Which Third Year Player Has The Most To Prove?

[Bensational]

OKC's bench makes me drool.

Adams
PJ3
Roberson
Lamb
Jackson

THAT would be a solid team.

Not to keep being contrary, but I highly doubt that team would be any more successful then the other. 12-15 wins tops.

Nah, that team would find a way to win. Especially with a good coach. PJ3 is probably the weakest link, but Lamb and Jackson would step up as a stud backcourt. Roberson is just an ace defender, and Adams would be a solid defensive anchor.

I think you just see them as lesser players because they come off the bench. Would they win in year 1, and in the West? Heck no. But look at teams like the Warriors, Pacers, Suns, Raptors, Hawks, Wizards and Hornets who are full of guys who have emerged recently as quality starters, despite being nothing more than bench guys for 3+ seasons prior, or being mediocre role players at best.

Look at our team. Vuc, Harris and Dipo are considered the 3 best guys we've got and they've not done much to elevate us in previous seasons, yet many of us are convinced this year they'll take it to another level. Would you have said that about Vuc and Harris after their first year? Would you have said it about them after their second year, if they'd been buried on the bench?

I'm not saying that these are teams with stars that will be built for the future, but I'm saying there's talent hidden in there. O'Quinn and Nicholson are two of those talents on our team.

[Neon1]

OKC's bench makes me drool.

Adams
PJ3
Roberson
Lamb
Jackson

THAT would be a solid team.

Not to keep being contrary, but I highly doubt that team would be any more successful then the other. 12-15 wins tops.

Nah, that team would find a way to win. Especially with a good coach. PJ3 is probably the weakest link, but Lamb and Jackson would step up as a stud backcourt. Roberson is just an ace defender, and Adams would be a solid defensive anchor.

I think you just see them as lesser players because they come off the bench. Would they win in year 1, and in the West? Heck no. But look at teams like the Warriors, Pacers, Suns, Raptors, Hawks, Wizards and Hornets who are full of guys who have emerged recently as quality starters, despite being nothing more than bench guys for 3+ seasons prior, or being mediocre role players at best.

Look at our team. Vuc, Harris and Dipo are considered the 3 best guys we've got and they've not done much to elevate us in previous seasons, yet many of us are convinced this year they'll take it to another level. Would you have said that about Vuc and Harris after their first year? Would you have said it about them after their second year, if they'd been buried on the bench?

I'm not saying that these are teams with stars that will be built for the future, but I'm saying there's talent hidden in there. O'Quinn and Nicholson are two of those talents on our team.

No I see them as lesser players because outside of Jackson, all of those guys are just that. Besides Jackson, only Lamb has an outside chance of becoming a productive player. That team would never even be able to grab a defensive rebound or score.

Vucevic, O'Quinn and Tobias all showed production for the minutes they played when they were on the bench, Roberson, Jones and Adams do not.

You can only get away with playing a completely one way player like Roberson if you have a couple ELITE scorers to compensate, then when you add Adams and Jones to that and your only scoring options are Lamb and Jackson who are just okay scorers, you will not win many games at ALL. Under 20 wins EASILY with that lineup, I would be brutal.

[OrlChamps2030]

Not to keep being contrary, but I highly doubt that team would be any more successful then the other. 12-15 wins tops.

Nah, that team would find a way to win. Especially with a good coach. PJ3 is probably the weakest link, but Lamb and Jackson would step up as a stud backcourt. Roberson is just an ace defender, and Adams would be a solid defensive anchor.

I think you just see them as lesser players because they come off the bench. Would they win in year 1, and in the West? Heck no. But look at teams like the Warriors, Pacers, Suns, Raptors, Hawks, Wizards and Hornets who are full of guys who have emerged recently as quality starters, despite being nothing more than bench guys for 3+ seasons prior, or being mediocre role players at best.

Look at our team. Vuc, Harris and Dipo are considered the 3 best guys we've got and they've not done much to elevate us in previous seasons, yet many of us are convinced this year they'll take it to another level. Would you have said that about Vuc and Harris after their first year? Would you have said it about them after their second year, if they'd been buried on the bench?

I'm not saying that these are teams with stars that will be built for the future, but I'm saying there's talent hidden in there. O'Quinn and Nicholson are two of those talents on our team.

No I see them as lesser players because outside of Jackson, all of those guys are just that. Besides Jackson, only Lamb has an outside chance of becoming a productive player. That team would never even be able to grab a defensive rebound or score.

Vucevic, O'Quinn and Tobias all showed production for the minutes they played when they were on the bench, Roberson, Jones and Adams do not.

You can only get away with playing a completely one way player like Roberson if you have a couple ELITE scorers to compensate, then when you add Adams and Jones to that and your only scoring options are Lamb and Jackson who are just okay scorers, you will not win many games at ALL. Under 20 wins EASILY with that lineup, I would be brutal.

That team blows but Adams is a good prospect

[Neon1]

Nah, that team would find a way to win. Especially with a good coach. PJ3 is probably the weakest link, but Lamb and Jackson would step up as a stud backcourt. Roberson is just an ace defender, and Adams would be a solid defensive anchor.

I think you just see them as lesser players because they come off the bench. Would they win in year 1, and in the West? Heck no. But look at teams like the Warriors, Pacers, Suns, Raptors, Hawks, Wizards and Hornets who are full of guys who have emerged recently as quality starters, despite being nothing more than bench guys for 3+ seasons prior, or being mediocre role players at best.

Look at our team. Vuc, Harris and Dipo are considered the 3 best guys we've got and they've not done much to elevate us in previous seasons, yet many of us are convinced this year they'll take it to another level. Would you have said that about Vuc and Harris after their first year? Would you have said it about them after their second year, if they'd been buried on the bench?

I'm not saying that these are teams with stars that will be built for the future, but I'm saying there's talent hidden in there. O'Quinn and Nicholson are two of those talents on our team.

No I see them as lesser players because outside of Jackson, all of those guys are just that. Besides Jackson, only Lamb has an outside chance of becoming a productive player. That team would never even be able to grab a defensive rebound or score.

Vucevic, O'Quinn and Tobias all showed production for the minutes they played when they were on the bench, Roberson, Jones and Adams do not.

You can only get away with playing a completely one way player like Roberson if you have a couple ELITE scorers to compensate, then when you add Adams and Jones to that and your only scoring options are Lamb and Jackson who are just okay scorers, you will not win many games at ALL. Under 20 wins EASILY with that lineup, I would be brutal.

That team blows but Adams is a good prospect

Adams is crazy overrated, just like almost all young players in a high profile team's rotation. Not saying he sucks, he is okay, not really a starting center (he's the best THEY have though).

He is not a rebounder (except on the offensive end), isn't a high level shot blocker or rim protector (he's just decent), not a passing playmaker out of the post, not a shooter, not a scorer (post or otherwise),and he cant play without fouling at massive rates. He is a good (not great) defender, but not near good enough to ignore all the things he is not good at. He IS a great/elite offensive rebounder, But his 6.1fouls per36 means on average he cant even play more then 29.5mpg before fouling out.

(Per36) 8pts 10reb (4.3 offensive) 1.3ast 1.2stl 1.7blk 2.1tov 6.1fls (14.0 PPR)

With his fouling he actually maxes out at:
29.5mpg 6.6ppg 3.5oreb 4.7dreb (8.2rpg) 1.1apg 0.98spg 1.39bpg 1.72tov

If he wasn't on OKC he would hardly even get noticed. He is a backup center, who will start because theguy in front of him is trash with potential to develop into a legit starter.

[Orlwillbeback]

Adams is still so young, he will be a good player. It may take a few years but he will eventually be a solid starter in the league. He may start sooner than later because perkins is that bad. However if he got thrust into a situation like on the magic then he probably wouldnt be able to develop the right way and it would be bad for him.

Other than him i dont like The Thunder's cadre of young talent at all. Lamb is okay but only a shooter at this point and with that team in win now mode he may never get a chance to develop.

Jackson is nice though.

[Bensational]

No I see them as lesser players because outside of Jackson, all of those guys are just that. Besides Jackson, only Lamb has an outside chance of becoming a productive player. That team would never even be able to grab a defensive rebound or score.

Vucevic, O'Quinn and Tobias all showed production for the minutes they played when they were on the bench, Roberson, Jones and Adams do not.

You can only get away with playing a completely one way player like Roberson if you have a couple ELITE scorers to compensate, then when you add Adams and Jones to that and your only scoring options are Lamb and Jackson who are just okay scorers, you will not win many games at ALL. Under 20 wins EASILY with that lineup, I would be brutal.

You're sleeping on Roberson, hard. that guy is a defensive workhorse, and he plays within his game offensively. he's not Ben Wallace or Kendrick Perkins bad, so you're exaggerating on that front. He's looking every bit as good, if not better, than MKG this preseason.

Lamb would be the best player on that team, without question. He's looking like he's ready to blossom into a real Joe Johnson type player any time in the next couple seasons, and I'm not sure how you're not seeing that. He's achieved just as much as Tobias had at relative points in their career.

As I said, it's not a complete team, but you would most certainly unearth a couple of legit studs from that lineup.

[Bensational]

I reckon a team could take our 'scraps' and form a pretty competitive team.

O'Quinn
Nicholson
Harkless
Fournier
Insert FA

You'd need a quality PG, like Payton, to really pull that squad together though.

That's still a losing team, but it would be interesting to see what you could get out of Nicholson as your featured scorer (Al Jefferson 2.0?), and if Hark and Fournier could sustain good D for 36 minutes a game.

That lineup with Payton or anybody else would be lucky to win 12-15 games all year.

Lol. almost on cue, they get to play big minutes together and manage to lose to the 6ers who didn't even have MCW or Noel!

[OrlChamps2030]

Anymore thoughts on this? Is the writing on the wall for AN?

[Neon1]

Anymore thoughts on this? Is the writing on the wall for AN?

The writing was on the wall the second we drafted Aaron then signed Frye. There is no mins left to play him and its only going to get worse once O'Quinn gets back.