The first four weeks of the NBA season before regular season games begin can be quite different for players on a roster.
Established NBA players are mostly focused on gearing themselves up for the rigors of a long season ahead, while re-acclimating themselves with the group as a whole and attempting to grow with the team as a unit. For a small subset of the roster, training camp invitees, the experience is a bit more challenging. They’re fighting for a spot on the roster and a chance to showcase their abilities in practice, in games and in the film room. The Thunder has four such players on its U.S. Cellular Thunder Training Camp roster, and Head Coach Scott Brooks has been impressed by their tenacity thus far.
“The guys that are trying to make the team have a golden opportunity,” Brooks said. “They’ve been competing hard. I’m happy. Sam has done a great job of bringing four guys in who are very competitive and are going to fight for that last spot.”
Michael Jenkins, Richard Solomon, Lance Thomas and Talib Zanna have all had the chance to learn under the tutelage of Brooks and his coaching staff, in addition to the veterans already on the roster. With some of the injuries on the roster this preseason, the opportunity to play in games has been larger than expected, creating an even more pronounced chance to showcase their skills.
As their coach, Brooks’ job is to get them as prepared as possible to contribute to the team. He has a unique perspective, however, because he can relate to those players’ current position of striving to make a team.
“That was my entire career,” Brooks said, looking back on his ten years in the NBA as a player. “I wasn’t fortunate enough to ever relax. As an athlete, that’s what you want. You want an opportunity but you want to say that you earned it. They have an opportunity to earn a spot. You never know what will happen. There’s a lot of basketball left in the next couple of weeks.”
As fellow point guards, Brooks and Jenkins have already formed a nice relationship. The latter has spent his entire professional career playing in Italy, Germany and Montenegro, so the NBA game is quite different. In the early going of training camp, he’s tried to soak up as much of Brooks’ knowledge of the game as possible.
“It’s been great working with a great basketball mind and a well-respected coach in this league and respected in the world,” Jenkins said. “I’ve been really tuned in to learn something new and different since I’ve been in Europe.”
For a player like Zanna, a long, athletic rookie forward from the University of Pittsburgh, the transition to the NBA has been a bit more of a whirlwind. The former college teammate of Steven Adams has meshed well, however, helping the Thunder to a win over Dallas with some tough play in the final minutes. His energy and effort has been palpable on the floor thus far, even if he’s still trying to catch up to the new challenge of facing NBA veterans every night.
“As a rookie coming out of college, being at this level is a blessing,” Zanna said. “I’m playing against guys who have been here for a while and a lot of guys who have made their name in the league. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of. It’s been a great experience. I just have to take advantage of it.”
The amount of playing time in games has been a bit more than a typical preseason for training camp invitees, but all four players are extremely confident in their skills, talent and understanding of the game. Every opportunity to play has been fought for and earned, so Solomon, a rookie forward from the University of California, can go out there and be assertive in their minutes. The preseason certainly isn’t the time for being timid, and Solomon recognizes that.
“I have a lot of faith in my abilities so I know that I have some things about that game can translate well,” Solomon explained. “With everybody being out, it opened up the door to a bigger opportunity. It’s a chance to make some noise.”
“It’s better to be over-aggressive than not aggressive enough,” Solomon added.
Showcasing their own skills during the exhibition season is important, but all four players understand just how critical it is that those efforts manifest into positive, productive play within the Thunder’s system. No one realizes that fact more than Thomas, who is heading into his fourth NBA season after spending three years with the New Orleans Pelicans. The hybrid forward has played with incredible focus and verve, showing his willingness to give himself to the group.
“I defend whatever position they want me to guard,” Thomas said. “I try not to let the level of play drop when I come into the game. I try to make it even better. I’ve been doing it in training camp and in practices. I have the confidence of my teammates and of the staff. That’s a good feeling to know that you don’t have to play on your heels.”
Clearly, there are a lot of factors to consider and things to think about for these four training camp invitees, but Brooks and his staff know how to reach each man and tap into their true nature as lovers of the game of basketball. Once the ball is tipped, everything becomes simplified as the coaching staff trusts their teaching and the players’ instincts as they go out onto the court and try to execute by giving them some straightforward words of wisdom.
“Play comfortable and play relaxed,” Jenkins stated, re-iterating Brooks’ advice. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve played this since I was seven. This is just one thing he likes to iterate. It’s the same game. Go out there, have fun and play.”