Why The Thunder Signed Robert Vaden
Robert Vaden (right) was a a 2009 draft pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At first glance, today’s signing of Robert Vaden might be a head-scratcher.
But dig deeper into the Thunder’s history and the culture of the organization and the transaction makes much more sense.
Vaden was a 2009 draft pick of Charlotte but was acquired via trade by the Thunder. Perimeter shooting is his specialty. The last two seasons, Vaden has played over in Italy and with the Tulsa 66ers, all while his draft rights remained property of the Thunder. In 45 regular season games with the 66ers this season, Vaden averaged 10.4 points while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range, along with 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28 minutes per game.
The Thunder inked Vaden as the 15th man but kept him with the 66ers by immediately assigning him to Tulsa. The 66ers made the second round of the NBA D-League playoffs, but expect to see Vaden in a Thunder uniform at the conclusion of the D-League playoffs.
It’s unlikely Vaden will find minutes on the Thunder. The team’s rotation is set, and talented players like Nate Robinson are already squeezed out.
So why did the Thunder sign a guy who probably isn’t going to play?
The answer can be found in something rather significant the Thunder is doing — growing from within. Vaden’s signing is the organization’s latest example of its commitment to its current cast of young players. For the Thunder, a laundry list of guys already make up that group. In addition to Vaden, the list includes Byron Mullens, Cole Aldrich, Ryan Reid, Latavious Williams and Tibor Pleiss. Last season, D.J. White and Kyle Weaver also fell into that category.
Vaden’s call-up is further proof that the Thunder rewards hard-working players who have the right attitude and show a commitment to getting better. Aldrich has spent much of his rookie season paying his dues and is currently doing so in Tulsa. Mullens has been on the Turnpike Express as well over the last two seasons. The system might not result in every young player getting called up or put on the permanent roster. But a clear method has been created, and it’s already led to some pretty favorable results.
Quietly, the Thunder-owned 66ers have cranked out tons of talent. The Thunder did the exact same exercise with Mustafa Shakur last season, signing him toward the end of the season for the rest of the year and the playoffs. Shakur is now playing for Washington. Weaver, meanwhile, chipped in during emergency situations last year in between stints developing with the 66ers. Now, Weaver is a member of the Utah Jazz. The 66ers also helped Zabian Dowdell get signed by Phoenix and Larry Owens recently get signed by the Wizards.
The system is working because the Thunder is committed to in-house development.
Don’t be surprised if Vaden, Williams, Reid are all on the Thunder’s training camp roster next fall. It would be another step in the process for each of them to potentially make their NBA dreams come true. And for the Thunder, it would be another chance to groom young guys who might someday be able to contribute valuable minutes in a pinch.
Vaden might not be the sexiest selection as the 15th man. But be careful not to overlook what his signing symbolizes about the continued commitment to the growth and development of players that are in the program.
-DM-
Monday Morning Mailbag
Same ol’ computer issues from Sunday night.
So let’s get right to it.
Have you talked/discussed with any of the players on what their plans would be in case of a lockout? — Daniel R.
Daniel, Not really. Kevin Durant jokingly told a reporter during All-Star Weekend that he would take up painting. Earlier that morning, he had just painted a home for the first time as part of a community appearance. I’m sure you’ll see several player-related stories as the season comes to a close and the summer/(potential)lockout wears on about where they are and what they’re doing with their spare time.
I would like to ask you 2 questions about the Thunder players: Why is it that every time a Thunder player at the free throw line finishes his first (shot) Ibaka almost always gets the ball and “Sniffs or Kisses” the ball? Was that a habit by him? Why is it that at the beginning of the game, most of the teams’ players walk to the middle of the long media sport announcers & game officials table & ”Sweep” their shoes on the floor or on a piece of floor mat or something? Game rule? Nothing serious, just wanted to learn and find out why. — David N.
David, Serge recently told me that he does it solely for motivation. It’s a routine he uses to get himself pumped up. As for the players starting the game by coming to the scorer’s table, most wipe off their shoes on a little square sheet of sticky plastic that helps give them grip. It’s just a ritzier way to get traction before the game starts. In open gyms, guys have to spit on the floor and rub it dry with both feet to get that traction. But a lot of players are also applying rosin to their hands or going through their pre-game rituals. Durant, for example, unties and then ties both shoes and says a quick prayer at the scorer’s table before taking the court.
Is there a call-up time when the Tulsa season ends where they can add a few players to the Thunder roster from the successful Tulsa 66er team? There are a few guys that could maybe provide some depth on the bench: Elijah Milsap for one. — Mike F.
Mike, the only “call-up time” is the date the league sets for rosters to be finalized for postseason play. This year, that’s April 14 at 2 p.m. central time. So technically, the Thunder can sign one of its D-League players to a contract any time before then and have them with the team during the playoffs.
This team is set up for Harden to start next year. Could Cook (if re-signed) pick up that bench scoring off his spot-ups, or would we be better served looking for a wing this offseason? — Carey S.
Carey, my money is on Cook stepping into that role next season. It’d be a mistake in my opinion to not start Harden next year. He has earned the starting job with his improvement on both ends of the floor. But to think Cook will make up Harden’s bench scoring would be a mistake. Cook isn’t going to average 10 to 12 points off the bench, especially not as the third shooting guard. But I do think the Thunder would be better off letting him man that spot rather than going out and signing someone else who would probably be more expensive and may not have a clear cut role with ample minutes.
The Search For A 15th Man
Shaun Livingston served as the 15th man for a time with the Thunder. Who might it be this year?
Days after Thursday’s trading deadline saw four players shipped out of Oklahoma City and only return three, effectively creating one open roster spot, speculation about which player might join the Thunder began to run rampant.
Corey Brewer and Jason Kapono were two of the early names the Thunder reportedly had interest in.
But on Tuesday, the team’s plans for the 15th position became a little bit clearer. And those plans don’t sound like they include Corey Brewer or Jason Kapono types.
“That 15th spot, nothing against that 15th spot because I was that 15th spot a few times in my career, it’s very slim that that spot plays,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “It’s usually a high energy (player) that makes practices very competitive.”
Look back through the Thunder’s history and you’ll see that precise pattern.
During the 2008-09 season, the Thunder signed center Steven Hill to man that spot, then waived him when Nenad Krstic agreed to an offer sheet. Point guard Chucky Atkins was then acquired as part of a mid-season trade with Denver and assumed the role. Late in that season, Shaun Livingston was signed as the 15th man when Joe Smith was waived on March 1.
Last season, the Thunder started the year with Ryan Bowen as its 15th man. Bowen logged just eight minutes in one game before being waived. He was replaced by Mike Wilks in late November. Wilks played just 59 minutes over four games. When the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor, it had to take on Matt Harpring’s contract as well, forcing the team to waive Livingston and Wilks. The Thunder later waived Harpring (who was injured and never reported to OKC) and signed Antonio Anderson from the D-League’s Rio Valley Grande Vipers as the 15th man. Anderson played 15 minutes in just one game while lasting on two 10-day contracts. In mid-March, the Thunder replaced Anderson with guard Mustafa Shakur, first inking him to a 10-day contract, then for the rest of the season. Shakur never appeared in a game for the Thunder.
Going off the Thunder’s history, the current spot would seemingly be filled by a lesser known player, perhaps from the D-League or a veteran who can provide a stabilizing presence. A few of the more realistic names include: Leon Powe, Elijah Millsap, Dominic McGuire, Jannero Pargo, Devin Brown, Trenton Hassell, Da’Sean Butler, Kyle Weaver (yes, that Kyle Weaver) and Ime Udoka.
That’s all just more speculation, of course, as there is a chance, albeit remote, the spot goes unfilled.
“We’ve talked about it,” Brooks said. “It’s always a spot that can stay available. I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out how we can integrate our players that we have now. I’m not sure if we’re going to use that or not. But if we do, I know it’s going to be another player that we can know what to expect from him. He’s going to be a good kid. He’s going to be a worker. And he’s going to have some good skill sets.”
And just because the Thunder now has a logjam at point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center doesn’t mean a more natural small forward is the target, Brooks said.
“We have a lot of options with our team that we can throw different lineups out there,” said Brooks. “Kevin (Durant) does not really have a true backup, but Daequan Cook can play there, Thabo (Sefolosha) can play there, we can throw James (Harden) there, we can throw Kevin at the 4. We can throw different lineups on the floor that if we pick up somebody it doesn’t necessarily (have to be) a 3.”
-DM-
Monday (Evening) Mailbag
Cole Aldrich has played just 54 total minutes in seven games. Not quite what fans envisioned from the No. 11 overall pick.
After a lengthy delay thanks to some technical difficulties, the weekly mailbag is here.
In this week’s edition, we tackle realignment, whether Byron Mullens and Cole Aldrich will ever pan out, what’s up with Thabo Sefolosha, whether the Thunder can win the Northwest Division and where OKC could finish in the standings.
As always, join the discussion next time if you’d like.
Enjoy.
Is the Northwest Division there for the taking if Melo is traded? – Nax.
The division crown is the Thunder’s to lose, no matter what happens with Melo. The Thunder currently has a 3 1/2 game lead, and if it can’t hold off Denver or Utah that has to be considered a disappointment. There is plenty of time left and anything can happen, especially with the Thunder still having to face the Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz a combined five times. Those five games could be the difference. But it shouldn’t come down to that and here’s why: 19 of the Thunder’s final 32 games are against teams currently below .500. The Thunder is 18-4 against sub-.500 teams and has developed a knack for winning close games. Even if the Thunder runs into a rough patch, I don’t see Denver or Utah coming up with enough consistency to climb ahead of the Thunder.
I was impressed with Daequan’s D. By impressed I mean that he was actually trying to play D, which is more than can be said for other Thunder players. – Rich.
Nothing inspires like a half a season sitting the bench. But I agree with you. Cook has busted his butt on the defensive end when given the opportunity to play. The results aren’t always pretty. But he’s a shooter, not a defender. If defense is mostly about effort, though, Cook has got that part down. I’m not willing to go as far as saying the others don’t try. They haven’t sustained their effort for a full game. But there have been moments when the entire team has come to play defensively.
Will the NBA restructure the divisions in near future? – Didoff
I haven’t heard anything like that. I reported when the NBA’s board of governors approved the franchise’s move to OKC that the league had no intention of realigning. As far as I know, nothing has changed. Keep an eye on the Hornets and Kings. If one or both of those teams relocate, the league might have to consider realigning. But even then, I don’t think the NBA wants to get into the business of reshuffling divisions each time a team relocates (which has become the fallback plan for every floundering franchise). If no team moves, I think it’s a safe bet that the divisions will remain intact. But that opinion is coming from a guy who thinks the current setup is fine the way it is.
DM! What’s your beef with Monta Ellis? Give the man some love. – @ShadeTreeGambler
I see you’ve brought our Twitter beef to the mailbag. Nice! But I don’t have a problem with Monta, except he’s a chucker who plays on a bad team that runs a fast-paced offense and pays little attention to defense. Other than that, I think he’s a splendid player. I love watching him put the ball in the hole. He’s one of the best pure scorers in the league in my eyes. But the coaches got it right. As I said on Twitter, Ellis had no business even being mentioned as an All-Star ahead of Russell Westbrook. : )
Why doesn’t KD use fakes that much? He can draw more fouls that way instead of shooting contested shots. Do you get a chance to see different things these guys work on in scrimmages that they don’t show in real games? What has caught your eye? – Kamal.
Rarely is KD’s shot contested. His height, length, elevation and quick and high release essentially make most of his shots good looks. I’ve never really asked around or put much thought into why Durant doesn’t use more fakes. But now that you’ve brought it up, I think that’s something that actually could hurt Durant’s game. KD is a rhythm player, much more than most. He’s at his best when he’s catching and shooting. A series of fakes could throw off that rhythm. It could make him go from Kevin Durant to Kevin Martin. Fakes work extremely well for a guy like Martin, who is one of the most efficient scorers in the league. But Martin almost has to rely on fakes because he’s shorter and has a slower and more unorthodox release than Durant. Drawing more fouls is the least of Durant’s concerns. His focus needs to be being stronger with the ball. The majority of practices and scrimmages are closed to the media. Occasionally, I’ll see a player putting in extra work after practice. Most of it is pretty standard shooting drills.
Why doesn’t Scott Brooks just play our best players instead of adjusting to the other team’s personnel? Seems as though Brooks is reacting instead of dictating. It was particularly apparent in the Wizards game when their bigs got in foul trouble. – James.
A lot of coaches do that. It took me a while to understand why as well. But it basically boils down to whether you believe your player can get the better of that night’s mismatch. If you believe he has the upper hand and will be more of a force than a liability, you go with what you have. If there is doubt, you match up. Ultimately, Serge Ibaka, the player who was most affected in that Wizards game, has a much greater chance of getting torched by an odd matchup than he does of having his way. When you look at it like that, I think you have to matchup. The only two players the Thunder has that can dominate against anyone are Durant and Westbrook. Everyone else is a role player. The way I see it, the best way Brooks can dictate is to put his best horses on the floor and make it a track meet. But that’s not going to happen consistently because the Thunder wants to be a defensive team.
Where is Cole Aldrich these days? IR, D League, end of the bench? Having played so long in College, unless he is Hurt, he looks like (another) “Sonics” miss on a big man in the first round. WOW. A LOT the past six years…Swift, Petro, the signing of what’s his name from Dallas a few years ago. ONLY Ibaka working out well…! – Bob in Seattle.
You can’t put Swift, Sene and Petro on the current regime. They had nothing to do with their selections. Let’s give Aldrich and Byron Mullens some time before we write them off as busts. Big men take longer to develop, and both guys are just 22 (Mullens turns 22 next Monday). They’ve got a lot of time to improve and make something out of their careers. Aldrich was recently recalled from the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. He played well during his stint and has shown that he’s willing to work hard to get better. I wouldn’t count him out just yet. He could prove to be a nice defensive presence in the middle in the next year or two. At the very least, he’s got six more fouls to offer.
I’m watching the Thunder box scores from back here in Columbus, Ohio and it seems Mullens is buried very deep in the bench without much chance of ever developing into a contributing NBA player. I would like to get your take on Mullens’ future with the Thunder and or NBA. Thanks. – Scott.
It’s hard to say since he rarely plays. All I can really go on is the improvement Mullens showed from his first year to his second. He’s looked much better, dating to his first showing of his sophomore season in the Orlando Summer League. He’s become stronger, more confident and has added some more skills. Again, he’s a week shy of his 22nd birthday. I still like him as a prospect. There’s no telling what he can be in five years. If the Thunder gives up on him, I’d bet there are at least a dozen other teams willing to give him a chance. But down here in OKC, Mullens is in a good situation. There is no pressure on him right now to provide anything but an impact on practice court. Meanwhile, he’s learning from some solid veterans (Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic) and a strong coaching staff both with the Thunder (Mark Bryant) and the 66ers (Nate Tibbetts and Dale Osbourne). Be patient and see if it pays off.
It wears me out that so many fans seem to think of James Harden as successful only if he hits his 3′s. But my view has always been that the Thunder took him ahead of Stephen Curry because of the potential Harden has to be a more complete player. How do you feel Harden has performed in the starting role with Thabo sidelined, particularly on defense? – Mike.
Before Sefolosha came back, Harden looked uncomfortable playing alongside the starters. But you really can’t blame him. He’s been a reserve for a year and a half and has been asked to adjust his game to that of a supporting cast member. His defense was, however, encouraging. He had moments where he was easily beaten off the dribble and on backdoor cuts while also being ran ragged on screens. But he always stuck with it. That’s the encouraging thing. Harden has had every reason to gripe but hasn’t. He’s fulfilling his role to the best of his ability and that’s had to be a challenging assignment. I’m not sure if we would be able to say the same if Curry was on this team.
Is it too early to tell how the Thunder will be positioned for the playoffs? – Joe.
Not at all. It’s become pretty clear that the Thunder will be seeded between 3 and 5. The most likely spots are 4 and 5. And I think the first-round matchup will be either Denver or Utah. Both would be highly entertaining matchups. I like the Thunder’s chances more against the Jazz than the Nuggets.
Do you have any read on what’s up with Thabo? Is he injured, or having issues with his teammates? His on-court production has been bad this year, especially the past month or 2. I really thought he was great last year, especially on defense, and to see this kind of dramatic drop-off is a little troubling. And with Harden and Cook outplaying him almost nightly, do you sense that Thabo’s time in the starting lineup is coming to an end? – Peter.
Sefolosha admits he’s not fully recovered. The knee is still uncomfortable, and the bulky brace that he’s been wearing has restricted some of his movements. I think you’re being too hard on him though. He hasn’t been as good as he was last year. But I wouldn’t say that he’s been bad. At least not the majority of the time. One thing I’ve been curious about is how much of his slippage has to do with the overall team’s dip. Everyone looks better when the team defense is locked in. But I doubt we see a chance to the starting lineup anytime this season. Scott Brooks at the midway point of the season all but guaranteed he wouldn’t change the first five. And as long as the Thunder keeps piling up the wins, Brooks doesn’t see a reason to go a different direction.
-DM-
Video: Catching Up With Cole Aldrich
At last week’s NBA D-League Showcase in South Padre Island, DraftExpress caught up with Cole Aldrich and picked his brain about adjusting to pro ball. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the interviewer’s style. But give him credit for boldly bringing up Aldrich’s foul trouble issues and getting a decent response. No surprise that the word “process” appeared in the answer, though.
Aldrich, currently on assignment with the Thunder-owned Tulsa 66ers, has played extremely well of late. He’s blocked 21 shots in his past four games, including eight at New Mexico last Saturday. Entering tonight’s home game against Reno, Aldrich is averaging 9.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 0.9 assists and 4.1 fouls.
DraftExpress also conducted a quick interview with forward Latavious Williams, whose draft rights are owned by the Thunder. Williams spoke about his developing skills, which apparently are growing to include a mid-range game and some post-up moves. Also, Williams is starting to look noticeably bigger throughout his upper body, which is a great sign. Thunder heads will want to keep an eye on Williams. He’s averaging 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots in 28 minutes this year. He’s also shooting 66.7 percent, which leads the league among players with at least 50 shot attempts. And Williams doesn’t turn 22 until March. He could have a very bright future.
One last thing about the 66ers. Guess who’s leading the team in scoring? Remember Elijah Millsap, the gritty guard who stood out in the Thunder’s camp with his scrappy play? With Zabian Dowdell getting a recent call-up by Phoenix, Millsap’s 14.2-point average currently paces the 66ers in scoring.
-DM-
