Paul Watson fills a big OKC Thunder void as the 3 and D specialist

OKC Thunder could have found their 3 and D specialist in Paul Watson

The reality is Paul Watson was well-liked in Toronto and delivered on everything that was asked of him. It’s never easy for the players who reside at the end of the bench and Watson was among a group of Raptors vying to claw their way into rotational minutes producing on a minute’s notice and never knowing from one game to the next whether he’d get some run.

Sure that 10-game stint came this season, but expecting Watson to feast, under those circumstances, wasn’t quite fair given who he was playing with.

This is another aspect of Watson’s game that pays dividends for the Thunder whether he is playing with the Blue or on the varsity club.  He’s well-versed in being team-first coming from the Raptors and also brings excellent habits with him from his two years spent in Toronto.

For a team with a dearth of 3-point scoring Watson’s 46.9 percent perimeter efficiency will be a welcome addition. At 6’6″ he appears longer in person and will be a natural fit in Daigneault’s positionless scheme. Again, with the Raptors being a heavy ball-movement focused team it will be a seamless transition for him into the Thunder system.

The few negatives or weaknesses that perhaps can be pointed to is part of the reason he didn’t garner more minutes in Toronto (compared to Yuta Watanabe) was his defense. It’s not that he’s sub-par in this area, in fact, he showed moments of brilliance on that side of the hardwood. Rather Nurse bases the majority of minutes off of defensive prowess and Watanabe was the better overall defender.

Toronto elected to go with a new group of youngsters to fill the positions at the end of the bench signing 20-year olds David Johnson and Justin Champagnie to their two-way deals. In addition, there is a great shot for Ishmail Wainwright a hulking defensive specialist who vacillates between basketball and football to make the squad. And, they’re keen on rookie 6’9″ guard Dalano Banton.

That simply didn’t leave much room (or playing time) for a player of Watson’s ilk, so he became one of the casualties of the Raptors offseason. That said, on a rebuilding team like the OKC Thunder even beginning on a two-way contract there is a better opportunity for him to forge a role with the roster — specifically as a 3 and D specialist.

His offensive and defensive box scores took a dip last season (leaning to the negative) but much of the reason can be attributed to the majority of games he played occurring during that stretch when the Raptors were decimated by COVID.

Perhaps the main issue is his age – –  he’ll turn 27 at the end of December (30th) suggesting he doesn’t fit the Thunder timeline. However, he’s a young player with a great work ethic, emphasizes team play and every club needs a 3-point sniper. Adding one who can serve as a mentor and be a leader to help develop the young assets for an economical price is a win for Presti.

If not, he’s the type of player with a skillset every playoff team will covet (3 and D) so either way, he looks to be a solid addition to the OKC Thunder.

An interesting side note is the Raptors picked up former Thunder guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk who stopped for a cup of coffee in OKC.  Ironically, Toronto was looking for shooting help more from the wing/guard spot which is partially also why Watson became one of three players waived (De’Andre Bembry, Rodney Hood) as the Raptors cleared cap space.

Regardless, if Watson steps up as expected he could continue the trend of the last two seasons as the Thunder convert a two-way player to a full varsity contract.