OKC Thunder: Ranking the 7 worst starters of the Russell Westbrook era
By Rylan Stiles
Number 5: Kendrick Perkins
The OKC Thunder made a trade with the Boston Celtics on February 24th, 2011, to acquire Champion big man Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder shipped Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, and Nate Robinson to the Celtics to beef up their big-man position.
The Oklahoma City Thunder needed help down low defensively and could help the Boston Celtics land the depth they craved. There is no denying that Kendrick Perkins helped the OKC Thunder, from boosting their organization with leadership and internal development to his production on the court during his first three seasons with the Thunder.
You could argue Scott Brooks made the wrong decision to keep Perkins on the floor during the 2012 NBA Finals, but that can also be dismissed as revisionist history with the hindsight of what is commonly accepted in the modern era of basketball.
Ultimately, Kendrick Perkins lands on this list due to his 2013-14 season in Bricktown. His final full season as a member of the OKC Thunder lasted 62 games, getting the start in each one, on his way to averaging 3.4 points, five rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 stocks per game. Perkins shot 45 percent from the floor and 55 percent at the free-throw line.
From 2008-2019, Kendrick Perkins owned the 6th worst win share season of anyone who made 18 or more starts, turning in 0.8 win shares for that OKC Thunder group.
The next season Oklahoma City shipped Perkins out of town after 51 games (3 starts) to acquire Enes Kanter in a three-team trade that sent Reggie Jackson to Detroit, Perkins to Utah, and Kanter to Oklahoma City.