Every OKC Thunder fan held their breath until the last-minute of the NBA Trade Deadline. When Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott emerged from the clouds OKC fans were reminded why they love Sam Presti.
Taking the Bulls by the Horns:
It was in the best interest of Cameron Payne to trade him to a team where he would have the chance to shine. The Chicago Bulls believed in Payne so much that they handed Oklahoma City answers to the two problems they had: shooting and interior defensive rotation.
The addition of Doug McDermott is a scary proposition to opposing defenses. As Mr Triple Double slashes and gashes defenses, teammates are left open with McDermott’s shooting prowess as a perfect match.
Inside, Taj Gibson brings a third physical presence with athleticism and underrated offensive ability. Combining these men with the rising Alex Abrines and a suddenly stout bench will keep the Thunder home court advantage at its ‘Peake.
Related: Grading the Trade
The real question becomes, do addition of McDermott and Gibson help OKC on the Road?
This year, the Thunder are shooting 4% worse from the field on the road. Translation: they score 110.3 points at home and only 102 on the road. So, can McDermott and/or Gibson make an 8 point difference in road games?
Between Gibson’s defense and McDermott’s shooting there is no doubt the OKC Thunder are a better road team, immediately.
Between Gibson’s defense and McDermott’s shooting there is no doubt the OKC Thunder are a better road team, immediately. Furthermore, on the Plus-Minus scale anything worse than a -4.0 is a bad sign for a player or team.
At home, the OKC Thunder have a positive 6.4 +/- and is tangible proof of home dominance. Yet, on the Road the same OKC team is a negative -6.1 +/-. The added shooting, defense and interior athleticism will go a long way to correct that plus-minus discrepancy.