OKC Thunder trade: 3 revised targets who solve OKC’s shooting woes
Terrence Ross
After much conjecture in previous posts, Terrence Ross remains one of my top targets OKC should seriously consider. After the emergence of Diallo and Burton in OKC’s rotation along with solid contributions from TLC, TFerg has become more expendable as the Thunder keep churning out wins.
After an injury plagued first two years with Orlando, Ross’ confidence has returned this season and has become a key cog in the Magic’s surprising 11-12 start (8th in the Eastern Conference). He is averaging career highs in points (14.3), field goal percentage (45.2), 3-point attempts (5.7) and 3-point percentage (40.4).
His best performance came in Orlando’s 116-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors where Ross absolutely lit up the defending champs. He posted 28 points (9-15 from the field, 4-6 from three, 6-7 on free throws), two assists and two steals in 28 minutes.
The most impressive part of his season to date is the sheer confidence he is playing with. As seen in the clip above, Ross was shooting the ball without hesitation and was smooth with the ball on the floor. The veteran even showed a glimpse of the athleticism he possesses with a beautiful reverse dunk off a nice Nikola Vucevic pass.
Match made in heaven
With Andre Roberson now set to miss an additional four to six weeks, the Thunder must search for a wing to help Paul George. Diallo, Burton, TLC and Abrines have been exceptional in casual roles but for OKC to be truly put over the top, they need a veteran wing who can play both sides of the ball. Of the aforementioned wings, only Abrines is able to shoot triples with any consistency.
While Ross doesn’t match OKC’s desire for length (6’7 tall with a 6’7 wingspan), he is a solid defender with solid anticipatory instincts. Sure, he lacks the pure size of most NBA wings but he makes good decisions when attacking the ball, plays the passing lanes intelligently and closes out hard on shooters.
One of his best defensive plays came in the win against the New York Knicks. After Jonathon Simmons makes an unsuccessful attempt to steal the ball leaving his man open, Ross rotates overs and closes out hard on Alonzo Trier’s 3-point attempt to block it.
Oklahoma City’s entire defensive identity is based on effort and smart rotations. Ross shows solid level of defensive IQ by reading and reacting to make the block.
Spreading the floor and clutch shot making
What makes his skill set more appealing however, is his ability to spread the floor. Dennis Schroder has been an excellent sixth man thus far but his inconsistent spot-up shooting will hurt the Thunder down the line. Ross could play meaningful minutes at the two or three spots and offers OKC greater flexibility.
A line-up of Russ, Ross, PG13, Patterson or Grant with Nerlens Noel or Steven Adams could do some serious damage on teams. If the Thunder wanted to go super small, they could shift PG to the four and move Grant to center to create a five-man offensive juggernaut.
Ross has already registered a game winner this season. He propelled Orlando to a 109-106 win over the Philadelphia 76ers by hitting a game winning triple over two Philly defenders.
With Russ attacking the hole, adding a perimeter threat in Ross to spread the floor makes OKC almost impossible to guard.