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2014-15 End-of-Season Interviews - Part Two

End-of-season player interviews spilled over into the afternoon on Thursday and into Friday morning, where Dion Waiters and Mitch McGary rounded out the group that spoke with the media before embarking on their summer plans. All 15 players and the entire coaching staff have rest, recovery and hard work ahead of them this summer before the team reconvenes at training camp in October.  

Steven Adams – 2:05 p.m.

Steven Adams was one of the many Thunder players who sustained an injury that sidelined him for a stretch of the season, but a broken hand didn’t stop the second-year big man from making huge steps in his game. From the very outset of his career, Adams has had one sole focus – defense. Over the course of the season, Adams’ ability, understanding, recognition and communication within the Thunder’s defensive schemes, particularly the pick-and-roll, have been increasingly improved.

“What helped me out really fast was the veterans around me and the program,” Adams said. “As soon as I came in it was all about defense.”

“I’m really proud of where I come from where I started,” Adams continued. “It’s really starting to slow down. I can identify a lot of different coverages. Nick (Collison) has been helping me out a lot.”

On the other end of the floor, Adams also made strides in terms of his touch, aggressiveness and finishing ability around the rim. His rebounding was a major factor, especially after returning from injury, and those aspects will all be key for him moving forward. His main priorities this summer will be continuing to be comfortable as a catch and finish player in the pick-and-roll with Russell Westbrook and also on his free throw shooting, which he wants to make more consistent.

“(Westbrook and I) definitely have chemistry because we understand each other better,” Adams explained. “’That’s natural and comes with time. We’re put in more situations where we had to play with each other a lot more.”

“I just have to play a lot more basketball and get a feel for the game and work on my confidence,” Adams continued. “I have some stuff to work on and I’m going to continue to work on for my whole career.” 

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Early in the year, when the Thunder at times had just eight healthy players, Jeremy Lamb was an integral cog in what the team did as it battled through major adversity. Lamb helped the team push through and keep the ship afloat until the group got healthy and was able to make a push back towards .500 basketball in December and January. His minutes decreased as the season went along, but Lamb continued to work hard and stay engaged with the team every single night.

“We never made any excuses,” Lamb said. “We played as hard as we could and worked hard. We stuck together and that’s all we could ask.”

Although this season didn’t go the way Lamb wanted it to personally, he knows that heading into his fourth season in the NBA, it will be incumbent upon him to stay consistent in his work, be in attack mode on offense and committed to playing better defense on a possession-by-possession basis. Lamb is self-assured in his abilities and skillset and knows it’s just a matter of keeping an even keel through his offseason and into the 2015-16 campaign.

“It’s just staying confident,” Lamb explained. “I have to stay aggressive no matter what happens. It’s a long season. I can’t get too high or too low.”

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Enes Kanter – 2:25 p.m.

It was his first game with the Thunder, a quick road trip to Charlotte, and Enes Kanter had no idea what to expect when Head Coach Scott Brooks pulled him aside before the game. The next thing he knew, he was in the starting lineup and on his way to putting up 11 20-point, 10-rebound games for the Thunder over the final half of the season. Kanter has been an offensive force for the Thunder on the floor, but also appreciated his reception off of it. He’s been extremely complimentary of the Thunder organization, and was blown away by the fans who showed up to the airport on Wednesday night.

“I love it here,” Kanter said. “Oklahoma City is obviously a good fit from me from Day One. They opened their arms. I liked playing with all of these guys. They give it 100 percent of the time.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Kanter said of the airport greeting. “It was unbelievable. I can’t say enough about the Oklahoma City fans. I think they’re the best in any sport.”

As for Kanter’s development on the court and his plans for the summer, the Thunder big man wants to continue working on his defensive positioning and understanding of team concepts. Coming to the team in the middle season then trying to pick up terminology and communication is a difficult task, but after he goes home to Turkey to visit family, he’ll be back in the United States to work on his game. Footwork, timing and focus will be crucial for Kanter on that end of the floor, and it is something he’ll work

“This team has taught me a lot of stuff, especially on defense,” Kanter explained. “It’s a lot to process and is getting better every day. You can work on your legs, you can get two point guards and work on pick and roll coverages.”

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D.J. Augustin – 2:35 p.m.

Coming into an organization, playing a role and sticking to the team’s principles is all the Thunder can ask of a player who joins the program, and that’s exactly what D.J. Augustin did this year. Playing the backup point guard role, he saw time as the sole ball-handler on the floor but also playing off the ball some with Russell Westbrook.

He enjoyed those minutes as a secondary attacker and spot up shooter, but also knows that he will be charged with leading the second unit next season. Most of all, he’s proud to play for an organization that dedicates so many resources to its players every day, making his job and transition easier.

“The way they feed us here, the training staff, how they treat us, taking care of your body is the most important thing with this organization,” Augustin said. “They just take care of us players the best way possible.”

As a veteran of a number of different NBA teams, Augustin knows that getting a full summer, training camp and preseason to work together as a group is essential to being able to function at a high level as a team. Knowing defensive coverages, seeing the game slow down and identifying responsibilities all become easier with good habits and repetition, all of which can be gained this offseason for the group.

“It will be great,” Augustin said of a full training camp. “Coming from other teams, each team has different calls on defense and offense.”

“It’s just having a chance to understand everything to understand the language and culture of this team will help a lot,” Augustin continued.

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Andre Roberson – 2:50 p.m.

As just a second year player and late first round draft pick, Andre Roberson might not have been expecting it, but in the 2014-15 campaign, he was an integral starter at the shooting guard position for the Thunder. With his length, relentlessness and tenacity along the perimeter, Roberson has at times been a shut-down defender against opponents’ best scorers along the wing. He’ll continue to grow into his role with an emphasis on building consistency and learning personnel throughout the league.

On the other end of the floor, Roberson scored within the flow of the offense as a slasher, cutter and finisher in transition. Over the course of the season, Roberson’s shot from behind the arc in the corner improved as well. In fact, Roberson shot 40.0 percent on the road on three-pointers. He still sees plenty of room for improvement in his shooting and overall game, and plans to use this summer wisely to be prepared for the 2015-16 season.

“I thought I brought a defensive minded player for the team, a toughness and a guy willing to risk everything for the team,” Roberson said.

“I can see myself as a big part on this team defensively,” Roberson continued. “I can see myself growing with defensive coverages but also personnel...I’ll continue to grow each and every game, watching film and going through it.”

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Kyle Singler – 3:00 p.m.

Regardless of whether he was starting, coming off the bench or biding his time, Kyle Singler always stayed ready. It’s a difficult skill, according to Thunder teammates, for a player to go an entire game or more without playing then all of the sudden being thrust into the rotation the next night. The most important part this season for Singler was preparation and understanding his role within the construct of the Thunder’s team dynamics. It took him a while to hit his stride, but towards the end of the year he grew more comfortable and confident in his role.

“You have to value your time in the gym,” Singler said. “It’s making sure that when you do that game time, you’re able to pick up and be as effective as possible.”

“This is the type of environment I think I thrive in,” Singler continued. “A winning team, a winning organization, talented players. This is where I want to be. I think they want me here. I think I bring winning qualities and qualities they value.”

It remains to be seen whether Singler, a restricted free agent, will be back with the Thunder next season but it was a good fit in terms of his skill set and role as a reserve small forward. Singler is a versatile defender and knock-down shooter who is willing to sacrifice minutes and points in order to be in a successful environment. This summer, he’ll continue to fine-tune his game to be a player that can change the flow of contests on both ends of the floor.

“I never viewed myself as a one-dimensional player,” Singler said. “I want to impact the game as much as I can. I’m going to be working on my defense, just learning terminology, coverages and watching film with my coach. I’m just trying to pick up tendencies of new teammates and getting back here and playing pickup.”

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Perry Jones – 3:15 p.m.

The Thunder needed Perry Jones badly, and the third-year small forward delivered. Prior to an injury to his knee in November, Jones stood and delivered for the Thunder as its go-to scorer, even scoring 32 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in a hotly contested contest. After his injury, the rest of the season didn’t go the way Jones wanted it to in terms of minutes and opportunity, but he can look back at his early season stint as something to build upon over the summer and into next year.

“I’m very confident,” Jones said, referencing his early season start. “That helps a lot. That’s a nice little hump that I got over. I still look at that and can gain confidence from that.”

Throughout the year, however, Jones stayed ready and found ways to impact the group on the floor and off of it with his energy and enthusiasm. Despite the massive run of injuries that the Thunder sustained, Jones helped the team stick together through it all. Over the summer, the fourth-year forward will commit to his workout plan, stay consistent in his work and improve in all aspects of his game, particularly his assertiveness and aggressiveness.

“I would say this was the craziest season I’ve ever been a part of,” Jones said. “We were short-handed early in the season. We did the best we could. Everybody gave their best effort.”

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FRIDAY, April 17

Dion Waiters – 10:30 a.m.

Right away, when Dion Waiters entered the Thunder locker room, he was greeted with open arms. The off-court welcome he received only facilitated his on-court work, as the developing third-year guard found more and more ways to impact the game. His defense on the perimeter was solid, and as the year went along he made shots in crucial moments and could be relied upon to bring intensity and focus throughout the course of the game. All of that was spurred on by teammates like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Anthony Morrow.

“It was pretty much just opening up, talking and having conversations,” Waiters said. “The easy part is being on the court, the intensity and the trash talking. We clicked right away.”

“It was a special year for me, especially being able to make the transition that I did,” Waiters continued. “It was exciting with the fans, the people and the community. I miss it already. I can’t wait to get back.”

Waiters is a player who has the ability to knock down shots, attack the paint and create for teammates and create opportunities for them. As the season went along, Waiters became more and more comfortable driving to the paint and distributing to others, serving as a secondary ball-handler alongside Russell Westbrook. A part of Waiters’ development will be in his ability to play off of the ball, which is something he’ll continue to work towards over the summer with teammates.

“You have to make the adjustment where you’re not going to have the ball,” Waiters said. “Your job is to make it easy for yourself. You know (Russ) is going to breakdown the defense and it’s going to collapse. So you have to be shot ready.”

“It’s not about how many shots (you get),” Waiters explained. “It’s about the quality of the shots.”

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Mitch McGary – 12:20 p.m.

The last man to walk into the interview room at the INTEGRIS Thunder Development Center was the team’s sole rookie, Mitch McGary. The bruising forward had an up-and-down first campaign, starting with a foot injury, including a set-back when he returned to action, then finishing with a flurry of strong play that showed his potential. Overall, there are plenty of areas where the University of Michigan product still needs to improve, but McGary showed that he is going to bring hustle and physicality to the game whenever he touches the floor with the hope of providing his team with a spark.

“I got some minutes under my belt,” McGary said. “It’s going into summer league will be big for me. This summer will be key for me to build on and off the floor.”

A crucial area for McGary to work on this summer, much like second year center Steven Adams did last summer, is on the defensive end with pick-and-roll coverages and other defensive assignments. The hardest aspect of the game for a young big man to pick up is the communication that must be prevalent for all 48 minutes during an NBA game. When guards attack the paint and create mismatches or command double-teams, Thunder big men must know exactly what the coverage is and communicate it precisely, quickly and confidently to their guards along the perimeter. With the tutelage of veteran teammates and the coaching staff, McGary knows he can improve in that regard.

“During a game, things are moving so quickly,” McGary explained. “That's a big key for me, the game slowing down.”

“If you call things out early, you do less work, it's done early and you shut down their offense,” McGary explained. “They have to run something else.