Hoops Habit
Fansided

Oklahoma City Thunder: Enes Kanter looking to round out game in offseason

By Kenneth Teape

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 25: Enes Kanter #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on January 25, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 25: Enes Kanter #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on January 25, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter is working hard this offseason to improve his weaknesses.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the better offseasons of any team in the NBA. It has been a little over a year since Kevin Durant decided to leave Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors and they have recovered quite well.

The Thunder were the winners of the Paul George sweepstakes this offseason. The Indiana Pacers engaged in trade negotiations with a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. They didn’t like any of those offers, eventually agreeing to send George to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

That was only the start of what turned out to be a very strong offseason for the Thunder. They were able to sign Patrick Patterson to a team-friendly deal, as Oklahoma City landed him using their Mid-Level Exception. Raymond Felton signed a veteran’s minimum deal, and Andre Roberson was retained on a three-year, $30 million deal despite being a restricted free agent.

The Thunder’s roster has been upgraded in a big way. They now have options that can help carry the offense along with Russell Westbrook, especially when he is off the court. Their backcourt now has some valuable depth, as well as on the wing. In addition to the signings, the Thunder also selected high upside shooting guard Terrance Ferguson in the 2017 NBA Draft.

More from Oklahoma City Thunder

If the Thunder are going to take the next step toward having homecourt advantage in the playoffs, they are going to have to receive some better play in the frontcourt. One person who has been under the microscope there is center Enes Kanter.

Kanter heard his name pop up in some trade rumors this offseason, something that isn’t easy for any player to hear. Adding insult to injury, Kanter was basically benched during the postseason as head coach Billy Donovan couldn’t trust him on the court to provide productive minutes.

However, Kanter is doing whatever he can to ensure that does not happen again this upcoming season. Kanter should enter the season once again as the team’s sixth man, but he will look like a different player.

Kanter has been spending his summer in New York City, tirelessly working on his game. In an interview with Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript, Kanter discussed some of the things he was doing this summer to improve his game.

"Katz: So, how’s your offseason going? What have you been doing over the offseason?Kanter: I’m in New York just hanging out, doing basketball. I’m just working on my game.Katz: What’s your workout regimen when you’re alone in New York?Kanter: I work on the stuff I don’t do during the season too much. So, I work on my 3-point game a lot, face-up game. I’ve been really focused on the defensive stuff."

Defense has been a big issue for Kanter throughout his career. While he is rather gifted offensively, the same cannot be said for his defense.

Every season in his career, Kanter has had a negative Defensive Box Rating, according to Basketball Reference. Those numbers looked even worse come playoff time, when Kanter’s offensive game fell off a cliff.

It made the decision for Donovan an easy one. If Kanter wasn’t going to provide production offensively, he had no reason to be on the court. That is something he hopes to change, as Kanter explained to Katz what he is doing to improve defensively as well.

"Katz: How do you work on defense when you’re just you? What do you do?Kanter: You put down the cones. You go slide to one cone, touch it. You go touch the other cone. Come back and do some drills. Just shuffle and just chop steps…It’s about the legs."

If Kanter is able to improve defensively, it will greatly improve his chances of staying on the court. With his deficiencies on that end of the court, there is only so many minutes Donavan can play him. If he is the defensive anchor, the team will struggle to keep up.

How much Kanter improves will be something to watch during the season. It will help the Thunder tremendously if Kanter is passable defensively. His offensive game is helpful when the pace slows as he is someone they can throw it to in the post to get a bucket.

Next: 5 Best Bargain Deals In 2017 NBA Free Agency

Expanding his offensive game would also help out a lot. The more diversity that Kanter adds to his game, the better off he and the Thunder will be.

Home/Oklahoma City Thunder