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HOOPSWORLD’s Senior NBA Analyst Tommy Beer takes you through his most recent musings on the National Basketball Association in this latest installment of the NBA Six Pack:

1. Difficult Decisions Lie Ahead in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City Thunder have as bright a future as any organization in the NBA. Kevin Durant is the most potent scoring force in the entire league and is already a perennial MVP candidate. Oh, and he’s 23 years old. Russell Westbrook is one of the most dynamic and explosive point guards to come into the league in very long time. Westbrook is one of just two players to average over 23 points and five assists this season (LeBron James was the other). And Westbrook is just 23 years old. These two young studs represent the true core and foundation of the Thunder franchise. Accordingly, both Durant and Westbrook are locked up via long-term extensions exceeding $80 million.

However, the extremely intriguing question is which other key pieces will Thunder general manager Sam Presti decide to pair with his two superstars long-term? In particular, will Presti be forced to choose between two of the NBA’s more promising young players: Serge Ibaka and James Harden?

Both Ibaka and Harden can be offered contract extensions once free agency begins on July 1. However, if either player doesn’t ink an extension, they will become restricted free agents in the summer of 2013. Obviously, the Thunder’s preference would be to keep both in OKC, but that may not be a realistic possibility.

During the 2013-14 season, Durant will make $17.8 million. Westbrook will earn $15.6 million that year. Extending those two at max dollars was a no-brainer. However, the third highest-paid player on OKC is Kendrick Perkins. Presti signed Perkins to a $36 million contract extension in March of 2011, and while Presti has been an undeniably brilliant executive and team architect, that is one decision that may come back to bite him. Perkins is due $8.4 million in 2013-14, and $9.2 million the following season. Perk played 27 minutes a night for OKC during the regular season, yet averaged below seven rebounds a game for the first time since 2008 and also shot below 49 percent from the floor for just the second time in his career.

The salary cap this past season was set at $58.2 million and the cap is likely stay put next year. Assuming that number stays stable in the near future, the ramifications of three players accounting for nearly $42 million in cap space are significant.

If Harden or Ibaka are allowed to test the waters of free agency in July of 2013, rest assured they will receive immense interest and major offers from salivating suitors.

Harden is coming off the best season of his brief, but budding, career and was just named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. He scored in double figures in all but four of his appearances this year and led all reserves in scoring, averaging 16.8 points. Like all great bench players, he was also incredibly efficient, posting a career-high in field-goal percentage (49.1 percent). Durant and Westbrook get the lion’s share of national media attention, but Harden was often a true x-factor for Oklahoma City; the Thunder posted a 14-1 record in the 15 games Harden scored over 20 points. And how about this factoid (courtesy of Yahoo’s Justin Phan): The only six guards to post a higher PER than James Harden in their age-22 season: Chris Paul, Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Magic Johnson.

Although Ibaka will never be the equal of Harden offensively, the former brings unparalleled defense and rebounding to the table. Still raw and relatively inexperienced at 22 years of age, the sky is the limit for Ibaka’s defensive prowess. Despite limited playing time, Ibaka led the NBA in blocks

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Mr. Irrelevant isn’t supposed to emerge as a starter during his first season in the NBA. Mr. Irrelevant isn’t supposed to win Rookie of the Month twice. Mr. Irrelevant isn’t supposed to average 14.7 points and 5.4 assists in the final month of the season.

Nobody told Isaiah Thomas.

The 23-year-old was the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but he exceeded all expectations during his rookie season with the Sacramento Kings. Entering the season, there was no guarantee that Thomas would make the team. He had to fight for his roster spot during training camp and prove that he belonged in the NBA. However, by February, Thomas was one of Sacramento’s most consistent contributors and was moved into the starting lineup.

Thomas was one of the biggest surprises of the 2011-12 season, someone who will likely receive Rookie of the Year votes just 10 months after being overlooked by every team in the league. At 5’9, Thomas has always had doubters, and being dubbed Mr. Irrelevant only motivated him more and solidified his underdog status.

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Anthony MacriAnthony Macri Email Print 0

Empty Post Success for JaVale McGee

All too often, a player’s value is correlated to that player’s ability to create shots out of a certain position, or to make open shots out of specific offensive movements.  For many post players, either the ability to operate when they receive the ball in the post or when they catch the ball in a pick & pop situation is the gold standard against which they are measured.  An inability to function out of the post is derided and ridiculed.

During his time with the Washington Wizards, JaVale McGee was consistently maligned for never living up to what many assumed was his considerable potential.  His forays in the post often ended with an off-balance sky-hook from twelve feet that would be difficult for a seasoned post scorer, let alone a raw athlete like McGee.  However, this is more of a case of misplaced expectations on the part of coaches, fans, and the media than it is on McGee’s actual ability.

The reality is that JaVale McGee has already discovered a better offensive role during his time in Denver.  Most post players are taught to get to the strongside block and post there, looking for an entry pass, receiving the ball, finding cutters, then going to work.  However, in Denver, a lot of McGee’s time is spent on the weakside in what would traditionally be called an empty post set.

This empty post tactic is a basic tenet of dribble drive motion offense.  In many ways, a vacated strongside post unlocks the floor and gives more room to penetrators on the strong side.  It also forces McGee’s defender to set up in a help position a lot of the time, which opens up a lot of opportunities for McGee that do not involve creating his own opportunity.

Weakside positioning means that McGee’s responsibilities include screening away from the ball (an easy task for him to handle), cutting and diving when there is penetration to an open area for a potential dump-off and easy score, and the mandate to go to the offensive glass.  His positioning on the weakside means his defender is constantly in help, which is a difficult place to be when a shot goes up: McGee can crash hard and often, and is in great position to finish plays from there.

As McGee grows more and more accustomed to his role in their attack pattern, he will be more involved as a post scorer as well.  But it will not be in a traditional way.  Instead, McGee will be best served by staying on the weakside, then sealing his defender on any skip passes, giving him the chance to receive post entry passes and go to work against a recovering defense.  This is much more likely to result in a play at the rim, where he operates best.

Finding the best way to utilize a player’s specific skill-set within the confines of a larger offensive framework is a challenge for every team.  In JaVale McGee’s case, Denver seems to be discovering that a less traditional approach makes him much more likely to reach performance expectations.

Controlling Defenses with CP3

As a child I was a huge Muppets fan

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