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What Sam Presti and the Thunder meant by picking Darius Bazley

When Thunder general manager Sam Presti sat down to talk in the early hours Friday following the NBA Draft, he greeted the gathered media with a "Good morning." For those who’d long went to bed and didn’t hear the explanation to follow, the morning was a little different.

When the Thunder selected 19-year-old Darius Bazley with the 23rd pick of the first round Thursday night, irrational or not, a wave of displeasure swept over a fan base. That’s no fault of the promising Bazley — one of the top prospects from the Class of 2018 — but a tale of the frustration that has built up around the Thunder across the last three seasons of up-and-down offense and first-round playoff exits.