As NBA Free Agency begins the OKC Thunder has a real need to add perimeter scoring via free agents.
The 2017 NBA Free Agency Moratorium begins at midnight tonight and with little cap space to maneuver the OKC Thunder is somewhat limited in their free-agent options. Yet, that shouldn’t stop GM Sam Presti from dipping his toe into the free-agent pool.
As Presti made his end of season shortlist no doubt the areas he highlighted were 3-point shooting, floor spacing, and playmaking.
The other area the Thunder should be looking to add to the roster is veterans who possess leadership skills and hopefully have postseason experience.
Given the Thunder’s limited cap space let’s look at some potential economical free agent options who address 3-point shooting and also check off other boxes.
P.J. Tucker:
It’s no secret the OKC Thunder has a specific identity. Seldom does Sam Presti add players with a view to their future who aren’t solid defenders. Sure, there are exceptions but for the most part, Presti has earmarked defensive prowess over offensive skill sets.
As OKC moves toward the future with a view of surrounding Westbrook with offensive talent, 2-way players become extremely valuable. Tucker offers this and so much more for the Thunder. This veteran is one of the most respected defensive players in the Association. Couple that with his ability to hit from the perimeter and he’s a tantalizing free-agent option.
Remarkably, Tucker’s first foray into the postseason came this past spring where he ended up pushing DeMarre Carroll virtually out of the Raptors rotation. This due to his ability to defend, rebound, and hit his open shots (something Carroll was unable to deliver on all three fronts). Though the Raptors are likely to earmark Tucker as a definite re-sign, it shouldn’t deter Presti from pursuing him.
First of all, he boasts a 35.1 percent perimeter career average and last season averaged just over 40 percent. Second, revisit video from his time on the Raptors and I defy anyone not to spot at least one occasion per game where Tucker is pulling aside a teammate to mentor them. Even DeMar DeRozan who isn’t noted for his defense improved under Tucker’s tutelage.
Omri Casspi:
If there is a solid takeaway from every team Omri Casspi has played for it’s that the fans love him. Even during the nightmare days in Sacramento Casspi remained a fan favorite. In fact, over the years it’s hard to find an occasion where Casspi wasn’t the hardest working Kings’ player on the court.
Although Casspi has his limitations (defense), it won’t be for his lack of trying. The 6’9″ Israeli experienced an up and down season posting a wide range of perimeter efficiency. Ultimately he finished the season with a combined average from the 3 teams he played on this past season of 34.9 percent.
Yet, the majority of his games were played (22) with the Kings where he shot 37.9 percent. In conclusion, he’s a capable ball-handler who can grab rebounds and will be a positive locker room presence.
Patrick Patterson:
Patterson didn’t do himself any justice in the postseason falling into one of his shooting slumps. In reality, it’s likely he never fully recovered from a midseason injury which saw him miss 16 games (out of 25).
He’s played the better portion (3.5+ years) of his 7 professional seasons on the Toronto Raptors where he’s steadily progressed. A common trait to Patterson’s seasons it’s that he gets off to slow starts and rounds into form midseason. This year in Toronto he was just starting to hit his stride when he went down with the knee injury. He returned too quickly and never seemed to regain his rhythm.
That said, it’s probably best not to go by Patterson’s stats alone to judge his potential. Consequently, his 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 37.2 percent perimeter efficiency don’t tell the entire story. Playing the majority of his time in Toronto alongside Jonas Valanciunas he had to cover up for much of what the center couldn’t do defensively.
Because of that, his rebounding was sub-par for his position. Examination of his on-court rating shows the only consistently played Raptor who had a better defensive rating was PJ Tucker. He had the highest on-court offensive rating (113.4) and was second in plus/minus (+10.2) on court differential. Fred VanVleet was first but played in just 37 games (more on him in an upcoming article). As a result, these ratings were mirrored in his off-court ratings.
Ultimately, Patterson checks off several boxes with his 3-point scoring, floor spacing, defense, and leadership. That said, while his stat line may seem lacking to the average fan, NBA GMs are well aware of what he can deliver. Subsequently, he’ll likely fall into the too expensive free agents category for Presti to consider.
C.J. Miles:
Miles is among the free agents who may fall outside the affordable range of the OKC Thunder. He offers excellent perimeter scoring with a 41.3 percent efficiency. Moreover, this came off 5.4 attempts, so his success isn’t a misnomer.
With 12 seasons as a pro, Miles brings plenty of playoff and regular-season experience to the table. In addition, he’s seen enough of what works and what doesn’t. Specifically, he experienced Utah’s rebuild, the Cavs losing stint pre-LeBron’s second stint, and the past 3 seasons on a Pacers team seemingly in constant turmoil.
Although Miles won’t fill up the box score he would offer an immediate resolution for perimeter scoring, floor spacing, and veteran leadership. Subsequently, Miles is among the free agents definitely worth a look.
Kyle Korver:
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If you watched many Cavaliers games you’ll note Korver provides the type of 3-point shooting teams dream of having. His 48.5 percent 3-point efficiency in Cleveland is a bit misleading because it came with opponents having to focus on LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love.
A more accurate read (and still incredible) was his 40.9 perimeter efficiency registered in Atlanta. Still, he has a career 43.1 percent perimeter efficiency. Realistically his average probably lies somewhere between 40.9 and 45 percent.
The problem is his defense led to him being traded to Cleveland and often resulted in the Cavs being unable to utilize him for extended minutes in the playoffs. The big difference in OKC is their existing roster boasts a strong defensive core who could cover for Korver’s shortcomings.
Korver is one of the ‘nice guys’ in the league, who often works off-site with local churches and charities to help raise money for worthy causes. He’s the type of quality leader who would be greatly beneficial to the youthful Thunder core and would love the Oklahoma City community.
Closing:
Ultimately, each of these 5 free agents brings perimeter scoring to the court. In every case they also offer veteran experience and leadership and in two cases (Tucker and Patterson) they fit the Thunder defensive mindset. Casspi is likely the most affordable while Patterson will most likely garner the highest payday.
Any of these five free agents would provide floor spacing and check off the most obvious OKC Thunder need, which is 3-point scoring.