OKC - How do they do it?
- Thread starter eacioban
- Start date
Brown Notes
Well-Known Member
Nazr took a big step down last year. He's about done. Great time to gamble on somebody's bust. Perkins is certainly servicable. If they hit on PJ or somehow instill some desire in Thabeet things could get pretty ugly in the West. If these picks/pickups fail who cares? Those guys are stacked anyways. Exactly how I'd want to run a team with all that established talent.
Former Member
Banned
The got lucky with draft picks AND they are willing to pay to keep them. After you land a player of Durant's quality people are willing to come over. Also, OKC is a small market, but it doesn't seem to have the stigma that Utah has.
The biggest key is the draft picks. They haven't brought over any big-name free agents. The players they draft like playing there. With how good they are, why wouldn't they? That being said, let's see how things go in contract extension talks with Harden and Ibaka. I think Harden MAY be willing to take a little less money than he could probably get on the open market to extend. But Ibaka has been making jack crap ($1.3m last year, $22m in 12-13) relative to his value to the Thunder, so I don't think the Thunder have a chance in hell of keeping Ibaka and Harden beyond next year.
EDIT: And in regards to getting lucky with draft picks, the only I think they got lucky with was Durant. I know all draft picks are something of a crapshoot, but I would mostly give them credit for drafting Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka.
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BluesRocker
Banned
They value high lottery picks over washed up vets. And were willing to be bad for a few years. Something Utah is not willing to do.
Well said, in a relatively short post. That's efficiency right there.
BluesRocker
Banned
Nonsense!
They did quality tank jobs, picked up quality players in quality drafts.
They didn't **** up the draft like a lot of teams do.
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Exactly, and the one year they would have, Portland did it for them.
Chad Feldheimer
Well-Known Member
Thabeet is intriguing? He couldn't get 10 minutes a game with 3 different teams. He sucks.
I'm just worried that he'll somehow develop into something decent, and Presti & Co. will look brilliant again for signing him to a minimum contract. But even he doesn't work out, the Thunder aren't losing much, so it's a very low-risk move.
Chad Feldheimer
Well-Known Member
Worried? Take comfort little one. He can't play. If he could play at all Roy Hibbert (who is smaller) wouldn't be making nearly 15 times what he will be.
When did THabeet become intriguing?
BluesRocker
Banned
I guess busting once isn't enough.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
Yep. Imagine had Corbin just been told by management to play and develop the young guys this past season. Utah would have had a lottery pick this year. Take your pick between Marshall and Lamb. Would that have been better than a couple more games at the ESA getting pounded by SA? Or decide this season to start the youth movement by trading away Millsap AND Jefferson for picks and young prospects. Utah would miss the playoffs and have perhaps 2 lottery picks (their own & GS') and also 2 mid-first rounders for Millsap and Jefferson.
So you have young starters in Favors, Kanter, Marvin Williams and Hayward anchored by a veteran in Williams. Burks is the 6th man (or Williams or Hayward) if Alec starts. Next season, the Jazz would potentially have 4 picks to use. You could probably trade the picks 2-1, if desired, to get a couple of top-10 picks. Plus have a boatload of cap space.
On the other hand, you can stay competitive, make the playoffs and rely on signing a couple of very good FA's next season to take the next step. Perhaps a higher risk/reward in the first scenario as the picks next year could turn into the next Stockton and Malone. Or they could turn into the next Humphries and Snyder. But we also need to see if having cap space pans out next season. Who will be available? I'm not counting on CP3 or Howard to sign with Utah, but can we get a guy like Boozer or Memo, players who were undervalued by their teams and came to Utah because we could pay them more than anyone else could.
Personally, I favor the 2nd strategy. Utah already has a young core (except at PG). Even OKC traded away one of their youngsters to add a young vet in Perkins. We need more solid vets - and I mean guys with skills - not dregs like Bell. Combine a couple of vet starters/6th-man types with the young core (provided those 4 develop) and I think we will be challenging OKC in a couple of years.
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