What Each Oklahoma City Thunder Youngster Must Prove This Season
One of the keys to success for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season will be the development of their young players.
The team lost much of its veteran presence in the locker room with the departures of Caron Butler, Thabo Sefolosha and Derek Fisher. Making matters worse, reigning MVP Kevin Durant will miss six-to-eight weeks with a fracture in his foot, according to ESPN.com's Royce Young.
The combination of those two factors means the team's young role players will have to pick up the slack. Each of these prospects has something to prove this season, whether it's improving an area of his game or showing that he can handle an increased workload.
The focus here is on players 25 or younger. Point guard Russell Westbrook has been left off the list, as he's already a proven commodity and will be 26 in early November.
As for the rest, here is what each of the Oklahoma City Thunder's younger players must prove this season.
Honorable Mention
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In the interest of being fair to everyone, this slide is dedicated to the young guys who aren't likely to make much of an impact for the Thunder this season. Given the team's improved depth and head coach Scott Brooks' insistence on playing proven players, this group will be lucky to see the floor at all in 2014-15.
Michael Jenkins (pictured) is a shooting guard with similar measurables (6'3", 195 pounds) to that of key reserve Reggie Jackson (6'3", 208 pounds). He was one of seven Thunder players with double digits in scoring during the team's 117-107 preseason win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 14. Jenkins shot 3-of-8 from the field, finishing with 10 points.
Power forward Talib Zanna played 30 minutes against the Grizzlies and contributed five points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Fellow big man Richard Solomon played just eight minutes, notching two points and two boards.
There's also power forward Grant Jerrett, but he has yet to make his preseason debut as he deals with an ankle injury.
Another prospect who won't make an impact in the pros this season but whose development is worth watching is rookie Josh Huestis. Huestis opted to forgo his rookie year in the NBA and instead signed with the Thunder's D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue (formerly the Tulsa 66ers).
Huestis is a 6'8" small forward with a 7'1" wingspan. He has the potential to be a solid defender in the pros, but his offensive game needs some work. Huestis will be joined by 2014 second-round pick Semaj Christon, a 6'3" point guard out of Xavier.
F Perry Jones III
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he belongs on the team
Entering his third season in the NBA, forward Perry Jones III has never had an opportunity this good with the Oklahoma City Thunder and probably never will if he doesn't make the most of it.
With Kevin Durant as well as rookie Mitch McGary out indefinitely, the door is open for Jones to prove he belongs on this team. He's a supremely athletic 6'11" big man with the ability to play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward.
He's similar to former NBA veteran Lamar Odom in that he can do so many different things that are unusual for a guy his size. He can handle the ball like a guard, is shooting a respectable 34.9 percent from the three-point line for his career and has the size to defend multiple positions.
So why hasn't the former Baylor star put it all together? According to Kevin Yeung of WelcomeToLoudCity.com, the problem starts between Jones' ears:
"The main problem with Jones is purely mental. It comes down to things like his developing fundamentals, a lack of experience, and questionable intensity. Most of his problems are fixable over time if he learned to position himself better, make snappier decisions and simply play harder.
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In Jones' defense, the minutes haven't been there for him during his first two seasons. He's averaged just 10.5 minutes per game during that span. In fairness to head coach Scott Brooks, it's tough to pry minutes away from Durant, and Jones hasn't given him much of a reason to do so.
This season, Jones will have a two-month head start to show the team what he can do. The Thunder can go in a number of directions replacing Durant: They could go small with a three-guard set in Andre Roberson, Reggie Jackson and Russell Westbrook or opt for a traditional forward like Jones.
Regardless of the route Oklahoma City chooses, there are no more excuses for Jones. With Durant and McGary out, there are two fewer bodies taking minutes away from him. If he can't break out under these circumstances, will he ever?
F/C Mitch McGary
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he can stay healthy
Thunder rookie Mitch McGary's 2014-15 season got off to a good start. In his preseason debut against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 8, he shot 7-of-14 from the field and finished with 14 points. He also added four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 36 minutes.
Most important, he's made an instant impression on the team's best player, Kevin Durant, according to ESPN.com's Royce Young.
"He's such a great teammate and you want to do as much as you can for him," Durant said. "I love playing with him. He plays extremely hard. He listens. He wants to get better. He helps us get better as well. He's a smart basketball player."
Fortunately for Durant, he and McGary will have some extra time to bond as teammates. Like Durant, McGary will miss up to six weeks with a fracture in his foot suffered during his solid performance against the Nuggets.
Of course, serious injuries like this are nothing new for McGary. He played in all of eight games last season with the Michigan Wolverines due to a back injury. That played a huge part in McGary's slide down to Oklahoma City at No. 21 overall in June's draft.
With Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison ahead of him on the depth chart, McGary is unlikely to see much playing time this season anyway. However, his strong outing against Denver helped build momentum for when his time actually comes. Now he's back to square one.
While his playing time will be limited upon his return, McGary still needs to work toward shedding that "injury-prone" label. The history of basketball is littered with tragic tales of big men who had their careers derailed by their bodies.
In that game against the Nuggets, McGary showed he'll be able to contribute sooner rather than later. However, he won't be contributing at all if he can't stay healthy.
SG Jeremy Lamb
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he can be a solid defender
In 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Jeremy Lamb in a trade with the Houston Rockets for James Harden. The hope was that he'd someday be the team's starting shooting guard. Two years later, the Thunder are still waiting for him to fill that role.
Lamb has made strides offensively during his first two years in the league. He increased his scoring output from 3.1 points per game as a rookie to 8.5 points last season and also shot 35.6 percent from behind the arc.
In the preseason thus far, the UConn product has been lighting up. He bounced back from a 1-for-14 showing in his preseason debut to score a respective 19 and 23 points in the next two games.
Despite everything you just read, Lamb will still likely lose the starting spot at 2-guard to second-year man Andre Roberson. The reason? Roberson has shown the ability to be a good perimeter defender, and Lamb hasn't.
Traditionally, Brooks has preferred to have a lockdown defender playing opposite Westbrook in the backcourt. Sefolosha filled that role for five-and-a-half seasons before signing with the Atlanta Hawks over the summer.
We know Lamb can score, but so can fellow guards Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson. If Lamb is going to beat out those two for minutes and eventually overtake Roberson in the starting rotation, he's gong to have to be as fine defensively as he looks to be offensively.
At 6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan, Lamb has the physical tools to be a menace on the defensive end. He doesn't have Roberson's strength, but Roberson doesn't have Lamb's ability to score the basketball.
According to 82games.com, opponents shot 48.6 percent against Lamb last season. The potential is there. If he can improve as a stopper, the starting job could be his.
If he can't, it will be tough for him to even beat out Morrow and Jackson for minutes.
SG Andre Roberson
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he can shoot
In a perfect world, the Thunder would merge Jeremy Lamb's scoring acumen with Andre Roberson's perimeter defense and rebounding to create a complete starting shooting guard.
Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world.
Luckily for Roberson, his defensive chops could still earn him a spot in the starting lineup, even though his jumper leaves much to be desired.
"It's a work in progress," Brooks said, per Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. "(Roberson) still has a ways to go."
That's putting it mildly, Mr. Brooks. Roberson is to shooting what Kendrick Perkins is to....well, shooting. Last season, the second-year man from Colorado shot a putrid 15.4 percent from three.
In the preseason, he's hit every three he's attempted, mainly because he's only taken one shot from behind the arc. In fact, in three games so far, Roberson has taken all of a combined 12 shots from the field (converting only three of them).
How important is Roberson's progress as a shooter to the Thunder's offense? Think about it like this: Kevin Durant is out for two months. If Perkins and Roberson get the nod as starters, the starting five will be without the league's best scorer and will have two players who are limited offensively. That's a lot to overcome.
Roberson doesn't need to be the second coming of Reggie Miller, but he needs to make strides in this area. Lamb can space the floor, as can Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson. With the Thunder suddenly in need of a scoring boost, Roberson's grip on the starting job could loosen.
C Steven Adams
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he can be a scoring option in the post
In truth, Steven Adams doesn't have to do much to be a worthy starting option over veteran Kendrick Perkins. After all, Perkins is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career (3.4 points, 4.9 rebounds) and doesn't bring much to the table beyond solid interior defense.
Still, Adams could solidify his spot in the starting lineup by being the one thing Perkins has never been: an offensive weapon.
Adams flashed his immense potential during last year's playoffs, showing off his toughness and ability to defend. However, from a scoring standpoint, he didn't offer much, averaging 3.9 points per game in the postseason.
At the time, Adams was a 20-year-old rookie still adjusting to the pro game; he'd only averaged 14.8 minutes a night during the regular season. Now, with a season under his belt and the starting center position in his sights, Adams has to improve on the offensive end.
Three games into the preseason, he's done just that. Here's what Adams' offensive numbers have been so far:
- Oct. 8 vs. Denver Nuggets: 7-of-8 from the field, 1-for-5 from the free-throw line, 15 points in 21 minutes
- Oct. 10 vs. Dallas Mavericks: 8-of-9 from the field, 3-for-3 from the line, 19 points in 29 minutes
- Oct. 14 vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 9-of-11 from the field, 4-for-5 from the line, 22 points in 21 minutes
As mentioned, the Thunder need alternate scoring options in the wake of Kevin Durant's injury. With Serge Ibaka's mid-range game helping space the floor, there will be plenty of opportunities for Adams to get his buckets down low.
Adams is an athletic 7-footer with soft hands. He's a good finisher and active enough on the boards to get his share of points off putbacks and tip-ins. He doesn't need to be dominant in the paint but does need to make opposing defenses honest.
The Thunder have had to play four-on-five offensively for years with Perkins in the lineup. They've made up for it with Durant and Westbrook. With Durant sidelined, the rest of the team must come together to take some of the pressure off Westbrook.
The easiest way to start is with the guy playing closest to the basket.
G Reggie Jackson
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he won't be distracted by new potential contract
One of the key storylines of the Thunder's 2014-15 season will be the future of guard Reggie Jackson. Jackson will be a restricted free agent next summer, and the team has yet to offer him an extension. According to Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman, a deal before the Oct. 31 deadline is "not likely."
NBA.com's Randy Renner tweeted that Oklahoma City will go "all out" to sign Jackson.
There are a couple of obstacles standing in the way of Jackson and the Thunder coming to terms. First, Jackson sees himself as a starter.
"I want it. But I’m happy if not. There’s nothing I can do about. I’m just going to go out and find ways to help this team improve and help be the best we can be," Jackson said at media day, per DailyThunder.com's Royce Young. "I feel strong about it. I want to be the starter.”
The Thunder, on the other hand, don't envision Jackson in the starting lineup. That job will likely go to Roberson. Financially, it makes sense for Oklahoma City to keep Jackson on the bench. If they put him in the starting five, they're going to have to pay him starter money.
That brings us to the next problem. With Durant a free agent in two years and Westbrook eligible to hit the market a year after, the Thunder need to be careful with their money. A couple of years ago, the team opted to pay Ibaka over James Harden. That led to Harden eventually being traded to the Houston Rockets.
Jackson, for all of his confidence and desire to be great, isn't as dynamic as Harden was or is.
So for those keeping score, in terms of goals for this season, Jackson hasn't gotten off to a good start. He wanted to be a starter; he's not one. He wants to get paid; that hasn't happened either. Will that affect his play this season? Jackson doesn't think so.
"Just play ball. That’s what I’m going to do. That’s where I’m going to keep my focus. I hired my agent for a reason,” Young quoted him as saying.
That sounds great on paper. However, this offseason has seen restricted free agents make tons of money. Chandler Parsons signed with the Dallas Mavericks for $46 million over three years. Eric Bledsoe got a five-year, $70 million deal from the Phoenix Suns. If you saw your co-workers getting hefty raises, wouldn't that motivate you to put your best foot forward?
It's in Jackson's best interest to be a consummate professional. It's also in his best interest to do what he can to raise his price tag. Time will tell which one of these interests wins out.
PF Serge Ibaka
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What He Must Prove This Season: That he's a complete player
Serge Ibaka has the potential to be the NBA's most complete power forward. He's an elite shot-blocker, having led the league in that category four times. He's a beast on the glass, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game last season.
All that is left for Ibaka to do is develop more as a scorer. To his credit, he's gotten better in that area each year. Last season, Ibaka scored a career-high 15.1 points per game, shot 49.1 percent from 10-16 feet and converted 38.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
This season, with Durant out, he's in line to get even more touches as the de facto second option behind Westbrook.
Could a nightly stat line of 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks be within Ibaka's reach? Absolutely. Could he make his first All-Star appearance? Definitely.
Ibaka's production over the last few years has overshadowed the fact he's still only 25 years old with plenty of room to grow. He's put up modest numbers as the team's third wheel but now gets a two-month trial to show what he can do in a much bigger role.
With a three-point shot as the latest wrinkle to Ibaka's emerging offensive game, he could easily establish himself as the total package. There are few, if any, big men who can rebound, block shots, shoot threes and score in the post.
Ibaka can do all of that and more. He just has to prove he can do it on a consistent basis.
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