Interesting Oklahoma depth chart?

klemen4 · Post #1 » by **klemen4** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:42 am

Oklahoma City Thunder

(2)Point Guard Russell Westbrook / Earl Watson
(2)Shooting Guard Damien Wilkins / Kyle Weaver
(2)Small Forward Kevin Durant / Desmond Mason
(4)Power Forward Jeff Green / Chris Wilcox / Joe Smith / D.J. White
(5)Center Johan Petro / Nick Collison / Robert Swift / Mouhamed Sene / Steven Hill

Any NBA team looking for big men should call Oklahoma.

So it is logical Smith is available!

mr_sunshine · Post #2 » by **mr_sunshine** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:54 am

They've created quite the mess there, stocking up on HORRIBLE Cs and PFs. Wow!

Celts09 · Post #3 » by **Celts09** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:19 am

and they added kristic

Jammer · Post #4 » by **Jammer** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:37 am

OKC's most glaring needs are at point guard and shooting guard
(a true shooting guard).

So, in the case of the Celtics, you are talking Pruitt or Giddens.

But, as trade ID 4895496 demonstrates,
Memphis, who just lost Darko Milicic for two months due to a broken knuckle on his hand (ouch),
can help on this:

OKC sends 35 year old Joe Smith to Boston.

Celtics send PG Gabe Pruitt to OKC. With Earl Watson asking out of OKC, Pruitt can step in, and has the size to be paired with Russell Westbrook, where Westbrook can guard SG's.
Pruitt makes $711K this year, $797K next year, and will then be a Restricted Free Agent.

Celtics send 6' 9" Brian Scalabrine to Memphis. Memphis gets free use of a guy who
can execute plays,
is a great locker room presence,
who can stretch te floor for other players on the block or to drive,
who can knock down 3's,
and most importantly, can fill in for Darko at C or PF this year.

Pogue Mahone · Post #5 » by **Pogue Mahone** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:18 pm

I would like to take Bob Swift off their hands. I wish there was a match there.

cfan79 · Post #6 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:05 pm

How the heck is Jeff Green a power forward? That team is all f'd up. I don't know if any of their Centers are worth anything.

Dogen · Post #7 » by **Dogen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:21 pm

Pogue Mahone wrote:I would like to take Bob Swift off their hands. I wish there was a match there.

Yeah, then Ainge could say: "Yes!!! drafting Jefferson, the losing streak, missing out on Oden, trading the pick for Ray, trading Al for KG, signing Pose, Cassell, PJ, and House, getting the best record in the league, winning the championship, not resigning Pose, having the best record in the league again, KG wagging in Calderon's face, Baby crying on the bench---- it was all part of the master plan which will finally have it's glorious fruition when I make this trade for Bob Swift, Center of the Universe!!!"

elrod enchilada · Post #8 » by **elrod enchilada** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:04 pm

I would not be surprised to see Danny try to sign Swift this off-season when he will be an UFA. He can provide length and serious rebounding and we can get him cheap. If healthy, a nice possible back-up to Perk. It is worth keeping our eyes on him, much like we do Giddens and Walker in the D-League. Low-risk, high reward.

BadWolf · Post #9 » by **BadWolf** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:22 pm

Swift is ugly and scary

OKC's biggest need is at PG? Didn't they just draft their PG of the future?

Pogue Mahone · Post #10 » by **Pogue Mahone** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:22 pm

elrod enchilada wrote:I would not be surprised to see Danny try to sign Swift this off-season when he will be an UFA. He can provide length and serious rebounding and we can get him cheap. If healthy, a nice possible back-up to Perk. It is worth keeping our eyes on him, much like we do Giddens and Walker in the D-League. Low-risk, high reward.

Exactly.

Perkins is the real deal and I have said as much all along. There is nothing wrong with wanting a shotblocker and rebounder with length at the back end of your rotation. Swift is clearly an upgrade over the **** stain that is Big Burger Davis.

cfan79 · Post #11 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:23 pm

Robert Swift looks like a stiff. There's a reason they keep drafting and trading for big guys. O'Bryant has a much better chance of becoming a decent player.

Dogen · Post #12 » by **Dogen** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:33 pm

cfan79 wrote:Robert Swift looks like a stiff. There's a reason they keep drafting and trading for big guys. O'Bryant has a much better chance of becoming a decent player.

Them's fightin' words.

cfan79 · Post #13 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:51 pm

Dogen wrote:Them's fightin' words.

Is that you Robert Stiff? Your hair is looking better then it use to.

Pogue Mahone · Post #14 » by **Pogue Mahone** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:56 pm

cfan79 wrote:Robert Swift looks like a stiff. There's a reason they keep drafting and trading for big guys. O'Bryant has a much better chance of becoming a decent player.

There have been 16 players since 1978 that have put up a line of .524 TS%, 21.0 DReb%, 4.4 Block% and played 1000 MP before their age 23 season.

On that list, in no particular order, are the following:

Shaquille O'Neal
Alonzo Mourning
Yao Ming
Gheorghe Muresan
Kendrick Perkins
Robert Swift
Andrew Bynum
Tree Rollins
Sam Bowie
Samuel Dalembert
Greg Ostertag
Alton Lister
Amir Johnson
Tyson Chandler
Benoit Benjamin
Jamaal Magloire

Now, I am not saying Bob Swift is going to turn into any of those players. I am just saying that the company he keeps for his age level (he just turned 23 in early December) is pretty impressive, imo. If you can acquire a player like that at a discount, you should. All those players on that list were at least servicable and most were high desirable players at one point or another.

cfan79 · Post #15 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:05 pm

Swift is on an awful team and can't get consistent minutes. So what makes you think he should get it here. He could just as easily be like Sam Bowie or Alton Lister or worse.

Pogue Mahone · Post #16 » by **Pogue Mahone** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:32 pm

cfan79 wrote:Swift is on an awful team and can't get consistent minutes. So what makes you think he should get it here. He could just as easily be like Sam Bowie or Alton Lister or worse.

The awful team argument only works when a player is padding his numbers at the expense of his teammates. OKC is a middle of the pack team as far as defensive rebounding is concerned. In short minutes, he is currently pulling down a 30.6 DReb%. I don't care what level you are playing at, that is incredible. Additionally, OKC is 3.19 points better, per 100 possessions, defensively with him on the floor. The real question that hasn't been asked is if that impact is real and, secondly, if he can sustain his DReb%.

I think the impact is a true indication. I think his DReb% is little higher than one would expect but as I showed in my previous post, he has put up a 21.0 DReb% over 1328 career MP .. and he just turned 23. All signs, imo, are point to an inevitable breakout in the not too distant future.

Secondly, both Bowie and Lister were more than serviceable players. I am not talking about Swift coming in and starting. I want him on the team to give length and a defensive presence off the bench.

Additionally, there is still upside there, I believe, so if you obtain him cheaply, develop him up, then deal him, the return on investment could be quite lucrative. He is a rotation-caliber big right now. I have no disillusions about where he is at. The problem in OKC is that Swift is not much of a scorer and he is on a team that features Watson, Mason and Collison seeing heavy rotation-level minutes. None of those players are consistent scorers, either. We wouldn't need Swift to score. What we need is a shot-altering, post-defending, defensive rebounder with length.

elrod enchilada · Post #17 » by **elrod enchilada** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:41 pm

I am with Pogue on this all the way. Ourt biggest concern is that we will not be able to afford him if OkC keeps him in the rotation. He started last night. Bring on Krstic!

cfan79 · Post #18 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:06 pm

Pogue Mahone wrote:
The awful team argument only works when a player is padding his numbers at the expense of his teammates. OKC is a middle of the pack team as far as defensive rebounding is concerned. In short minutes, he is currently pulling down a 30.6 DReb%. I don't care what level you are playing at, that is incredible. Additionally, OKC is 3.19 points better, per 100 possessions, defensively with him on the floor. The real question that hasn't been asked is if that impact is real and, secondly, if he can sustain his DReb%.

Throw out all the percentages you want. The simple fact is that he's on the worst team in the league and they play him 5 minutes a game every other game. Many players can look good if they aren't being defended in blowouts.

cfan79 · Post #19 » by **cfan79** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:42 pm

Oh no, what is Oklahoma going to do? They just waived Steven Hill who got 3 rebounds in 2 minutes. So he was averaging 72 rebounds per 48 minutes.

It does however open up a 2 for 2 trade with Toronto, Boston, Cleveland, etc etc

Pogue Mahone · Post #20 » by **Pogue Mahone** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:08 pm

CFan, now you are just adopting a silly, unreasonable approach, imo.

Here is a quick comparison. Numbers are through Age 23 seasons.

Player A:
1328 MP .524 TS% 9.9 OReb% 21.0 DReb% 4.4 Blk%

Player B:
1771 MP .520 TS% 7.6 OReb% 21.9 DReb% 3.6 Blk%

Obviously, one player is Bob Swift. Do you know who the other player is?