Mar 8, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (34) hugs guard Russell Westbrook (0) after a play against the Toronto Raptors during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
He blew kisses to Salt Lake media after demanding a trade from the Utah Jazz when his agent was unable to secure a max contract last fall in extension negotiations with the team brass. Dennis Lindsey and Kevin O’Connor capitulated, sending Enes Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a collection of table scraps.
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Our Michael Tozer wondered if the Utah Jazz would be better off without Enes Kanter, a question that has been largely answered already, the Jazz defensive rating rising faster than the Taipei 101 elevator — at 1,667 feet in height, the world’s tallest building features the world’s fastest elevator, shooting upward at almost 38 MPH, 1,010 meters per minute.
With Kevin Durant out with a pin in his foot, the OKC Thunder are barely clinging to their playoff lives, even as Russell Westbrook posts ridiculous triple-double after triple-double. Is Enes Kanter helping or hurting the Thunder in their quest for Western Conference relevance until Durant returns?
Aussie OKC Thunder fan, Claude Berton, was optimistic Enes Kanter could make a difference.
"To go forward, one needs to go back. Enes Kanter with Utah was a back to the basket centre, loved to play close to the basket, paced out defenders, and had a very effective low post game. He has an improving mid range game and attacked the offensive boards. These were all deficiencies in Oklahoma. So put simply, if he can do those things for the Thunder he will improve them in many ways."
With the Utah Jazz, Enes Kanter played 27.1 minutes per game in 2014-15, putting up 13.8 points, pulling down 7.8 rebounds and dishing out 0.5 assists per game. Berton is realistic about just how much Kanter can help OKC.
"As for Kanter pushing the Thunder to the upper tier of the Western Conference, it will take a collective effort, a team orientated mentality. One man can help, but he will not define Oklahoma’s successful push to become top tier. A champion team will always beat a team of champions. Kanter just adds to the pieces already in place in Oklahoma."
Since joining the Oklahoma City Thunder, Enes Kanter has averaged 28.2 minutes, 14.7 points, 8.8 rebounds — and his most impressive improvement — 1.7 assists per game.
@Clintonite33 big numbers, more losing. I'd say pretty similar.
— Chris Root (@crayroot) March 12, 2015
The increase in points and rebounds by Enes Kanter in OKC aren’t so much that he’s a better player there as that he’s playing a minute more a game, but at a much faster pace. The Utah Jazz are a deliberate, slow team — the slowest paced team in the NBA — playing at a slogging 92.65 with Enes Kanter. The Thunder are playing at a 100.29 pace with Kanter.
Before trading for Enes Kanter, the OKC Thunder’s defensive rating was a solid 101.4. Since Kanter joined them, it’s falling off rather precipitately to 105.5. With Enes Kanter as a starter in Utah, the Jazz posted a 106.1 defensive rating
Per 100 possessions, at a higher pace, playing about a minute more a game, Enes Kanter is posting only one more made field goal and one more rebound per game in OKC than as a Jazzman this season. His increase in assists is a legitimate reason to be excited, more than doubling from 1.4 in Utah to 3.0 per 100 possessions in OKC.
In Utah, Quin Snyder wanted Enes Kanter to learn to shoot the three-ball, specifically the corner three — he’d often get yelled at for popping from above the break instead of the corner, where Snyder wanted him taking them — and made 31.7% of his 41 attempts.
As Berton noted, that’s not a role Enes Kanter was needed for in Oklahoma. In nine games played, 254 minutes, for the Thunder, Kanter has taken no three-pointers.
What Enes Kanter is doing very well in OKC is making midrange shots at a very effective rate, most often assisted by a slashing Westbrook kicking out for a little pop-shot from the big Turk after drawing the defense in. For the Jazz, Kanter shot a dismal 31% field goals from 10-19 feet.
Enes Kanter’s shot chart for 2014-15 in Utah
@Clintonite33 @PurpleandBlues1 playing with a good PG is really benefiting him
— Cody Dover (@codydover27) March 12, 2015
In OKC, Enes Kanter is killing it from 10-19 feet, making 56.5% field goals from soft spots opened up by the penetration of Westbrook.
Enes Kanter’s shot chart in Oklahoma City
Howbeit, while the Jazz’s defensive rating has been phenomenal sans Enes Kanter, the Thunder’s is not.
With Enes Kanter starting in Utah, the Jazz’s defensive rating was a flatline — not getting noticeably better — with him posting a 108.0 defensive rating. In Oklahoma Kanter’s DRtg is slightly worse, 109.4.
Before trading for Enes Kanter, the OKC Thunder’s defensive rating was a solid 101.4. Since Kanter joined them, it’s falling off rather precipitately to 105.5.
With Enes Kanter as a starter in Utah, the Jazz posted a 106.1 defensive rating. Since moving him after demands were met, the Jazz are a dominant on defense with an eyebrow-raising 89.6 DRtg.
@Clintonite33 we are way better without him. So that's what I take from the trade.
— Tim Beery (@Tim_Beery) March 12, 2015
Enes Kanter has helped keep the Thunder afloat in the absence of Kevin Durant, but even with superhuman efforts posted by Russell Westbrook, OKC is only 7-4 since the trade deadline, 6-3 in games in which Enes Kanter starts. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have experienced a renaissance, posting an 8-2 record since the switch.