Post by frangie on Jun 24, 2020 18:04:29 GMT -8
Grading the Thunder so Far
We are well over halfway through the season, so now is an appropriate time to hand out grades for the playing members of the roster, as well as the coach and the GM.
THE GM
While OKC’s record is not elite, GM Frangie has built an immensely talented team through the creation draft. They have a great point differential which shows the talent level of the team, but some bad luck in close games has kept them from jumping out to the initial top seed. The frontcourt has several different playable options.
A lack of trades has prevented them from getting the missing piece, however. It is arguable that they would be better off with a defensive center in place of Kevin Love.
Grade: A-
THE COACH
The coach has tinkered non-stop with this depth chart, and the results have been good but not great. The order of options, the focus of balanced vs outside, and two of the starting positions remained undecided. Mixing and matching may be the name of the game come playoff time, which is where the coach will truly earn his grade!
Grade: B
THE PLAYERS
*Note all stats through the prior sim as the player pages have yet to upload which is where I pull from*
LeBron James - Thunder
29.9 ppg - 10.2 rpg - 6.4 apg - 2.3 spg - 0.5 bpg - 2.5 topg
46% FG - 30% 3P - 72% FT
For most players, this would be an A+ season. LeBron is graded on his own curve though! In the test sim, he scored more points (34 ppg), shot more efficiently (35% on threes), and had less turnovers (2.1 per game).
Grade: B+
Stephen Curry - Thunder
27 ppg - 3 rpg - 6.7 apg - 1.7 spg - 0.1 bpg - 2.4 topg
51% FG - 47% 3P - 86% FT
Steph has had an excellent season, and is in my top 10 players for the season. He has exceeded his great test sim, with the same points as the #2 this season as he had as the #1 in the test sim, with slightly better efficiency, and less turnovers (2.4 vs 2.8 per game)
Grade: A
Robert Covington - Thunder
8.5 ppg - 5.8 rpg - 0.8 apg - 1.6 spg - 1 bpg - 1.2 topg
44% FG - 39% 3P - 76% FT
RoCo has been solid this season for sure. He has over a 2x stock to turnover ratio, which I love. Unfortunately, his fg% has dipped from 47% in the test sim to just 44% this season, though his increased 3p% (39% vs 33%) offsets that to some degree. I would like to see his rebounds just a little higher as well as a few more stocks to creep into the three to one ratio range.
Grade: B-
Kevin Love - Thunder
16.8 ppg - 8 rpg - 3.5 apg - 1 spg - 0.4 bpg - 2.3 topg
45% FG - 45% 3P - 80% FT
Why can’t this be Love? Obviously on this squad, Love would not get as many boards or points as he did in the test sim as the #1 option for Cleveland. However, I expected his shooting tough to remain (49% from the floor in the test sim). Instead, he has struggled on twos. I also expected his turnovers to dip as the #3 option, but that hasn’t really happened. I am a tough grader but I have hopes Kevin will make it up to me the rest of the season!
Grade: C+
Steven Adams - Thunder
4.6 ppg - 10 rpg - 1.7 apg - 0.9 spg - 1 bpg - 1.4 topg
43% FG - 18% 3P - 53% FT
The very large man from down under has done pretty much exactly what I expected this season, almost exactly matching his test sim. He even upped his rebounds slightly despite playing on a team with a dominant wing rebounder in Lebron.
Grade: B
Jusuf Nurkic - Thunder
5.2 ppg - 8.5 rpg - 1.1 apg - 1 spg - 1 bpg - 1.1 topg
43% FG - 00% 3P - 64% FT
I like my foreign big men, but Jusuf has disappointed me so far. He rebounded a little better in the test sim, but that is livable. Even worse, his inside touch has disappeared. 43% from the floor is pretty rough, especially for someone who should be only dunking! He was at 46% in the test sim for an effective 8.3 ppg.
Grade: C-
Tyler Johnson - Thunder
11.8 ppg - 5.1 rpg - 3.6 apg - 0.9 spg - 0.3 bpg - 1.7 topg
47% FG - 32% 3P - 72% FT
TJ did not play in the test sim. He has proven to be an effective scoring weapon off the bench, which is great because most of the backup PGs are pretty bad. He is a nice bonus to have. The bad thing about him is that he sometimes steals shots from our big 3. Would be nice if he could hit from deep too.
Grade: A-
Thomas Bryant - Thunder
7.1 ppg - 5.3 rpg - 0.7 apg - 0.6 spg - 0.8 bpg - 0.8 topg
47% FG - 45% 3P - 72% FT
In limited minutes, this guy has been pretty good! He scores efficiently, he rebounds, he has a positive stock to turnover ratio. What more could you ask? I guess to have better than a C+ defensive rating.
Grade: A-
Kris Dunn - Thunder
3.7 ppg - 0.9 rpg - 1.3 apg - 0.3 spg - 0 bpg - 1 topg
48% FG - 43% 3P - 50% FT
He hasn’t played much, but 3 times as many turnovers as steals is concerning, as is the free throw percentage.
Grade: C-
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Thunder
2.7 ppg - 0.8 rpg - 0.8 apg - 0.2 spg - 0 bpg - 0.6 topg
53% FG - 54% 3P - 85% FT
Grade: C
He’s a fine backup and would be good for most teams. He can really shoot the ball! He could do 15 ppg on good %’s as a starter. I just can’t have guys with 3x turnovers to steals getting minutes. We have LeBron and Curry so I prefer we don’t turn it over – let the stars get their shots up!
Words: 1100
We are well over halfway through the season, so now is an appropriate time to hand out grades for the playing members of the roster, as well as the coach and the GM.
THE GM
While OKC’s record is not elite, GM Frangie has built an immensely talented team through the creation draft. They have a great point differential which shows the talent level of the team, but some bad luck in close games has kept them from jumping out to the initial top seed. The frontcourt has several different playable options.
A lack of trades has prevented them from getting the missing piece, however. It is arguable that they would be better off with a defensive center in place of Kevin Love.
Grade: A-
THE COACH
The coach has tinkered non-stop with this depth chart, and the results have been good but not great. The order of options, the focus of balanced vs outside, and two of the starting positions remained undecided. Mixing and matching may be the name of the game come playoff time, which is where the coach will truly earn his grade!
Grade: B
THE PLAYERS
*Note all stats through the prior sim as the player pages have yet to upload which is where I pull from*
LeBron James - Thunder
29.9 ppg - 10.2 rpg - 6.4 apg - 2.3 spg - 0.5 bpg - 2.5 topg
46% FG - 30% 3P - 72% FT
For most players, this would be an A+ season. LeBron is graded on his own curve though! In the test sim, he scored more points (34 ppg), shot more efficiently (35% on threes), and had less turnovers (2.1 per game).
Grade: B+
Stephen Curry - Thunder
27 ppg - 3 rpg - 6.7 apg - 1.7 spg - 0.1 bpg - 2.4 topg
51% FG - 47% 3P - 86% FT
Steph has had an excellent season, and is in my top 10 players for the season. He has exceeded his great test sim, with the same points as the #2 this season as he had as the #1 in the test sim, with slightly better efficiency, and less turnovers (2.4 vs 2.8 per game)
Grade: A
Robert Covington - Thunder
8.5 ppg - 5.8 rpg - 0.8 apg - 1.6 spg - 1 bpg - 1.2 topg
44% FG - 39% 3P - 76% FT
RoCo has been solid this season for sure. He has over a 2x stock to turnover ratio, which I love. Unfortunately, his fg% has dipped from 47% in the test sim to just 44% this season, though his increased 3p% (39% vs 33%) offsets that to some degree. I would like to see his rebounds just a little higher as well as a few more stocks to creep into the three to one ratio range.
Grade: B-
Kevin Love - Thunder
16.8 ppg - 8 rpg - 3.5 apg - 1 spg - 0.4 bpg - 2.3 topg
45% FG - 45% 3P - 80% FT
Why can’t this be Love? Obviously on this squad, Love would not get as many boards or points as he did in the test sim as the #1 option for Cleveland. However, I expected his shooting tough to remain (49% from the floor in the test sim). Instead, he has struggled on twos. I also expected his turnovers to dip as the #3 option, but that hasn’t really happened. I am a tough grader but I have hopes Kevin will make it up to me the rest of the season!
Grade: C+
Steven Adams - Thunder
4.6 ppg - 10 rpg - 1.7 apg - 0.9 spg - 1 bpg - 1.4 topg
43% FG - 18% 3P - 53% FT
The very large man from down under has done pretty much exactly what I expected this season, almost exactly matching his test sim. He even upped his rebounds slightly despite playing on a team with a dominant wing rebounder in Lebron.
Grade: B
Jusuf Nurkic - Thunder
5.2 ppg - 8.5 rpg - 1.1 apg - 1 spg - 1 bpg - 1.1 topg
43% FG - 00% 3P - 64% FT
I like my foreign big men, but Jusuf has disappointed me so far. He rebounded a little better in the test sim, but that is livable. Even worse, his inside touch has disappeared. 43% from the floor is pretty rough, especially for someone who should be only dunking! He was at 46% in the test sim for an effective 8.3 ppg.
Grade: C-
Tyler Johnson - Thunder
11.8 ppg - 5.1 rpg - 3.6 apg - 0.9 spg - 0.3 bpg - 1.7 topg
47% FG - 32% 3P - 72% FT
TJ did not play in the test sim. He has proven to be an effective scoring weapon off the bench, which is great because most of the backup PGs are pretty bad. He is a nice bonus to have. The bad thing about him is that he sometimes steals shots from our big 3. Would be nice if he could hit from deep too.
Grade: A-
Thomas Bryant - Thunder
7.1 ppg - 5.3 rpg - 0.7 apg - 0.6 spg - 0.8 bpg - 0.8 topg
47% FG - 45% 3P - 72% FT
In limited minutes, this guy has been pretty good! He scores efficiently, he rebounds, he has a positive stock to turnover ratio. What more could you ask? I guess to have better than a C+ defensive rating.
Grade: A-
Kris Dunn - Thunder
3.7 ppg - 0.9 rpg - 1.3 apg - 0.3 spg - 0 bpg - 1 topg
48% FG - 43% 3P - 50% FT
He hasn’t played much, but 3 times as many turnovers as steals is concerning, as is the free throw percentage.
Grade: C-
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Thunder
2.7 ppg - 0.8 rpg - 0.8 apg - 0.2 spg - 0 bpg - 0.6 topg
53% FG - 54% 3P - 85% FT
Grade: C
He’s a fine backup and would be good for most teams. He can really shoot the ball! He could do 15 ppg on good %’s as a starter. I just can’t have guys with 3x turnovers to steals getting minutes. We have LeBron and Curry so I prefer we don’t turn it over – let the stars get their shots up!
Words: 1100