Stiles Points: Sam Presti Is Clearly NBA Executive of the Year

This has been a season full of record-breaking success for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have eclipsed its franchise best win-mark with six games left, sitting with a 64-12 record. In the midst of that success, the Thunder have locked up the best record against a cross-conference foe in NBA history at 29-1. Oklahoma City has tied the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers with the most double-digit wins in a single season in NBA history.

The list of accomplishments go on and on for the Thunder, who clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference long ago, lapping the field of the toughest conference in the sport, which didn't hinder Oklahoma City's ability to build a jaw-dropping 14.5 game cushion over the No. 2 seeded Houston Rockets.

A lot of people inside the organization have seen their fingerprints all over the Thunder's success, but Chief among them is Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sam Presti.

It starts in the summer, where Presti made a one-for-one swap to trade Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls and net defensive-ace Alex Caruso who has played a major role in the Thunder's historic defense. Then, you add in Presti inking the biggest free agent in club history, Isaiah Hartenstein, in July, who has taken this Thunder team to a new level.

That Summer alone should wrap up Presti's NBA executive of the year award, but when you dig a little deeper into this season, it should be the Thunder General Manager in a landslide for the honor.

After the blockbuster moves this summer, many people projected the Thunder to sit atop the Western Conference again. However, no one was bold enough to claim they'd run away with it. Few stuck to their prediction on Nov. 10 when Chet Holmgren splattered on the floor, suffering a hip fracture.

Yet, here they sit. Things have not gone picture-perfect for Oklahoma City despite their gaudy record this season. The success is rooted in what Presti has built.

Hartenstein, Holmgren, Caruso, Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams have all missed significant time with others bouncing in and out of the lineup as well. Outside of the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic, no team has dealt with the injuries that the Thunder have compiled. Yet, here they sit as record-breakers.

That is due to the Thunder building the deepest roster in the NBA, littered with talent that steps up no matter what combinations Mark Daigneault has to toss on the floor. That is no small feat for any crew, but especially an 18 man roster that features nine second-round or undrafted players before factoring in Caruso or Hartenstein who also fit that mold but didn't join the club until they were proven NBA players.

Perhaps no better stat than that one illustrates the masterclass of roster-building that Presti has been on with this iteration of the Thunder. A complete rebuild from the first era of basketball in Oklahoma City that bolstered the Thunder into a historic franchise since landing in Bricktown.

Speaking of, Sam Presti is just the fourth General Manager in NBA history to lead a franchise to multiple 60-win seasons with an entirely different roster. The other three? Hall of Famers. Red Auerbach, Jerry West and Pat Riley.

There is no argument against Presti winning the honor. There is no justification for a different candidate. While other executives deserve respect, none have built what the Thunder General Manager has. A juggernaut, again, in a unique and historic way.

A year ago, Brad Stevens took home the honor on May 1 during the first round of the NBA playoffs, before he captured his first title as an executive. Because it is a regular-season award, and Stevens made moves to take the already good Celtics to a whole new level. Presti has done the same. The precedent is set.

Presti was the runner-up for the honor a year ago, but it is his time to take home the hardware this season. When you look at the moves he made, the development of his draft picks and the success of his team –– It is a no-brainer.

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