Power Forward
Starter – Carmelo Anthony
Depth – Patrick Patterson, Jerami Grant, Nick Collison
Yes, Carmelo Anthony is the starting power forward for Oklahoma City. No, I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. The fit issues are obvious. Anthony has limited experience playing at the four, he’s a ball stopper, and his defense is non-existent. The first few months might be a struggle for the new OKC Big 3. But good players tend to figure this stuff out and Westbrook, George, and Anthony are great players.
Best case scenario for Oklahoma City is that Anthony accepts a Chris Bosh-type role. He can be a catch-and-shoot threat while still getting plenty of touches in the post, especially against opposing team second units. And while he’ll start and finish games at the four, he’ll see plenty of time at small forward throughout the season.
If Anthony still wants to be “the guy” and doesn’t play within the system, this whole thing explodes in Sam Presti’s face.
Newcomer Patrick Patterson was perfect for the starting lineup prior to the acquisition of Anthony and not becomes a vital piece to the bench. When OKC needs defense, I expect him to be used alongside Westbrook, Roberson, George, and Adams. If they want nothing but offense, Patterson could play center with Westbrook, Abrines, George, and Anthony. Patterson is a glue guy who I’ve dubbed “the missing ingrediant” for the Thunder this season. Need a guy for any situation to play in any lineup? Add Patterson.
His defensive versatility will take the load off of Adams, who struggled anchoring the paint alongside Sabonis. For a deep dive into how Patterson helps the Thunder starters, check out Scott Rafferty’s piece from the summer.
Jerami Grant established himself as a rim rocking machine for the Thunder last year, but was oftentimes caught out of position. With Kyle Singer being Kyle Singler, Grant was asked to play small forward. Unfortunately, his defense wasn’t quite good enough and his offense didn’t extend much beyond dunks. Grant is best used as a small ball four, where he‘ll play the majority of this season. His athleticism allows him to be a rim protector and he showed a good shooting stroke from the corners. If all else fails with Grant, he can always take two dribbles, put his head down, and hope for the best.
Then there’s Oklahoma City legend Nick Collison. He won’t see much playing time, but he’s a valuable voice on the bench and in the locker room.
The addition of Anthony makes the Thunder offense even more potent while Patterson and Grant are versatile options off the bench.