The Football Fan Spot

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not have a great season in their first season in Oklahoma City, going 23-59. They have the 3rd pick in today’s NBA draft to try to make up for that and as is always the case, we are not quite sure what they’re planning to do. One of their biggest weaknesses last season was shot blocking, as they ranked 23rd in the NBA with 4.5 blocks per game. This is likely because they used Nenad Kristic as their center. What’s interesting about this is that the Thunder had to use Kristic, a true power forward, at center last season, even though the Thunder have drafted 3 centers in the first round since 2004, when they were still called the Seattle Supersonics. Let’s take a long at what happened.

2004

With the 12th pick in the 2004 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Robert Swift, center, Bakersfield High School

Fresh out of high school, Robert Swift had tremendous potential due to his size. However, he would never come anywhere near reaching his potential due to injuries to his knees, as a result of weight strain. Swift weighs about 270 and doesn’t have particularly strong knee muscles. He barely played in his first two years before getting hurt as a result of his youth and inexperience. Swift is still with the Sonics, now called Thunder, and played in 26 games last year, averaging 13.2 minutes per. In his NBA career, Swift has never averaged more than 6.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks per game.

2005

With the 25th pick in the 2005 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Johan Petro, center, France

Even though they already had Swift, they took Petro in 2005 as insurance. Petro started 41 games in his rookie year, but never would start that many games and he proved his future in the NBA was as a role player. He’s never averaged more than 6.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and .8 blocks in a season and before this season he was traded, along with a 2nd rounder, to Denver for Chucky Atkins and a 1st rounder. He averaged 8.0 minutes per game in Denver this year, playing 27 games.

2006

With the 10th pick in the 2006 NBA draft, the Seattle Supersonics select Mouhamed Saer Sene, center, Senegal

Not pleased with either Swift or Petro, the Sonics took Saer Sene, a 7 footer with a 7-8 wingspan, to help them block shots. However, he never adapted to the NBA game coming over from Senegal. He has never averaged more than 6 minutes per game in a single season. He has spent the majority of his time in the D-League, where he has become a bit of a perennial all-star. He was waived by the Sonics, now Thunder, this past February and picked up by the Knicks who use him as a 12th man.

The Thunder could take Hasheem Thabeet today in the NBA Draft in hopes of finally filling this need. Thabeet has one thing that the previous three guys listed do not have, NCAA experience. Thabeet has played 3 years at the University of Connecticut where he has become familiar with the American style of play and learned from one of the best, coach Jim Calhoun. Thabeet is also bigger than the previous three and a better, more refined shot blocker. Though I currently have the Thunder taking shooting guard James Harden with the 3rd pick in my latest mock, just because the Sonics/Thunder always seem to surprise people with their draft picks, Thabeet is certainly an option.

In other news, Shaq is now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns get Ben Wallace, who they will likely buy out so he can retire, Sasha Pavlovic and his expiring contract, and a 2nd round pick in today’s NBA draft. The Cavs hope this move with give them the final piece in their championship puzzle as they need a big man to guard Dwight Howard, who destroyed them in the conference finals. They just have to hope it doesn’t hurt their chemistry in the way in killed the Suns’. The biggest winner here is likely ESPN, who, next postseason, will not only be able to bombard us with thousands of Kobe vs. LeBron commercials, but will be able to add a large Shaq puppet to the mix. As for the biggest loser in this deal, that’s probably Shaq. The medical staff in Phoenix revived his career, not to mention the fact that Shaq has never lived in a cold city like Cleveland. And of course, he can no longer go by The Big Cactus, and The Big Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Maybe he can play on the cities lack of any success in sports in the history of the city by naming himself The Biggest Loser.