Playing Fact or Fiction with Each OKC Thunder Player as a Building Block

Ricky FrechJun 7, 2018

As we move towards the All-Star break and, more importantly, the trade deadline, it's time to look at which Oklahoma City Thunder players are the real deal and which are which are just filling space.

Obviously, quite a few factors have to go into this.

We have to take into account potential for improvement in the future and players who possess key intangibles; as well as those whose stat lines jump off the page.

With that said, let's take a closer look at every player on Oklahoma City's roster.

Kevin Durant

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Building Block: Fact

Let's get the easiest one out of the way first.

Kevin Durant has a shot to capture his fourth straight scoring title this year and he's in the top three for NBA MVP.

To put it simply, he's one of the two best players in the Association, and is going to be the main fixture of this team for as long as he wants to be.

Russell Westbrook

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Building Block: Fact

Russell Westbrook might be having the best season of his young career.

Let's look at his stat line.

He still leads the team in attempts, but he is getting people involved more in the offense (particularly Serge Ibaka).

In addition, his rebounds, assists and steals are up, while his turnovers are slightly down.

All of this shows that Westbrook is becoming more of a traditional point guard, while still using his elite athleticism to get to the rim when the team needs a bucket.

If he can continue his upward trend in production, the Thunder should find themselves in the Finals again.

Serge Ibaka

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Building Block: Fact

Aside from the fact that his blocks per game have dropped by almost a point from last year, Serge Ibaka's game has improved across the board.

Ibaka's shot attempts have gone up with the loss of James Harden and he's converting those attempts at a higher rate than ever.

This has led to a five-point increase in his points per game and has his average sitting at 14 ppg.

He's also improved his rebounding numbers to 8.4.

All in all, the big-time shot-blocker has quickly become an all-around beast for the Thunder.

Kendrick Perkins

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Building Block: Fact (for now)

If you just look at Kendrick Perkins stat line, you wonder how this guy gets 25 minutes a game.

He does manage to snag six boards a game, but only score four points and barely ekes out a block.

That said, his game can't be measured by statistics alone.

The nine-year veteran brings a "tough guy" demeanor that sets the tone for the Thunder's defense.

His toughness isn't really important in the regular season, but during the playoffs his skills as an enforcer standout.

The only reason Perkins could be viewed as expendable are his fairly large contract and the fact that the team has some younger, more athletic options at his position.

However, until one of those young guys can put it all together, he's probably a fixture with the team until his contract is up.

Thabo Sefolosha

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Building Block: Fact (for now)

Much like Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha's value to the young Thunder squad is difficult to quantify.

In a perfect world, Sefolosha would tutor one of the younger guys, like Jeremy Lamb, turning them into a defensive force.

This isn't because Sefolosha is an old man, but because his offensive game leaves something to be desired (although he has become a better spot-up shooter in recent years).

However, his ability to lock down the league's best guards makes him invaluable, especially during the postseason.

Kevin Martin

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Building Block: Fiction

Two words: Giant Contract.

Kevin Martin's expiring contract is worth about 13 million dollars.

It's unlikely that he'll command such a big contract next year, even if he does continue to produce points at a high rate off the bench.

However, unless he takes a drastic pay cut, it's going to be hard to keep him around given the fact that Serge Ibaka's contract is about to shoot up to 12 million.

That said, it'd be great to get him to stay because his offensive game is making the transition from James Harden much easier to stomach.

Nick Collison

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Building Block: Fact

If there were an award for best role player in the league, Nick Collison would be among the favorites to win it.

Collison does all the little things right. He hustles. He defends. He hustles. He's an efficient shooter. He hustles. He rebounds. He hustles.

I think you get the point.

Simply said, Collison might not be the most important Thunder player on the court, but he is the gel that holds this team together.

Hasheem Thabeet

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Building Block: Fact

Hasheem Thabeet's young career has been marred with inconsistency, but, while his minutes have been sporadic with the Thunder, Thabeet has seen somewhat of a revival to his career.

He only averages three rebounds per game and still finds himself in foul trouble often; however, there are signs of life as he acclimates himself to Oklahoma City's game plan and culture.

It's unlikely that Thabeet will ever live up to the billing of a No. 2 pick, but he can greatly improve the Thunder's frontcourt rotation with his defensive abilities.

If Thabeet can find a more reliable offensive game and continue to grow as a rebounder, he could be the answer to the Thunder's big man problem.

Eric Maynor

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Building Block: Fiction

Eric Maynor hasn't played in the last five games and hasn't recorded more than 10 minutes in a contest since the middle of December.

That's bad news for the guy who was supposed to be the Thunder's backup point guard.

It would seem that Maynor has lost his spot to the younger and more athletic Reggie Jackson.

However, it's difficult to really know why.

The two popular theories are that Maynor isn't fully recovered from his torn ACL or, the more likely theory that coach Scott Brooks is trying to keep him healthy to serve a valuable trade piece.

In either case, it's unlikely that Maynor will be much of a contributor for Oklahoma City in this season, or beyond.

Reggie Jackson

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Building Block: Fact

As mentioned in the last slide, Reggie Jackson has supplanted Eric Maynor as the team's backup to stud point guard Russell Westbrook.

Since taking over in the middle of December, Jackson's been a pretty solid option, with his best game coming against the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday.

In that game, Jackson had eight points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Obviously, games like that aren't expected to be the norm, but it looks like Jackson's solid play on both sides of the ball has made Maynor expendable.

DeAndre Liggins

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Building Block: Fact

DeAndre Liggins showed off his potential when he was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries against the Portland Trailblazers.

In that game, Liggins logged 40 minutes, put up 11 points and nine rebounds, and hit all three of his attempts from deep.

Since then, his minutes have again become sporadic, but his defensive display and excellent offensive awareness against Portland could lead to him becoming Thabo Sefolosha's heir apparent.

It's a little early to tell if Liggins is going to be a fixture of the Thunder's future; that said, he could turn some heads if given more minutes.

Perry Jones

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Building Block: Fact

Perry Jones has the potential to become a star in this league.

However, injury concerns forced him to tumble down the draft board and landed him in the Oklahoma City Thunder's lap at the 28th pick.

Unfortunately, the gifted big man is currently playing behind the much more polished tandem of Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison.

Because of that, Jones has often found himself playing for the Thunder's D-League team and absolutely dominating at that level.

Jones has too much talent to not become a regular player in the Thunder's rotation someday, and I, for one, am hoping that day is soon.

Jeremy Lamb

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Building Block: Fact

Jeremy Lamb can flat out score.

That much is obvious anytime the young man steps on the floor.

Sadly, given the quality of the Thunder's roster from top to bottom, those minutes come few and far between.

The good news for Lamb is that Kevin Martin is on an expiring contract, which could open up the door for a pure shooter like Lamb to make a big impact with the Thunder going forward.