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NBA Executives Reflect Upon The Value of NBA D-League (VIDEO)

With the NBA season coming to an end for most teams, executives have been reflecting upon the past year. The Thunder's Sam Presti and the Warriors' Jerry West are two officials who went on to specifically praise the value of the NBA D-League for their respective squads.

By Keith Schlosser
USA TODAY Sports

With just four teams left in the NBA playoffs, players and executives from eliminated teams have been coming forth recently to reflect upon the past season.

Addressing the good, the bad, the ugly, and more, many executives are already beginning to assess what went right and what went wrong for their squads.

Though Russell Westbrook's postseason injury perhaps gave way to an earlier playoff exit than many expected for the Thunder, General Manager Sam Presti has since recognized Reggie Jackson's ability to step in during his attempt to fill a massive void for OKC at point guard.

Jackson's recent play has garnered talk of whether or not he'll be ready to emerge as sixth man for the Thunder next season. There's no doubt that his time in the D-League this year certainly aided his progress as he aimed to get ready for playing in big moments.

Like Jackson, many of his OKC teammates, such as Perry Jones III, Jeremy Lamb, DeAndre Liggins, and Daniel Orton, all spent time with the Tulsa 66ers. Could they all too be ready for somewhat elevated roles? How much might their time in in the minors influence that? Presti addresses the value of being able to nurture some of the Thunder's younger talents through the D-League in the clip below.

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Since becoming minority owner of the Golden State Warriors, Jerry West has undoubtedly played quite the part in helping the organization instill a winning mentality. Like the Thunder, Golden State also values being able to nurture talent by providing them further guidance and playing time in the D-League.

In the clip below, the NBA Hall of Famer turned executive discusses the D-League exclusively, having recently watched his organization's minor league affiliate compete in the NBADL Finals. West goes on to note how great having a team in the city of Santa Cruz really is, and how he believes some of the up and coming minor leaguers may be able to soon make an impact in Golden State.

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