Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder: OKC has won the NBA Offseason
I didn't initially plan on writing an article today, but the beauty of sports is that unexpected things happen and they happen fast. Earlier today, the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to trade big man Enes Kanter and wing Doug McDermott, along with a 2018 second round pick, to the New York Knicks for star forward Carmelo Anthony. This comes just a day after Anthony added the Thunder to the list of teams he'd waive his no trade clause for and just a few days after Kanter tweeted this:
This is a heartbreaker for Kanter and his camp, but a huge exclamation point on what has been an amazing offseason for the Thunder. In Anthony, OKC gets a (still) fantastic scorer and a guy who wants to win, badly. Anthony was visibly frustrated in New York and is probably salivating right now at his new reality with Russell Westbrook and Paul George in OKC. The Twitter world is going crazy after the trade:
Even Anthony's new teammate is commenting on it:
Oklahoma City didn't just have a good offseason, or even a great one. Oklahoma City won the NBA Offseason. They're a much improved team over the squad that put Russell Westbrook (and company...) on the court each night to let the aforementioned Westbrook shoulder the weight of the team and average a triple double over the course of the season. How is OKC a better team this year?
Imagine this starting 5:
PG: Russell Westbrook (NBA MVP)
SG: Andre Roberson (young guard who has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the NBA)
SF: Paul George (Wants to win MVP this year, already one of the best two-way players in the league)
PF: Carmelo Anthony (averaged 22 points a game on 36% shooting from behind the arc, one of the best scorers in the NBA)
C: Steven Adams (24-year-old Center who is poised for improvement after scoring 11 PPG last year, averaged a steal and a block per game last season on defense)
Or, if OKC doesn't want to play small ball, imagine this:
PG: Westbrook
SG: George
SF: Anthony
PF: Patrick Patterson (3 and D power forward who is great at both)
C: Adams
OKC's Head Coach, Billy Donovan, has options this year. He can slide Patterson and Roberson in and out of the starting lineup depending on nightly matchups. This is something he couldn't do last year. Not to mention, reports are that young point guard Trey Burke is finalizing a contract with OKC today. Also not to mention, the Thunder signed backup point guard Raymond Felton to a contract earlier this offseason. The Thunder have depth this season, along with a star-studded starting lineup:
A Thunder team that finished 17th in offensive efficiency last season should skyrocket in that rating this season. Adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony tends to do that to a team. OKC will not struggle to put points on the board. The team finished 10th in defensive efficiency last season and although losing Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter (the main pieces of the Paul George and Carmelo Anthony trades) isn't ideal in the defense department, the losses are insignificant when keeping in mind OKC gained Patrick Patterson and Paul George. Both are top defenders at their positions and should be an improvement in that department than Oladipo and Kanter. Oklahoma City will be fine on defense this year.
How does this offseason affect the Thunder after this season?
This answer is a bit complex, but makes perfect sense when all the pieces are put together. Patrick Patterson was a steal for OKC, perhaps one of the best steals of the offseason when he signed a 3-year, $16 million contract. Andre Roberson could and should start at shooting guard for all 3 years of his $30 million contract. With the recent salary cap increase in the NBA, $10 a year for a stud defender with offensive potential is a great deal. OKC is also rid of Oladipo's $21 million per year he would have been paid had OKC not traded him. From a money standpoint, this offseason sets OKC up for some success in the future, even if Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony opt out of their contracts after this season. What if they don't?
Some think the Russ, Melo and PG-13 experiment won't work out and all three could leave at the end of the season. This is entirely possible, but what if all goes well? The three will take some time to gel and learn each other's tendencies but once they do, it is very possible that this team evolves into a three-headed monster with great complementary pieces. Is this a team that can dethrone Golden State this year? Probably not. OKC will be great, likely enough to give the Rockets and Spurs a run for their money and perhaps beat them in order to face Golden State, but not enough to upset the Dubs. This season is all about the big three and how they play off of each other. If everything goes south, expect all three to leave and find new homes. If all goes well, expect all three to opt into the last year of their respective contracts and make one big run at the Finals. This is going to be a fun year in the NBA, I hope you're all as excited as I am for it!
Thank you all for reading my second article, this is your daily reminder to put your Best Foot(e) Forward in everything you do. Stand up for what you believe in and make this world a better place! Do what makes you happy and spread positivity, this world needs it!
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