Thunder in the news: What to do in the offseason
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Even though there is an unknown to the offseason, players are talking about next year. We all know that life as a professional basketball player could mean packing up your life and moving from one side of the country to another. Fortunately, it appears that the OKC Thunder players are in a good head space and looking to improve for next year, as a team.
Potential offseason moves
Now that the season is over for the Thunder, everybody is trying to avoid watching Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. As a result, we are all talking about the moves that Sam Presti is hopefully going to make. Nekias Duncan of Fanrag interviewed Chuck Chaney of Thunder Digest about this. They covered Enes Kanter, Semaj Christon, Andre Roberson and many more topics.
On Enes Kanter
"ND: Houston mostly abused Enes Kanter in its first-round series with the Thunder. Considering OKC’s cap situation, do you think it’ll consider trading him, or is he too vital to the bench?CC: Kanter is an elite offensive player, but defensively he’s a liability. I think the only reason why would trade him is if they find the right deal. He’s loved by those within the organization, including Russell Westbrook. However, his contract is no longer disgusting and could be moved for someone, maybe Orlando, who is wanting to rebuild again. I would be surprised to see Kanter in OKC when the season starts."
On Andre Roberson
"That also leads me back to Roberson. I agree that he’s one of the league’s top defenders, but the shooting still concerns me. With Jerami Grant there, and Thabo as a potential option in free agency, would you really need to match a hefty Roberson offer sheet?Shooting does concern me as well. I’d like to think we saw glimpses of his ability against Houston, or as we called it, Playoff Dre. He was aggressive and confident. He definitely hesitates too much. I’d still risk it."
On Semaj Christon
"The Thunder like Semaj Christon for some god-awful reason, so much that they signed Ronnie Price to a guaranteed deal and then cut him in favor of Christon."
Full Article: Answering the biggest offseason questions surrounding the Thunder.
Semaj Christon – Second season a possibility
The question of why the OKC Thunder like Semaj Christon came up last article. Brett Dawson of NewsOK provides an insight as to why. Christon is a player who divides the Oklahoma City fan base, mostly because he always plays at 110%.
Why some people don’t like him:
"But he averaged 2.9 points and two assists per game. He shot 34.5 percent from the floor, including 19 percent from 3-point range.In a five-game, first-round playoff win against the Thunder, the Rockets outscored Oklahoma City by 21 points in the 21 minutes Christon was on the court."
Why the OKC Thunder like him,
"“The unselfishness of Semaj and what he did, I couldn’t be any prouder of him,” Donovan said. “Because what he went through this year wasn’t easy. To keep yourself ready — especially being young, and it’s your first year in the league — he did a great job.”"
Full Article: Thunder: After ‘hard road’ to NBA, Semaj Christon seeks second-season strides.
Andre Roberson – The other side of the debate
TI’s Bo Cardona put together a great article on the other side of the Andre Roberson debate. What is going to have the greater impact: the tremendous defense or the woeful offense? Roberson has two options this offseason. He can choose to get paid by going to another franchise with salary cap room. Or he can choose to take a pay cut and stay with the OKC Thunder.
One problem is his offensive shortcomings
"Now, given, being able to hit a free throw isn’t exactly a must for a defensive oriented player, but having some sort of go to offense is. Dre does not have that, in any shape or form. He is mostly used in the offense by either using back door cuts, or posting up on the wing to not be guarded whats-so-ever."
Is Jerami Grant a chance to replace Roberson if he goes:
"Not only is he a much better offensive player than Andre, he is a much better shot blocker as well. Grant averaged one blocked shot a game this year (same as Andre Roberson with 11 less minutes per game). His length and freakish athleticism makes him a great rim protector. With the eyes of a hawk and a wing-span to match, this is one of the things that makes Grant a great two-way wing."
Full Article: Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 Reason The Thunder should ditch Roberson
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