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Enes Kanter: Immaturity and controversial path he took

Hack said:
As bad as Kanter has handled everything, he was right about not wanting to play here. He wasn't going to get the playing time, and he knew it. We probably shouldn't have even drafted him. We didn't need another big man, and it led to the departure of Millsap. We probably should have traded out of the spot tbh. He made it clear he didn't want to be here. I'm not saying don't draft a player if they don't want to be here. Their value might be too high, and you just can't pass on it. But Kanter wasn't like a can't miss type of player. It was very risky. His athleticism was well below average and he was a big question mark. I think KOC probably felt a lot of pressure to draft someone because he sold off Dwill and we just won the lottery with the pick. But in hindsight it wasn't the right decision, and it could have been seen even back then. It didn't make sense at all to take him. Or if it did, then we should have been on the phones trying to trade Jefferson to clear up some room right away. But we didnt.


I think the lesson that needs to be learned here is that you have to be careful when building a team that you aren't treating it like video game where you can just load up on talent all the way down the bench. And expect it to work. Because eventually someone is going to be unhappy if they feel they deserve to play more. You'll just end up wasting assets. Which is what Kanter was, a waste of a high lottery pick. I bet we could have gotten more for the 3rd pick back then, than what we got for Kanter from OKC even after people knew he could play.


In this upcoming draft we face sorta the same dilemma. Adding a good wing player would be nice, but are we risking the same situation by having Burks, Hood, Hayward, Millsap, Ingles, and possibly another free agent clogging up the wing position.

It's possible. I just hope it's managed right. If we draft a wing, then we should be considering trading Burks or something in the near future. And/or don't even plan on signing Millsap and/or Ingles.

This year's situation is a little different though because the 12th pick comes with different expectations than the 3rd pick, so there's that aspect of it. But nevertheless, the 12th pick will be hoping/expecting to get some run.
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Good post hack
 
For him to bitch like he has after being drafted in a position to net him millions of dollars is insulting. Every day people "settle" while they lay the ground work for something better. It's called being a ****ing adult. You take your lumps and take the steps to make it possible to get to a desirable place in your vocation. It's not rocket science.
 
green said:
To be fair to Kanter, the draft sucks for the players and in some ways screws them over. Imagine graduating college, and instead of you picking the job you want, you are told, "hey, congrats, you are off to North Dakota for the next 4-8 or 9 years!"

That would suck, and I'd probably try to get out too. I don't blame Kobe for forcing his way to LA. I don't blame Eli for forcing his way to NY. Or Elway to Denver. If you can do it, do it. Kanter got his way. Let's see what he does with it.

Also, doesn't mean I don't hope Durrant and Westbrook leave and OKC ends up at the bottom of the West with Kanter leading them there.
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No NBA city could be as bad as North Dakota. TBH I haven't even been to North Dakota so maybe it's not even that bad to begin with.
 
Jesus Christ we are still ****ing talking about this guy?


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I guess we better just start asking the college guys where they want to play before we draft them. I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings by drafting them when they might not want to be here. Maybe we could just send out a questionnaire instead of scouting and then make a list of the guys that check "Utah" as a place they would deign to play. Then we can draft accordingly. That way no one gets their feelings hurt, no one has to worry about being in such a horrible place, and we can guarantee we get a guy that wants us too. Everybody feels good and no one has to be an adult. Win-win for all the crybaby ******* out there.
 
https://www.basketballinsiders.com/the-c ... es-kanter/

He had several games with 20 points and 10 rebounds.....seems productive, but he gives up 110 points a game.

All of this is encapsulated in ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus metric (RPM), which ranks Kanter at 385th in the league (-3.28), due mostly to his abysmal -3.75 defensive RPM rating. To give more perspective, Kanter ranks dead last in defensive RPM among all qualified centers, including Andrea Bargnani of the New York Knicks.

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Specifically, what should the Thunder do in regards to their newest center, Enes Kanter?

Kanter is set to be a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason and will be looking for a significant, long-term contract. Our Alex Kennedy recently explained why Kanter may not find the deal he is looking for this offseason.

One of the reasons for this, explained by Kennedy, includes Kanter’s comments about his former team, the Utah Jazz. But an even bigger concern for the Thunder than Kanter’s recent comments is his performance on the court.

Kanter, age 22, has put up nice per game statistics in his short time with the Thunder. Over his last 10 games, Kanter is averaging 21.3 points and 13.1 rebounds, while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. So what is the problem with the way Kanter is playing?

Kanter’s former Utah Jazz teammate Trevor Booker summed up the problem concisely after the Jazz beat the Thunder on March 28.

“He did what he always does: he got his stats, he didn’t defend, he took an L,” Booker said of Kanter, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune.

This was a bold and candid statement from Booker, but is exactly what the Thunder’s front-office needs to consider moving forward. On many nights, Kanter looks imposing and like a guy who deserves a lucrative deal. But look closer, and you can see the defensive limitations that puts a strain on his team’s overall defense. In 21 games played with the Thunder, Oklahoma City is scoring 108.1 points per 100 possessions, while surrendering 109.5 points with Kanter on the court, according to NBA.com. That comes out to a -1.4 net differential, which isn’t great, but isn’t terrible. However, consider that a 109.5 defensive rating would rank as the worst defensive rating in the entire league, including the last-place Minnesota Timberwolves. And things have only gotten worse recently.

Over the last 10 games, the Thunder are giving up 111.6 points per 100 possessions with Kanter on the court, while scoring 107.1 points (-4.5 net). And it’s not as though Kanter is offsetting his lack of defensive impact with his offense. In that same span, when Kanter is off the court, the Thunder are scoring 110.8 points per 100 possessions.

Still not convinced that Kanter’s box score numbers blur his actual on court impact? Let’s take a look at the Jazz, who have become the league’s most dominant defensive team since trading Kanter. With Kanter, the Jazz scored 102.9 points per 100 possessions, while allowing opposing to teams to score 106.1 points, according to NBA.com. However, since trading Kanter, the Jazz have an offensive efficiency rating of 101.3 and a defensive efficiency rating of 93.2, good for an impressive +8.1 net rating.

To be fair to Kanter, being replaced by Rudy Gobert will make anyone look bad by comparison on the defensive end. That, and the Jazz collectively are showing signs of internal development and chemistry that were not there at the beginning of the season. But the numbers confirm what we can see with our eyes. Kanter is not a good rim protector, he isn’t very quick and he doesn’t have the foot speed to effectively defend the pick and roll (though he has improved his foot speed since losing weight). All of this is encapsulated in ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus metric (RPM), which ranks Kanter at 385th in the league (-3.28), due mostly to his abysmal -3.75 defensive RPM rating. To give more perspective, Kanter ranks dead last in defensive RPM among all qualified centers, including Andrea Bargnani of the New York Knicks.

Nevertheless, despite all of his defensive shortcomings, Kanter still has room to improve. He’ll never be Rudy Gobert or Andrew Bogut, but he can probably improve to an average, or almost average defensive center. Kanter is very strong and capable of banging in the post against opposing bigs. Add in the fact that Serge Ibaka is one of the best shot blockers and overall rim protectors in the league, and we start to see a foundation for success with Kanter and Oklahoma City. Steven Adams is no slouch on defense either, and with him on the court, Kanter can stretch the floor on offense with his improving jump-shot.

Unfortunately, none of these things are certain to happen. Consider that Kanter was paired up next to defensive stalwart Derrick Favors in Utah, and the results for that tandem on defense were mixed, at best. But even if we assume Kanter will improve defensively and that he will fit well with Ibaka and Adams moving forward, it’s still not clear what to pay a player like Kanter. That question becomes even more difficult when we consider the Thunder’s current financial situation.
 
I didnt really see anything offensive in those comments. He didn't want to go to a team where he would be the 5th big. Thats about it. On a side note, Kanter sucks balls and I hate his face.
 
Beer said:
I didnt really see anything offensive in those comments. He didn't want to go to a team where he would be the 5th big. Thats about it. On a side note, Kanter sucks balls and I hate his face.
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I think the offensive stuff is the stuff he said when visiting SLC as a member of the Thunder.
 
I am still a fan of picking the best player available. The Jazz thought that was Enes and I have no problem with that - and I hope they keep drafting that way. The article does clear up why he did not want to come here which is understandable. None of that changes how immaturely he has handled the situation.
 
gregbroncs said:
I think the offensive stuff is the stuff he said when visiting SLC as a member of the Thunder.
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gomretat said:
I am still a fan of picking the best player available. The Jazz thought that was Enes and I have no problem with that - and I hope they keep drafting that way. The article does clear up why he did not want to come here which is understandable. None of that changes how immaturely he has handled the situation.
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Yeah there is a big difference between saying and doing. It isn't really the saying that matters, it's the doing that proves your true colors. Malone said all kinds of weird ****. But then be brought it with everything he had every night (remembering of course that he is human and is going to have ups and downs). But Kanter not only talked ****, he then turned around and purposely dicked around. That, to me, is a personal integrity issue. Of course immaturity plays into it, but even young immature people can have integrity. Look at Gobert. Can you picture Gobert doing anything but busting his ***? I could see him complaining about things not going his way or the team's way in a pre-game, then coming out and putting up 15/15/4. Bottom line Kanter is an entitled punk ***** and it is a good thing he is gone. **** him and the horse he rode in on.
 
What's hysterical is a guy who was put in his exact situation (rudy) nutted up and outplayed 'the vet'. I don't think you want to build your team around guys who don't like competition.
 
Beer said:
I get that. The radio this morning was acting like he said something outrageous again though.
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They're gonna grab onto any little grain of controversy and try to blow it up. That's just what they do.
 
green said:
To be fair to Kanter, the draft sucks for the players and in some ways screws them over. Imagine graduating college, and instead of you picking the job you want, you are told, "hey, congrats, you are off to North Dakota for the next 4-8 or 9 years!"

That would suck, and I'd probably try to get out too. I don't blame Kobe for forcing his way to LA. I don't blame Eli for forcing his way to NY. Or Elway to Denver. If you can do it, do it. Kanter got his way. Let's see what he does with it.

Also, doesn't mean I don't hope Durrant and Westbrook leave and OKC ends up at the bottom of the West with Kanter leading them there.
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You mean like all those guys in College going through ROTC only to have the government tell them where they will live (in the world) and fight (in the world)? Yeah... I really feel for a guy whose making millions to pay a game because he didn't get to pick which city he lived in during the season. Poor baby.
 
green said:
To be fair to Kanter, the draft sucks for the players and in some ways screws them over. Imagine graduating college, and instead of you picking the job you want, you are told, "hey, congrats, you are off to North Dakota for the next 4-8 or 9 years!"

That would suck, and I'd probably try to get out too.
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What a hilarious comment. 99.9% of college graduates would absolutely **** their pants with joy if they were offered tens of millions of dollars to work for a few years on an oil rig in the middle of the ****ing ocean.

I honestly can't believe you think his situation wouldn't be dream-like for practically anyone.
 
green said:
To be fair to Kanter, the draft sucks for the players and in some ways screws them over. Imagine graduating college, and instead of you picking the job you want, you are told, "hey, congrats, you are off to North Dakota for the next 4-8 or 9 years!"

That would suck, and I'd probably try to get out too. I don't blame Kobe for forcing his way to LA. I don't blame Eli for forcing his way to NY. Or Elway to Denver. If you can do it, do it. Kanter got his way. Let's see what he does with it.

Also, doesn't mean I don't hope Durrant and Westbrook leave and OKC ends up at the bottom of the West with Kanter leading them there.
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That's not exactly the situation he's put in though, is it? The situation he's put in is - "The NBA is this entity that has those rules, do you accept those rules and want to enter or not? (option 1) Oh, you do! Ok then, go to North Dakota for 4-8 years and make 80 million bucks in the process. (option 2) Oh you don't want to be told where to work, sure, no worries - you have the right to go to work almost anywhere in the world. Sure, you will make less money, but the you will have the freedom be wherever you want"... Enes himself chose option 1, nobody forced him into it. I wonder why?
 
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