'We'll be a Better Team:' OKC Thunder GM Says Team Will Improve Throughout Season

After a promising finish to last season, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti gave his team's fanbase an encouraging word of confidence.

If having the most first-round draft picks in the NBA was a competition, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be gold medalists. 

Adding back technical rookie Chet Holmgren was a great start for the up-and-coming team, but following behind the leadership of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will only strengthen coach Mark Daigneault's core — and that's just scratching the surface. 

Last season, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort finished second, third and fourth in points per game, respectively, and Kenrich Williams began put his name on the map in the assists column, adding yet another name to the Thunder's list of notable players. 

This year, that group is expected to continue to develop and will look to qualify for the playoffs, and if they start the season where they were last season, that isn't such a lofty goal — especially after Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti's Wednesday press conference.

“We’re going to be a better team by the end of the season,” Presti said. “The synchronicity and the time together and the experience shared, I think we’ll be a better team. I’m confident we’ll be a better team.”

Presti's confidence likely echoes that of a majority of Oklahoma City's fanbase, especially given how far the group reached with only Gilgeous-Alexander being an All-NBA member. And to those fans, Presti sent out an assuring message. 

“What I say to our fans is enjoy the ride,” Presti said. “We have a great group of guys, and they work hard. Really hard — they really want to do well for the city and the team and themselves.”

As the fans prepare themselves for a new season of Thunder basketball, so will the team — and if Presti ends up being correct, they're certainly in for an exciting season.

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