Oklahoma City picked up the second win of its existence in Friday's Summer Pro League action, defeating a depleted Chicago Bulls squad 86-73.
Chicago was without No. 1 pick Derrick Rose and Tyrus Thomas and played Joakim Noah for less than 10 minutes, while OKC chose to rest Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook for the first time this week. They joined Kevin Durant on the bench, cheering on a roster filled with temporary teammates, players who will not be on the opening night roster when the regular season begins in late October.
Rookie D.J. White was the only exception, guaranteed to make the roster due to his status as a first-round pick, acquired from Detroit in a draft night trade.
White enjoyed his time as the focal point of the Oklahoma City offense, shooting 9-for-15 to finish with 20 points and seven rebounds.
White's emergence over the last few days is further proof that the franchise is headed in the right direction, acquiring players capable of contributing immediately. Before leaving Seattle, one of the criticisms levied by the team's fan base in their previous locale was that they sacrificed success in the interim for greener pastures down the road in their new home.
The fact of the matter was that nobody could've predicted how the legal process dictating the move was going to play out, so new GM Sam Presti and his staff made every decision with an eye toward the future, regardless of where their ultimate destination would be.
That's set the franchise with a multitude of first-round draft picks and cap space over the next few years. Like Portland, Seattle chose to position themselves for a future when the current Western Conference powers would be weaker.
As a result, the fan base for the OKC TBDs will get an opportunity to grow along with the team, similar to what many enjoyed with the Hornets, watching the chemistry between Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler come together.
After a week of watching summer league talent, despite a 2-3 record, the following can be deciphered. Durant was the top player to grace the floor. Jeff Green finished as the leading scorer, averaging 22.8 points per game and getting to the line a week-high 53 times. Russell Westbrook was the unofficial MVP, shooting 50 percent from the field (24-for-48), averaging 16.5 points and 3.5 assists. White clocked in as one of the most effective rookies, putting up 12 points and six rebounds per game.
"We like his versatility. He has a knack for the ball. As he gets more comfortable with what we're doing defensively as far as rotation, he's going to get better,”
said assistant coach Scott Brooks. "The thing about it is he hasn't played a lot of five-on-five the last couple of months. Conditioning was a factor but it's improving every day. He works hard. He doesn't sit out any plays in practice. We really like him. He's a very coachable kid and we're lucky to have him.”
It's unlikely there will be room on the roster for one of the non-drafted summer league participants, but Ronald Dupree and Justin Williams did put themselves in contention. Dupree, who spent time with Detroit last season, shot nearly 55 percent and averaged over 11 points. Williams, formerly of Sacramento, averaged five rebounds a game and supplied good energy inside.
Oklahoma City showed much better than its 2-3 record for the week would indicate, particularly since Durant's only appearance led to the team scoring 100 points in 40 minutes to grab a lopsided victory.
Durant, Green, Westbrook and White did what they were supposed to in Orlando, excelling against inferior talent.
"It's good to see them out there together working hard and playing for each other. We understand there are going to be peaks and valleys, but what we tried to do is put guys in our uniform that want to work, want to try to get better, compete and play with each other,”
Presti said. "It's good to see that. The key for them as young players and for our organization will be consistency. That will be our challenge.”
