Oklahoma City had the luxury of looking at this year's NBA draft crop from a developmental perspective.
A trip to the NBA finals, followed by the best record in the Western Conference, will do that for a team.
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The Thunder looked to the future with its three picks on Thursday night, taking a pair of projects – including Pittsburgh center Steven Adams with the 12th pick – and trading for a third,more experienced, option.
The 7-foot Adams added some much-needed size for Oklahoma City,which is coming off a 60-22 season and was hoping to find a complementary piece to play alongside stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Adams was one of three selections by the Thunder, which only had such a high pick because of last year's trade that sent James Harden to Houston.
''We're really excited about him joining us and 안전한카지노사이트 being able to learn from the veteran we have up front,'' Oklahoma City assistant general manager Troy Weaver said. ''We think he has a tremendous upside.''
Adams was later joined in Oklahoma City by Colorado forward Andre Roberson, who was acquired in a three-team trade, and Spanish guard Alex Abrines. The Thunder also added Grant Jarrett, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward from Arizona and the 40th pick, from Portland for cash considerations.
Adams played just one season for the Panthers, averaging 7.2 points and 6.3 points per game while being named to the Big East All-Rookie team. He is the first New Zealander to be taken in the NBA draft, and he was especially excited to be selected by a team considered among the league's elite, one he said had a ''really high chance of the playoffs next year and 바카라검증사이트 getting a championship.''
The Thunder lost in the NBA Finals last year to NBA Miami heat jerseys and 실시간바카라사이트 had the best record in the Western Conference this season. However, Westbrook injured his right knee in a first-round win over Houston,and Oklahoma City was ousted in the second round by Memphis.
Oklahoma City had three of the first 32 picks in the draft, with No. 29 and 32 to go along with the Adams' pick. The team selected Kentucky freshman Archie Goodwin with the 29th pick, but he was dealt as part of the deal that brought Roberson to the Thunder.
The 6-foot-7 Roberson averaged 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for the Buffaloes last season, shooting 51.6 percent from the field. He was the most experienced of Oklahoma City's draft picks,having played three seasons in college, and will provide the Thunder with front court depth behind starting power forward Serge Ibaka.
''We think he's a unique player,'' Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. ''He's guarded lot of different positions, and we feel like he is a lot of tools to work with physically. And the other thing that we really like about him is he's got tremendous endurance and persistence on the floor.''
Abrines is currently averaging 3.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 11 minutes per game for F.C. Barcelona. The 6-6 guard is likely to remain in Europe for a season, and he won't turn 20 until August.
Oklahoma City caused the biggest stir of the off season a year ago, trading shooting guard James Harden to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
The Thunder used the first of those first-round picks on Adams,who averaged just 23.4 minutes per game as a freshman at Pittsburgh. He attended high school in Massachusetts and 우리카지노본사 was a top recruit for the Panthers before deciding to leave college after just one season.
Adams set the Pitt school record for field goal percentage in his one season, connecting on 100 of 175 shots (57.1 percent) last season. He had career-highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds against Bethune-Cookman and had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the open in ground of the NCAA tournament against Wichita State.
He also had a good idea he was headed to the Thunder after his pre-draft workout with the team.
''To a certain degree I kind of did, but it was actually more what I was hoping for,'' Adams said. ''Just because I fell in love with the place.''
Adams also said he was comfortable spending time next season with the team's developmental-league team in Tulsa, if that's in the Thunder's plans.
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Oklahoma City hopes Adams is the perfect addition of size, as well as a long-term scoring option inside to pair with Westbrook and Durant. Westbrook, who averaged 23.2 points and 안전한카지노사이트 7.4 assists per game last season, is expected to return healthy before the start of next season.
Durant averaged 28.1 points per game last season, but he struggled at times without Westbrook in the playoffs – where his shooting percentage dropped to 42 percent against the Grizzlies,compared to 51 percent during the regular season.
Adams' addition could signal an eventual changing of the guard at center for the Thunder, which already features center Kendrick Perkins and drafted the 6-foot-11 Perry Jones III last year. Also,Oklahoma City has three free agents in Martin and guards Ronnie Brewer and Derek Fisher.
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