Much like the first day of school, Media Day for an NBA team is a joyous, smile-filled afternoon where the entire team re-convenes and begins its new year.
One-by-one, Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks and his players stopped by each station on the ground level at Chesapeake Energy Arena, fulfilling their beginning-of-season media obligations, including the Thunder’s Livestream. The team will have a meeting tonight then officially begin practices to start the U.S. Cellular Thunder Training Camp on Tuesday.
On Monday, however, everyone made a quick stop in the media room to discuss their off-season work, the impending season and their hopes for the team this year. Here’s a quick look at what Brooks and all 18 players on the training camp roster had to say in the order in which they met with the media.
Head Coach Scott Brooks
Brooks enters the season after leading the Thunder to its third appearance in the Western Conference Finals in the past four seasons. As he has been each year, the seventh-year head coach is thrilled about putting all the pieces together for this year’s team.
“This is a great time of the year for an NBA head coach,” Brooks said. “You have 30 days of NBA training camp. It’s an area that we’ve felt we utilize all 30 days to improve and get better. This is no different. I anticipate a very competitive training camp. There are starting lineup (positions) to be fought for and minutes to be competed for.”
Anthony Morrow
Morrow is one of the Thunder’s newest additions, and as a sharp-shooting guard who put down 45 percent of his three-pointers last season, he relishes the chance to play with playmakers like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. It remains to be seen how Morrow’s minutes will shake out between the starting unit and reserves off the bench, but he hopes to be a factor this year.
“I’ve never been on a team with two guys that are that dynamic and draw that much attention,” Morrow said. “I also include Serge in that as well.”
Sebastian Telfair
Telfair is also a newcomer to the Thunder, and after a highly successful season overseas in China last year, the long-time veteran is excited to get back into the NBA with a contender like the Thunder. He’ll likely be behind Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson at the point guard position, but has already used his experience to take younger players under his wing.
“I just going to give myself to the team and be open and free right now,” Telfair said. “This is a new situation for me. This is the best team I’ve played on since I’ve been in the league. I’m going to come in and let my role come to me.”
Mitch McGary
McGary was the first of the Thunder’s two first-round draft picks in 2014, and has already shown at Summer League in Orlando that he has some unique skills for a big man. He’s been spending a lot of time so far learning from Nick Collison, but the two are different and distinct players. By taking advice from all of the Thunder’s bigs, McGary can add to his natural rebounding, ball-handling and passing abilities.
“This is definitely a first class organization,” McGary said. “Coming here and working with the guys is truly a blessing. Getting the opportunity to play in summer league was a good opportunity for me.”
Nick Collison
Collison is the longest-tenured member of the Thunder and he seems to always understand just how to describe where the team and wants to be. Ever a proponent of building habits early in the season in order to be prepared for whatever may lay ahead, Collison comes into 2014-15 believing that the work done now in training camp can pay dividends down the line.
“Having a goal to win the championship, it’s good to always have that in the back of your mind, but you can’t get too bogged down with that,” Collison said. “There’s a lot of work to do before that could come. I want us to enjoy the process and do the work every day.”
Russell Westbrook
Westbrook is coming off of one of his best performances of his career, when he put up staggering numbers across the board in the Playoffs. In order to get back to that position again, Westbrook and his teammates know that they have to be diligent throughout the year and take no days off.
“Just take it one day at a time,” Westbrook said. “We know what it takes to get to the top but we don’t know what it feels like to win a championship. There are steps we have to make as a unit.”
Kevin Durant
Durant’s consistency is what propelled him to his first NBA Most Valuable Player award win last season, in which he put 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He’s been back in the gym recently for off-season voluntary workouts and hopes to carry over the positive energy built there into training camp and the regular season.
“I want us to come to work with a lot of energy and encourage each other every single day,” Durant said. “You just try to stay consistent in that part of it.”
Serge Ibaka
Ibaka, who represented his country by playing for Team Spain in the FIBA World Cup this summer, is now a veteran of Thunder Media Day. Still, he couldn’t believe that he is entering his sixth season in the NBA. Heading into the year he’s worked hard on his game, and is ready to join his Thunder teammates for the new year.
“It’s gone fast,” Ibaka said. “I can’t believe it’s my sixth right now. I remember the first time when I was 19 and I’m 25 now. I feel like it was yesterday. It’s very exciting. I feel I’m getting better as a person and a player. I feel blessed to be a part of this organization.”
Reggie Jackson
Jackson is coming off of his best season as a professional, and is geared up to make an impact on both ends of the floor this year. Every summer, Jackson is sad to say goodbye to his teammates and is always equally as excited to be back in the locker room with his brothers.
“Being back around these guys is something I can’t explain,” Jackson said. “This is a great group of individuals who are always trying to get better. We’re all hungry.”
Jeremy Lamb
Lamb has been extremely active in his work at the INTEGRIS Health Thunder Development Center this summer, showing the coaching staff that he is committed to fine-tuning his offensive and defensive skills. He already has a penchant for getting into the passing lanes and grabbing defensive rebounds, but Lamb wants to be even more forceful of a defender this year.
“Keeping the ball in front of me, playing smaller guards sometimes they’re quick,” Lamb said. “It’s just learning angles, never giving up on a play and trying to use my length to affect the ball or affect their shot.”
Lance Thomas
Thomas is a training camp invitee who won a National Championship at Duke University in 2010, played in the NBA and then overseas in China. During all his experiences, he’s learned quite a bit about himself as a player.
“I’ve learned that you have to welcome all challenges,” Thomas said. “You have to do things that most guys don’t want to do.”
Richard Solomon
Solomon played four seasons at the University of California, where he led the PAC-12 in rebounding his senior year. As a training camp invitee, Solomon is hoping to show his worth as a rebounder and defender.
“I’m going to try to make the best of the opportunity,” Solomon said. “I’m just going to come out here, play hard and give 110 percent.”
Perry Jones
Jones was ultra-aggressive during his Summer League opportunities in Orlando back in July, and believes that that has triggered even more confidence. As a long, quick and dynamic athlete, Jones hopes to make an impact on both ends of the floor with his versatility and also take advantage of his developing perimeter shot.
“I just had a lot of confidence in my shot,” Jones said. “Every time I took a shot I was confident I was going to make it, no matter how it felt or what it looked like, I thought it was going in. That’s the way I should play the game – be confident in everything I do. The rest of will take care of itself. It’s easier to play that way.”
Grant Jerrett
Jerrett spent last season with the Thunder’s Development League team and has been recovering from a foot injury this offseason. The stretch-four has the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter but also the strength to battle down low on the defensive end. Heading into training camp, Jerrett hopes to use those gifts to make an impact.
“Defensively, my outside shooting and playing my role,” Jerrett said. “Spreading the floor out so guys like Russ and Kevin can do what they do.
Steven Adams
Adams had an excellent rookie season last year, ultimately finding a larger role in the Playoffs and using his strength, toughness and athleticism to good use for the team. Rookie seasons are typically a whirlwind, so Adams feels much more comfortable heading into his second season than he did his first.
“I’m more aware of what I’m doing,” Adams said. “Now I have a good idea of how things work. I have that confidence now.”
Michael Jenkins
Jenkins played in Italy last season and has also played in Germany and Montenegro professionally. The Winthrop University graduate has been a professional since 2008, so he could not be any more excited about the prospect of living out his dream of playing in the NBA, which he’ll get to do as a training camp invitee this year.
“I’ve strived for this pretty much my whole life, especially after college and as a professional in Europe,” Jenkins said. “I’ve known that this is where I wanted to be. These guys came to me with this opportunity. I got to come here and go around the INTEGRIS Development Center and meet Mr. Presti and all the other guys in the organization. I was just really attracted to it and thought it was a good fit.”
Talib Zanna
Zanna is a former teammate of Steven Adams’ at the University of Pittsburgh and comes in with a penchant for being a factor in the lane. He averaged 13.0 points and 8.6 rebounds during his senior year and the Nigerian-born Zanna is excited about the chance to reconnect with Adams and give his all for the Thunder as a training camp invitee.
“My biggest thing is to rebound, play defense, hustle and knock down open shots,” Zanna said. “I’ll just take good shots.”
Andre Roberson
Roberson has put in the time and energy over the past year to become a more developed player heading into his second season than the one he was at this point last year. He has improved his three-point shot but has also worked to find other ways to score the basketball within the flow of the offense. He’s known for his defense and rebounding, and believes his confidence and understanding of the NBA lifestyle will help him this year.
“It’s a lot better this year,” Roberson said. “I definitely feel a lot more comfortable this year. I’ve been working hard each day, grinding it out. I’ve gotten better over the summer and I’m ready for a new season.”
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins is one of the Thunder’s leaders, and provides some championship experience to inspire his teammates on a day-to-day basis. He spent most of his session on Monday talking about the necessary sacrifices that he and his teammates will need to make this year if they want to be back in contention during the Playoffs.
“Individually we all have goals in terms of what we want to get out of each other,” Perkins said. “Right now it’s just young guys’ goals are that they want to learn and the vets, our goal is to set the right example for the young guys. I’m not talking about just on the court, but off the court too.”
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