How Kendrick Perkins Helps, Not Hurts, Oklahoma City Thunder's Title Hunt
If used the right way, diminished center Kendrick Perkins can still aid the Oklahoma City Thunder in their quest for an NBA Championship.
There are certainly plenty of reasons for the team to move on from their incumbent big man. Perkins is coming off a rough 2013-14 campaign. He shot a career-low 45.1 percent from the field. His 3.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game were his worst output since his sophomore season with the Boston Celtics (2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds), when he played just 9.1 minutes a night.
As a result, there seems to be a clamoring for Perkins to be ousted from his starting center spot in favor of promising second-year big man Steven Adams. Bleacher Report's own Stephen Babb recently wrote that opting for Adams over Perkins is the right move for the Thunder this season:
"While Adams' output outpaced Perkins' playoff production, numbers hardly told the story of the rookie's real value.
He's an active, aggressive presence who makes the most of his imposing seven-foot frame—the kind of big man who isn't afraid to throw some elbows or set a devastating screen. These are largely the same virtues that first endeared Perkins to the Thunder, and they may now be the principal argument for anointing his replacement.
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Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman expressed a similar sentiment when asked in a round-table discussion about who should get the nod at center:
"It’s time. This is a team that’ll win 55-60 games regardless of who starts at center. So it’s about maximizing the roster’s capabilities by the playoffs. That would include getting the young and emerging Adams as many opportunities as possible. Play him with the starters. Get him 30 minutes a night. He’s widely considered a key cornerstone for the future. Start the clock now.
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With Perkins on an expiring contract that will pay him $9.1 million this season, it makes sense for the Thunder to take a long look at what his heir apparent can do. Making the case for Adams to start even stronger, Perkins is currently dealing with a strained quad that will cause him to miss some of training camp, per ESPN's Royce Young.
Regardless of whether he starts or not, Perkins still brings elements to the table that can help the Thunder win a championship. When you look past the 11-year veteran's price tag and the decline in his play last year, you'll find a quality role player that can still contribute in other ways.
He Can Mentor the Youngsters
Point guard Derek Fisher didn't have a ton left in the tank last season, but his voice in the locker room proved more valuable than anything that could be found on a stat sheet. Fisher is now the head coach of the New York Knicks, and the Thunder could use a cagey veteran that can fill that void.
That's where Perkins comes in. Adams and rookie Mitch McGary may be the future of this team's frontcourt, but they don't have the experience to run wild on their own yet. Perkins, for all of his flaws, is a former NBA champion that has been to three NBA Finals (2008 and 2010 with with Celtics, 2012 with the Thunder).
Perkins has played in 129 playoff games during his career. Adams and McGary have made 18 postseason appearances combined. They may have the clear edge over Perk when it comes to youthful exuberance, but they are still pretty green.
Even if Perkins plays a lesser role on the court than he's had over the last few years, his true value to the team comes off of it. It will be the wisdom he'll be able to dispense to guys like Adams and McGary. It will be how he'll push them to get better by competing in practice.
During a press conference in June, general manager Sam Presti credited Perkins for his work with Adams, per Slater:
"He’s been wonderful for Steven Adams,” Presti said. “I think he’s had a lot to do with Steven’s growth, especially in the postseason, specifically how he studies and plays position defense."
Kevin Durant called Perkins "one of the best teammates I've ever had" during his MVP speech and repeatedly thanked the big man for many things, including "late-night calls after tough games."
After helping mold Adams and motivating the reigning MVP, Perkins' next task should be to take McGary under his wing. The rookie out of Michigan dealt with some off-the-court issues in college, including a year-long suspension for marijuana use that led to his decision to declare for the draft.
In a one-on-one interview with NBA.com's Nick Gallo, McGary seemed eager to learn from the team's veteran big men:
"I'm hoping to learn a lot from them," McGary said. "I'm really just going to take in all the knowledge that they have to give me and, hopefully, get under some of their wings and they can take me under their wings and show me the ropes a little bit."
On the court, McGary possesses the kind of physicality and toughness that used to be the staple of Perkins' game during his younger days. That should help make McGary's transition a little easier.
He Can Still Play Defense
The biggest Perkins critic has to admit that the big man still has value as an interior defender. Adams has the potential to be a very good rim protector, but he's still learning. Meanwhile, Perkins has been a thorn in the side of many of the game's best big men for quite some time now.
While Perk fails to contribute in other areas of the game, his ability to D up in the paint against guys such as the Houston Rockets' Dwight Howard, Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol and Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins is where he earns his paycheck.
As Gallo points out in this video, Perkins' work down low helps the entire defense as a unit.
"Perkins' ability to defend one-on-one in the post without help allows teammates to stick to their responsibilities, enhancing the Thunder's entire five-man defense."
He may not show up among the league leaders in blocked shots or make a ton of flashy defensive plays, but he makes life miserable for whoever he's matched up against.
According to 82games.com, opponents had an effective field-goal percentage of 48.4 percent against Perkins last season. The year before that, they shot 46.3 percent against the big Texan. His defensive rating the past two years was 104 and 102, respectively.
This season, Perkins should be more of a specialist. When the Thunder need a stop, they should bring him in. When they need to keep Howard or Gasol in check, call on Perk.
He doesn't need to play the 24 minutes a game he's averaged during his Thunder career. He can even play a little less than the 19.5 minutes he logged last season. He can be someone that Oklahoma City use in spots that call for his expertise. He could be the NBA equivalent of a situational pass-rusher.
Take a look at this clip of Perkins defending Dallas Mavericks' All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki a couple of years ago. While Dirk has the speed advantage over the slow, plodding Perkins, the Thunder big man doesn't give the sweet-shooting German any room to breathe.
At the 13-second mark, you'll see Perkins' hard-nosed defense forces Nowitzki to take a tough three with the shot clock winding down. A couple of seconds later, Nowitzki ends up fumbling away the basketball, thanks to Perkins. If Perkins can make more of those kind of plays this season, he'll be worth every penny.
"We always have to have that defensive mindset," Coach Brooks said at Media Day, per The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel. "That's what's made us a very good team over the years. Steven has improved over last season. Perk, obviously, will be re-evaluated with his quad injury the next few weeks. You need all players to compete at the level we want to compete at. It's all about professionalism."
The battle at center will be one of the main things to watch during training camp. Adams currently has the upper hand with Perkins sidelined, but Brooks' reliance on veterans suggests the starting lineup won't be changing any time soon.
To his credit, Perkins slimmed down from 298 pounds last season to 276 this year. He also spent the offseason watching old tapes of his time in Boston, per Young.
"I just kept telling myself I need to get back to playing like I did in Boston. And that’s all I keep telling myself. That’s where my drive is at."
The push to move on from Perkins is understandable, especially with all of the excitement surrounding Adams and McGary. However, a team with championship aspirations like Oklahoma City needs veterans. At the very least, he's a safeguard that allows the Thunder to hold off on throwing their young bigs to the wolves for one more season.
Perkins may not be the player he once was, but he still has value. He won't produce enough to validate his large salary, but his intangibles make him worth keeping around. Like Fisher before him, he has enough left in the tank to contribute on the court and the wisdom to be an influence off of it.
All statistics courtesy of basketballreference.com, unless otherwise noted.
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