OKC Thunder in the news: Robertson bar tip shade, Salary Cap explanation, Russ Youth Camp

Welcome to OKC Thunder – In the news for Saturday, July 8 featuring topical daily news on your favorite team and the NBA.

A full week into free agency activity the OKC Thunder get an A grade for their signings. After the big news last Friday with the Paul George trade it’s been a great week for the squad. Sam Presti has been busy filling roster spots and watching his younger roster members compete in the Summer League.

Heading into the second week of free agency Andre Roberson is dominating news columns for more reasons than just his re-signing.

First let’s focus on a common category fans are interested in specifically at this time of year.

Salary Cap Explanation:

With the free agency moratorium lifted, teams could begin making their deals official. This period is more accurately described as the recruitment phase. While teams or players seldom back out of the agreed to deals it can happen. Recalling the 2015 moratorium, teammates of DeAndre Jordan locked him behind closed doors to shift his interests back to LA and away from his agreed deal with the Mavericks. Still, it’s the exception rather than the rule.

Fortunately for OKC thunder fans there is no need to worry as their free agents and Paul George have cemented their deals. NBA fans frequently ask me about the salary cap and how it affects teams recruitment process. While it’s not entirely this simple this National Post article offers a comprehensive Q and A which does a pretty decent job of giving the top lines of how the NBA salary cap works.

"Q: Is $99.1 million the most each NBA team can spend in payroll next season?A: No, teams can exceed the cap. Unlike the NFL, the NBA has what’s considered a “soft” cap, allowing teams to exceed the cap through the use of various spending exceptions. In some cases, the more a team spends, the bigger its tax break. Teams can use one of three mid-level exceptions this season: There is an $5.2 million exception granted to teams with payrolls exceeding $119 million, an $8.4 million exception for teams with payrolls under $119 million, but over the $99.1 million cap; there is a $4.3 million exception for teams with a payroll under $99.1 million."

The full article of questions and answers can be found here.

Roberson shaded over bar tips and free throws:

OKC Thunder fans were thrilled Andre Roberson is returning, but it’s not all good news for the defensive specialist. The wing man was featured in two separate stories taking some shade. In the first Roberson was called out for giving a bad tip at a bar. In the story his $500.00 bill shows he tipped less than 3 percent, but there was far more to the story than reported.  This bill was for one bottle and came on the heels of a previous $100 bill in which he gave an overly generous $200.00 tip. Though Roberson was rightfully annoyed the true shade came from teammate Steven Adams who teased Roberson about the incident via a humorous tweet.

https://twitter.com/RealStevenAdams/status/883173738442768384

The full story on the bar bill can be found on News Channel 4’s web article.

Roberson’s Free Throw Shooting:

In the second article News OK writer Jenni Carlson touches on the area of Roberson’s game where he’s received ample shade from opponents, fans and pundits alike – – free throw shooting.  Carlson explains

"Jim Poteet is an expert on free-throw shooting. He coached small-college basketball around Oklahoma for many decades, most notably at Southern Nazarene, but he’s known around the world as a master of the free throw.Poteet knows of what he speaks, and he sees potential in Roberson as a free-throw shooter. Even though Poteet hasn’t done an in-depth dissection of the Thunder guard’s free-throw shooting, he believes Roberson has good technique. Not perfect. But good."

Poteet says the key is in repetition saying Roberson should shoot 500 free throws a day for 30 days. Let’s assume he means using his specific technique and fundamentals.

There is a precedent in the NBA from years ago. In 2006 the Toronto Raptors hired Dave Hoopla to help them improve their shooting mechanics. In less than 3 months the team improved 3.3 percent from the field and increased their free throw shooting by 10 percent. Those are substantial numbers as they represent a team wide improvement.

Given Roberson’s ability to defend and his strong work ethic he should invest in hiring a shooting coach. My only advice would be to not use the same coach Steven Adams used who would punch him in the stomach whenever he missed.

 Westbrook delights basketball camp youth:

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

If last July was the abyss of misfortune for Russell Westbrook this July teeters to the opposite end of the spectrum. As each week of the offseason progresses Westbrook garners more good fortune. June ended with his official crowning of MVP.  And July got off to a bang with the OKC Thunder superstar learning he’d have another All-Star at his side.

It’s hard to believe the deal which brought Paul George to OKC didn’t decimate the Thunder’s assets. Rather, Sam Presti has been busy bolstering the rosters depth.  But, as is typical for Russ he seems most at home with those who delight in life’s simple pleasures.

To that end Sam Gannnon tweeted video’s from Westbrook’s Youth Basketball Camp. In the first the children are chanting, requesting him to dunk which he promptly delivers.

Next the campers chant MVP and request a half court shot. Westbrook responds by hitting it on the first attempt. I mean it makes sense he would, given his charity and seeming life motto – “Why Not’.

https://twitter.com/SamGannon87/status/883485748346986496

As free agency continues there continues to be gaps on the roster to fill. Whether the OKC Thunder brain trust decide to fulfill those needs from existing talent or via free agency has yet to be answered. In the interim here’s a list of lower end  free agents the team should consider.

5 X-Factor free agents OKC Thunder should target

5 free agents who address OKC Thunder perimeter scoring

OKC Thunder free agents point guard short list

That wraps up OKC Thunder In the News for July 8. Check back with TI tomorrow  and we’ll have your most up to date news and more free agency updates.