OT: Kanter may come off the bench after signing 70 mil contract

[Hero]

http://www.hngn.com/articles/136859/20151005/oklahoma-city-thunder-rumors-enes-kanter-to-come-off-the-bench.htm

Kanter signed a four year offer sheet with the Portland Trail Blazers worth $70 million and the Thunder had no choice but to match that offer. Kanter is being paid like a star big man but he is not even a lock to start at center as Steven Adams is reportedly still the favorite to be the starter, according to Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman.

Kanter put up some great numbers with the Thunder in 26 games last season as he averaged 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game but he is a liability on the defensive side of the ball which is why Adams may win the starting job. No team likes to pay big money to a bench player but at this point it seems like the Thunder's best option. Adams is a plus defender inside and although he doesn't bring much on offense the Thunder don't need it from his as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook should do plenty of scoring for the first unit.

Should Adams get the starting job, Kanter would be a focal point of the second unit's offense along with Dion Waiters and Anthony Morrow.

Interesting. Despite the contract it looks like OKC is going to focus on a defensive presence to pair up with Westbrook and KD. I guess even with Ibaka they still find Kanter's defense too much to compensate for.

Wait, I thought the narrative was that since the Warriors won the "ship" therefore teams are all supposed to be going "small" to emulate. Obviously, OKC, one of the top Western conf. teams must be out to lunch planning to run out a big both with the starting unit and their second unit?

I don't think all teams.
Plus you don't know how much they're gonna roll out Ibaka at center and KD at PF. You think they'd just try to play Adams and Roberson vs the Warriors?

Also they have two top 5 players. The Raptors don't even have two top 30 players.

[TheSamMitchell]

They're probably showing Durant that they're willing to "spend."

[SaveTheHens]

So why did Toronto sign; DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, and Patrick Patterson all who can be considered "bench" players.

Carroll was a starter in the first place team in the East. He's not a bench player.

I'm not going to argue that Carroll should/shouldn't be a starter here because he'll be a starter unless we completely fail. Just be aware that not all starters are equal.

For example, Carroll was a starter but he also only had the 9th highest USG% (16.9%) on his team. He was basically the 4th/5th option most of the time he was on the floor. He also had one of the lowest AST% (8.3%) on his team - for comparison's sake, Ross had a 6.5 AST%. Which basically went along with DC's role of just being a defender/spot-up shooter.

Even on the Raptors last year, he would of been the 8th highest in USG%. Lowry, DeRozan, JV, Ross, Williams, Vasquez, and James Johnson all had higher USG% than Carroll. Now, I'm sure that will go up here but that doesn't necessarily mean his stats will go up or he'll be as efficient (I actually see his efficiency going down). Having a bigger role here might just expose flaws that weren't evident on a much better team orientated offense/defense Hawks team.

Carroll may not be a huge offensive option but he is still a starter because of his defensive capabilities and ability to spread the floor. His role is to keep the defences honest & if they play off him to hit 3's. Otherwise he needs to get boards & play D.

[Sakkreth]

I don't think you put a guy that can put up 18ppg and 11rpg off the bench, he can't be that bad on defense he gets defensive rebounds.

Well he is. He is historically bad, statistically worst defense out of all centers in the league and by far.

[Spicy P]

why did OKC have to match the offer?

Because they **** up by not re-signing Harden and are trying to make up for it despite it being an awful move.