Training camp is a time to figure out the little things. Coming in, you’re going to know most everything you need to about your team. But not everything. Maybe you need to answer a position battle. Maybe you need to figure out the last piece of your rotation. Maybe you need to define a role or two. Every team has the camp questions because hey, that’s exactly what camp is for. Here’s 10 questions the Thunder likely has coming in that hopefully will have answers (or close to at least). 
Who is starting at shooting guard?
The biggest question. Thabo or James Harden? Obviously, Harden wasn’t drafted third overall to be a career bench player. He’s going to be a starter. But does he start the season as it? Does he take the job halfway through? Does he get it next year? Regardless of who wins starting honors, both are going to see extended minutes. If you ask me who will be starting alongside Russell Westbrook in the Thunder backcourt come Oct. 29, I’d say Thabo. Harden is the future, Thabo is the now. They are going to complement each other extremely well so it doesn’t matter a whole heck of a lot, but I bet Scott Brooks goes with the veteran.
Byron Mullens: In Tulsa or OKC?
I think you can bank on him and possibly Serge Ibaka, Kyle Weaver and maybe even D.J. White seeing time between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. But the question with Mullens is where he spends the majorityof his time. Bringing in Etan Thomas means that the Thunder has someone immediately behind Nenad Krstic on the depth chart now so Mullens isn’t a needed player right now. If he can show off some more polished skills in camp he may he a chance to start in OKC with the idea to drop him down to Tulsa a few times throughout the year. But if he’s still raw and unpolished, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him start out with the 66ers.
Do any of the extra roster guys have a chance to make the squad?
Right now, four guys are fighting for one spot. And that spot may not even be open because Sam Presti may prefer to keep it available. Some of it depends on how they view Ibaka, White and Mullens and if the staff see them as potential contributors this year. If not, then they’ll likely keep Michael Ruffin or Ryan Bowen to add some depth on the front line. I doubt the two guards have much of a chance unless Shaun Livingston shows he’s not ready to play an 82 game season.
If you didn't know - and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't - that's Ryan Bowen.
Is Serge Ibaka a rotation player? Or a Tulsa player?
I doubt we’ll have this answer right away. But he looked very good in the Summer Leagues and his game was much more polished than anyone expected. At 6’11″, he can play the four or the five, making him pretty valuable. Again, so much of this depends on how the staff sees White and Mullens. While Ibaka is extremely young, he has an NBA body and his skills could probably get hmi by. But camp will hopefully show if he’s ready to get 10 minutes in a meaningful game or not. He’s likely to see time in Tulsa, but just like with Mullens, the question is how much. I think that’s one reason management decided to bring him over this year and not wait another. With Tulsa just up the road, it’ll be much easier to oversee his development while also trying to get him time on the floor with the big club.
Likewise, where does D.J. White fit in?
Pretty much the same question and answer as Ibaka, but White’s got a leg up because he’s had a year in the league and he’s seen live game action. White doesn’t have the ability to bump up to the five, but he’ll likely be right behind Nick Collison in the rotation.
Is Etan Thomas healthy?
The Big Poet has battled some injuries during his career and he was never really healthy last year and wasn’t able to get a lot of time in Washington. But if he’s healthy, he’ll be a great backup behind Krstic, because he’s more physical and plays the rebounding/shot blocking role that Krstic doesn’t.
What does Thabo’s corner 3 look like?
He supposedly spent all summer working on this shot, so where’s it at? Can he hit it with any consistency? Because if so, color me stoked.
Can Shaun Livingston handle the backup load for a full season?
Hopefully camp will clue us in as to where he’s at physically. He said yesterday at media day that he’s night and day different in terms of explosiveness compared to when he was in Tulsa. He also said he feels like he’s about 95 percent and will continue to say that because he always wants to leave the door open to getting even stronger. The question isn’t if he can play and play well. The question is whether or not he’s going to be able to withstand the haul of a full 82-game tilt playing back-to-back games and the like.
Where does Kyle Weaver fit in?
Weaver is a nice player that always seems to do something well when he’s on the floor. But where does he fit in? He’s the kind of guy you WANT to get minutes, but how do you force them in? Really at this point, his minutes would likely come due to an injury to someone in front of him (which happens). Right now, he’s third at shooting guard behind Thabo and Harden and probably the fourth point guard behind Westbrook, Livingston and Kevin Ollie.
Has Kevin Durant’s added strength changed anything about his game?
He said yesterday that the added weight has helped him in controlling his dribble and not getting bumped off the ball as easily. But what about in the post? Or on the defensive end? Or with his sweep-across-the-arm-foul-me move? I’m curious to see the next evolution in the Durantula. If that muscle does what it’s supposed to, well, I’m so giddy I could pee.
I also just recently learned the name of a consultant Presti has used; though I am not sure how much, it is probably regular. He is very well credentialed. I think he and I had a brief discussion a few years back and agreed on a basic approach on how to analyze basketball data sets and divide credit among players. He or leave it as his company had the play by play crunched a certain way. I had identified the same approach conceptually and praised and used their data while it was available. Wonder if he is still giving that to Presti now. If so the folks at APBRmetrics who rolled their eyes about discussion of credit dividing more distinctly based on actual involvement in the final play than is done with Adjusted +/- are the ones out of touch, at least with that development. It is different than Adjusted +/-, might be better in some senses, though I've gone on and on elsewhere about how it might be possible to get the best of both worlds in a hybrid metric. But I'll spare you that.
So the "consultant" slot is probably filled and I'd guess Sam is getting some good advice. But in the end it is the decisions that matter.
By the way, for what it is worth- to say or read- on small samples, think of comments on them as something of a mobile edition. A bit simpler. Yes they are small sample, no they don't conclusive "prove" stuff, but that is what we've got, worth considering. Better than ignoring completely in my opinion, but think what you want. Just because this caveat isn't fully there every single time I don't think jumping to claiming a person can't analyze data or is making too much of something is fair. That is interpretation, not usually intention. It is a common response here and elsewhere but the game of basketball is always going to be full of small samples that you either choose to consider some, knowing it is difficult to be sure or you just choose to ignore. Coaches use very small samples to make decisions all the time in games, (the last few plays) probably way too much. Exactly how wisely they blend it with everything else a player has done and a coach knows, that is hard to say, by others. It is interpretation. I know most or all folks know this. But seemed worth saying.
@Zorgon
Umm, yes.
Weaver isn't even a point guard yet. He may very well be the third guard in the future(I think that's what management wants, but Ollie wasn't brought in to site behind three players. Weaver will likely get minutes because Thabo will likely move over and play the three for Durant some and then Weaver can come in behind Harden.
There is a mobile version now??? I can't wait.
@MartzMimic
You can thank Royce's new iPhone for that.
Ollie's got a low turnover rate in his favor (it was a third less than Watson's last season). Too bad no 3 point game.
Thomas has been about 20% lower on giving inside shots than Krstic and Collison but usually for a pretty high FG% allowed in the last few seasons.
Weaver is BEHIND Kevin Ollie? You've got to be joking. I'd play Weaver over Old Man Ollie any day of the week. But we'll see, I'm probably wrong.
Bowen was quite stingy about giving inside shots to SF. At PF he has bounced between Green;s and White's levels the past 2 seasons.
On frequency. Collison gave up a higher FG% allowed.
It was only a short trial and probably against lesser opposition but White allowed about a 25% lower inside shot rate than Green. Collison and Krstic were equally punished inside.
Thunder tied for highest inside shot % allowed at PF with Golden State and in a 5 way tie for 2nd at Center behind Toronto. Somebody has to moderate at least one of those, eventually.
I can't recall if I'd noticed or mentioned this before but the Thunder gave up the most inside shot attempts by the opposition last season. Probably need to knock a few more drivers down. Etan might oblige but others will either need to move their feet faster or their arms later to prevent close shots. As a result of the highest inside shot rate they force one of the lowest mid-range shot rates, though also the highest mid-range FG%. While they really under-do the 3 point game on offense the Thunder defense seems keyed on it, giving up the 9th least attempts and only an average FG%. Might need to ease off that a bit or at least improve elsewhere.
By the way, I love the new mobile edition.
Unless Houston surprises and is more stable than initially expected.
I expect a pretty big gap from 7th to 8th.
Several folks I know have predicted the 8th seed in the west will win 40-42 games. I think it could go to 38 but maybe I'm pushing it.
Gelabale had some defense and the corner 3 but what he has now I don't know.
Not that many are interested but Sene will play in the French A league. No sign of Robert Swift in camp yet that I can find.
Crow is right about the minutes. Kyle may not play every game, but he will find more than 5 minutes of play once he's in. It's impossible for us to map out exactly how the minutes will be distributed. We'll see plenty of these back ups and match ups will determine which games they play in. I love our bench. I like watching them play and they're easy to root for, but we're not so deep and our reserve roster so concrete that we have to worry about minutes and thinking about the odd man out. What if Livingston tears his ACL? What if Sefolosha gets hurt? Someone's getting injured this year for an extended amount of time and we will need every bit of this roster when that day comes.
Has anyone checked out the training camp pics on thunder.nba.com? The very last one is an awesome shot of Etan Thomas absolutely posterizing Krstic...
Thabo with a corner three is a Bruce Bowen without the dirty tricks.
Lakers bring Gelabale to their camp.
At least 3, maybe up to 5 guys won't be around same time next season. To make room for some combo of more rookies and perhaps free agents.
Bowen is mostly a big SF. With Green around to fill behind Durant (or Thabo or Weaver against the smaller SFs), it doesn't seem a huge need. The rebounding isn't there to play PF and they have so many. So there is a good chance it doesn't happen. Assuming no trade or injury.
As f5alcon notes minutes will be tight. Regardless. Given the rest of the roster construction.
@f5alcon
I think you can scratch Mullens from your equation entirely- that kid is not ready for prime time, and will be living in Tulsa this season. I'm hoping that we see Thomas and Ibaka getting most of the back-up minutes behind Krstic, with White and Collison (and a little Ibaka here too)battling for minutes behind Green. I love Thabo's game, and look for him and Harden to split their time at two guard about even, regardless of who is starting. Green's time at the 4 should get squeezed a bit with all of that competition building behind him, so I look for him to play almost all of the back-up minutes behind KD just to get him some additional court time. Guy is too good to sit, not good enough to deny Ibaka & White the playing time they need to develop.
Every team in the league had 10+ guys who played 10+ minutes a game- when they played. Most had 12+. Some of the subs alternate who plays and who sits completely. That is normal.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Your comment about our five picks for next year is one of the main reasons I'm convinced that we will be trading most of those away- hopefully at midseason- to land a quality big along the lines of Gortat/Biedrins. Other than the center position, there just aren't any spots for mid-level 1st and 2nd round picks to break into our rotation. I would like to see Presti keep one of those first rounders for back-up swing man with a nice outside shot (Henry?), but would be willing to trade away all 5 if thats what it takes. Its just too damned hard to confidently acquire a quality center through the draft (ask Presti's predecessor if you don't believe me).
@f5alcon
I mostly agree, except that I believe Green saw more minutes at the backup 3 last year than he will this year. I think you'll see Thabo take those minutes instead.
I think you'll see most the backup minutes of the 2 and 3 go to Thabo, and if there are any minutes past 30 available, then they'll go to Weaver and Livingston.
well considering a player can only be assigned to d league 3 times, whoever gets sent there will stay there unless there are injuries to people ahead of them, the weaver/white bounce back and forth like the end last year wont happen until march/april.
with westbrook,livingston,weaver,sefalosha and harden competing for all the minutes at the 1 and 2, there are only 96 minutes to go around, somebody is gonna get left out, even if you add the 11 minutes to back up durant thats still only 107, and a lot of those minutes will go to green. So lets assume there are 100 minutes a game to go to those 5 players, and both starters will get 30 mins+ so really that leaves at most 40 minutes among the remaining 3 players, so i could see a split of 20/15/5 or 20/20 with one player riding pine(most likely weaver) not everybody is gonna get to play. really i could see 35 mins for the starters and only 30 mins going to backups, maybe 10 mins of livingston and 20 mins of harden.
A similar issue exists and the 4 and 5, with green, white, thomas, collison, ibaka, mullens and krstic, the same 96 minutes exist. green is going to get maybe 28 mins at the 4 and the rest at the 3, that leaves 68 mins among 6 players, with 1 needing to be inactive, so its really sharing among 5 players. Krstic will get 25 mins, thats least 43 minutes and 4 players, probably 20 mins go to collison as the 1st big and the remaining 23 mins are split between thomas,white and whoever wins out between ibaka and mullens. But thats still a big rotation.
most teams use a 8 or 9 man rotation, so westbrook, livingston, selfalosha, harden, durant, green, krstic, collison is 8, maybe play another depending on foul/game situation.
long term if everybody becomes good one guard(thabo,weaver,livingston)
and one big (white,ibaka, mullens) will leave to get better minutes elsewhere, or they will stay to give us a really deep championship team
I don't mind if we add Bowen to the team. I assumed that he was a guy who didn't hurt his team, and according to Crow's research, that seems to be true. His agent was quoted as saying that Bowen "has no ego".
A guy like that is good insurance for an injury here or there.
There's no sense in messing around with the lineup on a developing team. Way better to establish roles right from the start and let the guys grow together as a team. Coming out of camp...
Starters - Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Green, Krstic
Rotation - Livingston, Collison, Sefolosha, (tbd 4th big)
Going into camp my guess is that Thomas has the veteran's advantage at the 4th big spot, but then again this is a developing team. Anything close is likely to go to the younger player which bodes well for White and/or Ibaka.
Weaver & Ollie are both already on the bench. It's a long season. Having decent guys in reserve is a good thing. Mullens plays in Tulsa all year.
I think this team wins about half their games getting better as the season goes along. In a perfect world they knock the Suns out of the playoffs the last day of the season by capturing that #8 spot in the West and the Suns 2010 lottery pick becomes #1!
It is always a question of who and how many but there is a place for some of these guys.
If you don't like or want boring blue-collar types then you might want to contact Sam. 'Cause it sure looks like he intends to fill 1/3 to half the roster with them. At least this year and probably regularly.
If that is how you want to leave it, that is your choice...
Seemed liked a long-term NBA pro deserved a bit of respect, given the way things went yesterday and here so far. The stuff I found was kinda interesting to me.
I know more about Ryan Bowen than I ever wanted to know......
I think we can say he is a boring blue collar white dude.....
His PER is low because he shoots very infrequently and doesn't rebound much these days but he is pretty good otherwise and could fit in some lineups for spot minutes if others do a large share of those jobs well.
More on Bowen:
His shot chart is almost exactly Collison's
takes 30 some % jumpers and hits about 30% FG%
takes close to 70% inside and hit over 70% FG%
You could think of him as a shorter by 3-4 inches and lighter by 30-40 pounds Collison type player.
I can see why Presti brought him to camp, whether he makes it or not.
@Dai
Mullens should spend a lot of time in Tulsa. Getting heavy minutes will be good for him.
Oh yeah. Mullens will be in Tulsa a lot.
My perspective is White & Ibaka will stay in OKC the majority of the season. White can offer some post offense behind Green and Collison. I see Thomas, Krstic, Collison and Ibaka all rotating through the 5 as needed. Each player has their special abilities. When Brooks needs a solid shot blocker he brings in Thomas. Ibaka is the quick and athletic shot changer (think Andersen). Krstic will be the offensive popper. Traber's beloved Collison will provide rebounds, hustle, and passing.
Ten things about Ryan Bowen, if you want to know:
1) Last season was his best shooting season, with surprisingly TS% above Durant and eFG% way above.
2)Early in his career he was usually a pretty strong offensive rebounder (compared to what you might expect) but not in 3 of the last 4 years.
3)His steal rate per 48 minutes is higher than Thabo.
4)He is generally low turnovers.
5) He is low usage and accepts that.
6) If you believe in Dean Oliver's "Offensive Rating" he'd come in a close second to Nick Collison's team leading overall offensive efficiency (not just shooting efficiency, everything).
7) Even with some of these other sneaky positives his main rep is probably as a good defender. "Defensive Rating" is mainly about team but he has been on some good and some bad teams and was usually from top quarter to neck and neck for team lead early in his career but more toward the middle in recent years but on good defensive teams.
8. He is from Iowa. Maybe Collison knows him abit, though Bowen is 5 years older.
9. He turns 34 in November. This might be the last dance.
10. For a candidate for a 15th man he might be a pretty good choice beneath the surface. In an Ollie and Thomas way. He also might be a good future assistant.
Maybe Thabo can help Harden with his Defense/rotations, and in turn help Thabo with his outside-shooting? (Maybe they'll morph together like Voltron and become an All-star!)
Jax the way you see it almost exactly how I do too.
I'm hesitant to expect anything out of Ibaka because he's so much of an unknown. But I do think Harden will be starting 30-40 games in.
Situations like the Harden vs Thabo decision are why I'm glad I'm not a coach. That's the kind of call that effects a career, and I'd lose sleep over it.
That being said, I expect Harden to take Thabo's starting spot by the All-Star break. However, I figure Thabo still gets 30 minutes a game. Of course, that spells bench time for Weaver, but that's how I see it. After the All-Star break, Thabo will be taking minutes as Harden's and KD's backup.
Ibaka is better than Mullens and I think we'll see him on the floor in a Thunder game first. It wouldn't surprise me to see him push DJ for time.
I can't imagine what it will be like next season after we add 5 draft picks.
@Warren
I like the way you think.
We went from having 3 core starters to having position battles at several spots. We have an actual bench now with guys fighting for playing time. This is going to translate over to the floor. I think, starting after the All-Star break, we should have a lot of this figured out and be on the winning side of more than half our games.