The Oklahoma City Thunder are Going to be Just Fine
Relax Thunder Buddies, OKC will be just fine. KD’s looming free agency has been talked about nearly every week for the past two years. Media members have been drooling over the countless stories and reports that have surfaced; each claiming a different angle from an even better source. There is a real problem with this story, it’s just not as important, or even as interesting, as the current state of the Thunder.
Perhaps because of OKC’s inability to secure a series victory against the Golden State Warriors, media members and fans have begun to seriously consider Durant leaving as an ultimatum for the Thunder’s future; but the Sam Presti has positioned the Thunder perfectly, no matter the outcome.
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That statement may come to a shock to many casual fans. “How could the collapsing Thunder be in a perfect spot?” Well the answer lies in Presti’s continued resolve to look to the future as well as the present. From Draft Picks, to team friendly contracts, Presti has kept OKC’s assets manageable, as well as consistent competitiveness; something most teams in the NBA only hope for.
The Thunder’s roster has an average age of 27; a number which without the outliers that are Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed, becomes 25.5 years old. This is a promising number for OKC, as most players reach their prime in-between ages 25 and 29. That puts five key Thunder players, minus Durant, in their best basketball years next season.
Although OKC has many players in their prime, the Thunder are not short on young talent or experienced veterans either. Between Cameron Payne, Steven Adams, and Mitch McGary, the Thunder have three players under 23.
Next year Cameron Payne will look to assert himself as a regular in the rotation, taking the spot that was Randy Foye.
Jonathan Givony of Draft Express detailed in his scouting report, “He’s an extremely unselfish player who passes with great creativity and loves to move the ball ahead in transition, either utilizing his excellent ball-handling skills or by finding the open man running the floor. In the half-court, he changes speeds nicely and has a few different gears he can get to, which helps him in particular on the pick and roll, an area that made up nearly half of his overall offense.”
“he loves to move the ball ahead in transition, either utilizing his excellent ball-handling skills or by finding the open man running the floor”
With his tendencies and skills Cam Payne fits with the Thunder better than Tim Roth and a Quentin Tarantino film. Payne is not just potential though, he has shown his ability in short flashes with the Thunder and in the D-League. Look for Payne to take the Alpha Dog role and assert himself as a scorer/play-maker in this year’s Summer League as he missed last year’s with a fractured finger.
While Cameron Payne will look to become a critical figure in the Thunder’s rotation, Steven Adams has done that and more with his play in the 2015-2016 season. After a regular season that seemed like a backwards step from his play the year previous, Adams turned into a Dothraki like monster on the court. He was everywhere. Grabbing rebounds on all sides of him, blocking Steph and Klay 3’s, and even saving the Thunder through sheer athleticism in the crazy game two finish in San Antonio. (Seriously, just watch how much of the court Adams covers in the 13.5 seconds and how many shot opportunities he affects)
Adams has unlocked the true Kiwi Phenom and that should terrify the rest of the league. Adams has been so highly praised after his performance that Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr touted Adams as, “one of the top five young big men in the league right now”. If the Thunder resign Durant, OKC could have two of the top five players in the world, along with one of the top five big-men in the league according to the Coach of the Year. Little scary?
"OKC could have two of the top five players in the world, along with one of the top five bigmen in the league"
The oldest of the young players is actually Mitch McGary, someone whom should begin to start playing situational minutes next year. After a promising Summer League, McGary spent 26 games on the Oklahoma City Blue where he showed great skill and versatility.
In the past, McGary has shown the ability to handle the ball, score with ease in the pick and roll, and be a vicious rebounder. McGary then highlighted the evolution of his game by shooting 46% from the field and 24% from three. Now 24% is not high enough to be a true floor stretcher, but it means that he could evolve into a 30 to 35% shooter.
If McGary can get into tip top shape, become a more consistent shooter, and learn from Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka he could turn into a great rotational player who could take the mantle as the glue guy, something Nick Collison has occupied for 11 years.
While it’s important to highlight the young talent and players themselves when analyzing OKC, just as important is the management and front office decisions; but first, let’s just get something out of the way.
Sam Presti is a bold man.
No.
Sam Presti is a VERY bold man.
From the Jeff Green trade, to the Harden trade, Presti and the Thunder have been criticized for losing trade after trade.
Presti can sit back and laugh at all the critics after Jeff Green’s Clippers, Reggie Jackson’s Piston’s, and of course, James Harden’s Rockets were all eliminated in the first round. Meanwhile, Kendrick Perkins, the lead asset of the Green trade, helped OKC reach the NBA Finals in 2012. Enes Kanter, Reggie Jackson’s successor as the 6th man, helped the Thunder beat the historic Spurs; along side the help of the Houston pick that became Steven Adams.
Presti’s bold trading, drafting, and refusal to overpay by one cent, has led the Thunder to franchise stability, much like his mentor, R.C. Buford, has accomplished in San Antonio
Presti made another bold decision last offseason not many would have, *AHEM* myself, and fired beloved coach Scott Brooks. He decided on then Florida coach Billy Donovan. His goal? To transform the team with the most talent in the NBA into a pass first team with great team togetherness, on and off the court. Much to the surprise of many doubter and critics, *AHEM* me, Donovan transformed himself and the team in a way non expected.
Donovan did what many new coaches struggle with; he embraced the culture of franchise. He was a clear players coach, whom understood how important it was to connect the stars to everyone else and provide them with guiding figures. Donovan made two key hires which played a pivotal role in OKC’s success, Mo Cheeks and Monty Williams.
It is well known that Mo Cheeks connected well with Kevin Durant but especially with Russell Westbrook. His return to the coaching staff was huge for getting the players to trust his vision and his regular season rotation experiments.
Monty Williams was just as crucial of a hire; as he was someone who helped Donovan learn the tricks of in game management while he was still transitioning from college to NBA. Monty was players emotional confidant and the sudden loss of his wife, which resulted in his departure from the organization, was a huge blow to Donovan. Even more, a poorly timed surgery for Mo Cheeks kept him from his duties for a significant amount of time.
It is rare to see a rookie coach have great success. It’s even rarer to find one that kept his cool and rallied the team when two lead assistants both take extended absences.
Donovan asserted his “team first” ideals to the Thunder, both offensively and defensively. Something that came to fruition in the playoffs against the Spurs and Warriors. The Thunder bought into Billy’s concepts and we got to watch as the Thunder morphed before our eyes.
Yes, Kevin Durant has the option of leaving in free agency, he won’t, but Sam Presti and the Thunder aren’t stressing, and neither should OKC fans. Because resign or leave, Durant does not make the Thunder. He is a crucial part of this team, but OKC has positioned themselves perfectly to withstand such a loss and still maintain their contender status.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.