Is Oladipo a better fit for OKC than Dion?

Victor Oladipo or Dion Waiters? The addition of Oladipo squashed the idea of Dion coming back, but is that a good thing for the Thunder?

I love Victor Oladipo. I also love Dion Waiters. The addition of Oladipo in the Ibaka trade makes it seem like Dion probably will not be donning a Thunder jersey next season. Is that a good thing for Oklahoma City though? Well, let’s break it down.

Offense

The stats tell you that Oladipo has a big edge over Dion on the offensive end; that’s amazing considering Oladipo’s strength is considered his defense while Dion’s is on the offense. The ONLY facet Dion has an edge over Oladipo is behind the three point line. Other than that, Victor is better at free throws, field goal percentage, points AND offensive rebounds. But let’s go outside of the stats.

Oladipo was playing for a less talented team, so he HAD to score. Dion on the other hand did not have as much opportunity. If Dion goes somewhere else, his output will increase significantly because he will getting more touches; in Cleveland, he was scoring almost 16 points a game in his sophomore season. On the other hand, Oladipo is going to see a dip in his scoring this season.

So the question is, who is a better fit for the Thunder. This is close, but I have to say Oladipo.

As much as I love Dion’s ability to hit contested jumpers, he just doesn’t make them often enough. Waiters shot just under .400 for the season; that’s not great for a guy who is supposed to be your scorer off the bench. The beauty of Oladipo is that his basketball IQ is top-notch, and that is going to fit right in with OKC. I also expect his three-point percentage to raise quite a bit this season because KD and Russ open up the floor for shooters.

Edge: Oladipo

Defense

This one is a lot easier. As much as Dion’s d improved in the postseason, Oladipo is considered one of the best defenders in the league. In fact, he received a first and second team vote for the All-Defense team as a rookie. His former coach Scott Skiles even said that Oladipo is one of the best defensive guards he has ever coached.

Next: OKCs top free agents after the Ibaka trade

Dion played great in the playoffs, but I won’t waste your time with an argument against Oladipo.

Edge: Oladipo

Attitude

Success in the NBA is more than just what you see on the court. The more a team enjoys being around each other off the court, the better they perform on the court. So this question becomes a personal choice. Would you rather have the craziness of Dion or the cool, calm and collected persona of Oladipo?

This might sound backwards, but I’d take wild Dion every single time. Think about it. Almost every championship team has that one guy who can’t be controlled. The Warriors have Draymond, the Cavs have JR, even the Bulls had Rodman. Having a little crazy on a team is actually good for the overall physique; as long as their is stability around the crazy. Dion succeeded in OKC because the players embraced the wild instead of rejecting it. They loved him for his energy and he responded.

Now I’m not saying that they are going to hate Oladipo. He’s going to fit right in with the Thunder mentality of “basketball first.” Oladipo lives and breathes basketball, something that Russ and KD are going to love. Still, the Thunder already have those type of players.

Edge: Dion

On the court, Oladipo is going to be much better for the Thunder. Off the court he will thrive, but OKC is going to miss having the personality of Dion in the locker room. All props goes to Sam Presti for finding a better, cheaper replacement for Waiters.