duncan228
11-09-2008, 02:26 PM
Hennigan helps build Thunder (http://www.telegram.com/article/20081109/COLUMN08/811090474/1009/SPORTS)
Bill Doyle
Trying to make it in a new city with a young, struggling team, the Oklahoma City Thunder needs to strike lightning with its four first-round draft picks over the next two years.
Guess who will perform most of the leg work in determining who the Thunder will choose with those picks. The answer is Worcester native Rob Hennigan.
“There’s definitely some added pressure,” Hennigan said.
After working for the San Antonio Spurs for four years, Hennigan accepted an offer from Thunder general manager Sam Presti last summer to join the team as director of college and international player personnel. Hennigan did basically the same thing for San Antonio last year, but the Oklahoma City job gives him more responsibility
Presti, 31, and Hennigan, 26, both played basketball at Emerson College in Boston for coach Hank Smith, although not together. Hennigan became the school’s all-time leading scorer after helping St. John’s High win the 2000 state championship.
Presti, a Concord native, worked in San Antonio for eight years, most recently as assistant GM, before becoming GM in Seattle last season. The Sonics moved to Oklahoma City this year.
“It’s a unique opportunity,” Hennigan said, “to try to help build something from the ground up, and I have tremendous faith in Sam and the way he tries to do things.”
Presti also raided the Spurs for head coach P.J. Carlesimo and video coordinator Vin Bhavnani. Director of basketball communications Brian Facchini was a Spurs employee as well before working for Nike the past two years.
Over the next two years, the Thunder has its own two first-round picks as well as first-rounders that Presti acquired from Phoenix and San Antonio in separate deals for Kurt Thomas. Prior to last season, the Suns sent Thomas and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 to Seattle for a second-round pick and an $8-million trade exception. Last February, the Sonics dealt Thomas to San Antonio for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and another first-round pick. Presti drafted Serge Ibaka, a 6-10 forward from the Congo, in June with the first pick acquired from the Suns. Ibaka is playing in Spain this year.
The Sonics owned the NBA’s second-worst record (20-62) last season and the team is off to another slow start in Oklahoma City. There will be a honeymoon with the fans for a year or two, but the team needs to win to keep them coming back. So mistakes with the draft must be avoided.
In his four years with the Spurs, Hennigan collected two championship rings. It will probably be quite a while before he gets one with the Thunder.
“It’s just a different perspective you have to take,” Hennigan said. “In San Antonio, the team was established and it had its identity and it knew where it was going and it could see the finish line in sight. The situation we have now with the Thunder is more malleable. There are a lot of moving parts and we’re trying to figure out what fits where and trying to figure out how best to put the roster together. That is a pretty humbling challenge, but it’s exciting. The next two or three seasons we’re going to have to make some pretty pivotal decisions to help establish the identity and direction of the franchise.”
The Thunder is trying to win with youth, something the Celtics couldn’t do before winning the title behind the Big Three last year. The team is built around second-year players Kevin Durant, Presti’s first draft pick, and Jeff Green, acquired from Boston in the deal for Ray Allen, as well as rookie Russell Westbrook, the fourth pick of last June’s draft.
“Because our team’s so young,” Hennigan said, “it’s going to take a little while to establish a comfort level with the city and the new team.”
Hennigan grew up in Worcester as a Celtics fan and he rooted for them to win the title last season once the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs.
“You always have a soft spot in your heart for your hometown and your local sports teams,” he said.
During his short time in Oklahoma City, Hennigan has found the people to be warm and friendly. The cost of living is much lower than in San Antonio.
Gas costs $1.95 a gallon and he bought a house for much less than one would cost in Worcester. The new job created one problem though.
“I have five boxes of Spurs gear in my closet that I can’t wear anymore,” Hennigan said.
Bill Doyle
Trying to make it in a new city with a young, struggling team, the Oklahoma City Thunder needs to strike lightning with its four first-round draft picks over the next two years.
Guess who will perform most of the leg work in determining who the Thunder will choose with those picks. The answer is Worcester native Rob Hennigan.
“There’s definitely some added pressure,” Hennigan said.
After working for the San Antonio Spurs for four years, Hennigan accepted an offer from Thunder general manager Sam Presti last summer to join the team as director of college and international player personnel. Hennigan did basically the same thing for San Antonio last year, but the Oklahoma City job gives him more responsibility
Presti, 31, and Hennigan, 26, both played basketball at Emerson College in Boston for coach Hank Smith, although not together. Hennigan became the school’s all-time leading scorer after helping St. John’s High win the 2000 state championship.
Presti, a Concord native, worked in San Antonio for eight years, most recently as assistant GM, before becoming GM in Seattle last season. The Sonics moved to Oklahoma City this year.
“It’s a unique opportunity,” Hennigan said, “to try to help build something from the ground up, and I have tremendous faith in Sam and the way he tries to do things.”
Presti also raided the Spurs for head coach P.J. Carlesimo and video coordinator Vin Bhavnani. Director of basketball communications Brian Facchini was a Spurs employee as well before working for Nike the past two years.
Over the next two years, the Thunder has its own two first-round picks as well as first-rounders that Presti acquired from Phoenix and San Antonio in separate deals for Kurt Thomas. Prior to last season, the Suns sent Thomas and first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 to Seattle for a second-round pick and an $8-million trade exception. Last February, the Sonics dealt Thomas to San Antonio for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and another first-round pick. Presti drafted Serge Ibaka, a 6-10 forward from the Congo, in June with the first pick acquired from the Suns. Ibaka is playing in Spain this year.
The Sonics owned the NBA’s second-worst record (20-62) last season and the team is off to another slow start in Oklahoma City. There will be a honeymoon with the fans for a year or two, but the team needs to win to keep them coming back. So mistakes with the draft must be avoided.
In his four years with the Spurs, Hennigan collected two championship rings. It will probably be quite a while before he gets one with the Thunder.
“It’s just a different perspective you have to take,” Hennigan said. “In San Antonio, the team was established and it had its identity and it knew where it was going and it could see the finish line in sight. The situation we have now with the Thunder is more malleable. There are a lot of moving parts and we’re trying to figure out what fits where and trying to figure out how best to put the roster together. That is a pretty humbling challenge, but it’s exciting. The next two or three seasons we’re going to have to make some pretty pivotal decisions to help establish the identity and direction of the franchise.”
The Thunder is trying to win with youth, something the Celtics couldn’t do before winning the title behind the Big Three last year. The team is built around second-year players Kevin Durant, Presti’s first draft pick, and Jeff Green, acquired from Boston in the deal for Ray Allen, as well as rookie Russell Westbrook, the fourth pick of last June’s draft.
“Because our team’s so young,” Hennigan said, “it’s going to take a little while to establish a comfort level with the city and the new team.”
Hennigan grew up in Worcester as a Celtics fan and he rooted for them to win the title last season once the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs.
“You always have a soft spot in your heart for your hometown and your local sports teams,” he said.
During his short time in Oklahoma City, Hennigan has found the people to be warm and friendly. The cost of living is much lower than in San Antonio.
Gas costs $1.95 a gallon and he bought a house for much less than one would cost in Worcester. The new job created one problem though.
“I have five boxes of Spurs gear in my closet that I can’t wear anymore,” Hennigan said.