Derrick Rose Kevin Durant
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing for a rebuilding season, and Sam Presti talked about the process of improving. In particular, he referred to Kevin Durant’s mindset as an example.

(via USA Today Sports):

“I had never seen somebody that understood the process of improving more so than him. He was probably 19 and his mindset was that of like a 50-year-old person. It really opened my eyes,” Presti said during a Zoom call with media Monday.

The Thunder current young core will have to replicate that process for the OKC to become again a powerhouse in the Western Conference.

“It doesn’t matter really your age. If you have a growth mindset and you really understand the benefits of putting in the time and the process of improving versus just immediate gratification, you can really gain a huge advantage on the field.”

With Oklahoma City entering a rebuilding process, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and the other promising projects in OKC will have ample time to focus on improving.

During this offseason, the Thunder added 18-year-old Aleksej Pokusevski and 19-year-old Theo Maledon through the Draft.

At the same time, the team acquired a bevy of new players in trades and signings along with a huge amount of future first and second round picks.