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LAS VEGAS – When Bill Branch arrived here for the start of the Las Vegas Summer League, the hard part of his job had already been completed.
Well, at least for the most part.
Because getting the Thunder here in the first place was a gigantic task in itself.
It’s more than just boarding a plane to Vegas, checking into a hotel, heading to a gym and lacing up the sneakers for nine days.
It's about constructing a roster full of players who fit both a need and a mold. Its about booking a hotel, arranging for transportation and making sure every player has a plane ticket to their proper destination. It's about watching as many games as possible to get a feel for where nearly every player in the league stands, all the while keeping dibs on your own team.
And it’s about so much more.
As the Director of Pro Player Personnel, building the infrastructure for the Summer League is one of many things Branch does for the Thunder organization.
First, Branch starts with the roster.
"This is the most unique year, I think, because you have so many guys on your own team,” Branch said.
The league has a rule where a team can have only four of its own players on a Summer League roster. But the Thunder has two players -- Kyle Weaver and D.J. White -- who played in the NBA Development League at some point during their rookie seasons, which absolves them of that rule.
Rookies James Harden, Byron Mullens and Robert Vaden are exempt from the rule, as are last year’s other draft picks -- Serge Ibaka and DeVon Hardin -- because they played overseas.
The only player who technically falls under that rule is Russell Westbrook, who played four games in Orlando and one in Vegas.
The Thunder has a blueprint for filling the remaining roster spots.
"There's a lot of back and forth and maneuvering to try to figure out who fits you,” Branch said. “And also, when you have nine guys who are your property who are going to get major playing time, you have to find people who are willing to accept their roles. Summer League, you can’t have a lot of complaining on Summer League teams. The coaches aren’t going to stand for that. Sam (Presti) and this whole organization is about character. The last thing we want to do is bring in a guy who doesn’t fit that. I’d rather bring in a lesser player than take a runner on a guy that’s going to be a pain.”
The tricky part is that Branch tries to secure commitments one to two months before the NBA Draft, so there’s no telling what the team’s remaining needs will be for the Summer League rosters.
But the Thunder has been watching each of the six roster invitees for years.
Guard Keith McLeod, for example, is a veteran player looking to extend his career. Branch knew McLeod is a high-character guy who was willing to come in and play backup minutes at the point.
The Thunder liked what it saw in 6-8 forward Doug Thomas last summer when he played for the Chicago Bulls Summer League team. Oklahoma City had him in during its European mini-camp in May, which provided an avenue to invite the physical, hard-working Thomas to Summer League.
The Thunder also was familiar with forward Moses Ehambe, an Oral Roberts product who spent last season with the Tulsa 66ers and also speaks the same language as Ibaka.
Guard Richard Roby played for one of Branch’s acquaintances at the University of Colorado, and is someone who Branch has followed.
The 6-9 forward Marcus Dove played locally at Oklahoma State, so the staff has had a chance to see him in person at the collegiate level.
And the Thunder knew Tony Durant through his years playing at Townson University and, of course, because he is the brother of forward Kevin Durant.
Branch said it’s important that he’s very straightforward with every player.
“That’s part of it,” he said. “You have to be very honest with the agent and with the players up front that this is the situation. You don’t want to promise them things you can’t follow through on. Keith’s a perfect example. He knew we had three point guards at this camp and he still wanted to come.”
Once the roster is in place, Branch focuses on the logistics of getting to, from and around the Summer League. Branch credited Director of Team Operations Marc St. Yves and Team Travel Coordinator Judy Riddle in helping with the legwork.
Together, they find a hotel that fits the team logistically and financially. Branch, St. Yves and Riddle handle the transportation part of it as well, renting a sufficient amount of vans to shuttle the team to and from the arena, as well as booking flights home for players. They handle the players’ daily per diem and make sure that each player has two sets of uniforms, including one with their last names on the back of the jerseys. And since the Thunder added four players to its Vegas roster, more travel accommodations had to be made.
“It’s probably more difficult than even traveling during the season because in the season, we’ve got our manifest, this is our traveling party, and they don’t deviate very much,” Branch said. “This, we just got a message that one of our kids is changing the location of where he’s going back to. So all of a sudden, today I’ve got to make a flight change. You don’t have to worry about that during the regular season.”
It’s when the basketball games begin that Branch finds himself in a complete comfort zone. It’s when his routine kicks in. Evaluating talent is the fun part.
And this week, there’s an ample amount of basketball to watch. Of the 55 games scheduled in Las Vegas, Branch will watch close to all of them and has now gotten into the habit of taking notes on his Blackberry after experimenting with the WordPad application.
“My biggest focus now is seeing as many games as we can see because I want to evaluate A) the rookies to see who’s transitioning well, who’s transition could be difficult,” Branch explained. “These guys still can be traded that were recently drafted. We’re always looking for guys in Tulsa. We’re always looking for, who’s the next guy that’s going to emerge. And this is such a great atmosphere in the sense that there’s an intimacy of it – you get to see a team play five times.”
When Branch travels from city to city during the season, he might watch a player a few months apart. At Summer League, he’s watching that player five times in a 10-day span. Over time, Branch starts to pick up trends.
“The last two or three days at this camp, you really find out who loves basketball and who likes it,” Branch said.
But from start to finish, Branch is also learning about the players he invited to play for the Thunder and how they might fit with the organization.
“That’s part of the whole evolution of scouting the games that are going on here,” he said. “It’s not just for today. It’s for tomorrow and the next day.”
Branch said there’s an old saying he goes by when evaluating talent: you don’t know a player until you coach him.
“I can evaluate someone 10 times in a gym, and if you bring him out here with a coaching staff and you know what offense you’re running and you see him make a mistake because you know he was in the wrong spot to set the screen, it’s an opportunity for us to figure out, ‘oh, this guy’s got a better IQ than we thought, or this guy doesn’t have as good an IQ as you thought,’” Branch said. “There’s just a difference when a guy’s with you day in and day out. You really get a feel for his character and personality.”
And those are all things you’ll find on the Thunder’s checklist this summer.
“Is he on time? Is he late? Does he get along with people?” Branch said. “That part is so difficult to find out when you’re evaluating another team. Then you rely on background work when you’re actually going to colleagues and trying to hit them up for information about a guy’s character, a guy’s ability to fit in with his teammates.
“Does he isolate himself? Is he alienated from his teammates because he doesn’t mesh? All of those things, those little, tiny things are invaluable. To me, I’ll know Keith McLeod even better. I’ll know Moses better. I’ll know Doug better. All these guys are not part of our day-in routine. I’ll know them better. It will help us evaluate if we want to somehow bring them into our organization full-time.”
Contact Chris Silva
Well, at least for the most part.
Because getting the Thunder here in the first place was a gigantic task in itself.
It’s more than just boarding a plane to Vegas, checking into a hotel, heading to a gym and lacing up the sneakers for nine days.
It's about constructing a roster full of players who fit both a need and a mold. Its about booking a hotel, arranging for transportation and making sure every player has a plane ticket to their proper destination. It's about watching as many games as possible to get a feel for where nearly every player in the league stands, all the while keeping dibs on your own team.
And it’s about so much more.
As the Director of Pro Player Personnel, building the infrastructure for the Summer League is one of many things Branch does for the Thunder organization.
First, Branch starts with the roster.
"This is the most unique year, I think, because you have so many guys on your own team,” Branch said.
The league has a rule where a team can have only four of its own players on a Summer League roster. But the Thunder has two players -- Kyle Weaver and D.J. White -- who played in the NBA Development League at some point during their rookie seasons, which absolves them of that rule.
Rookies James Harden, Byron Mullens and Robert Vaden are exempt from the rule, as are last year’s other draft picks -- Serge Ibaka and DeVon Hardin -- because they played overseas.
The only player who technically falls under that rule is Russell Westbrook, who played four games in Orlando and one in Vegas.
The Thunder has a blueprint for filling the remaining roster spots.
"There's a lot of back and forth and maneuvering to try to figure out who fits you,” Branch said. “And also, when you have nine guys who are your property who are going to get major playing time, you have to find people who are willing to accept their roles. Summer League, you can’t have a lot of complaining on Summer League teams. The coaches aren’t going to stand for that. Sam (Presti) and this whole organization is about character. The last thing we want to do is bring in a guy who doesn’t fit that. I’d rather bring in a lesser player than take a runner on a guy that’s going to be a pain.”
The tricky part is that Branch tries to secure commitments one to two months before the NBA Draft, so there’s no telling what the team’s remaining needs will be for the Summer League rosters.
But the Thunder has been watching each of the six roster invitees for years.
Guard Keith McLeod, for example, is a veteran player looking to extend his career. Branch knew McLeod is a high-character guy who was willing to come in and play backup minutes at the point.
The Thunder liked what it saw in 6-8 forward Doug Thomas last summer when he played for the Chicago Bulls Summer League team. Oklahoma City had him in during its European mini-camp in May, which provided an avenue to invite the physical, hard-working Thomas to Summer League.
The Thunder also was familiar with forward Moses Ehambe, an Oral Roberts product who spent last season with the Tulsa 66ers and also speaks the same language as Ibaka.
Guard Richard Roby played for one of Branch’s acquaintances at the University of Colorado, and is someone who Branch has followed.
The 6-9 forward Marcus Dove played locally at Oklahoma State, so the staff has had a chance to see him in person at the collegiate level.
And the Thunder knew Tony Durant through his years playing at Townson University and, of course, because he is the brother of forward Kevin Durant.
Branch said it’s important that he’s very straightforward with every player.
“That’s part of it,” he said. “You have to be very honest with the agent and with the players up front that this is the situation. You don’t want to promise them things you can’t follow through on. Keith’s a perfect example. He knew we had three point guards at this camp and he still wanted to come.”
Once the roster is in place, Branch focuses on the logistics of getting to, from and around the Summer League. Branch credited Director of Team Operations Marc St. Yves and Team Travel Coordinator Judy Riddle in helping with the legwork.
Together, they find a hotel that fits the team logistically and financially. Branch, St. Yves and Riddle handle the transportation part of it as well, renting a sufficient amount of vans to shuttle the team to and from the arena, as well as booking flights home for players. They handle the players’ daily per diem and make sure that each player has two sets of uniforms, including one with their last names on the back of the jerseys. And since the Thunder added four players to its Vegas roster, more travel accommodations had to be made.
“It’s probably more difficult than even traveling during the season because in the season, we’ve got our manifest, this is our traveling party, and they don’t deviate very much,” Branch said. “This, we just got a message that one of our kids is changing the location of where he’s going back to. So all of a sudden, today I’ve got to make a flight change. You don’t have to worry about that during the regular season.”
It’s when the basketball games begin that Branch finds himself in a complete comfort zone. It’s when his routine kicks in. Evaluating talent is the fun part.
And this week, there’s an ample amount of basketball to watch. Of the 55 games scheduled in Las Vegas, Branch will watch close to all of them and has now gotten into the habit of taking notes on his Blackberry after experimenting with the WordPad application.
“My biggest focus now is seeing as many games as we can see because I want to evaluate A) the rookies to see who’s transitioning well, who’s transition could be difficult,” Branch explained. “These guys still can be traded that were recently drafted. We’re always looking for guys in Tulsa. We’re always looking for, who’s the next guy that’s going to emerge. And this is such a great atmosphere in the sense that there’s an intimacy of it – you get to see a team play five times.”
When Branch travels from city to city during the season, he might watch a player a few months apart. At Summer League, he’s watching that player five times in a 10-day span. Over time, Branch starts to pick up trends.
“The last two or three days at this camp, you really find out who loves basketball and who likes it,” Branch said.
But from start to finish, Branch is also learning about the players he invited to play for the Thunder and how they might fit with the organization.
“That’s part of the whole evolution of scouting the games that are going on here,” he said. “It’s not just for today. It’s for tomorrow and the next day.”
Branch said there’s an old saying he goes by when evaluating talent: you don’t know a player until you coach him.
“I can evaluate someone 10 times in a gym, and if you bring him out here with a coaching staff and you know what offense you’re running and you see him make a mistake because you know he was in the wrong spot to set the screen, it’s an opportunity for us to figure out, ‘oh, this guy’s got a better IQ than we thought, or this guy doesn’t have as good an IQ as you thought,’” Branch said. “There’s just a difference when a guy’s with you day in and day out. You really get a feel for his character and personality.”
And those are all things you’ll find on the Thunder’s checklist this summer.
“Is he on time? Is he late? Does he get along with people?” Branch said. “That part is so difficult to find out when you’re evaluating another team. Then you rely on background work when you’re actually going to colleagues and trying to hit them up for information about a guy’s character, a guy’s ability to fit in with his teammates.
“Does he isolate himself? Is he alienated from his teammates because he doesn’t mesh? All of those things, those little, tiny things are invaluable. To me, I’ll know Keith McLeod even better. I’ll know Moses better. I’ll know Doug better. All these guys are not part of our day-in routine. I’ll know them better. It will help us evaluate if we want to somehow bring them into our organization full-time.”
Contact Chris Silva
