Subscribe
Follow Us
Before the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Thomas Sorber to a multi-year deal, head coach Mark Daigneault revealed his first impressions of the 15th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. Daigneault highlighted the kinds of qualities the Thunder look for in a young prospect.
For Daigneault, Sorber's reputation and approach make him an ideal prospect for the champion Thunder.
“He's got a really good make-up, and you hear that, not only from him, but the people around him that we've talked to. He roots for his teammates' success,” Daigneault said. “That's something that continues to come up when you hear about him, and I think that's one of the best qualities of our team. It's in an NBA environment, with everybody having an individual career and individual ambitions; these guys really root for one another and pull for each other. And hearing that we got somebody coming in that naturally aligns with that is exciting.”
Sorber possesses the qualities the Thunder seek.
“Everybody's giving of themselves to the team and to each other, and that's one of the unique things about our locker room that you really can't teach,” Daigneault added. “It's not like an arranged marriage that you can put together. That has to happen organically, and the guys do a great job of that.”
Sorber, 19, will not participate in Summer League, as the young center is still recovering from a foot injury that required surgery before this year's draft.
Thomas Sorber reacts to being selected by the champion Thunder
In grading the Thunder's first-round pick, Thomas Sorber is considered one of the more promising centers of his draft class as Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault sees great potential. The Georgetown product expressed his appreciation for his opportunity.
“I'm just so thankful for them being able to trust me, being able to put their all into me as a first-round pick,” Sorber said. “I just know I'm gonna give them my all.”
Joining the champion Thunder's historically elite defense, Sorber is confident in his defensive abilities.
“Defense is something I take very seriously, like, when I get scored on, I take it personally,” Sorber added. “I try to, honestly, just put my mind full on defense and just not try to let the person in front of me score. I feel like I can add a lot to this team, but it's going to take some time. I know I can learn from all the past players that just won the championship.”
Amid rehab, Sorber could be ready for action for Thunder's training camp in October.
