Step Aside, Jerry West, Sam Presti Is Now the League’s Top GM

Who would ever guess that the man who brought you the "Showtime Lakers" of the 80's that included Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper and Bob McAdoo. The man who brought you, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Fisher, Robert Horry and many, many more, could be surpassed as the best general manager of the past? Well in my opinion, Sam Presti might just have done enough to surpass the great Jerry West, as a great General Manager.

Heading into the 2008-09 NBA season no one would have expected the vast improvements the Thunder have made over a few season to get to the point that they are at now in the organization. 

The Thunder had the young up and coming star Kevin Durant. That was about as far as you could go, if you were named to ask any other players on the Thunder roster. 

Ever since Presti was Promoted as General Manager for the Oklahoma City Thunder back on June 7th, 2007, he has brought nothing but success to this Thunder team.

Though that success did not happen right away for the young GM from Massachusetts.

He had perennial All-Stars on his roster, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. But Prestis winning strategy is building a young core of players through the drafts.

His first selection as GM, was with the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft he selected Kevin Durant. (We all know how that is turning out so far).

Presti then traded Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics for the draft rights to Jeff Green. Ray Allen is near the end of his career. While Jeff Green is coming off a 15 points, 6 rebounds a game season. 

Then traded Lewis to Orlando, for a 2nd Round pick, and a $9 million trade exception, which was used to go get Kurt Thomas and two first round picks from the Phoenix Suns.

One of those first round selections from Phoenix was the No. 24 pick, which the Thunder selected Serge Ibaka. Ibaka was brought fro...