OKC Thunder: Semaj Christon To Benefit From Paul George Trade
Yes, you did read the heading correctly. Semaj Christon may in fact benefit from the Paul George signing.
I want you to imagine something. Imagine you have been drafted in the second round to the NBA but get cut before the season. The OKC Thunder pick you up in the off-season, despite you not having played a game in the NBA. Your role within the team is to be the third string point guard. Oh no, Cameron Payne is injured. Now you are the primary back-up to the best point guard on the planet in Russell Westbrook.
Now, your every move on the court is heavily scrutinized. Every time you run the offense the team leader is resting. You are expected, rather unfairly, to play at the same level and intensity of Westbrook, while he is off the court. A lot gets made of the fact the OKC Thunder have a negative point differential when you are on the court. It is your fault. Or is it?
The question I ask of each and every person who reads this, who exactly did Semaj Christon have to pass the ball to when Westbrook was off the court to generate offense? Enes Kanter scored 14.3 points per game, a good portion of them coming from put-backs or Westbrook assists. Not the stuff which will help a rookie point guard.
Who else is there? Fellow rookies Domantas Sabonis and Alex Abrines. Both good players, but neither good enough to carry an offense. Victor Oladipo was really good when he was on, really poor when he was not. So the rookie had a lot of pressure and not enough talent around him to carry the offense against good NBA defenses.
The Paul George Factor
Enter Paul George, a top ten talent in the league. Now when Westbrook goes to the bench, George is out on the court. George is comfortable playing off the ball and is a tremendous spot up shooter. Instead of Christon going to the same players all the time, he now has options. Defenders can no longer collapse on Kanter as George will make them pay.
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This will in turn create more open looks for a second unit who struggled to space the floor. These open looks will contribute to more points which will in turn give Christon a much better plus/minus.
The other bonus for Christon is George averaged more than three assists per game last season with the Indiana Pacers. This will help Christon with his play making responsibilities.
Christon is the only OKC Thunder player who got regular minutes on the Summer League squad so my guess is he is playing for his future with the Thunder. Let us hope a decision is not made too hastily and Chriton stays on the playing roster. With the salary cap situation the way it is, the OKC Thunder need his tiny contract.