Sam Presti has insisted that the Oklahoma City Thunder's trip to Europe this weekend will be helpful.
The team will play Turkish side Fenerbahce Ulker on Saturday before taking on the Philadelphia 76ers in Manchester on Tuesday.
The general manager told the team's website: "It's an honor for us to be chosen to go play overseas and represent Oklahoma City outside of the United States. How we use that time will be important.
"It's still 'time on the clock', so to speak, for us during training camp. All of that time amounts and aggregates for the end of the season so I think there are all kinds of ways it could be helpful, but it's what we make of it."
Guard Derek Fisher added: "Right from the beginning of the season, you walk right into the bunker and you don't have to come out when you come back from Europe. We can go take care of our business, be ambassadors of the game and do what we have to do, but at the end of the day it's about us and who we are."
The Thunder were the top side in the Western Conference last season.
Sian Cowper
