It’s time to start appreciating Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter has proved to be the ultimate team player for the Thunder.

When the Thunder first acquired Enes Kanter back in 2015 it was not all happy thoughts. While it was great for the Thunder to finally have a big man who could score there was still a reason why the Utah Jazz had wanted to move Kanter. Enes Kanter was clearly not getting along with either the Jazz coaching staff or their front office. Some would question his maturity and ability to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. Kanter was a high draft pick who wanted his time on the court.

Fast forward a couple of seasons and it appears that Enes Kanter is a completely different player. Not only does Kanter sacrifice for his team, he does it without a peep. Kanter has gone from a player who would skipped a game for the Jazz to a player who will do everything to protect the men who have become his brothers. He has not only started to become a better person, he seems to have truly accepted the Thunder’s culture.

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Kanter could have had plenty of reason to get upset with how the Thunder are running their team right now. He is a player who could average close to 15 points and 10 rebounds if he was given more minutes. Yet, we still see Kanter gladly come off the bench, sometimes realizing the team doesn’t even need him to play. He is continuing to do everything that he can to not only get better himself, but also make his teammates better. Kanter has worked closely with Steven Adams to expand Adams’ offensive ability. When watching Adams it is easy to see he has learned quite a bit from Kanter.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Steven Adams

He was also in the center of trade talks this past offseason. Many believed the Thunder pay Kanter way too much for him to come off the bench. He is also a young player with tons of talent, a major asset. Could anyone blame the Thunder for looking at trading him? Not really, but it seems like Kanter took it all with a smile on his face. When faced with adversity Kanter continued to shrug it all off for the love of the team.

So to wrap it all up, I ask one small thing out of each of you moving forward, when watching Thunder games appreciate Enes Kanter. When you see him come running up off the bench to get Russell Westbrook’s back do not think, “He’s on the bench he needs to keep quiet.” Instead realize that what Kanter is doing he is doing it for his team. Kanter has gone all in with the team mentality in Oklahoma City. You mess with his brothers then you mess with him.