In the final days of the preseason, NBA dreams can be made. On Monday, the Thunder had a chance to make one come true for point guard Semaj Christon.
The NBA rookie who competed for the Oklahoma City Blue in 2014-15 and overseas in Italy in 2015-16 has been around the program for the past two years. After being selected in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, Christon competed for the Thunder in Summer League and has been around the program ever since. His hard work in camp, along with his physical gifts and maturation off the floor helped him make the club.
“It feels great to still be in Oklahoma and be with the guys,” Christon said. “They always told me to trust the process. When I got the call, I’m happy that I did trust the process. It took me a longer route, but I’m happy that I’m here.”
Unfortunately the days leading up to the start of the regular season also mean that the roster must be cut down to 15 players. The result this year was that the Thunder waived Mitch McGary, Ronnie Price, Chris Wright and Kaleb Tarczewski. Head Coach Billy Donovan said he has a tremendous level of respect for the players who were waived, the way they worked and how they used their talents to help the team get better.
“I wasn’t a guy who played very long in the NBA. I was drafted, made it through preseason and got released,” Donovan recalled. “Those things are hard because players at this level are really good players and they’re here for a reason.”
Thunder Talk: Coach Donovan - 10/24
- There’s been a well-thought-out practice plan for the Thunder over the past week, and with just one session and a shootaround standing between Donovan’s club and the season-opener, the team tried to put everything together on Monday. The Thunder played five-on-five full court and worked on transition defense, half-court defense, transition offense and tried to incorporate both sides of the ball into those drills. The team also scrimmaged and worked on both out-of-bounds plays and other special situations.
- Donovan wasn’t with the Thunder when Christon was acquired on draft night, but he’s tracked his progress over the past two years and noticed an incredible amount of improvement. This preseason, finally with the opportunity to compete against other NBA players in practice every day and in exhibition games, Christon impressed coaches with his versatility, toughness, fearlessness and how he fits into the Thunder’s system.
- Thunder center Steven Adams also had plenty to say about Christon, who he’s known since prep school when they played against one another. Adams even remembers joking with Christon that his first name (Semaj) spelled backwards is James.
- After today’s long practice, the Thunder enjoyed a team yoga session, which has been a semi-regular occurrence over the past few years. Both Adams and Christon quipped that their favorite aspect of yoga is the meditation, because it affords them a chance to nod off for a few minutes and catch a few extra minutes of sleep. Donovan revealed that his players actually get into it a bit more than they let on.
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• “When your eyes are off somebody for a period of time and they get brought back, you can see the growth somebody’s made,” Donovan said.
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• In a serious moment, however, Adams had this to say about Christon: “He’s a really consistent dude and he’s a professional. He’s obviously gotten better, but he kept that same mentality and emotion.”
Thunder Talk: Steven Adams on Yoga and Semaj Christon
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• “The yoga is another piece of their recovery and those guys take it seriously when they get in there,” Donovan said.
Thunder Talk: Semaj Christon on Making the Roster