HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

"About this time of year this start to pick up, and I’m sure we’ll take our fair share of calls and make our fair share of calls," Presti Tells HOOPSWORLD. "That said, the group that we have is one that we see working together, growing together, and continuing to learn together. We understand that we’re still a work in progress, and the areas where we’re trying to improve as a team – being more defensive-minded, being a team that moves the ball and plays for the pass, a team that brings energy every single night – those are areas that we still want to see growth in. We’re confident that our guys are going to keep working. We’ve got an excellent focus on the practice floor led by Scott, and we’ll look for our development and our progress to come internally.

"Obviously, you’re never going to be satisfied," he continues. "You’re always looking to get better, and we’re not different from any other team in that respect. We’re a team that continues to improve and we’ve got a long way to go. I said coming into the year that we’re not a finished product, we’re certainly not a perfect puzzle, but Scott and the coaching staff continue to do a great job of focusing on the things that our team can control and continuing to keep the emphasis on the defensive end of the floor. We’ve made some improvement, and I give a lot of credit to our coaches and our players for continuing to stay the course and stay disciplined with the things that are important to us long-term."

Kevin Durant was the first of the Thunder’s young stars to emerge as a force in the NBA, but right behind him is point guard Russell Westbrook. For the third straight season Westbrook has improved across the board, with a particular jump on the offensive end, where he’s pouring in 22.8 points per game while shooting career bests of 44% from the field, 87% from the foul line, and 28% from three.

"We have an identity that we’re trying to shape and form, but it’s not going to happen overnight," says Presti. "With Russell, specifically, we’re proud of the fact that he has improved each year and Scott (Brooks) says month-to-month. We expect him to continue to get better, but the most important thing for us as a team and as an organization is to continue to focus the things that are within our control. Russell’s development is something that is a credit to him as our coaching staff. We’re trying to find out if there’s even more there, and we’re confident that there will be."

Another player showing marked year-over-year improvement is big man Serge Ibaka, who has earned 18 starts as a sophomore and is averaging 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks this season.

"We’ve been very fortunate, having success with organic development, and I attribute that to the focus of our players and the quality of our coaching staff in terms of their daily approach," explains Presti. "They understand that development is a process and not an event, and that’s true of any player. Serge has had some real strong progression, but he’s had some tough times, as well. That’s part of having a young group of guys, and you weather those times and work to achieve a level of consistency that’s found on elite teams. That’s where we want to head."

As for making changes to the team prior to the approaching trade deadline, the Thunder are still waiting to really see what their team will look like when everyone’s healthy.

"At this point, like so many teams, we haven’t really had our full complement of players together," explains Presti. "We’ve been a little bit nicked up. But I think the ability for our team to kind of pick up for each other when we’ve had some injuries really speaks to the depth of the group, whether it’s been Royal Ivey, DJ White, Byron Mullins, we’ve had several different guys step up in key situations to help us get victories, some of them on the road. I think we’re still continuing to learn about this group, and I’d like to see us continue to build some continuity. We want to continue to get better, but we also like the group that we have and we understand the vision for our team continues to be the same. Nothing changes as we develop the identity of the organization, the way that we see ourselves growing together both now and in the future."

So far, so good for the Thunder, who have made marked improvements every year since Presti and his staff took over the former Seattle SuperSonics. Slowly but surely the Thunder are working their way to the top of the league, and they’re doing it the old fashioned way, the sustainable way. They’re not making huge trades or renting superstars, instead they’re building their team from the ground up, and it’s hard to argue with the results. The Oklahoma model is one many teams are already beginning to emulate, and that pattern will continue to grow as teams seek to stay competitive in a shrinking economic world.

Rockets Chasing Carmelo

Meanwhile, the Rockets have taken advantage of a soft spot in their schedule to pile up some wins. They’ve now won six out of their last seven games, with their lone loss also coming to the only playoff team in their path – the Oklahoma City Thunder. The schedule gets much more difficult as January sets in, and if the Rockets don’t have a center in place before then they could begin a slow and steady decent to the basement of the Western Conference.

Expect the Rockets to be heavily involved in trade talks between now and New Year’s.

In a related note, the Nuggets are saying they will not engage in further trade talks regarding Anthony until he returns to the team, some time after Christmas. Anthony has been on personal leave, grieving the loss of his sister.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Immature? Cousins? Really???

It didn’t take Sacramento Kings head coach Paul Westphal to tire of the antics of DeMarcus Cousins, who’s talent is as promising as his behavior is unpredictable. The two have had plenty of issues already, with the latest coming after Cousins made choking gestures at Golden State Warriors guard Reggie Williams while Williams was at the foul line.

"I was really surprised that he didn’t get a taunting (technical) foul for one thing," Kings GM Geoff Petrie told the Sacramento Bee after the game. "I just don’t feel that kind of behavior is professional, number one, and it doesn’t reflect well on him."

Westphal fined Cousins an undisclosed amount for his behavior and has removed him from the starting lineup for the foreseeable future as punishment.

"It’s unprofessional, childish, embarrassing, and it won’t be tolerated," said Westphal.

Funny that we’ve never heard any of those words associated with Cousins in the past . . .oh, wait . . .we have. In fact, those were among his defining characteristics as teams began to scout him as a possible lottery pick in last summer’s NBA Draft. Draft Express cautioned that he was "out of control at times," had a "high bust potential," and listed "intelligence" and "maturity" as weaknesses. His issues at Kentucky were well-documented, and his teammates often raised their eyebrows and talked guardedly about Cousins when they were asked about his locker room tantrums.

Any of that sounding familiar?

These are the very issues that the Kings are now dealing with as their lottery pick makes his way through his rookie season.