Think back to the nineties, when Macaulay Culkin seemed like a promising young actor in Home Alone.
You probably remember the scene where his character, Kevin, is digging through stuff that belongs to his brother, Buzz. He eventually finds a picture of Buzz and his girlfriend. "Buzz's girlfriend, WOOF!" he exclaimed.
When I look at the Thunder's shooting guards, I more or less have the same reaction.
Now to clarify I'm talking about the rotation as a whole, not individuals. Anthony Morrow, for instance, is probably the best pure scorer on the team behind Durant and is one of the best three-point shooters in the league, yet gets no minutes. So this post isn't directed at him.
Let's start with Andre Roberson. Roberson gets a lot of criticism thrown his way because he can't shoot or do much of anything on offense.
However, whether you like it or not, Roberson is the best fit at 2-guard for this team, particularly as a starter. Because by just about any measure, his defense is exceptional; and you don't really need much more offensive firepower when you have KD and Westbrook.
Still, you'd like to see this guy at least be somewhat of a threat. Thabo Sefolosha was effective playing alongside OKC's dynamic duo because, on occasion, he could hit some three-pointers.
Roberson, Sef's replacement, unofficially leads the league in hitting the side or top of the backboard on three-point attempts. This isn't a stat on Basketball Reference yet, but Roberson makes a case that it should be.
His defense really is good though, and on a team that plays little to none of that side of the ball, playing Roberson is a necessity. Even if his jumpshot looks like he just started playing basketball this month.
So there's your starter at the 2, Thunder Nation.
Next, we'll move on to Dion Waiters.
Honestly, if I was an NBA player, I'd be Dion Waiters; ask anyone who's played with me. A friend of mine I usually "ball out" with (see what I did there) even calls Waiters "Brad" from time to time.
You see, I mess up, a lot. I take a lot of three pointers and usually miss them. I take a lot of stepback jumpers and miss them. And I look like the most uncoordinated, unorthodox player on the court.
Yet, I keep firing and have some of the most irrational confidence in my shot you will ever see. Maybe that's why I get so furious with Waiters-- he reminds me too much of myself.
For who knows what reason, Waiters routinely gets some of the highest minutes on the team. Watch a full Thunder game and you will see at least three hilariously infuriating gaffes from Neon Dion. Whether it's a wide-open three-point brick that leads to a runout basket for the other team or a horrible foul, Waiters is entertaining if nothing else.
I often wonder why he gets so much respect from the Thunder organization. Yes, he was a fourth overall pick. But Cleveland drafted him there, so who knows if any other team even had him on its board. This is the same team that drafted Anthony Bennett first overall too, after all.
To further discount draft pedigree, Hasheem Thabeet was a second overall pick too. Oh wait... the Thunder also gave him a contract. Whoops. You'd think they'd learn by now.
What about Kyle Singler though? Can't forget about him. Can't forget that haircut.
Singler is essentially the new Kendrick Perkins: no one would have that big of a problem if not for his contract. Sam Presti inexplicably locked this guy up on a five-year contract this past summer.
Sometimes I really wonder if Presti understands free agency. I would bet everything I have that no one, and I mean NO ONE was beating down Singler's door to sign him for a half decade. Who signs a role player for that long, anyway? You never know when a role player will fall off and be playing in China a few months later.
Not like Singler was some proven commodity anyhow. Do you know how many players have been decent for 2-3 seasons only to wash out? A lot.
Yet now we get to watch this guy play for the Thunder for five more years. To put that in perspective, I'm 24 now and will be pushing 30 when Singler says farewell to OKC-- barring a trade, of course.
He can be decent from time to time. But really, more often than not he just runs around, misses three-pointers, and fouls people. Which I could do for a fraction of the cost if Presti wants to sign me.
Randy Foye is having career lows in just about every category this season. So far, he hasn't shown much in a Thunder uniform. However, he's been a good player career-wise, so I'll be fair and wait until we see more out of him. To be honest though, I'll be hoping the Thunder lands Joe Johnson on the buyout market in the meantime.
In conclusion, I believe the Thunder has the worst 2-guard rotation in the league-- ESPECIALLY among contenders. Are there any worse aside from maybe the Sixers? Comment below, tweet me, whatever you gotta do and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment