness from Presti. After all, in one game at Emerson, Presti took six charging fouls. As a team captain, Presti required every teammate to sign a contract that stipulated a player could be booted off the team if they didn't play hard.
"He was the same in practice as he was in games, he said of Presti, who graduated from Emerson in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in communications, politics and law. "That's what separates him from other players I've ever coached. He had such a tremendous work ethic and a sense of team. There's nothing he's not prepared for. He's a perfectionist. He'll work until it's right.
Presti's work ethic applies to every aspect of his life. He's an accomplished drummer but the sticks aren't even a hobby these days due to a hectic schedule. Those drum skills, though, helped Presti organize a group of musicians to produce CDs that benefited the Extra Ordinary Needs Fund at Children's Hospital in Boston.
"He just wanted to do something for those children, Smith said. "College kids don't have much money. In Division III there are no scholarships. The kids pay for everything. That's the kind of person Sam Presti is. He has a tremendous basketball mind but he's more than that.
The Spurs model
Presti's NBA journey grew from the help he gave an Emerson teammate, who was fighting through an emotional knee injury. Presti's kindness and support were returned when the player's father introduced Presti to R.C. Buford at a basketball camp in Aspen, Colo.
The pair hit it off and Buford, the San Antonio Spurs general manager offered Presti a $250-a-month internship.
"He's really bright, Buford said. "He has a great feel not only for basketball but for people. He's very diligent. He's very thorough whether it's decision making or processing.
Presti's breakthrough moment occurred with the Spurs in the spring of 2001. The Spurs were evaluating a young guard from France. Tony Parker performed miserably in a private workout in Chicago against 34-year-old veteran Lance Blanks.
Convinced Parker was special, Presti compiled a 10-minute Parker highlight video to refute every concern the organization had. The rest is history: The Spurs drafted Parker with the 28th pick and have won three NBA titles with him at point guard.
Presti deflects praise. To Presti, the NBA is a player's game. Players are on ESPN highlight reels. Players win games. His job is to stay in the background and acquire players that fit the Thunder way.
He's sometimes labeled a salary cap wizard but you'll rarely hear him rattle off statistics. Instead, he uses terms such as vision, creating an environment, establishing a culture, becoming part of the community.
"I very much support his approach to building this organization on the basketball operations side, said team chairman Clay Bennett. "But I'm most impressed with the man as an individual his personal character, his loyalty, his sincerity in his relationships, his aspirations to always learn. His desire to always find ways to do things better is inspiring.
It was hard for Presti not to get attention for his work with the Spurs. He eventually caught the eye of not just Bennett, but of Danny Ferry, who was then with San Antonio.
Danny Ferry once said we should listen to everything Sam said because was smarter than either one of us, Buford said.
Ferry thought so much of Presti after five years together in San Antonio Ferry tried to bring Presti with him when he was named the Cavaliers general manager in 2005. The Spurs thought so much of Presti they promoted him to assistant general manager.
"Sam is organized, prepared, smart and works extremely hard, Ferry said. "He's big on character. He has a great feel for the draft and players. And he's a quality person. He believes strongly in principles.
Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo saw those same characteristics the five seasons they worked together with the Spurs. Carlesimo was an assistant coach. Presti worked his way up the ranks, from intern to special assistant, then assistant director of scouting, director of player personnel and finally assistant general manager.
"You feel real good when you're a coach in this league when you have a general manager you know is going to work 24/7 and will do whatever he can, Carlesimo said. "The two things you notice right away about Sam Presti are his intelligence and work ethic.
The Thunder's time
Hiring Carlesimo was Presti's first big decision.
Presti and Carlesimo agree on a lot of things. One thing they'll never agree on is Major League Baseball. Presti is a Red Sox fan. Carlesimo is a Yankees fan.
Their relationship began when Carlesimo was hired in 2002 as a Spurs assistant following a tumultuous end as Golden State's head coach. Five years later, Presti felt the former Seton Hall coach was a good fit because he could develop young players, the first stage in Presti's long-term plan.
This wasn't a rash decision. Presti knew he was going to tear down the roster. He liked Carlesimo's college background and his affinity for defense.
"One of the main reasons I was excited about this job was Sam Presti, Carlesimo said. "You knew it was a building situation. You knew it would be a challenge. You knew there would be some tough days in the beginning. But knowing Sam would be here, I knew he wanted to build a team the right way.
"Then I got a chance to meet Clay. Sam and Clay, those two guys are on the same page. They feel the same way about so many things it makes for a good situation. They're committed to doing it the right way, even if it takes a little longer. They want to build something that's going to last.
Said Ferry: "When you're in a situation where you start over it doesn't happen overnight. You just can't snap your fingers. But Sam has the discipline to work hard. He isn't afraid to think outside the box. He'll do what he feels is necessary to put that team in position to succeed.
General managers are graded on trades they make or don't make, free agents they sign or failed to sign and coaches they hire or fire.
"Sam is not afraid to pull the trigger, Carlesimo said. "There are some GMs in this league who are not going to make a move until they know whether it's popular or unpopular. If he believes something is the right thing to do he's going to do it. He's made a few already. He's really good.
Presti's vision is a methodical, long-term plan, acquiring players that fit the Thunder Way.
It will take time. The Thunder was 20-62 last season. But Ferry said sellout crowds will enhance Presti's off-season moves drafting rookie Russell Westbrook, and trading for veterans Desmond Mason and Joe Smith.
"One thing that is really positive about the organization is all that energy with those tickets (sold last week), Ferry said. "It will help put that organization in the best position to succeed. Players look at that and will feel the energy. It will help that team this year.
"Sometimes things work out better right away. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes you have to be lucky. They got lucky with Kevin Durant. Sam will now build around Durant. He is organized, smart and focused. He's trying to build it the right way.
The Thunder Way.