Oklahoma City Thunder: Will Jeremy Lamb Be A Better Option Than Kevin Martin?
By Pete Schauer
Jeremy Lamb will be a big part of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offense this season. (Photo courtesy of Norma Gonzalez’s Flickr).
Now that free agent shooting guard Kevin Martin has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder will look to Jeremy Lamb to fulfill the role of sixth-man scorer.
Also, it’s definitely a possibility that the Thunder utilize Lamb as a starter over Thabo Sefolosha, which is something NBA.com’s David Aldridge recently tweeted about.
With Kevin Martin off to Minnesota, Jeremy Lamb certainly should be in the Thunder's rotation starting next season.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 3, 2013
Martin averaged 14 points per game for OKC last season, but he never really lived up to his expectations as a pure scorer. His 14 PPG this past season was the worst mark since his sophomore campaign back in 2005-06.
But do we really think Lamb could ultimately be a better option for Oklahoma City than Martin was?
I do.
Whereas Martin primarily scored his points via the jump shot, Lamb brings a shooting stroke as well as wing athleticism to the table, which allows him to create his own shot. While Lamb does give up two inches to Martin (6’5″ as opposed to 6’7″), Lamb is the superior athlete, which will mesh well with players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Lamb’s sophomore season—his last at the University of Connecticut—saw him average 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The 2012 lottery pick only appeared in 23 games for the Thunder last season, but his experience playing for the Tulsa 66ers certainly bolsters the case that he’s ready to contribute to OKC’s offense.
Oklahoma City ranked third in the NBA in points per game (105.7) last season, so we know they have enough scoring power while Lamb gets his feet wet and the NBA and begins to play a bigger role in the offense.
Also going in Lamb’s favor is the fact that he’ll be playing alongside Durant and Westbrook.
Every defense in the league will be focused on containing the two Thunder superstars, which will leave plenty of open scoring opportunities for the second-year shooting guard.
Oklahoman sports blogger Anthony Slater mentioned Lamb among players who have impressed during the Summer League, further highlighting his progress for the start of the 2013-14 season.
Guys who impressed in the first half: Daniel Orton, Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, Grant Jerrett. So, basically, everyone.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2013
It’s not necessarily going to be an easy transition for Lamb—this is the NBA that we’re talking about—but with a talented roster and the body of work he displayed at UConn, my money is on Lamb having a big year.