Thunder General Manager Sam Presti stood proudly beside the three picks in this year’s draft — Nikola Subject, Dillon Jones And Ajay Mitchell – as they were introduced to OKC fans for the first time Saturday afternoon at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.
Here are three thoughts from the introductory press conference:
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Dillon Jones, on and off the court, is cerebral
So few people knew why the Thunder traded five second-round picks for a chance to select Jones on Wednesday first round of the NBA draftit all started to make sense on saturday.
When speaking to the media, Jones didn’t hesitate and didn’t need to pause often. He spoke in stages, without making sweeping statements or generalizations. He took generic questions and flipped them to reflect his journey to that point. The characteristics of the player who bet on himself and ended up in the first round.
Suddenly, he seemed like a perfectly understandable draft pick for the Thunder.
Jones talked about his upbringing, the things he was lucky to do, and why the whole experience meant so much to him and his family.
“It was a journey, a long road,” Jones said. “I grew up in certain situations and in a single-parent household. We were part of those families, we didn’t know we were poor in a way. We had so much fun with each other.”
“What the game gave us was more powerful than anything money could give us.”
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The 22-year-old shared the nature of his relationship with Presti, which has extended considerably beyond this draft cycle. After floating the idea that Presti could arguably be the best general manager in history, Jones said, “Me, of all people in this world, to have a relationship like that is surreal to me.”
Presti has had his eyes on Jones for several years, with the possibility that Jones could have been a late second-round pick for the Thunder a year ago if he had declared.
Jones’ response seemed to be the driving force behind Presti’s excessive interest this time around.
“(Jones’ brother) kind of changed my perspective as I went along,” Jones said of last year’s selection process. “He was like, ‘Your goal shouldn’t be to succeed, your goal should be to stay.’”
“I think going back to school, learning another year and lighting that fire where I’m staring my dreams in the face, and then having to step back and do what was best for me, it just created a different person.”
As for his game, his outlook always seemed transcendent. Even those who revisited Jones’ style of play asked questions about what it would look like for the Thunder, necessarily versatile with interchangeable parts.
Jones is perhaps the funkiest and most peculiar case of all.
He is 6-foot-6, 235 pounds and has a 6-11 wingspan. At Weber State, he scored, made pick-and-rolls and rebounded at a historic rate for his position.
Jones was undoubtedly the man for the job. And, according to him, he had everything he needed to succeed in the NBA.
“Being that guy let me know what he needed from me,” Jones said.
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Nikola Topic Grateful to be in Oklahoma City
What a surprise Topic had in the Thunder by selecting him with the 12th pick Wednesday has since faded. Now he is wide-eyed by all he has taken in.
After spending a few days in Oklahoma City, Topic visited the Paycom Center on Friday. A video board displaying his new Thunder jersey caught his eye. The franchise’s centuries-old logo was plastered in his face. The navy and cream floor of the team’s City Edition floor, still in the last form it was seen in, told the enduring story of a 57-win season.
He saw all the facilities. His locker, his uniform. The 18-year-old had an idea of what his dream would look like. But the reality and novelty of it all made him thrilled.
“It’s already incredible for me,” Topic said Saturday. “Locker rooms, services, gym, weight room, it’s just incredible. We don’t have that in Europe.
“As I said before, I’m really grateful for my time here, and this is probably the best organization I’ve been to.”
Coach Mark Daigneault reiterated some of the sentiments Presti expressed shortly after drafting Topic. The maturity and feeling of such a young player was evident, even through conversation. A distant appreciation turned into genuine interest.
And Topic, even without any indication that the Thunder would get to him, felt the same way.
“That interview was the biggest thing for me,” Topic said of the pre-draft process. “Their positivity, their energy, the people. It was great. … I’m really grateful to be here.”
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Ajay Mitchell ready for any role
Mitchell will likely fit into a two-way contract for a well-resourced Thunder team, a position that surely requires some patience.
Something the former Santa Barbara star seems to know a little about.
When asked what kept him in the Big West for so long despite some encouraging seasons, Mitchell’s answer was simple.
“Loyalty,” he said. “Santa Barbara was the first school to believe in me.”
At 6-foot-4 and now a member of a Thunder organization that values versatility, Mitchell’s role won’t be that big early on. He’ll have a chance to carve out a niche for himself over each stint with the Blues, showing the scoring and self-awareness that have gotten him this far.
Long before that, he recognized the challenges the NBA presents and how it could shape him.
“I think especially coming into the NBA, you’re going to be very far off the ball as a young guy,” Mitchell said. “Being able to make the best decisions off the ball, being able to read defenses with the ball is going to be very important to me.”
Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and the NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jxlorenzi. Support Joel’s work and that of other Oklahoma journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at Subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article was originally published on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder previews 2024 NBA Draft picks: Takeaways on rookie trio
