The Oklahoma City Thunders season ended in disappointment, but general manager Sam Presti made it clear he isnt losing confidence in two of the franchises biggest stars.Presti strongly defended both Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander following Oklahoma Citys seven-game playoff loss to the Spurs.Despite Holmgren struggling throughout the series, Presti emphasized that the organization remains fully committed to the young big man.He drives winning on so many different levels for us, Presti said speaking during a lengthy end-of-season media session. Hes a first-time All-Star, second in Defensive Player of the Year, third-team All-NBA. We were sweeping our way to the Western Conference finals primarily because of his efforts in the [Lakers] series.Holmgrens production dipped significantly against San Antonio, averaging just 10.7 points per game after posting 17.1 points during the regular season.His struggles culminated in a four-point, four-rebound performance in Game 7.Still, Presti showed little concern about the long-term outlook.This is a guy that is intrinsically motivated, Presti said. He doesnt need people questioning him or things on the internet to drive his improvement. He doesnt need somebody to nudge him, he doesnt need somebody to question him. Its just kind of how hes wired. So Im not really that concerned about him.Presti also described Holmgren as an underdog, noting that skepticism has followed him throughout his basketball journey and that he remains confident the talented center is a perfect fit in Oklahoma City.The Thunder executive later turned his attention to Gilgeous-Alexander, who continues to face criticism from some fans over his ability to draw fouls.Related Article: Victor Wembanyama 'Not Worried in Slightest' After Spurs G1 LossPresti offered one of the more memorable lines of the afternoon when discussing the reigning two-time MVP.Hes playing against six people, Presti said. He has five defenders and the sixth defender is social media. Its a reality. Hes not going to be the last player that the machine decides to target. But nobody is going to handle it as gracefully.READ MORE: Steph Curry $400 Million Deal Left Draymond Green Stunned
Read More
TakeSporty
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by TakeSporty.
Publisher: basketball forever

Recent Articles

Get Updates on Current Happenings instantly

Get Updates on Current Happenings instantly