Round Table Discussion: Post-Trade Deadline Edition
By David Ramil
Dec 7, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard D.J. Augustin (14) dribbles the ball during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Thunder beat the Pistons 96-94. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Of the three other players acquired by the Thunder (Kyle Singler, D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak), who are you most excited about and why (and somebody has to include Novak…)
Livingston: I’m actually most excited about Steve Novak. No joke. Augustin is going to be a great addition to this team but Novak’s close relationship with Kanter could very well convince the young, budding star to say in OKC. His leadership in the locker room is going to be important in order to fill Perk’s void and he is still a very dangerous shooter.
Collums: D.J. This dude has shown some great PG chops in stepping in for players like Derrick Rose. If we ever have to look at a future without Russell and with Durant, D.J. could be a great asset to have.
Van Sant: Novak is an incredibly underrated pickup for OKC. Everyone knows about his fantastic three-point shot, but they don’t realize he’s also a great leader. He’ll provide leadership now that Perk is gone and he’s aleo great friends with new acquisition Enes Kanter, helping to ease the transition.
Stephens: I am most excited to see Augustin play in a Thunder uniform. I have admired his game for a long time and have also thought he was always a bit undervalued by many. He is a skilled ball handler that can also spread the floor for OKC. Expect ball movement from the bench to increase dramatically with him in the game. I am very excited to see what he can do for this team.
Lambert: Augustin. He’s a true point guard with excellent awareness and decision making. We might actually see a well-oiled offense from the second unit and not a lot a bunch of isolation plays that end in step-back jumpers. I’m also really high on Singler’s shooting and defense, I just worry he won’t play enough.
Fielder: I’m most excited for Singler. Given Durant’s lingering injury problem, having Singler to be able to spell Durant will be huge going into the playoffs. He’s also the only true three-and-D guy on the roster, something OKC has been looking for since Thabo Sefolosha’s 2012-2013 season.
Riggs: Augustin. He is exactly what the Thunder need in a backup point guard. He is a true point guard that can knock down threes. He has helped the Thunder’s ball movement a lot just since his arrival. In addition to running the second unit, he can play off the ball with Westbrook, which is a nice dimension to have.