TI Offseason Roundtable: Part One
By Tony Heim
Welcome to Thunderous Intention’s first ever Staff Roundtable!! We would love to make this a weekly tradition. To do that, we need YOU! If you ever have anything you want answered by us, just let us know on Twitter, Facebook or the comment section below. We all love talking Thunder basketball, and we want our site to be all about you fans. With that being said, enjoy the first part of our two-part early offseason roundtable!
Tony Heim: Let’s start his off with a little NBA Finals speculation. After what we’ve seen through four games, how do you all think the Thunder would have faired against Cleveland?
Piercen Trahan: Seeing how Cleveland has played at home, I’m not sure, but the Ibaka-Love matchup would’ve been huge. I think the Thunder match up better defensively against CLE then Golden State.
Josh Lea: I would compare it to the San Antonio series. The Thunder would probably been blown out the first game in Cleveland but stolen the second. The only problem would be if LeBron is as aggressive as he was in Game Three. But, Cleveland’s bench isn’t as impressive as OKC. I’d say OKC in 6.
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Heather Koontz: The series thus far has shown that one team can be dominant in rebounds, holding their opponent to significantly fewer rebounds. That’s a Thunder strength. If they could hold the Cavs to, say, 30 rebounds like the Warriors have done before, they could easily have the advantage. I know rebounding isn’t everything, but when it comes to top teams like this, it’s something.
Cole Hixon: I think they match up pretty well with Cleveland despite the two blowouts in the regular season. Their front court is an obvious advantage, and playing against the Cavs defense after a series with San Antonio and the Warriors would have felt like practice.
PT: Length had been the mantra of OKC for the playoffs but a key part that people miss is that its the DEPTH of length. OKC is extremely deep and has the ability to have the most athletic lineup on the floor no matter if they go big or small.
TH: Piercen, you’re crazy. Depth??? I think that was OKCs kryptonite!! They played eight people, and two of them (Foye and Kanter) didn’t play double-digit minutes most games. Yeah they’re in better shape than Cleveland, but that’s part of the reason why they lost to Golden State.
CH: I’m with Tony, the rotation the Cavs used in Game Three was not all that different from what the Thunder did against GS.
PT: I wouldn’t say that at all… well except the crazy part. They have situational players, aka Morrow and Kanter; people who can come in to get buckets and rebounds in a small amount of time. When it gets to the playoffs you want a eight-man rotation; something that shares both minutes and possessions between the eight effectively. That is playoff depth.
TH: I think Golden State has proven that a ten-player rotation is just fine…ANYWAYS let’s talk Dion. I’m on the side of getting rid of Waiters and adding a couple more veterans. A seven man “core” is ridiculously hard to keep under the luxury tax line, and a small-market team can’t afford to pay the regression tax (shoutout Cole for the upcoming article detailing that).
JL: Waiters may want too much money. I don’t see the Thunder matching any offer over 20 million for him.
PT: Any veteran that can produce will cost over 20 million. Kent Bazemore is going to make 60 million at least. Dudley is going to make 40+. All of these good veterans will cost just as much as Dion, just without the potential to improve.
CH: I’m on the side of keeping Dion and trying again with pretty much the same team, but there is a limit to how much can they afford to pay him.
TH: Dudley is exactly who I was going to mention!! He made 4.25 million last year and he’s 30; no way anyone signs him for anything more than 10 million a year. Add him and my guy Alex Abrines for the same cost as Waiters and you still have that young player Presti covets.
JL: I don’t think Dudley is the answer for any of those teams off the bench. I’m not as high on him as most people are.
CH: Dudley is a model locker room guy, who can shoot from 3 and defend the 3 or the 4. A lot of teams are going to want that and also have the money to pay for it.
PT: He played the 5 at times last year and was a big positive. Versatility gets you paid. He is one of the most loved guys in the locker room like Cole said. Josh, Dudley isn’t an answer but he’s part of the equation for a team that lacks versatility and quality role players.
TH: I think you guys are overhyping Dudley’s NBA value, he’s not in anyone’s top 50 free agents this year. Yes the cap is going up, but career role players over 30 simply don’t garner big NBA contracts. Obviously his contract is going to be more than Dion’s contract this year. What I’m saying is that the 15 million that Dion will make next year is not worth it for OKC to spend. They need to spread the floor with three-point shooters if they want to take down Golden State; that’s what killed them.
Next: Presti-gious Plan: How OKC planned for KDs free agency
WOW, how about those hot takes?? Enjoy what you read? Well come back tomorrow to catch the rest of our conversation! Dion dominates the conversation, and we look at potential fits in case he decides to leave, plus much, MUCH more!