9. Nerlens Noel / Jerami Grant, Oklahoma City Thunder
We’re kind of cheating with another tie here, but it’s difficult to distinguish the importance of one of these guys over the other heading into the season.
To say last season didn’t go as expected for the Oklahoma City Thunder is an understatement. Perhaps no team in the league underwhelmed more than they did given the heightened expectations that existed heading into the year.
The unfortunate part of what happened is that a large reason for those lofty hopes — the acquisition of a third “star” in Carmelo Anthony — was a big factor in them falling so far short. Melo was exploited time and time again on defense, especially in the pressure cooker of the postseason against a sound, well-coached Utah Jazz team. His offense was supposed to make up for it, yet he shot just 40 percent from the field on the year.
Given how little Anthony gave them on both ends, essentially replacing his minutes with Nerlens Noel is at worst a wash and at best a massive upgrade. Noel has never put all of his glorious tools together on the defensive end, but in theory, he’s the type of long, rangy athlete who’s comfortable switching across all five positions. He’s someone like…well, someone like Jerami Grant.
That Grant got three years and $27 million in guaranteed money from a team this far over the luxury tax in this market should say everything you need to know about the importance the Thunder place on his presence.
If Oklahoma City has any chance of advancing past the first round for the first time in the post-KD era, they’re probably going to have to blend the one-man band they were two seasons ago with whatever they were trying to be last year. Floor spacing aside, both Noel and Grant should be instrumental into any success such a plan might have of working.