Three players OKC Thunder should target to add value and fill out roster
By Aidan E
Serviceable big with versatility on pick and roll:
Arguably the best free agent available, Kenneth Faried could prove to be a decent bench player for a contending team. However, with him still on the market, it leads me to believe that there are fewer suitors for him than I originally expected.
While Faried certainly isn’t a game-changer, he’s a solid and efficient rim running four or small ball five in today’s NBA and would strive in that role for OKC.
OKC is missing that power forward that is a capable pick and roll player with the trade of Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets.
Faried plays like the power forward version of Enes Kanter, both have good touch around the rim, both are good rebounders, and both struggle on defense (although Faried is better on that end).
| Rk | Player | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2PA | 2P% | FTA | FT% | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Faried | 37 | 728 | 13.1 | .589 | 1.2 | .320 | 11.9 | .617 | 4.9 | .646 | 7.6 | 12.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 19.0 |
| 2 | Enes Kanter | 67 | 1640 | 15.0 | .549 | 0.7 | .294 | 14.2 | .562 | 4.3 | .787 | 8.8 | 14.5 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 20.1 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/28/2019.
A deeper dive into the advanced metrics given the same parameters of games played offers greater insight on the two players.
| Rk | Player | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | USG% | OWS | DWS | WS | OBPM | DBPM | VORP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Faried | .767 | .077 | .462 | 6.2 | 35.1 | 21.1 | 5.9 | 12.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| 2 | Enes Kanter | .555 | .027 | .281 | 12.2 | 23.5 | 17.8 | 6.5 | 17.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | -0.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/28/2019.
During Faried’s tenure with the Houston Rockets, he averaged 12.9 points per game and 8.2 rebounds in only 24.4 minutes per night. With the addition of Chris Paul and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander to the backcourt, Faried could benefit greatly from their playmaking ability, especially in the pick-and-roll.
Faried ranked 224th in RAPM (Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus) while playing for the Rockets while providing positive value on offense and a negative value on defense. While I don’t know where Faried would play for OKC (backup PF maybe, but they have Muscala) he is definitely worth looking into if I am Sam Presti considering his competent play and assumingly cheap price.
Teams desperate for big man help may also be interested in Faried at the deadline, giving OKC another way to gain additional assets in help towards their rebuild. (although I wouldn’t expect a lot).
With that in mind, let’s look into the final player that could help OKC next season.