Thunder general manager Sam Presti proudly stood beside this year's three draft picks — Nikola Topic , Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell — as they were introduced to OKC fans for the first time Saturday afternoon at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.
Here are three thoughts from the introductory press conference:
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If few knew why the Thunder traded five second round-picks for a chance to select Jones in Wednesday’s first round of the NBA Draft , it all started to make sense by Saturday.
While addressing the media, Jones didn’t stumble, nor did he need to pause often. He spoke in bars, not blanket statements and generalities. He took generic questions and flipped them to reflect his journey to this point. The makings of the player that bet on himself and wound up a first rounder.
Suddenly, he seemed like a perfectly understandable Thunder draft pick.
Jones spoke of his upbringing, the things he was fortunate for and why this entire experience has meant so much for him and his family.
“It was a journey, a long road traveled,” Jones said. “Grew up in certain situations and a single-parent household. We was one of those families, like, we didn't know we were poor in a way. We just had so much fun with each other.
“What the game brought us was more powerful than anything that money could give us.”
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The 22-year-old shared the nature of his relationship with Presti, which extended considerably beyond this draft cycle. After pitching the idea that Presti might arguably be the best general manager in history, Jones said “me, out of all people in this world, to have a relationship like that is surreal to me.”
Presti has had his eye on Jones for several years, with the possibility that Jones could’ve been a late second-round pick for the Thunder a year ago if he’d declared.
Jones’ response felt like a driving force for Presti’s excessive interest this time.
“(Jones’ brother) kind of switched my perspective as I was going through it,” Jones said of last year’s draft process. “He's like, ‘your goal should not be to make it, it should be to stay.’
“I think going back to school, learning another year and igniting that fire of me looking my dreams in my face and then having to take the step back and do what was best for me, it just created a different person.”
As for his game, his perspective still seemed transcendent. Even those that have brushed up on Jones’ playstyle have posed questions about what that would look like for Thunder, bound to be versatile with interchangeable pieces.
Jones is perhaps the funkiest, most peculiar fit of them all.
He’s 6-foot-6, weighs 235 pounds and boasts a 6-11 wingspan. At Weber State, he scored, ran pick-and-rolls and rebounded at a historical rate for his position.
Jones was, without a doubt, the guy. And, according to him, it was everything he needed to thrive in the NBA.
“Being the guy made me know what the guy will need from me,” Jones said.
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Any surprise Topic had in the Thunder selecting him with the 12th pick Wednesday has since worn off. Now he’s wide-eyed at everything he’s taken in.
Having been in Oklahoma City for a few days, Topic visited the Paycom Center on Friday. A video board displaying his new Thunder jersey begged for his attention. The franchise’s age-old logo was shoved in his face. The navy and cream hardwood of the team’s city edition floor, still in the last form anyone saw it in, told the lingering story of a 57-win season.
He saw all of the facilities. His locker, his uniform. The 18-year-old had an idea of what his dream would look like. But the reality, and the novelty of it all, has left him ecstatic.
“Already it's amazing to 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 the time here, and it's really probably the best organization I've been to.”
Coach Mark Daigneault reiterated some of the sentiments that Presti did shortly after drafting Topic. How the maturity and feel for such a young player was obvious, and how evident that was even through conversation. Distant appreciation blossomed into genuine interest.
And Topic, even without any indication that the Thunder would reach for him, felt the same way.
“This interview stood out the most,” Topic said of the predraft process. “Their positivity, their energy, the people. It was great. … I’m really grateful that I’m here.”
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Mitchell will likely slot into a two-way contract for a loaded Thunder team, a position that surely requires some patience.
Something the former Santa Barbara star seems to know a bit about.
Asked what kept him in the Big West for so long despite encouraging seasons, Mitchell’s answer was simple.
“Loyalty,” he said. “Santa Barbara was the first school to believe in me.”
Standing at 6-foot-5 and now part of a Thunder organization that values versatility, Mitchell’s role won’t be so definitive early. He’ll have the chance to crystallize a niche during any time spent with the Blue, showing off the scoring chops and awareness that got him this far.
Well before then, he recognizes the challenges the NBA presents and how it might mold him.
“I think especially coming into the NBA, you're going to be a lot off the ball as a young guy,” Mitchell said. “Being able to make the best decisions off the ball, being able to read defenses off the ball is going to be really important for me.”
Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at jlorenzi@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jxlorenzi. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com .
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder shows off NBA draftees Nikola Topic, Dillon Jones, Ajay Mitchell | 3 takeaways
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