Isaiah Canaan joins Thunder training camp on non-guaranteed deal
By Tony Heim
Semaj Christon has competition for the third point guard spot for the second OKC Thunder training camp in a row.
Per The Vertical’s Shams Charania, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Canaan to a non-guaranteed deal in the days leading up to training camp. Canaan will likely compete with the incumbent third string point guard Semaj Christon for the 15th and final full-time roster spot.
Canaan has played for three different teams in his four year career. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2013, then played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls. When Rajon Rondo went down with injury in last year’s playoffs, Canaan took over as starter. He averaged 11.7 points on 50% shooting from the field and 35.7% from three in those 3 games (2 starts).
Don’t get too excited now – Canaan is a career 36.8% shooter with severe limits on defense. There’s a reason the 25-year old hasn’t found another home after a solid showing in the postseason. He’s essentially the anti-Semaj; someone who can stretch the floor and that’s about it. The decision for Sam Presti and Billy Donovan will come down to what type of player they want as Raymond Felton’s backup.
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Christon’s contract is only partially guaranteed so money won’t play a factor in the decision. My bet is this is simply a ploy to give Christon a slight chip on his shoulder heading into camp.
For all of Semaj’s offensive limitations, he proved last season he’s an NBA-caliber defender. With all the offensive weapons now in place the Thunder don’t need shooting as much. Christon already knows the playbook and is comfortable with his teammates as well. Team chemistry will determine the success of this team; Christon obviously has a huge advantage there.
Today is the first day of training camp – check Thunderous Intentions all week for complete coverage.