# RWE's Big Questions for 2016 (Thunder)



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

1) Can this team - specifically their big 3 - finally avoid the injury bug?

2) Billy Donovan has joined the NBA is just about the opposite position Brad Stevens did. He will be loaded down with pressure to win on Day 1. Will he be able to handle it? 

3) What will Donovan's attack look like compared to Scott Brooks' offensive strategy? Can he get everyone involved with a new post scorer (Kanter) and more shooting (Morrow, Singler, and Novak) off the bench?

4) Will this team be able to get stops with Enes Kanter on the floor? 

5) Will Dion Waiters still be on this team after the trade deadline?


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

RollWithEm said:


> 1) Can this team - specifically their big 3 - finally avoid the injury bug?
> 
> 2) Billy Donovan has joined the NBA is just about the opposite position Brad Stevens did. He will be loaded down with pressure to win on Day 1. Will he be able to handle it?
> 
> ...


1. The league will be a lot more fun if they can. I want to see what they can do at full strength. Very interested in seeing how KD performs when he's back. I think he's going to play with a chip on his shoulder. Westbrook already does.

2. Yes.

3. Give the ball to Westbrook and KD and let everything else fall into place.

4. That's what Serge Ibaka is around for, right?

5. I think so. IF another injury happens, they're going to want someone who can get into the game and score. I think he'll be around as insurance.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

RollWithEm said:


> 1) Can this team - specifically their big 3 - finally avoid the injury bug?
> 
> 2) Billy Donovan has joined the NBA is just about the opposite position Brad Stevens did. He will be loaded down with pressure to win on Day 1. Will he be able to handle it?
> 
> ...


1. So far so good, aside from the minor hamstring injury that kept KD out 6 games in November. 

2. He has handled it pretty well I think. He has a good composure and disposition about him

3. So far he has been an upgrade offensively, but it's hard to fairly judge against Brooks because Brooks never had a team with this much offensive talent. 

4. Kanter is a situational player. It's a matter of match-ups and who is hot/not. Kanter is not a good defender, but sometimes the other team doesn't have the means to exploit it. Sometimes Adams is playing bad enough to justify Kanter being on the court anyways, even if the opposing team does have a guy who can go at Kanter, because Kanter can go back at him and at least play him even. I like their rotation of bigs at this point. Adams, Ibaka, Kanter and even Durant in a small lineup covers a lot of ground. Just a matter of Donovan managing their strengths/weaknesses. 

5. Waiters has exceeded my expectations. He is irritating offensively because he kills movement and likes isolations too much, but OKC's offense is kind of geared towards that anyways. The biggest surprise with Waiters is how good of a defender he is when he wants to be. He is really good on the ball. Strong and quick. He is a good defender while being skilled offensively. I wish he could impact the game offensively a little more seamlessly, but he is as close to the much needed two-way shooting guard as they're going to get. He has been and will continue to be on the court in crunch time because he is capable on both sides. I also love his approach and attitude. Even though he has never seen a scoring opportunity he didn't like, he is all about his teammates. He has fit in well. 

Overall - They're not as good as the Warriors or Spurs, but I like their chances to go deep in the playoffs and possibly get over the hump. I'm not one of those "championship or bust" people. Just because there was a better team (and in the case of this year, historically good), doesn't mean your team failed or wasn't great. Only 1 team can win each year. This Thunder team would be the favorite in a lot of years and are a true contender this year. Going into April, May, June, that's about all you can ask for.


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