Quarter-Season Grades for Each Oklahoma City Thunder Player
Having crossed the quarter-season mark of the 2016-17 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have firmly established themselves as serious playoff contenders with a 16-12 record, ranking seventh in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City tipped off Russell Westbrook's revenge tour in style, leading the West seven games into the year. But even amid his heroics, the Thunder's young and promising core still lacks consistency. Since that start, OKC is 10-11, going through the expected growing pains of an inexperienced roster.
The Thunder are dead even in net rating, according to NBA.com, ranking 12th in the league. That figure proves that OKC is certainly holding its own against most opposition, but it also further substantiates the label of an average team. The balance to consistently beat inferior teams simply isn't there yet.
With plenty of talent to develop, Oklahoma City is naturally inclined to provide its youngsters with crucial experience, but certain veterans remain in the rotation in pursuit of the playoffs.
Deep Reserves
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15. Josh Huestis, SF
2016-17 Stats Per Game: N/A
Josh Huestis only just made the Oklahoma City roster, perhaps due to the team's loss of Kevin Durant and significant lack of depth at small forward. He has spent the entire season in the D-League for the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging just 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting a mediocre 39.7 percent from the field. He is a strong, athletic defender who unfortunately brings very little on the offensive end.
Grade: N/A
14. Cameron Payne, PG
2016-17 Stats Per Game: N/A
Cameron Payne hasn't had an opportunity to build upon a promising rookie campaign. The 22-year-old point guard is still recovering from a fractured foot but is reportedly set to return at the end of December, according to NewsOK.com's Brett Dawson.
Payne should skyrocket up these rankings once he makes his season debut. The Thunder struggle when Westbrook is on the bench, and having another competent ball-handler in the backcourt should alleviate some of the pressure.
Grade: N/A
13. Nick Collison, PF
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 1.0 points, 1.2 rebounds
Nick Collison has been relegated to an insignificant bench role this year, making just seven appearances in garbage time. He has been loyal to the Thunder, spending all of his 13 seasons with the franchise, but has become surplus to requirements amid Oklahoma City's youth movement.
Grade: N/A
12. Kyle Singler
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds
Any hope that Kyle Singer might bounce back from a horrendous 2015-16 campaign has evaporated. He seemed to have regained his shooting touch in the preseason, but everything has been downhill since. He is "hitting" 36.1 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from deep while not even stepping on the court in 13 games.
Grade: F
11. Alex Abrines
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 4.0 points, 0.9 rebounds
There was some hope that Alex Abrines might be able to provide that extra boost in perimeter scoring the Thunder so severely crave. Unfortunately, the Spaniard is making just 25.9 percent from three-point range. He isn't strong enough to handle the physicality of NBA shooting guards or fast enough to defend point guards, so shaky shooting really hurts his playing time.
Grade: D
Bench Rotation
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10. Semaj Christon
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 3.0 points, 2.4 assists, 1.4 rebounds
Semaj Christon has assumed the backup point guard responsibilities in Payne's absence but hasn't done a particularly good job. He slows down the pace and simply doesn't look ready to run an NBA offense, as the Thunder score 5.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the court, according to NBA.com.
Christon doesn't make up for his playmaking in the scoring department, either. His true shooting percentage of 35.5 is the fourth-worst mark in the entire NBA among players who average 10 or more minutes per game, according to NBA.com. Christon's playing time will inevitably dwindle once Payne returns to action.
Grade: D-
9. Anthony Morrow
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 6.5 points, 0.8 rebounds
Following a rough start to the season, Anthony Morrow has played himself into the rotation.
His floor-spacing ability alone is earning him 24 minutes per game in December, and head coach Billy Donovan seems pleasantly surprised by the veteran's awakening, according to Susan Bible of Basketball Insiders: "We wanted to give him a chance and a look the last couple games and try to see if we could get him into a rhythm. I have been really impressed and pleased with how hard he’s been competing on the defensive side of the floor."
Grade: B-
8. Joffrey Lauvergne
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds
Joffrey Lauvergne's minutes have been up-and-down this season, but he's been a solid contributor overall. He has spent most of his playing time with bench units, sharing the court with Enes Kanter. Those lineups have unfortunately been a defensive disaster, surrendering 114.1 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com.
Lauvergne has shown some shooting prowess, however, knocking down a career-high 36.4 percent of his long-range attempts. He has mostly been the backup to Steven Adams, but Donovan could theoretically experiment by bumping Lauvergne to power forward in specific matchups.
Grade: B
7. Jerami Grant
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds
On the surface, Jerami Grant didn't seem like a solution to the Thunder's problems when he was brought in earlier this season. However, he has managed to amplify OKC's strengths.
Grant has been most successful playing with the starters in place of Domantas Sabonis. He is shooting a career-high 44.4 percent from deep and is another major threat in the Thunder's transition-heavy offense.
Grade: B+
6. Enes Kanter
2016-17 Stats Per Game: 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds
Kanter has had a disappointing campaign. His defensive limitations remain clear as ever, and the Thunder surrender 8.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the bench, according to NBA.com.
He is still a handful to deal with in the post, but even Kanter's rebounding has declined. He ranked seventh in the league in rebounding rate last season with 21 percent, and that figure has dropped to 17 percent (37th) this year, according to ESPN's Hollinger stats.
Grade: D+
5. Andre Roberson, SF
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Andre Roberson has moved up a position following the departure of Kevin Durant, but his overall role has largely remained the same: Roberson defends the opposing team's biggest perimeter threat, although he now shares some responsibility with Victor Oladipo.
The Thunder rank 11th in defensive efficiency, according to NBA.com. Assuming OKC can maintain an above-average mark in that category, Roberson could be on the way to making his first NBA All-Defensive team. His teammates are already supporting his case, especially Westbrook, who made his opinion on the matter clear, according to NewsOK.com's Erik Horne:
"He actually locks up and defends and people can't score. It's actually one-on-one defense. I don't care about all the defensive numbers, all this other s---, I don't know – percentages, winning the game – that doesn't matter. When you're on the court and you see the things he does defensively and people that actually watch the games and know what it means to actually guard somebody, then they can see what All-Defensive team is.
"
Roberson contributes in transition and on cuts and is a crucial cog. His minutes have increased from 22.2 to 31.6 since last season, in part due to the team's lack of wing depth.
Unfortunately, Roberson remains limited offensively. Even with a career-high three attempts per game from long distance, he's connecting on just 30.1 percent of his three-pointers. His free-throw percentage of 31.6 is also horrendous.
Grade: B
4. Domantas Sabonis, PF
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Sabonis is having a great rookie campaign. He earned a spot in the starting lineup during preseason and has managed to hold on to it with ease.
Despite only being 20, Sabonis plays a reliable brand of basketball and isn't as erratic as most rookies. Donovan commended that reliability during preseason, and it's one of the main reasons the youngster is a starter—no other power forward on the Thunder's roster is as solid across the board.
Sabonis can score, rebound and pass. He is shooting a ridiculous 42.2 percent from deep and can create plays for himself and his teammates out of the post, around the elbows or off the dribble. There is plenty of room for development, but Sabonis' skill set is very encouraging.
Sabonis' biggest weakness so far has been his inability to get to the free-throw line, as he is attempting just 0.2 per game.
He did make it to the charity stripe four times during last Saturday's 114-101 victory against the Phoenix Suns, and Donovan lauded him for more aggressive play, according to NewsOK.com's Brett Dawson: "Certainly him getting to the free-throw line was great tonight. But I thought he was aggressive with the ball. He made some shots. He did some really good things off the dribble."
Sabonis is occasionally hesitant, and it may take a little time until he feels entirely comfortable on an NBA court. But so far, so good.
Grade: B+
3. Victor Oladipo, SG
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 16.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Oladipo hasn't made much progress in the statistical department since last season, but it's difficult to do so when playing next to a stat-stuffing machine like Westbrook. Still, the eye test suggests that Oladipo is well worth the four-year, $84 million extension he signed with the Thunder.
The best way to measure a player's importance on a team is to subtract him from the lineup. Oladipo has missed the Thunder's last three games with a right wrist sprain, and OKC has suffered two blowout defeats during that time span.
Donovan has tried both Grant and Morrow in Oladipo's position, but neither has worked out particularly well. With Morrow, OKC suffers on defense, while Grant isn't a capable ball-handler. These are sacrifices the team doesn't have to make when the versatile Oladipo is on the court.
Kanter acknowledged that Oladipo's absence is felt, according to NewsOK.com's Erik Horne: "Defensively and offensively he's definitely a big part of our family. Every game we need him bad, but I'm just wishing that he'll get well soon."
The only knock on Oladipo so far is his playmaking, as he is averaging a career-low 2.8 assists. It can be difficult to get other players going when running next to a ball-dominant guard such as Westbrook, but Oladipo can still do a better job.
Grade: B+
2. Steven Adams, C
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds
Steven Adams had his long-awaited breakout during last season's playoffs, averaging 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds while playing exceptional defense. He has so far done a good job building on that stellar finish.
Adams will never carry an offense on his own, but he can develop into an even superior version of an in-his-prime Tyson Chandler. Both are exceptional pick-and-roll players, swallowing guards with screens and finishing lob passes with consistency. The ability to anchor down a defense is also there.
However, Adams has more offensive potential than Chandler. He's not quite as athletic but is an excellent passer, and he can even get flashy. There is a lot of untapped creativity beneath an otherwise rough playing style, and Adams has been showing glimpses of excellence.
He's also shored up on some of his weaknesses, bumping up his free-throw percentage to 74.2 percent this year from a career mark of 57.8. Defenses are no longer at liberty to simply hack him when he gets into advantageous positions.
The proof of Adams' great impact is also in the advanced statistics, as the Thunder's net rating dips by 8.8 points per 100 possessions when he takes a seat, according to NBA.com.
Grade: A
1. Russell Westbrook, PG
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 30.9 points, 10.9 assists, 10.5 rebounds
Let's not kid ourselves—this season is all about the Westbrook Show in Oklahoma City.
As exciting as it may be to follow the development of the Thunder's young players, the mainstream audience tunes in for the league's walking triple-double threat.
Westbrook is on an all-you-can-eat diet when it comes to touches—his usage rate of 41.7 percent is on pace to break the all-time record, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Dominating so many possessions allows him to fill the stat sheet on a daily basis, as evidenced by his incredible averages.
Westbrook recently logged seven straight triple-double performances, becoming the first player to do so since Michael Jordan in 1989. The Thunder are 10-3 this season when he gets a triple-double and 6-9 when he doesn't.
In NBA.com's latest edition of the MVP ladder, Westbrook trails only the Houston Rockets' James Harden. As long as OKC remains in the playoff race, Westbrook will inevitably be one of the prime candidates for the highest individual honors.
There's no doubt that Westbrook is the Thunder's most important cog and has firmly established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. When he takes a seat, the team's points per 100 possessions drop from 106.4 to 92.9, according to NBA.com. That's the difference between ranking ninth and dead last this year.
Grade: A+
All statistics are current as of Sunday, Dec. 19.
