OKC Thunder sign forward Donte Grantham where he’ll be among the players competing for a varsity or OKC Blues roster position.
Although the OKC Thunder appear to have a full roster they can bring 20 players to training camp. Once there undoubtedly several of the players will be competing to earn a spot on the varsity team or the OKC Blues.
It might seem like the varsity squad is etched in stone, but that’s not necessarily true. Looking back to a few seasons ago the roster seemed cemented, but between Vegas and training camp Semaj Christon’s performance stood out and resulted in his addition to the squad.
Another player who’ll be looking to replicate Christon’s example is Donte Grantham who was signed by the OKC Thunder on Sunday. Grantham is a training camp signing on presumably a non-guaranteed contract.
Grantham is a product of Clemson University where he excelled playing at the forward position. The forward played four seasons at Clemson with his final year cut short by an ACL tear. Still, in 19 games the senior showcased growth in most key categories.
Season | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014-15 | 31 | 31 | 29.6 | 3.3 | 8.8 | .372 | .480 | 1.3 | 4.7 | .279 | 0.9 | 1.7 | .547 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 8.8 |
2015-16 | 31 | 31 | 32.6 | 3.5 | 9.1 | .384 | .423 | 1.8 | 5.1 | .354 | 1.4 | 1.7 | .846 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 10.2 |
2016-17 | 33 | 32 | 27.7 | 2.7 | 7.1 | .383 | .441 | 1.2 | 3.5 | .325 | 0.7 | 0.9 | .742 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 7.3 |
2017-18 | 19 | 19 | 31.8 | 5.4 | 9.6 | .560 | .633 | 1.4 | 3.3 | .419 | 2.1 | 2.6 | .780 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 14.2 |
Career | 114 | 113 | 30.2 | 3.5 | 8.5 | .414 | .494 | 1.4 | 4.2 | .333 | 1.2 | 1.6 | .726 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 9.6 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 8/27/2018.
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
The one which the OKC Thunder no doubt are interested in is his perimeter shooting. In three prior seasons the forward’s best perimeter efficiency was 32.5 percent. But, last year he posted a career best 41.9 percent. That’s a significant improvement and since DG attempted 3.3 perimeter shots the 3-point accuracy is relevant.
In addition, most clubs base whether a college 3-point shot is transferable to the pros based more on free throw accuracy which Grantham has shot well all except for his rookie season at Clemson.
As per his chart Grantham posted game averages of 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 19 games and prior to his ACL injury.
Grantham fits the typical Sam Presti player preference as he’s 6’8″ height is bolstered by his ability to defend several positions. He’s also adept at driving the bucket to score, getting to the line and is a solid rebounder for his position.
Although it’s unlikely Grantham will earn a spot on the varsity, adding a player to the OKC Blues who could be brought in to help with perimeter scoring is something the OKC Thunder can never have enough of.